Days of the New

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DAYS OF THE NEW

Formed: 1996, Louisville, Kentucky

Members: Mike Huettig, bass (born 29 June 1968); Travis Meeks, lead vocals, guitar (born Jeffersonville, Indiana, 27 April 1979); Ray Rizzo, drums (born 19 February 1971). Former members: Chuck Mingis, guitar, vocals (born Louisville, Kentucky, 14 February 1967); Matt Taul, drums (born Jeffersonville, Indiana, 30 August 1978); Jesse Vest, bass (born Jeffersonville, Indiana, 10 May 1977); Todd Whitener, guitar (born Louisville, Kentucky, 25 May 1978).

Genre: Rock

Best-selling album since 1990: Days of the New (1997)

Hit songs since 1990: "Touch, Peel and Stand," "Shelf in the Room," "The Down Town"

Days of the New is an ongoing musical exploration by the guitarist, singer, and songwriter Travis Meeks. The group began as an alternative-rock quartet in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1997. Although the group scored several hits from their debut eponymous album, Meeks parted company with the other three members after their first prolonged tour. For subsequent albums, Meeks experimented with different guest vocalists and utilized different instruments, from lush string orchestrations and studio effects to Celtic singing and Native American chants.

In its first incarnation Days of the New was signed to Outpost Records and released their first album in 1997. All of their albums are eponymous and distinguishable only by color. The Orange album received favorable reviews and the influence of such alternative pioneers as Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains was duly noted. The first song to be released, "Touch, Peel and Stand," received generous airplay and reached number one on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock chart. This song displays their musical economy, with the guitar and bass doubling parts of the melodic line. "Shelf in the Room" is a dark ballad with a pervasive guitar riff and a claustrophobic melodic line that is almost absurd in its simplicity. "The Down Town" reveals a larger harmonic palate and provides a moment of respite from the one-dimensional sound of their first album.

During a tour with Metallica and Jerry Cantrell, frustrations within the band began to escalate. Meeks eventually left the band, and the remaining three members reformulated themselves as Carbon-14 (subsequently, Tantric). Meeks retained the band's moniker and returned to Louisville, immediately working on a second album. The Green album (1999) reveals a completely different approach, with varied harmonic progressions and an expanded instrumental sound. Meeks embellishes his hard-rock aesthetic with string and brass orchestrations, textural doublings, and Celtic sounds. The songs overlap the track designations, providing a certain continuity. "I Think" keeps the Metallica-influenced sound of early Days of the New, with its pounding introduction and screaming chorus. "Last One" is an epic song, drawing on the sounds of American Indian chants and the tabla, while "Bring Yourself" begins with an organ and multitracked female voices in a pseudo-Celtic style. Occasionally self-indulgent and sophomoric, Green exhibits an ambitious approach to hard rock production techniques and songwriting.

With the third album, Red (2001), Meeks struck a balance between the first two albums. Working as a trio with Mike Huettig and Ray Rizzo, Meeks penned straightforward rock songs with a renewed energy. The opening track, "Hang on to This," shows a varied melodic line with a memorable chorus: "Cause I'm doin' what I got to, what I got to hang on." The experimentation found in the Green album is evident in the sitar introduction of "Giving In" and the vast orchestrations of "Dirty Road" and "Dancing in the Wind."

The driving force behind Days of the New is undoubtedly the singer and songwriter Travis Meeks. His penchant for experimentation has revealed a creative force deeply rooted in a hard rock aesthetic. Although the Orange album strove too hard for a singular sound and the Green album overindulged in studio effects, Days of the New seem to be negotiating a natural balance between these two approaches.