Rockin' in Memphis

Students may have noticed an oval-shaped sticker bearing the letters "TST" affixed to stop signs and light poles around The University of Memphis campus. The acronym is promotion for the local Blues Rock band, The Soul Thieves.

 "I started The Soul Thieves as an acoustic duo in Southaven, Mississippi," said Zach Gilliam, junior integrative studies major and lead guitarist and manager for TST.

Their sound could be described as something between Dave Mathews Band and The Black Keys, beer-battered and deep-fried in a vat of southern soul.  

The group expanded when Gilliam moved to Memphis, where he met Darrian Balongie, the group's bass player.

The saxophonist, David Moore, joined the group after responding to an advertisement Gilliam placed on Craigslist.

Balongie knew a drummer, former University of Memphis student Rusty Dodd, and with the addition of a rhythm guitarist, William Charles, the band had evolved into a complete five-piece.

"I played in just about every University of Memphis band there is," said Dodd, a former business finance major.

Dodd said he gained the skills to compose music through his experience in marching band, percussion ensemble, orchestra and wind ensemble.

"The producer's job in the studio is to refine and polish the sound, basically make it sound like a million bucks, which is what I try to do," Dodd said.

Gilliam started playing guitar as a sixth-grader in the worship band at a church.

Because Gilliam and Balongie are both self-taught, their ability to play by ear, combined with Dodd's textbook knowledge and composition skills, work in tandem to create the sound of TST.

"This is definitely a creative make up for sure," Gilliam said.  

The band's premiere album, "Park Avenue," was recorded at Fiction Studios over winter break and is slated for release in February.  The engineer for the project was Kevin Carpenter, a recording technology major.

"Both of our ideas of the sound blended together really nice and we came up with something that we think sounds like a million bucks," Dodd said.

The album got its name because the songs were written and developed at Balongie's house near the intersection of Park Avenue and Echles Street.

TST also recorded an unreleased single at Ardent Studios in November with recording technology senior Roby Randall.

"I dug their sound.  They appear to be working hard," Randall said.

TST will be performing in Oxford, Miss. at Two Sticks Sushi on Feb. 11 and Newby's on Feb. 17.

"We want to share what we know is good music, with good times and good friends," said Gilliam.