January, 2009 - ALBUM REVIEW; Indie music blog Wildy's World reviews
                        Blood and Bone:

"Broken into 'sides' like an old school vinyl, (Blood and Bone) provides both an electric and acoustic set full on inspired songwriting and performing.  "Take the Bait" has a rough, unfinished quality to it that recalls Jagger and Richards at the top of their game.  "Old Country Home" deserves serious commercial attention; other highlights include "Blood and Bone" and "El Dorado Suite".

Lead vocalist and primary songwriter Demi Buckley is a special talent with more of an ability to craft images and stories into a three-and-a-half minute country/rock song than many writers could put into a manuscript.  The rough and tumble delivery, combined with the incredibly tight play of Medicine Hat is just what the doctor ordered.  Blood and Bone is very much a worthwhile listen.

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January, 2009 - ALBUM REVIEW; The Illinois Entertainer:

"Medicine Hat puts the roots back into 'roots rock'."

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September, 2007 - ALBUM REVIEW; Brian Campbell of Chicagoathome.com
                              reviews State of the Union:

"From the outset of State of the Union, you can tell that vocalist/lyricist Demi Buckley is a solid songwriter with the opening track, "Bible Belt", a story about the power of preachers in the south.  State of the Union combines some nice 60’s Americana with some 70’s rootsy rock influences, all topped off with some of today’s more modern indie style. You can definitely hear overtones of Midwest influenced indie rock throughout the entire record, and I just cannot stop thinking of comparisons to Creedence Clearwater Revival or Eric Clapton as I continually listen to State of the Union.  "Downtown Vampires" is a stellar track which comes completely brimming with great guitar works and enjoyable hooks.  I also should mention the packaging, which is very Civil War era type, with a lot of visual references to the American government-- Medicine Hat is a band that obviously is not afraid to question the things around them and lean towards an air of change in society.  Good band and good CD."

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December, 2006 - ALBUM REVIEW; Earbuzz.com offers up the first national review
                            for the band's third album, State of the Union:

"With rock ensemble influences ranging from the Rolling Stones to the Black Crowes, Medicine Hat has released a 10-track southern blues-based rock and roll CD, dipped in confederate gravy, and called "State of the Union". The record opens with "Bible Belt" - slide and chunky present rhythm guitars lead the way as honky-tonk piano supports the laid-back vocal. The mix throughout the album is a throw-back to the 70's when vocals had a place with the band instead of in front. The result is a studio album that sounds uniquely live - which, for this kind of rock, is a good choice. Track 3, "Downtown Vampires", begins with a dark harmonic guitar part and moves into a 'hold your head up' hammond sounding organ byte. Wah guitar sparks between the vocals well. The title track, "State of the Union", is a lyrical journey that references the taking of Indian lands, blindly following the church, to the sapping of liberty in a more blue than red political tune - ' there's something we all deserve to know, this isn't a sin but it's a show. .'. Track 7, "Prayer for the Riverbed", is a nice mandolin/guitar based change of pace as the band breaks things down. The final track, "Traitors and Patriots", has a monstrous ending that leads to one of the more inventive guitar outros we've heard on any record. Well done - complete work and clearly sincere."

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February, 2006 - ALBUM REVIEW; Terrence Flamm of the Illinois Entertainer 
                          reviews Hymns... :
"Medicine Hat rocks out with 10 country-flavored tracks on its latest release, Hymns And Curses From The Heartland.  Demi Buckley is a talented guitar, banjo, mandolin, and lap steel player who composes catchy tunes. “This Town” and “I Would Pay The Devil For Your Heart” are two of the album’s toe-tapping highlights, while the extended “Green Station Shuffle” features Medicine Hat in hard rock mode."

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February, 2006 - ALBUM REVIEW; Paddy Fineran of The Racine Journal Times had
                          the following to say in his review of  Hymns and Curses From the
                          Heartland:
"The term 'mongrel rock' was used by the band Brother to describe its music. Maybe kangaroo rock would be better for the Aussie brothers. After listening to the sophomore CD by Chicago's Medicine Hat, I'd say they're the truly adorable mutts on the scene. Their music careens wildly like a runaway semi on a slippery mountain slope, yet always pulls back into the groove at the right moment. Speaking of truck analogies, Medicine Hat's hybrid approach to making music is very much akin to that of one of my favorite acts, the Drive By Truckers. Americana, swamp, country, straight-up rock and guitar torchers all could come up at any given time in a Medicine Hat show."

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December, 2005 - "Little Feat meets the Drive By Truckers, and out comes some serious 
                             swamp mojo.  If you've ever wanted to wrestle a gator, this is music
                             to do it to."  -- THE CHICAGO DAILY NEWS
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December, 2005 - ALBUM REVIEW; Critic Genevieve Will's review of  Hymns and
                            Curses From the Heartland appears on national webzine 
                            Indie-Music: 
"More authentic, more rockin', and definitely more deserving of a Rolling Stone cover than Britney Spears, Medicine Hat reaches back to snatch some seriously solid instrumental inspiration from multiple sources to produce an album as eye-opening as caffeine kickers on a 2am highway. Surprisingly, these Chicago boys are just as capable of Southern booty rock as slow cooked country-blues, and I don't mind saying they put Steve Earle to shame (especially after Earle's sorry last release The Revolution Starts ... Now). Certainly, Medicine Hat has rendered an environment so comfortable on their release, Hymns and Curses From the Heartland, you won't even lock your doors at night.

