
Souled American - Rise Above It: A Souled American Anthology
Label: Omnivore Reissued 2/21/2025 Souled American formed in 1987 with four musicians from Illinois—vocalist/rhythm guitarist Chris Grigoroff, vocalist/bassist Joe Adducci, electric guitarist Scott Tuma, and drummer Jamey Barnard. They were scouted and signed by popular independent label Rough Trade Records. Their 1988 debut Fe and Lucinda Williams’ eponymous album became the label’s initial US releases. The band made a total of four records for Rough Trade before the label went bankrupt and the music vanished. They then made two records for Germany’s small Moll Töntrager which, scarcely distributed and poorly promoted, were (as Abraham Lincoln would say) little noted nor long remembered. The Internet arrived but none of Souled American’s six records ever found it. Engineer Jim Rondinelli (Wilco, The Jayhawks, Matthew Sweet, Urge Overkill) co-produced Fe and calls Souled American, “far and away the most unique and fresh and talented band I ever worked with.” Engineer Brian Deck (Modest