Mike and the Moonpies Blaze on New Song “Paycheck to Paycheck”

photo: Greg Homolka

Dammit, Mike and the Moonpies are going to haul off and single-handedly save country music, and I’ll be forced to shutter this very website and seek out work at the Home Depot, or have to start a food blog, or sell Amway or something. I’m kind of sad about the whole matter because Lord I need a job. But woah, the music is so totally worth it.

Out of nowhere, Mike and the Moonpies unleashed a new single called “Paycheck to Paycheck” late Sunday night (6-27), and hold onto your hats fellas. It finds those boys from Texas in top form, and kicking country music ass as is their predilection, all while paying homage to their blue collar roots, and a righteous country legend.

Where their last original studio album Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London found a much more sedate and genteel tone (and won the Saving Country Music Album of the Year in 2019, btw), this new song shifts into that 70’s and 80’s style of full-tilt shit-kicking country this outfit is known for bringing to honky tonk stages all across the country.

Making use of the classic country vehicle of the double entendre, references to Donald Eugene Lytle (aka Johnny Paycheck) pepper this blazing number brought to it’s knees by steel player Zach Moulton, guitarist Catlin Rutherford, lead bassist Omar Oyoque, drummer Kyle Ponder, and of course, Mike Harmeier himself. “Paycheck to Paycheck” really captures what makes Mike and the Moonpies arguably the greatest live band in all of country music right now.

What this song also means is now we’ve got to keep our ears perked and our eyes peeled for any and all surprises that may be emanating from the Mike and the Moonpies camp at any moment. Are they about to spring another surprise album on us, like like they did with Cheap Silver, and their recent Gary Stewart record of his unreleased songs Touch of You?

Stay on your toes out there boys and girls.

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