Lo, and from on high came a holy directive that rock royalty shall rule Athens. A generation ago, the Kings of Hollywood ruled the town with an open palm and granted freedom hitherto. Now that the Kings have retired to their lofty castles, the second generation of rock royalty has gained the favor of the Athenian disciples. Presenting their majesties: the
Princes of Hollywood.
Just one prince would not be able to tame the fierce dragons of The Union, 18 W. Union St., or the singsong nymphs of Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St. No, it takes the power of three to bring all of Athens together under one banner.
Scott Houchens, valiant and strong, wards away evils with his prowess on the keyboard and accordion. Tris Kinsley marshals the masses to merriment with his guitar and Dobro, an instrument similar to a steel guitar.
Rounding out the trio on guitar and mandolin is Harlan Dalzell, who might actually be considered rock royalty in Athens. It was Bruce Dalzell, Harlan's father, who was an integral member of the Kings of Hollywood, among other bands. Bruce still hosts a weekly open stage at The Front Room.
The name is a joke and a nod
Harlan Dalzell said.
The two groups are not that similar, Kinsley said, even though some overlap exists. Both use a similar vocal harmony approach, but the
instrumental music is much different.
The Princes' music addresses an American heritage and identity through folk music that Dalzell describes as sensitive drunk music for the whole family.
The Princes recently released their third disc, A Change of Venue. The band spent a year working on it, Kinsley said, and the extra time paid off.
This disc features a much more polished sound than the band's previous two albums, Kinsley said. It is not that those other discs are bad, but the difference between those and A Change of Venue is the same difference one may find between a high school English paper and a master's thesis.
The disc sounds squeaky clean, and the musicians supplementing the band's trio shine brightly alongside the core. The disc shows that perhaps the touring Princes have done recently may lead to larger audiences and venues around the country.
A Change of Venue features topics familiar to college students, such as the Walk of Shame. Don't you look so pretty with your raccoon mascara eyes / I don't even care that you hang out with those frat house guys the vocal duo croons lugubriously. Topics are certainly not limited to undergraduate life, however, as the group tackles issues such as the transition to adulthood that the 20-somethings must deal with.
In the end, the Princes simply want to challenge people musically with their unique observations on life, Kinsley said.
Our goal is that we combine humility humor and humanism
Kinsley said. Ah yes
Dalzell quipped, the three humes.
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