Omen

Tim Buck's songwriting roots were nourished in the rocking Americana soil of the 1960s. Guitarist Robin Willhite counts Glen Schwartz (Pacific Gas & Electric), Joe Walsh (James Gang), Marc Bolin (T Rex), and John Fogerty (CCR) among his stylistic influences; his strings now spark with either an edgy uniqueness or melodic invention, according to each song\'s need. Tim and Robin performed together in Little Rock, Arkansas 20 years ago and recently reunited to work up this batch of songs. For the past 15 years, Tim had listened exclusively to classical music. This past fall, he heard Springsteen's song quot;Girls in Their Summer Clothesquot; and was stunned anew at the power and impact of great popular music. He retrieved his guitars from the closet to dust off some old tunes and write some fresh ones. In the late \'90s, Robin played with No Future, a staggeringly accurate Sex Pistols tribute band in the New York vicinity. He is also presently the guitarist for the avant-rock band, The Rockin\' Guys, which performs in the Little Rock area. On Omen -- their debut album -- The Gothic Rangers bring a folk-rock style to Civil War-era songs like \'Antietam,\' a hard-driving rock sensibility to \'Faded Moon,\' an exotic evocation to \'Melida,\' and a stranded-in-the-\'60s dreaminess to \'Shadow Girls.\'