Nine Pound Hammer

Nine Pound Hammer is an American hardcore punk and cowpunk band formed in 1985 by vocalist Scott Luallen and guitarist Blaine Cartwright (later of Nashville Pussy) in their hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky.

Nine Pound hammer was one of the first rural hardcore punk bands to substantially incorporate rural, blue collar motifs into the minimalistic hardcore punk sound. Their lyrics (suggestive of outlaw country) featured themes such as alcoholism, rural poverty, and violence, and included references and homages to the likes of Jesco White and Dale Earnhardt. In contrast, most of the urban, experimental "cowpunk" bands of 1970s/80s Los Angeles and the UK were roots rock, folk rock or New Wave bands incorporating country music instruments and influences as a secondary (sometimes temporary) aspect of their sound.

Following the breakup of the band in 1997, guitarist Blaine Cartwright formed the band Nashville Pussy, which shares many of Nine Pound Hammer's musical and lyrical conventions with the addition of a lead guitarist and a more hard rock/Southern rock-focused format.

Nine Pound Hammer first played at The Ross Theater, opening for the Xtian rap group, The Disciples Of Decadence, in nearby Evansville, Indiana, with drummer Toby Myrig, David Epperson, and bassist Brian (Forrest) Payne, in 1984. David and Brian left, and Bart Altman, thunderstick man from The Disciples Of Decadence, joined on bass. This lineup played a single show at the Ross Theater as The Yuppie Mop Dogs on August 31, 1985. The band played locally in Owensboro, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana, garnering a very loyal following before relocating to Lexington, Kentucky as the Raw Recruits. The band then changed their name to The Black Sheep and became the house band at Great Scott's Depot. Darren Howard replaced Toby, and the band became Nine Pound Hammer again. The name of the band is taken from the Merle Travis song Nine Pound Hammer.

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