The McCauliffe Brothers Band, from North Carolina, released their debut album entitled “It’s Likely” this past summer. The band does a great job combining their laid-back, jam-band sound with the mellow vocals of guitarist Chris McCauliffe. The rest of the trio is made up of Chris’ brother Mike on bass and Lehman Best on drums.

While you hear the potential this band has in the opener “Easier,” they don’t find their groove until the Red Hot Chili Peppers-sounding “Might As Well.” The song “As It Was” sounds like a 90’s style alternative rocker, while “Locked Away” has a strong chorus surrounded by a heavy bass line. The McCauliffe Brothers Band save the best for last on their 7-minute, slow-building epic song, “It’s Likely,” which really shows off the band’s talents. Chris McCauliffe’s guitar solo about 4 minutes into the song is a must hear.

The McCauliffe Brothers Band is currently in the studio working on songs for their follow-up album. Check out their website, mcbrosmusic.com for more information.

The Triangle has always had a vibrant music scene and we are fortunate to have many venues for the local talent to exhibit their skills. Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents are most likely well aware of one the area’s most talented bands – The McCauliffe Brothers Band. Music fans across North Carolina have heard their unique blend of rock, pop and groove music with Chris McCauliffe’s soaring guitar work and Mike McCauliffe laying down a solid foundation on bass.

Chris and Mike, along with drummer Lehman Best, wanted to capture their original music from both the road and the studio they performed in 2007 and 2008. The result is the groovin debut CD It’s Likely.

Beginning with the song Easier the band launches into a soulful melody with vocals that at times remind me of Coldplay. Throughout the CD I found reminisces and hints of the best 80s and 90s pop with sharper rock guitar grooves. My favorite song on the CD is Late Night. In general, I enjoyed the live, full band recordings of Easier, Might as Well, Take and the album’s title track, It’s Likely. Chris exhibits all of his considerable guitar skills (and musical styles) as well as his vocal range on the seven minute It’s Likely.

Best left the band in late 2008 and has been replaced with the very established Eric Mrozkowski on drums. Mrozkowski has played with the likes of David Holt, Aaron Mills and Sol Creech among others. The band is currently off the road and in the studio preparing to release new songs early next year. You can visit the web site mcbrosmusic.com to hear songs from It’s Likely, to hear previews of the songs and to keep up with the band. Be sure to go see them when they return to the stage… you won’t be disappointed.

At this time we have complete recorded band takes (drums, bass, rhythm and lead guitar) on three new originals. These were recorded up at Eric’s Buffalo Beat Studio, in Bahama, NC. We’re now tracking vocals and overdubs for these at our Chapel Hill studio.

We have a lot of new material that we’re looking forward to sharing with you, so please check back periodically for a progress update and for new music and video postings.

We were pleased to have our brother Adam help with the album layout and design. An old colleague, Kalin Thompson drew the street scene cartoon artwork on the CD foldout. Kalin has done some extraordinary paintings and drawings for the band this past year. You can find more of his work at www.kalinthompson.com. Much appreciation for all the work Adam and Kalin have done for us.

Now, a little about the recording and sessions from It’s Likely. The album was recorded and mixed by Taylor Roberts at sub.Urban Studios in Raleigh, NC. It’s Likely features Lehman Best on drums, whose solid drumming and deep pocket grooves proved to be the perfect backbone for the band in 2007 and 2008. When Lehman announced he would be relocating to Indiana at the end of 2008, we felt the need to capture the heart and soul of what our music had become over our two years together. The band was fortunate enough to schedule an 8 hour recording session at sub.Urban Studios the day before Lehman’s departure. During this session Lehman would lay down the drum tracks to the songs on the album. Songs like Easier, Might As Well, Take, and It’s Likely were all recorded as a live full band, with a few overdubs added later. During the overdub process, the band brought in keyboardist, Charles Cleaver who can be heard on Easier and Might As Well.

We truly feel we have captured the essence of what the band had become after endless late night rehearsals and shows throughout 07 and 08. It’s Likely brings rock, groove, and pop together with instrumental peaks that drive the choruses home. The prospect of promoting It’s Likely has energized us, as we continue recording new songs and look forward to our next release that is already in the formative stages of recording.

We had a lot of fun recording the album and offer special thanks to Taylor for the positive studio vibes and input during the sessions. Additional thanks to our family and friends who stood beside us during the recording process.