John Wilkes Booth is back with a new 7 song E.P. the first release since 2011’s single “Hold Still It Said” which was featured on the “118 Miles” compilation of local Long Island Talent. 2009’s “Trilateral Commission”, a three-way split featuring the bands Twelve Eyes and Maegashira featured three songs to a large response in the stonerrock community. Their 2005 debut full-length release, Sic Semper Tyrannis (which included a previously recorded self-titled EP), sold around the world and received favorable reviews with the expectation for more. The Metal Minute stated: “If Merkle and company build on the strengths of their debut, they may soon give heavy music connoisseurs a new, fresher association with John Wilkes Booth.” Ray Van Horn, Jr. called the band,”… a rapidly-developing band you’re likely missing out on.” Michael Gasper noted, “This is one band to hang with. They will not be forced into a box anytime soon. Get ready for 15 tracks that will assassinate your ears.” If you’ve never heard of the band, listen to what Ripple Music says of their music: “This [is an] adrenalized blast of what the boys affectionately call “dirt rock.” In truth, there’s no arguing that tag, this is dirty, ballsy, scuzzy and sleazy, hard biting, punked-up rock and roll. What the boys don’t tell you however, are the masses of nasty little critters living in their dirt. A dirty, nasty trip and one you’ll thank your lucky stars you took.” Since the formation of the band in 2005, the band has consistently recorded and played live shows while continually escalating their fan base. In May of 2008, Aural Fix, a Long Island magazine covering the local music scene, featured the band on the front cover. In 2007, John Wilkes Booth was chosen as a featured band on Fatcat Radio as well as selected as band of the week for Joe’s Podhole. In June of that year, they were voted by listeners as band of the month on local radio station, Radiox. Their debut “Sic Semper Tyrannis” appeared on several Top 10 Lists such as FatCat Radio in Detroit & Rockharder blog out of Sweden. The band’s popularity has also featured the foursome playing shows along the east coast with such national acts as Lo-Pan, The Hidden Hand, La Otracina, Zoroaster, Puny Human, Solace, Wooly Mammoth, and Wrecketh. The NY Speed Coalition reviewed the Booth show at Bar 131 and stated, “The dirt rock assassins played an absolutely flawless set of bone shattering, ground shaking hard rock.” In 2009 and 2012, JWB was asked to play the Stoner Hands of Doom Annual Festival. In 2010 JWB went underground renting a warehouse in the hometown area and hosting “Sailor Boy Jams”, private jam sessions with many of their musical friends. This brought Booth into a new discovery of musical possibilities jamming with as many as 5 drummers at a time. 2014 John Wilkes Booth took part in the fourth installment of the Eye Of The Stoned Goat festival. Following the festival the band decided to finish up touches on recordings they were working on over the past 2 years. The result is Useless Lucy and with comes a much darker side to the band.
