Villebillies, an eclectic rock/hip-hop fusion group from Louisville, Kentucky, has steadily garnered critical and fan accolades over the past few years. The band consists of the vocal stylings of Demi Demaree, Dustin "Tuck" Tucker, and Derek "Child" Monyhan, with Justin Reid and Adam Goff on guitars, and a fat rhythm section consisting of Ron Ping on bass and Tim Bernauer on drums. The group got their start in 2001 through the collaboration of two Louisville area music factions: vocalist Demi Demaree's rock outfit Plan of Man and Dustin "Tuck" Tucker's hip-hop production group. Late 2006 saw the release of their self-titled debut release, a record produced by Toby Wright (Korn's Follow the Leader, Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies) and Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd's The Wall and pretty much every Alice Cooper album), which debuted on the Universal Motown label and gave the band steam as they opened for a varied range of artists the likes of Hank Williams, (h?d) p.e., and Nelly. A few years and lineup changes later, the guys found themselves back in the studio, creating 2008's From the Belly of the Beast which includes the smash single "Flask and a Gun". Their name, a portmanteau of a nickname for their hometown, Louisville, and hillbilly--an ode to Kentucky's rural mountain-folk--says it all regarding the Villebillies sound: part beat-driven hip-hop, part acoustic rhythm guitar, with a healthy helping of classic, hard-hitting rock and energetic rap sensibilities thrown in the mix. Upcoming shows include The Kentucky Center Thunder Over Louisville After Party, Saturday April 17th and the HullabaLOU Music Festival, July 23-25, both in Louisville, Kentucky, playing alongside Kenny Chesney, The Black Crowes, and The Dave Matthews Band.
