A pet pony, a driven dad and unbridled ambition: Megan Agnew drives from Pennsylvania to Nashville to meet the teachers, classmates, neighbours and musicians who helped shape the singer in her childhood
JEFF the Brotherhoodâs âGarbage Manâ Is Infinity Catâs Final New Release Preorder the 7-inch from the iCat site Tweet
In his 2012 cover story, formerÂ
Scene music editor Steve Haruch pinpointed the launch of beloved local indie label Infinity Cat Recordings. On July 20, 2002, Jake and Jamin Orrallâs pre-JEFF the Brotherhood trio The Sex recorded their performance at (now
very-long-gone venue) Guidoâs Pizzeria and sold preorders of their set asÂ
Tusky Mahloo. Bearing the catalog number ICR-001, the CD-R marked the debut of the label that the then-teenage brothers started with their dad, veteran songwriter and visual artist Robert Ellis Orrall.Â
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Robert Ellis Orrall in his art shack studioPhoto: Mark Peterson/Redux
Music Rowâs long history of commercial country hits is synonymous with many icons recognizable by just their first names â Dolly, Patsy, Johnny, Hank. But thrice-named singer, songwriter, producer, label owner and painter Robert Ellis Orrall is emblematic of the irreverent, eccentric spirit that has helped forge Nashvilleâs contemporary independent music scene.
After coming of age in his native Massachusettsâ rock scene, Orrall signed with RCA records in 1980. He and Carlene Carter both scored their first
Billboard Top 40 appearance with their 1983 duet âI Couldnât Say No.â In the video for the song, Orrall has a shaggy haircut and wears a skinny tie, singing at a piano like a post-punk Billy Joel. Carter â the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, singer Carl Smith â is country music royalty, but when her intense vocals splash into a wav