JAY HOOKS BAND

CD Review - Jay Hooks - TEQUILA & BULLETS (Joplin Street Music): "Every once in a while an album comes along to remind you what rock & roll should feel like.  Tequila & Bullets is Hooks’ first album in years; greasy, sweaty, dirt-bag Texas blues style rock & roll that really does it for me.... nastier than ZZ Top, more like vintage Johnny Winter meets Too Slim & The Taildraggers...Hook's sound is thick and driven, and Hooks’ guitar solos are sure to induce bouts of air guitar.  I love the way he describes the way he sees the blues; he practices what he preaches... Tequila & Bullets is nasty in attitude and delivery, the way a blues/rock classic ought to be. This isn’t just good, it’s great (5 stars + rating).jv"/The Rock Doctor.  Read the review: https://gonzookanagan.com/the-rock-doctors-hot-wax-album-reviews-week-of-september-22/

BLUES-ROCK GUITAR FIREBRAND JAY HOOKS RETURNS WITH SCORCHING NEW ALBUM, "TEQUILA AND BULLETS"

"On Tequila and Bullets, Hooks captures that gritty and powerful Texas sound that we have become familiar with over the years...all told, a fine album that stands as a tribute to the sound of a band that is completely ‘together'"/Andy Snipper, Music-News.com.      

  On September 22, 2025 Texas blues-rock firebrand Jay Hooks will release Tequila & Bullets, his first studio album in years, produced by Matthew R. Johnson and released on Joplin Street Music.

   The title track was born midair. “'Tequila & Bullets' was written on a plane from Houston to Las Vegas,” Hooks recalls. “When people drink tequila, it’s like truth serum-you can’t get them to shut up. Their true feelings come out, and the next day they’re like, oh no. Same way with a bullet when it’s fired, its path tells the truth. It can’t be manipulated to lie.”

   Hooks says the album was driven by a simple goal: to capture the energy of his early 2000s European tours. “When I set out to make this record, I wanted it to sound like my live shows from 2001 and 2002: raw, sweaty, and in your face. I was lucky enough that Matt Johnson had toured with me back then, and he knew exactly what I was going for.” The process moved quickly. “I started going over songs with my manager, and the next thing I knew, we had eleven songs that came out of nowhere. We put a band together, did a week of pre-production, and then we were in the studio tracking. It all happened very fast. The good part was that I had a considerable amount of time to mix, and the songs I just cut felt right-better than anything I’d ever done.”

   While Hooks insists he wasn’t trying to emulate anyone, three tracks carry a strong Johnny Winter stamp. “Lonesome,” “Your Touch,” and “Mindful” ended up with that Johnny Winter feel,” Hooks admits. Meanwhile, “Redneck Shit” pays tribute to the Texas dive bars he’s played for decades -- honoring cowboys, bikers, and fishermen alike. To round out the record, Hooks turned to a slow-burning blues number, “Mexican Larry.” “It’s a song about someone I know who might have a little chat with you if you owe money-or if you’ve made a life-changing bad decision. It’s the dangerous truth,” says Jay.

   From start to finish, Tequila & Bullets brims with the grit of Gulf Coast roadhouses, the burn of late-night whiskey, and the defiant spirit that has defined Hooks’ career. It’s the sound of a musician who’s walked away, lived life, and returned sharper, louder and more in command than ever.

   Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Hooks cut his teeth on Gulf Coast blues, mixing Texas grit with rock-and-roll swagger. Hooks toured extensively with Antone’s recording artist Lavelle White, earning his stripes night after night. By the late ‘90s, he was fronting his own band, recording the 1998 Sunburst album Hooked Up with producer Dan Workman. In 1999, Hooks signed with Dutch-based blues powerhouse Provogue Records, releasing Jay Hooks (2000, produced by the late Ben Elliott) and Red Line (2002, produced by Hadden Sayers, featuring Jerry Gaskill of King’s X on drums). His fiery performances brought him to international stages, including a standout appearance on Germany’s legendary Rockpalast in 2003, solidifying his reputation as one of Texas’ most electrifying exports.

  After stepping away from the music industry to focus on family and business, Hooks returned to the road in 2018 at the call of Gulf Coast Records artist Mark May. The spark was reignited instantly. “Blues music — where every note’s a story, every bend a confession, and every solo is like good whiskey: smooth, strong, and lingering,” says Hooks. “For me, that isn’t just a saying—it’s the DNA of my sound. After not playing live for a number of years, in 2018 I stepped back on stage and knew immediately I was back where I belong.” That spark fuels every note he plays today.

   With his unmistakable tone, unrelenting energy, and a catalog that bridges Texas tradition and global appeal, Jay Hooks is once again ready to show the world that real-deal blues rock isn’t just alive - it’s loaded, cocked and ready to fire.

