Celebrating 17 weeks at #1 on the European Independent Music Charts!
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Please Pass The Indie Dec 19, 2018
by Bryon William
Barley Station has created a classic Christmas folk song mixing elements of Americana, folk and rock. The song opens with a gentle folk-rock feel and builds brilliantly. The lyrics stick to the classic Christmas story, yet the song sounds refreshingly new. The “Christmas Call” is an invitation to gather “one and all” and folks will be gathering around this song for years to come."
Flavorful and Tasty Music April 27, 2018
Sound Wave One by Steven F. Adams
"...The melodies of the band are strong and vivid in a way that you hear all the trueness of this
soon to be iconic band. The band has a sound has a sound that needs to be heard"
read more
Published in New Music Weekly (April 2018)
“Barley Station “Younger Summer Memories” (Barleyfields) is breaking here”
Dano/KPLT (Paris, TX)
National Radio Hits - Top Indie Band Rises
March 21, 2018
"BARLEY STATION is fast becoming one of the top new independent bands at radio.
They are already closing in on our Top10 at AC40 with their debut single “Younger Summer Memories”
which is also #1 “By the Vote” for a third week. In addition, the red-hot single has now crossed over to Top40
where it ranks 2nd “most added” just ahead of the monster single from Taylor Swift."
...read more
Interview with Broad Tube Music Channel
April 19, 2018
Frolicking in meadows and the sounds of peanut butter? After so many interviews you just have to get a little weird.
Our interview with Broadtune Music Channel just went up. Here's an excerpt:
"Q: Tell us your weakness and strength pertaining music.
Brian: Weakness – I can’t stand the sound of my own voice. Also, peanut butter.
Randy: I can’t stand the sound of peanut butter either."
Review of album Back There Somewhere
December 2017 issue: Music Arts Monthly
"Sounds like what you get when a country boy marries a rock-n-roll star. This group perfectly blends sound and words to create their
own style with a little Tom Petty thrown in to twang it out!"
http://musicartsmonthly.com/December2017reviews.html
Review of Damaged Goods Album (song Medusa)
"Classic country rock with hints of folk. This is a refreshing turn from all of the pop country that is poisoning the airwaves right now."
- John Farley
Sophisticated Ape Radio
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Interview with Ally's Attic
from 09-05-2017
http://www.allysatticshow.com/conversations-with-stars.html
Review of Like Destiny by The eYe Internet Radio Station
"Wow, great tune, I Caught this on spotify, found it here at IMP, great song!
this will be on their upcoming new album in September according to their announcement on the spot.,
tripping groove, turning the corner on this tune ,they are finding their place and this is a song
that will take them in a new direction, finding their niche, pushing the envelop more its a big jump
in production and songcrafting, big ups."
- eYe dig
http://indiemusicpeople.com/stationgen.aspx?stationID=6718
Music Arts Monthly
July 2017
"Barley Station is garnering some rather top shelf reviews from music mags and reviewer throughout America and Europe
so if you want to hear what the clamor is about go to their YouTube channel and give a listen."
http://www.musicartsmonthly.com/July2017reviews.html
Feature in American Pride Magazine
July 9, 2017
Randy Wayne Belt on Developing a Song into Something More
http://www.americanpridemagazine.com/latest/randy-wayne-belt-developing-a-song-into-something-more/
Music is Truth
Station at Indie Music People (June 2017)
"This group always brings top drawer tunage."
http://indiemusicpeople.com/stationGen.aspx?stationID=5168
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Music Review for Bongo Boy Records – ‘Volume X’ | by Skope • December 20, 2016
Barley Station’s “Like Destiny” represents the best of indie rock with a western twang.
Quite beautiful the song at times feels reminiscent of the welcoming spirit of early Meat Puppets albums.
