Charlie Patton's War - Rock 'n' Roll House Party (2015)

Formed in 2010, Charlie Patton's War is blues/rock band consisting of Aaron Frazer (vocals, drums), Blake Rhein (vocals, guitar), Kyle Houpt (guitar), and Justin Hubler (keyboards/ piano). Their music is often described as having a heavy modern blues-rock edge, but also an audible nod to earlier influences of Delta blues and soul music.

Spending the first year developing their blues-rock sound, the band hit the local and regional concert scene hard in 2012. That year, the band opened for notable artists such as The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Hanni El Khatib, and Mount Carmel, as well as headlining many local shows. They performed at the legendary Deep Blues Festival in 2012, joining a lineup that included many blues newcomers and veterans such as David Kimbrough, Jr., Ben Prestage, Left Lane Cruiser, and Brian Olive among others. The time on the road helped the band fine-tune and shape the songs which would become the tracklist for their first album.

The self-titled, debut album Charlie Patton’s War was released on April 25, 2013; it was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band members themselves. The album includes eleven tracks of varying blues styles from rock n’ roll to gospel and impressively captures the talent and musicianship of the band. Shortly after its digital release, Charlie Patton's War spent two weeks as one of the top-selling Blues albums on bandcamp.com and was later included in jazz musician and author Ted Gioia's "100 Best Albums of 2013" list.

These days the band is committed to playing every stage possible and has seen Charlie Patton's War perform at the Juke Joint Festival, WIUX Culture Shock Music Festival, Linton Music Festival, Nutella Fest, and The Shack Up Inn. They've shared the stage as supporting and headlining acts with bands including Shivering Timbers, Ha Ha Tonka, Crushed Out, Dan Deacon, Lightnin' Malcolm & Stud, Tank and the Bangas, A Lion Named Roar, The Broderick, and Fluffer. In the downtime between tours, the band is preparing to release its second album.