 Jay Hooks -Tequila & Bullets : Songs Listing and Descriptions By Jay

Evinrude Boat Motor (2.07): "Captures the rush of anticipation that comes right before hitting the water to fish—pure freedom wrapped in the roar of an outboard motor."          

Tequila and Bullets (4.20): "Written on a flight from Houston to Las Vegas, this song reflects on truth in its rawest form. Tequila loosens tongues and bullets never change their path—two things that never lie."

A Woman Like You (4.18): "A story of love found under the neon glow of late-night dance halls, where romance sparks from 10 p.m. until closing time on payday Fridays."

Lonesome (3.07): "A heartbreak ballad about a love lost, yet so hauntingly present it feels like she never really left."

Your Touch (3.45): "A hopeful song about rekindling an old flame—making up for lost time and starting fresh with love renewed."

Left Me Cold (4.47): "Originally written 25 years ago, this song has waited for its moment. After years of being shelved, its time has finally come."

Mind Full (3.34): "A blues-rock anthem of perseverance—climbing the mountain of life with grit and determination, no matter what chaos unfolds around you."

Mississippi Sheiks (4.49): "A heartfelt tribute to Rory Gallagher—delivering the spirit of slide guitar without actually using one, a “fake slide” that carries real soul."

Redneck Shit (2.52): "An unapologetic nod to the Texas dive bars, cowboys, bikers, and fishermen who’ve been part of the journey for decades."

I Was Wrong (4.58): "An honest reckoning where somebody has to take the blame—this time, it’s finally him."

My Kinda Fine (3.06): "A raucous, high-energy track celebrating wild women tearing up Saturday night dance floors to the sound of Texas blues and Johnny Winter licks."

Mexican Larry (5.00): "A slow-burning blues tale about a dangerous man—someone who might just come knocking if you owe money or make the wrong kind of life decision."

Jay Hooks - "Lonesome" (Click Link To View)

Born and raised in Houston, Jay Hooks cut his teeth on Gulf Coast blues, mixing Texas grit with rock and-roll swagger. Hooks toured extensively with Antone's Recording Artist Lavelle White earning his stripes night after night. By the late '90s, he was fronting his own band, recording his 1998 debut "Hooked Up" on Sunburst Records. In 1999, Hooks signed with the Dutch blues powerhouse Provogue Records and released his self-titled album Jay Hooks produced by Ben Elliot, and followed-up with 2002's "Red Line" produced by Hadden Sayers. His fiery performances brought him to international stages before stepping away from music to focus on family. 

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Texas blues rocker Jay Hooks was born in Houston and toured with Miss Lavelle White before fronting his own band in the late '90s. He released albums on Sunburst and Provogue Records before stepping away from the music scene for a decade or so. Hooks returned with a vengeance in 2018, performing with Mark May.

Tequila & Bullets (Joplin Street Music) is the singer/guitarist's first studio release since the early 2000s.

http://www.bluenight.com/BluesBytes/wn0925.html

Jay Hooks - 'Tequila & Bullets' (Joplin Street Music; Release Date Sept. 22, 2025): "On Tequila and Bullets, (Hooks) captures that gritty and powerful Texas sound that we have become familiar with over the years... the songs definitely had me nodding along and his guitar playing has the rawness and absolute funk that made him popular through the years....The title track is a slow and dark, almost menacing, piece that treads heavily and features a terrific guitar solo from Hooks...all told, a fine album that stands as a tribute to the sound of a band that is completely ‘together'/Andy Snippper, Music-News.Com. Read the review here: https://www.music-news.com/review/UK/16423/Album/Jay-Hooks-Tequila-Bullets

http://www.houstonmusicnews.net

The title of this CD, Tequila & Bullets, truly intrigued me when I first saw it. It immediately conjures up images of smoky bars in dangerous places where hard men drink and you know a fist fight will soon break out and you know one of them will pull a knife.

Jay Hooks ~ ~ Tequila & Bullets

  Thanks, Jay Hooks, for kicking me solidly in the ass with your latest and most welcome release, "Tequila and Bullets". Nothing better than cranking up gritty and powerful Texas-style blues-rock, raw, sparse, limited production overkill, just the music having its way with me , as I'm driving myself on errands and family taxi service duty around New Jersey. On the toughest of days your sonic cocktail washed over me, that distinctive sonic signature  a powerful, distinct flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed. Like a fine, aged whiskey, the music has layers of complexity that you appreciate with each listen.  Thanks Jay for mixing such an intoxicating and thoroughly refreshing cocktail, a dynamic mix of musical ingredients that packs a punch and a wallop from those potent combinations. My road trips got a whole lot better and much easier to swallow!!

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