A nice carefree approach dominates the proceedings.
www.bongoboyrecords.com/volume-x/ By – beachsloth.com
MUSIC REVIEW by JENNY CAT | Steel Notes
This track is reminiscent of a mix of 90's alternative rock and a little bit of the 1960's.
Instantly, I'm a fan. The guitar riff takes me back to a taste of the Grateful Dead.
I can hear every lyric clearly and the harmonies are sweet.
This song is a free thinkers delight and the chorus is just sweet and highly memorable.
The bridge is perfect and the song is a must have for your collection.
Review of "Like Destiny"
As reviewed by Bryon Harris of Indie Spoonful
Like Destiny appears as a track on Bongo Boy Records Volume X which includes 12 tracks by talented, award-winning artists from around the globe. Volume X covers dance, pop, rock, hip hop and rap. Volume X is perfect for any music connoisseur looking to discover great new songs in multiple genres. "
Official Web Site: https://bongoboyrecords.com/volume-x/
Barley Station's "Destiny" is one of my favorite songs on the compilation. From Missouri, USA, Barley Station combines Americana, Pop/Rock, Country, and Folk. Driven primarily by rhythm guitar, giving it a down-to-earth country-rock feel, "Destiny" has solid rock elements including good melodic riffs and tight bass and percussion. The singer-songwriter who fuels the band is it's founder, the award-winning Randy Wayne Belt who has a great voice made for Rockin' Americana. The song is about that moment when you first see someone and they get into your soul, magically and instantly which is the way this song will hit you when you first hear it. "Like Destiny, I fall to my knees. Like Destiny."
http://www.indie-spoonful.com/single-post/2016/11/25/Bongo-Boy-Records---Volume-X
Review of the single "Like Destiny" by
CA Marshall in Starlight Music Chronicles
01/21/2016
"The long awaited single 'Like Destiny' by Missouri based Barley Station has launched today and, well, it's bloody fabulous! It is the band's music which originally connected Vocalist Randy Wayne Belt to Starlight Music Chronicles via mutual industry friends and there is definitely credibility that needs to be recognized here: Randy Wayne Belt is an exceptional writer and it clearly shows in this new release.
All instrumental, mixing, vocals, and production was created singlehandedly by Randy and it is a credit to both his multitasking abilities & talent that such a pretty song has been created in such a short amount of time! In addition to his meticulous and consistently polished articles that he writes for Starlight Music Chronicles Magazine and online, he is able to continuously create something new every time for Barley Station and keeps up with the growing fan base.
In the wake of last fall's epic 'Double Star' release on October 15th, 2015, 'Like Destiny' is a Mellifuous blend of both instrumental and vocal brought home with a folk/rock blend truly consistent to what is now known as 'The Barley Station Sound'.
Congrats on yet another single knocked out of the park!"
Review of the single "I've Got News" by Steel Notes Magazine
Bongo Boy Records Compilations Volume Seven Receives Stellar Reviews
Review by Steel Notes Magazine
Here's the section on Barley Station (track 7)
"The seventh song on the album is from USA’s Barley Station.
“I’ve Got News” mixes Americana infused rock with a catchy melody and rough
around the edges vocals that make for a great first impression from this band."
Read the full compilastion review and press release below:
http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=187854
http://issuu.com/steelnotesmagazine/docs/steelnotes-holidayissue2015/130?e=9454082/31946891
Review of the single "Double Star" by
CA Marshall in Starlight Music Magazine (p. 87)
direction and show no signs of stopping. "Double Star" is brilliant in
its Immaculate Conception, composition, and imagery that is evoked
when listening but it is also just a small piece of the pie when you
consider the capacity and the quality of music that the band has
already produced and recorded."
Feature: Feature and interview with Barley Station
Greycastle News Corporation
Oct. 2015
http://www.greycastle.tv/features/barley-station.html
Review of the video for "Younger Summer Memories" by Skope
August 10, 2015
"With a clear fondness for the summer jam is Barley Station’s “Younger Summer Memories”. Colored in a nostalgic hue the piece has a playful sound to it. The chorus is akin to a warm hug and is particularly satisfying after all the restraint they show on the piece. A relaxed groove rules over the piece giving a sense of inner peace and joy."
