The Little Achievers

Imagine if Steve Earle and The Replacements somehow combined their DNA into four sons, then kicked them in the teeth and said "Play rock and roll or your daddies won't love you anymore."

The Little Achievers formed in Columbia, MO in 2000. It was quickly evident to Marty Carpenter (guitarist and principal songwriter) and Ryan Griffin (bassist) that there was enough emotional baggage, talent and love of music between them to put together a rock and roll outfit. What started as an excuse to hang out and have a few laughs quickly turned more serious when people started telling them that their songs were actually good. They soon added friends Peter Situ on drums and Tyler Gebhards on guitar. They recorded their first full-length album, Two-Roomed Life in Cedar Falls, Iowa with Tom Tatman at Catamount Studios in 2001. It had a solid rock and roll feel with a touch of the country influences that were so close to Carpenter's heart. The evidence of Carpenter's developing songwriting prowess was evident from the first note. A year later, they recorded their follow-up, The Compound Memoirs, with Missouri rock guru, Barry Hibdon of Ditch Witch. Carpenter's skill as a songwriter was in full bloom as he chronicled his bittersweet relationships and his cock-eyed view of the world in general. Locals caught on quickly and their name around The University of Missouri grew. Power-packed shows and pop bliss won the hearts of their fans as they quickly built a solid local following that remains loyal today.

Columbia, Missouri

Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Paul Westerberg, Replacements, Steve Earle, alt-country, pop-rock, Buffalo Tom, Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown, John Hiatt, Jayhawks, Blue Mountain, Richard Buckner, Drive By Truckers, Lucinda Williams, Guster.

Complete albums available at http://cdbaby.com/cd/littleachievers2 martin-carpenter.com (free downloads)