The Cooters

The Cooters are an American rock band from Oxford, Mississippi. Based out of the northern hill country town of Oxford (home of Ole Miss), the band has been touring and recording since 1993. The Cooters are well known in the region. While recording albums, embarking on tours, and winning awards, The Cooters have also dealt with controversy, trademark lawsuits, and even prison sentences.The Cooters have released albums and records on Minneapolis, Minnesota record label Profane Existence, as well as Grammy-Nominated label T-Bones Records. The Cooters have released much of their music themselves.The Cooters are critically acclaimed, and their music has been described as a "mix of punk and metal with an interesting Southern flavor" by fans, while their lyrics tackle social and political topics, usually in a humorous tongue-in-cheek manner. The Cooters have toured across the United States, playing with bands such as Nashville Pussy, Jucifer, Blue Mountain, From Ashes Rise, Total Chaos, Bad Company, Seven Mary Three, Destroy!, Before I Hang, The Neckbones, Misery, and Wartorn. In 2006, The Cooters toured extensively with the Swedish band Imperial Leather and the Oregon band Happy Bastards, who also toured with The Cooters in 2008.On March 27, 2014, The Cooters were the subject of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting television show, "Oxford Sounds," along with Mississippi guitarist George McConnell, former member of Beanland (band) and Widespread Panic. The TV show was broadcast statewide on public television. The Cooters performed five songs on the show, including "Let's Rock Tonight," "Bustin' Loose," "Dare To Defy," "Take A Stand," and "Fall Apart." Cooters vocalist and bassist Newt Rayburn was interviewed by George McConnell.The Cooters celebrated their 20th Anniversary with drummer Mike Namorato on November 21, 2014 at Proud Larrys' in Oxford, Mississippi. Other bands on the bill included Before I Hang and The Heard.