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Friday Rock Recs: Charm City Devils – "10,000 Miles"
This week, I want to look at a band that comes from my hometown. Charm City Devils got its big break when it was still called Forty Acres. Nikki Sixx, bassist of Mötley Crüe, heard the band and signed them to his new record label, Eleven Seven. Prior to releasing their first album, however, Forty Acres changed its name to Charm City Devils to reflect the brand of rock it plays while representing the band's hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.
I remember hearing the band's first big hit, "Let's Rock n' Roll" on the local station in Baltimore, 98 Rock, and wondering who it was. I dug the straightforward rock sound the band brought and wanted to hear more. I listened intently to learn the name of the band and immediately bought Forty Acres' 2007 album, Broken Promises, on iTunes.
I was just getting my start in writing at the time, co-running a rock and roll website. I wanted to know more about this band, so I reached out to vocalist John Allen to ask some questions, which eventually turned into the first interview I ever did.
That album was eventually re-recorded and re-released under the Charm City Devils moniker in 2009 on the Eleven Seven label as Let's Rock n' Roll. That debut album featured a few new songs, as well as better versions of tracks that appeared on Broken Promises. It also housed my one of my favorite rockers from Charm City Devils, "10,000 Miles." The band followed up that 2009 release in 2012 with the hard-hitting Sins, which had the band's biggest hit in "Man of Constant Sorrow." The most recent effort from Charm City Devils was 2014's Battles, which saw the band explore its identity even further. No news has been announced regarding any additional albums, but the band has remained active, playing local shows and occasionally booking bigger shows outside of Maryland and D.C.
Artist: Charm City Devils
Album: Let's Rock n' Roll
Release: May 26, 2009
Previous Friday Rock Recs
- May 13, 2016 – Royal Blood - "Little Monster"
- May 20, 2016 – Heaven's Basement - "Can't Let Go"
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