Barley Station's Feature in American Pride Magazine
March 19, 2015
AmericanPrideMagazine.com
Interview with Jacqueline Jax on A.V.A Live Radio from March 4, 2015
{Behind the Music} Barley Station on Letting Artists Be Who They Are
Listen to the podcast of the interview from March 4, 2015 below:
2011-2014 Press/Reviews/Interviews
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Interview and a Review of the album Damaged Goods
in the September/October 2014 issue of Designed to Ignite
Starts on page 36 http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/845307
Listen to our Interview with the Artist First Radio Network
from June 26, 2013 (scroll down to the "B"s and click Barley Station)
or click here directly: Interview with Cory king
Interview with Indie Music Bus:
Indie Music Bus - Road Trip: Interview With Barley Station
Barley Station's interview with Olaf on the New Country Show
89.6 (Mannheim, Deutschland) 105.4 (Heidelberg, Deutschland) in Germany from July 7, 2012
Watch our FOX 2 News feature and performance in St. Louis, MO
from June 12, 2012: FOX 2 News: Barley Station on the Tim Ezell Show
Interview with Entertainment Vine:
Building the Foundation: Interview with Barley Station
Written by Jan Ostegard
Listen to our 2012 interview with ArtistFirst Radio Network
(scroll down to the "B"s and click Barley Station)
or click here directly: Interview with Cory King
Album and/or Single Reviews:
- Review of DAMAGED GOODS by Rob F. ~ Leicester Bangs
(Rated 5 out of 5 stars)
I think it’s fair to say that their new recordings are a little more sophisticated than previous efforts. They retain a rustic, wholesome edge to whatever they do, but they seem more comfortable and confident in the studio these days, and “Damaged Goods” enjoys a variety of sounds and styles - without ever surrendering their artistic vision. Here they begin with the album’s title track, a clever lyric about love, honesty and human failings, and assembled in a manner that brings to mind both Ryan Adams and 10cc. “Medusa” rocks up on Stonesy harmonies, before settling in to a rollicking alt. country riff and a verse / chorus arrangement that sticks around, and “10 Nights” is a classy Southern rock-style ballad, with plenty of country-rock nous, and a dash of blue-eyed soul.
Leicester Bangs (UK)
- Review of "After All" LP - by Ryan Chilton at B's RSM Promotions
From the first lines of the album, “Thirteen steps to the gallows/These are the roads that I take” you can tell that the members of Barley Station have done some living. The album, After All, is a 12-song collection of emotions: love, loss, hope, and heartbreak. The honesty in the songwriting blends perfectly with the layers of deft musicianship to form a solid, accessible album.
Barley Station exists somewhere between genres, finding a sweet spot between rock, country, folk and even classic pop. They lend a Midwestern charm to each song. Listening brings up old memories and stirs familiar emotions. Its easy to feel what these guys are feeling. This is not, however, a “lay back in wallow in my pain” album. Barley Station is just as comfortable with the railroad rhythms of “I Found You” as the lament “Can’t Sleep for Venus.”
Overall, this is a solid album by very capable musicians. Their website refers to them as an “emerging” band. It is a good bet that this record will broaden their horizons. Listening to it feels like getting lost on Missouri back roads, and enjoying every minute.
Ryan Chilton - B's RSM Promotions
Jan. 3, 2013
- Review of "After All" (song by song) - by Tom at Tom Wardman's Music Reviews
"I was thrilled when they asked me to review the album ‘After All’, so I began with their first track, ‘Dream you lost’. This opened with a steady guitar rhythm, which then built up with the use of vocals. Here there was a beautiful tone and diction with the vocals, which was lovely to listen to. The instrumentation continued to build up, including a great use of backing vocals. What I liked with the progression of this song was the change in rhythm for the second verse, as this added variation to the entire song; here, the bass line was great to listen to. The instrumental solo was also nice to listen to, as it was simple but effective. I also loved how this song seemed to have a cyclical structure; ending with the same acoustic motif it opened with. Next on the track list was ‘True’. "
Click link for full review!
