Some nice things folks have said about us:
"On the second album by the Milwaukee trio, Chris Head & the Honchos progress along their take on rockin' Americana. Singer/guitarist Head may be at his most compelling when there's narrative tension in his lyrics, heightened by the Honchos' tempo. Even when he sings at a more relaxed clip, though, he can come up with salient observations on virtues of working-class life and the changing of gender mores. It's nothing fancy, purposefully so, but Head comes from what sounds like an honest place where there's room for humor in heartbreak, too."
--Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd-Express, March 2017, Chicken Wire review
"Mixes the Replacements with a country twang."
--Music Review Roulette, March 2017
"[T]he Honchos' sonic path . . . between power pop and country sounds like something [Gram] Parsons could have easily endorsed."
--Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd-Express, Aug 2016, live performance review
"[Chris Head & the Honchos] meld sunny Americana with solid power pop sensibilities, which probably came through clearest on a convincing, country fried rendition of Big Star's 'In the Street.' . . . Most of their set was originals, though, built on hooky songcraft and delivered with professional polish."
--Thomas Michalski, Shepherd-Express, July 2013, live performance review
"This Milwaukee-area band builds country-rock earworms using songs by Drive-By Truckers, Big Star, and Cheap Trick as inspiration."
--Nov 2012, Madison Isthmus weekend preview description
"For Chris Head & the Honchos . . . the romantic aspirations of the group's pop-rock complement the bittersweet sentimentality of their rootsy Americana. The name may suggest humor, but the music is much more serious. . . . Hard Truths delivers a mature aesthetic that could use an outside hand in the studio control booth to brighten the band's engaging sound."
--Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd-Express, April 2012, Hard Truths review
"There's enough twang here for the purest country lover and enough footstompin' rock & roll for the rocker in you. Head . . . is a consummate musician and writer [and]. . . . is a storyteller that touches the listener both lyrically and musically. . . . The cool guitar parts and the excellent rhythm section . . . really bring these songs to life. . . . The pop feeling of Head's songs rings true to his roots. . . . One of my favorite CD's . . . in the past six months." [Also chosen #2 on the Americana Gazette's year-end list of WI releases.]
--Andy Ziehli, Americana Gazette, January 2012, CD review
"On the second album by the Milwaukee trio, Chris Head & the Honchos progress along their take on rockin' Americana. Singer/guitarist Head may be at his most compelling when there's narrative tension in his lyrics, heightened by the Honchos' tempo. Even when he sings at a more relaxed clip, though, he can come up with salient observations on virtues of working-class life and the changing of gender mores. It's nothing fancy, purposefully so, but Head comes from what sounds like an honest place where there's room for humor in heartbreak, too."
--Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd-Express, March 2017, Chicken Wire review
"Mixes the Replacements with a country twang."
--Music Review Roulette, March 2017
"[T]he Honchos' sonic path . . . between power pop and country sounds like something [Gram] Parsons could have easily endorsed."
--Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd-Express, Aug 2016, live performance review
"[Chris Head & the Honchos] meld sunny Americana with solid power pop sensibilities, which probably came through clearest on a convincing, country fried rendition of Big Star's 'In the Street.' . . . Most of their set was originals, though, built on hooky songcraft and delivered with professional polish."
--Thomas Michalski, Shepherd-Express, July 2013, live performance review
"This Milwaukee-area band builds country-rock earworms using songs by Drive-By Truckers, Big Star, and Cheap Trick as inspiration."
--Nov 2012, Madison Isthmus weekend preview description
"For Chris Head & the Honchos . . . the romantic aspirations of the group's pop-rock complement the bittersweet sentimentality of their rootsy Americana. The name may suggest humor, but the music is much more serious. . . . Hard Truths delivers a mature aesthetic that could use an outside hand in the studio control booth to brighten the band's engaging sound."
--Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd-Express, April 2012, Hard Truths review
"There's enough twang here for the purest country lover and enough footstompin' rock & roll for the rocker in you. Head . . . is a consummate musician and writer [and]. . . . is a storyteller that touches the listener both lyrically and musically. . . . The cool guitar parts and the excellent rhythm section . . . really bring these songs to life. . . . The pop feeling of Head's songs rings true to his roots. . . . One of my favorite CD's . . . in the past six months." [Also chosen #2 on the Americana Gazette's year-end list of WI releases.]
--Andy Ziehli, Americana Gazette, January 2012, CD review
