Katy Mae – You May Already Be A Winner – CD Review

December 18th, 2008 by Racket Magazine

Maggadee Records – 7/10

Some rock bands imitate their muses, while others fuse their influences to create their own sound. Then others seem to sprout out of the earth. That is Katie Mae in a nutshell. Even though their new six track EP, You May Already Be a Winner is a wide-ranging, synthesis of sounds that is not pure rock, pop, or alt-country. And while the band hails from upstate New York, this is not a ‘cowpunk’ band.
From the bluesy opening number “Two Dollars Late” to the hard-charging closer “Let Me Bring You Down” the album is a mixture of Southern rock and early alternative, garnished with a dash of punk. There are notes of Lynard Skynard, The Heartbreakers, Crash Test Dummies and even the Gin Blossoms. But none of it seems derivative or even descended from any of these artists in any major way.

The best description of it would be if Steve Earle and Doug Hopkins were thrown in a blender and mixed with essences of Joe Strummer.