-Tom Wardman, Tom Wardman's Music Reviews
Sept 7, 2012
- Review of Album AFTER ALL by Olaf Christiansen - Host of New Country Show
"Can't find a song on the album that is not good, so definitely 5 stars!"
- Review of Album AFTER ALL by Greg at NANOBOT ROCK REVIEWS
If you’re getting to know someone or testing the audiophile in them, typically one of the first questions you ask is “what kind of music do you like?” To which the response is undoubtedly “EVERYTHING!” Then you roll your eyes and dig a little deeper. Often times you’re standing face-to-face with someone who “Listens to everything…except country.” Then there is an uncomfortable pause because they don’t know why, but they assume all Country music is twangy stories of a lost dog/wife/truck – insert overused joke here – and they refuse to listen to it. To which they promptly change the discussion to how awesome the last Counting Crows tour was. Please, don’t hit them. Keep reading.
Well friend, the cure for the uneducated country-hater has arrived. Though loosely country, very loosely, Missouri’s own Barley Station embarked on a journey to span the genres; so much that even iTunes identifies the same album by three genres at the same time. The resulting After All is an unshakable twelve track Folk-Rock/Country/AlternRock experience.
After All can be summed up in just one song but can easily be appreciated throughout all of them. “True” is a profound stance representing the ethic the Mid-West trio embodies played out as a love song with infectious melodies. As the song sings “I have this thing about being true,” you can’t help but feel it is not only speaking to personal strength against a painful fizzled relationship, but also taking a stance about their music. Barley Station is noticeably true to themselves with each chord, beat and lyric. They effortlessly bleed honesty into each song.
Randy Wayne Belt, Brian Olen Kious, Nil De Silva and on occasion Casey Wollberg craftily constructed the album which dances unfazed between genres. Dishing out the country (“Last Nashville Rose”), playing to the independent folk/songwriter (“Can’t Sleep For Venus”) and floating on rock (“Common knowledge”) Barley Station doesn’t try to be any one genre, they just play Barley Station.
A win-win situation any way you look at it, After All makes a strong case to simply be yourself. The results, as seen here, will be worth it. So next time you have that conversation and the response you get includes “except country,” remind them 311 is from Nebraska and show them the light with Barley Station.
Greg Nanobot Rock Reviews
July 2, 2012
- Review of Album AFTER ALL by Rob F., Leicester Bangs
There’s an abundance of creative talent in Barley Station, as no fewer than three members - Randy Wayne Belt, Brian Kious, and Emily Thomas – write and sing. Together they blend alternative country and rootsy folk-rock into a style that has all the pop appeal of the classic Jayhawks records, but remains earthy and resolutely unpolished. It’s a win / win for me, and I’m sure they’d appeal to both No Depression readers and fans of first generation country rock; they just need to be heard.
That can be remedied by visiting their website (link below), and if you do, be sure to pay special attention to “Can't Sleep for Venus” which builds tension and hits emotional peaks like a classic Roy Orbison number. “Dream You Lost” indicates harmonic qualities usually only found in siblings and “Abilene” is arranged beautifully, it’s unhurried and spills its secrets one at a time. They can rock it up too, and “Cobalt Blue” might be the best example. If it were 1991 it might’ve sat on a mixtape between Tom Petty’s “King’s Highway” and Uncle Tupelo’s “Graveyard Shift”, and it would’ve sounded great.
As it is with all great underground music, the listener’s got to be pro-active, and go find it. I hope lots of people find Barley Station, because there are too many ‘great lost bands’ already; we really don’t need another one.
