It’s not just great song writing, warm guitars, a nut-tight rhythm section, and the occasional blues harp riffs that make The Stone Foxes’ so good; the Bay Area band consisting of brothers Shannon and Spence Koehler, and Aaron Mort have captured something else on their recordings and live shows that makes them huge, and very, very cool.
Listeners sense it right away. There’s a genuineness here that’s rare and refreshing, and it’s something that can’t be achieved simply by grabbing a couple of vintage axes and plugging into a stack of tube amps. Because while The Stone Foxes may be influenced by the greats of the late 60s and early 70s like The Band, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin, they never sound like they’re trying to be anything but exactly who they are. But then they don’t need to: their style of blues-rock stands on its own.
Still though, there’s something about their sophomore album “Bears & Bulls” that sets it well apart from other records. And to understand what it is, what makes this record so unique, so good; you need to know how The Stone Foxes approach their music.
“We’ll never be a traditional studio band,” says Aaron.
“The songs are worked out on stage and are meant to be played live,” adds Shannon.
That makes perfect sense to anyone that’s been to one of their shows: it’s clear the Foxes care far more about performing their music for living, breathing human beings than an empty room filled with microphones.
So rather than holing up in a studio, writing songs in a void, then cutting an album and touring it, The Stone Foxes work their new material out on stage over a period of months, playing it for their fans. And that’s part of what makes their shows, and this new record, so special. Each song in their arsenal has evolved organically over time, taking on a unique personality while retaining the core DNA that makes it a Stone Foxes original. Every song, every lick, every fill on Bears & Bulls has had its own unique path to maturity, taking the energy and feedback from the live experience and making it a critical part of the music.
When it was time to cut the record, the band knew that in order to capture the real soul of the music it would be critical to maintain that energy, those unique aspects of each song. So Bears & Bulls was recorded with virtually no overdubs, at a studio they built themselves.
“We found mattresses, put them against our garage walls and used planks of wood as dividers. Then we played the songs live and let the sound bleed in the mics,” says Shannon.
As a result, Bears & Bulls is an audio snapshot of exactly who and where The Stone Foxes were musically when they recorded it. They were all living together, listening to the same records, and singer songwriter Avi Vinocur was a member of the band at that time. It’s a reflection of their live show and a tribute to the interplay between musicians and fans. It’s a moment in time captured digitally, then mixed by Alex Newport and mastered by John Cuniberti in beautiful, warm, old-school analog. Just like it should be.
Spence Koehler, who along with brother Shannon grew up in the Sierra Foothills before moving to the Bay Area a few years ago, points out another thing about the new record that makes it unique. “You know,” he says, “all the instrumentation on the recording is the same as it is live.”
Right, the instrumentation thing: The Stone Foxes don’t have a set lineup on instruments. Since each song is unique, who plays what changes depending on the song’s personality. Shannon may come out from behind the drums to sing and play harmonica. Aaron and Spence regularly swap rhythm, lead, and bass duties, and every member sings lead on at least a few songs. But it’s no gimmick: like everything The Stone Foxes do, the instrument and vocal changes are a function of the natural evolution of their music and what works best on each song.
“It doesn’t matter who writes the lyrics,” says Shannon, “if someone else has a better voice for the song, they sing it.”
And the way they play it live is the way it’s laid to tape.
So you’ve got this band of players that can actually play, writers that can actually write, none of whom seem to have much ego: it’s about the music and the band over all – not the individual. You turn them loose to create songs that evolve and mature over time, then you drop them in a studio to track a record on their own terms. As it turns out, what you end up getting is something way deeper and more heartfelt than most bands ever deliver.
You also get a hint of what they’ll become. Because this collection of songs, from the raucous fun of “Stomp” to the slow grind of “Through the Fire” from the bad ass lick that opens “Patience” to the down and dirty blues of “Mr. Hangman” could only have been created by a band that’s fearless about following their music where it leads, and has the skills to share what they learn on the trip. And it’s a trip they’re still taking: The Stone Foxes and their music continue to evolve, and continue to deliver live shows that blow the doors off of venues along the way.
When asked if there’s one thing that they want their fans to know, there’s no hesitation: they say they have a huge amount of fun playing live, loved capturing their work on the record, and that they wouldn’t be doing any of this if they didn’t.
Really though, that’s completely unnecessary to mention: one listen to the record, one visit to a gig, and all that is clear from note one.
Bio written by Bradford Schmidt
I'm A King Bee
The Stone Foxes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Buzzing round your hive
I'm a king bee
Buzzing round your hive
I can make honey
If you let me come inside
I'm a king bee
I'm a king bee
Want you to be my queen
We could make honey
Like you've never seen
I'm a king bee
I can buzz all night long
I'm a king bee
I can buzz all night long
I can buzz you better
When your man is gone
The Stone Foxes's "I'm A King Bee" is a song that uses symbolic language to speak about sexual desire and prowess. The lyrics suggest that the singer is a "king bee" who is buzzing around the "hive" of the woman he desires. He offers to make "honey" with her, but only if she lets him come inside. The chorus suggests that the singer wants the woman to be his "queen," and promises that they could make "honey" like she's never seen.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is confident in his ability to pleasure the woman. He claims that he can "buzz all night long" and can "buzz you better when your man is gone." The song's use of the bee metaphor suggests that the singer is persistent and determined in his pursuit of the woman, just as a bee is determined to collect honey. The lyrics also suggest that the singer is offering the woman something sweet and valuable in exchange for her affection.
Overall, "I'm A King Bee" is a playful and suggestive song about sexual desire and attraction. The use of the bee metaphor adds a layer of symbolism that makes the song more interesting and engaging to listen to.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a king bee
I am a powerful and dominant male
Buzzing round your hive
I am attracted to you and your home
I can make honey
I can provide pleasure and satisfaction
If you let me come inside
If you allow me to enter your life and body
Want you to be my queen
I want you to be the ruler of our relationship
We could make honey
Together, we could produce an intense experience
Like you've never seen
Unlike anything you've ever experienced before
I can buzz all night long
I have the stamina to continue for a long time
I can buzz you better
I can provide more pleasure than your current partner
When your man is gone
I will be there to satisfy you when your partner is not present
Writer(s): James Moore
Contributed by Alexandra I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@frankcorneiller
By far my favorite version of this song. Sounds a lot like the Black Keys and Radio Moscow. I bet this would sound so heavy live.
@hotchkissrecords
Great version of this song. Never heard anyone give it this sort of treatment.
@carbonquiznoz1
Every song is better than the last! Keep on rocking guys!!!
@SilentHarpist
I definitely thought this was the Black Keys, but wow, these guys are just as good, and that's saying something!!
@4ringmaster
I saw these guys open for Foreigner last night, they totally killed it!
@zxz1661
I'm so glad I found this song, I'm probably going to go buy all their albums now :D
@ctotheb41092
I would say these guys were heavily influenced by Dan and Pat as everyone else has already stated. But thank God the Blues Rock sound is catching on! We need more bands like The Stone Foxes and The Black Keys to save today's "music"!
@BT1ZER
Seen these guys live and they fucking rocked it, especially for an opening band
@BluGiant14
of course the jack daniels commercial comes on before the track. I'M JUST GLAD THAT OLD BLUES ARTISTS ARE STILL GETTING THE RECOGNITION AND RESPECT THEY DESERVE.
@saucyyy420
saw them live at house of blues in new orleans, la about a year ago. talk about amazing! they sound even better LIVE. not many artists sound good live but they do!