I See Hawks in L.A. mourns Byrd's passing
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I See Hawks in L.A. mourns Byrd's passing

Monday, June 28, 2010 – I See Hawks in L.A. recorded a song, Byrd of Vest Virginia, on their latest CD "Shoulda Been Gold" about West Virginia Senator and mountain fiddler Robert C. Byrd, who passed away this morning, June 28, after more than 57 years in the U.S. Senate.

According to Robert Waller from the Los Angeles-based band, "We were very sorry to hear of Sen. Byrd's passing today. We send our condolences to his family, West Virginians and all Americans who benefitted from his long service in Congress. The original inspiration for our song Byrd of Vest Virginia came in 2003 when Byrd was the sole voice in the Senate to stand up vigorously against the Iraq War, making the constitutional argument we were longing to hear. After further researching his life, we learned about his darker periods: a relationship with the KKK, opposition to the Civil Rights movement, etc. We could not sweep these sins under the rug."

"The song recalls the tumultuous history of 20th century America: the Depression, WWII, the racial tension of the '60s and the Kennedy assassination. The end of the story is one of redemption, as Byrd challenges the establishment of American hegemony and the Iraq War. Byrd's story, like America's, is long and complex. Farewell and good journey."

The lyrics a a download are on the band's web site.


CD reviews for I See Hawks in L.A.

CD review - Live and Never Learn This is the storied, rather unheralded band I See Hawks in LA's first release since 2013's "Mystery Drug." "Live and Never Learn" continues the legacy of a band that's been together for almost two decades now. They channel Gram Parsons, New Riders of the Purple Sage and the Byrds/Burritos into their singular brand of psychedelic country rock with the superb lead vocals of Rob Waller, capable players in the core lineup as well as guests. Among the guests are: Dave ...
CD review - New Kind of Lonely For a century, Appalachia pretty well cornered the market on songs about murder, death and self-destruction. But Southern California psychedelic-alt.-country band I See Hawks in L.A. has staked its claim at least temporarily to relocate Appalachia way out West. Long known as one of SoCal's leading alt.-country acts, the Hawks on their fifth album not only lean toward the darker side of life, they also exchange electric instruments in favor of a stripped-down acoustic sound. ...
CD review - Shoulda Been Gold The premise of the title track of this compilation from I See Hawks In L.A. is that they have been denied the commercial success they deserve, but their unconventional band name, song topics and lyrics suggest they are comfortable residing outside the mainstream. Compiled from four albums released over the past decade, with a few new tracks added, the band's sound is a mix of 70's country rock, bluegrass, Bakersfield and hard-edged alt.-country. One of the stronger tunes is Byrd From ...


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