- Review of Album AFTER ALL by marsbands.com
Barley Station is from my hometown of O’Fallon, Missouri. They have just released their debut album, After All, and I would suggest you check it out. There is so much to like about this band, I’m not sure where to start. They have amazing rhythm, great vocals, deep bass, impeccable harmony, tight drums beats, and clever and intricate guitar riffs. Taking a page from some 70s Folk singers, the lyrics have a fresh sound and feeling.
Barley Station is a mixed bag of genres. They have a little bit of everything. Country, Folk, Rock, with even a hint of Jazz at times. Several of their songs remind me faintly of something Right Away, Great Captain might come up with. These are your classic “thinking songs”. Great music to sit back, relax, and just listen to.
Barley Station has an addictive “twang” about their music that, honestly, I never knew I liked. In fact, I had to make a new category in the Genre section for Country just for them. It’s a big day for everyone, I guess. First Aid Kit has a similar Country vibe to their songs, though, Barley Station kicks it up a notch or two.
My favorite song from Barley Station is True (I’m a sucker for harmonicas). True kind of strikes me as old-time Country, maybe even, dare I say it, Kenny Rogers. It has a slow yet progressive beat, great harmony, harmonica, and finger-picking awesome guitar. The lyrics are totally different from your typical mainstream radio crap. They tell a story, are intriguing, captivating and force you to listen.
My next favorite song is Close to One, which has a quicker, foot-tapping beat to it with a little more Pop than True. Straying from the acoustic format, the electric guitar has a nice clean sound (perhaps a hint of distortion) with a touch of reverb/chorus. And of course, they have some excellent harmony.
If you’re in the mood for strong, passionate music look no further than Barley Station. Even if Country isn’t your favorite genre, I’m going to bet you’ll like Barley Station.
Mars, marsbands.com
03/05/2012
- Music review by peers on Reverb Nation
"I love the way Barley Station cuts cleanly and crisply through the genre clutter with grooves that slice directly to the heart with honest power. Finally, music with teeth, heart and soul!"
David Namerow, artist on Reverb Nation
12/29/2011
- Review of album "After All" by I Am Entertainment Magazine
Barley Station is not easily categorized genre-wise because they offer so many different
variations of rock sounds. On their latest project, AFTER ALL, Barley gives us a solid
listen that offers a little bit of country, folk and acoustic music.
"True" is a good song by this diverse St. Louis band. This song not only shows off
Barley Station's experience making music, it is also a great representation of what the
band has to offer in the way of songwriting and uniqueness. The vocal performance on
this one is nice and laid back and it fits the music perfectly. This is a great song that I'm
glad I got to hear. I highly recommend this tune if you're looking for a great song to buy.
Other awesome songs on AFTER ALL include: "Common Knowledge", "Close To One",
and "I Found You". These tracks are proof of the bands consistency and focus.
Overall, I think Barley Station's eclectic brand of rock, country and folk music will give
fans of those genres something to talk about. Unlike many bands, Barley Station isn't
just creating music and calling it alternative, they've really mixed things up on AFTER
ALL, making it a truly alternative rock album. I'd recommend checking them out today
by Senseitional, I Am Entertainment Magazine
Jan. 2012 issue
- Review of single "I Found You" by Eric DeFontenay, Music Dish Journal
“I Found You” by Barley Station combines the elements of melodic
pop/country with a distinctive rockabilly with a Johnny Cash kind of country
feel. The lyrics tell the story of a man who has finally found his true love and is
happy, carefree, and enjoying life. Rootsy alternative country at its best,
catchy guitar riffs, driving rhythms, and a contagious harmony with simple but
cool, happy go lucky lyrics make this a likeable and great track that’s easy on
the ears and warming to the heart. “I Found You” will find itself at home in any
country music fan’s collection.
- by Eric DeFontenay, Music Dish Journal