Unquestionably, Medicine Hat slings sounds as different from song to song as the Florida weather shifts. Hell, guitars as lulling as Mazzy Star instrumentals ("Seven Sundays") are followed by Charlie Daniels-style blues rock. Soulful vocals leave no need to fake a twang, and with back-up harmonies like those, who needs angels? With a sublimely hashed assortment of instruments - Demi Buckley, guitars, mandolin, vocals, banjo, lap steel; Ben Walker, vocals, washboard, percussion; Ryan Marzano, guitar; John DiNunzio, bass; Tara Rich, drums, percussion; and Glen Kelly, keys - Medicine Hat channels the funky side of Georgia to arrive at a heavy-hyper Black Crowes meets North Mississippi Allstars twist that they manage to keep all their own.

As a writer whose skills have been honed on telling tales Clapton-fashion, Buckley swivels from heartbroken to righteous in two teardrops time and still succeeds in penning lines like "swallow silver dollars" - simple, yet hefty with image as well as a weird detached emotion I can't place. After hearing "Saint in Tattered Clothes," I'm not convinced the band could play a bad tune if the pope commanded it. The mildly bluegrass-inclined track has lyrics more sure of themselves than Nancy Grace, in addition to instrumentation that seemingly emulates the love-child of Tom Petty and Blind Boys of Alabama - nice banjo. Check out these whiskey-swigging Northerners for a real good time."

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October, 2005 - ALBUM REVIEW;  Loud Orange webzine provides the first national
                         review of Hymns and Curses From the Heartland: 
"Alt-country, memorable lyrics, and tight musicianship are what stands out on Chicago-based Medicine Hat's second full-length album, Hymns and Curses from the Heartland. Borrowing from both 70's classic rock and more modern day roots-rockers Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo, their music is an ode to both, while adding their own style to the  fray.

From the roaring first song "Dopesick" to the forlorn lyrics of "I Would Pay the Devil For Your Heart", Medicine Hat proves that they are a talented group of musicians. The point of this album isn't to be cutting edge or experimental, but more about telling a good story backed by great music.  Of the standouts is the second song on the album "This Town", which tells the story of the traveling musician and his craving for his home. Counting up the miles as he is driving away. Another standout, punctuated by mandolin and banjo is "Saint in Tattered Clothes".  A haunting number - "I'm the savior, killing strangers, I'm the devil no one knows”.  "I Would Pay the Devil For Your Heart" is literally about a man signing his soul away to get back his long lost love.

The rest of the album swerves between alt-country and barn-burning jams that will make any Skynrd fan stomp his feet. Their alt-country side, in my opinion, is when they are at their best. And for that this album deserves a thumbs up and a listen."

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September, 2005 - "Medicine Hat are self-styled rockers and live performance
                               jam-meisters." -- TODD BERNS,  TV producer of "The Flabby
                                                        Hoffman Show"
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August, 2005 - Article covering Fox Valley Illinois concert, which included Medicine Hat:
                                           FOX VALLEY CONCERT ARTICLE
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June, 2005 - "Medicine Hat is perhaps the poor man's Calexico, The Replacements
                    drinking whiskey, or The Magnolia Electric Company listening to pop music."
                                                               --SHUT EYE RECORDS, Atlanta, Georgia
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June, 2005 - "This Town", off the band's forthcoming second album, Hymns and 
                     Curses From the Heartland, received an honorable mention award in
                     the 2005 Nashville Songprize (www.songprize.com) international
                     songwriting contest, finishing in the top ten amongst the worldwide
                     entries, and finishing number one in the 'Americana' genre.  
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May, 2005 - Listener Station (www.listenerstation.com) selected "Highway Run",
                   from the band's debut CD Sundown Road, to be part of their national
                   radio ad campaign for the spring/summer of  2005.  The ad also features
                   "Hat" members Demi Buckley and Ben Walker doing voice-overs 
                   for the spot.
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March, 2005 - ALBUM REVIEW;  National webzine Southbound Beat Magazine
                      featured a review of the band's debut album,  Sundown Road.  Critic
                      David Howell wrote the following: 

 " Sundown Road  is an interesting mix of blues, country, and rock. The first two cuts of Medicine Hat pay homage to retro/blues-based rock, complete with slide guitar. In fact, both Ryan Marzano and Demi Buckley play slide on the second  cut, "Bananaface Jones". 

 It might be a bit of a surprise to find that the group hails from Chicago, although that would explain the blues influence.  Despite its title, "Front Porch Swing"  sounds like ZZ Top with a better drummer.  These guys seem to love using effects like wah-wah pedals. "Sharecropper" is a fast- paced number based on a sped up  blues riff. "Headed for Saturn," at nearly eight minutes, is almost a country rock  epic, with both acoustic and electric guitars weaving in and out of Ben Walker's  vocals. "Stone Pony" has the band overlaying interesting guitar work.  "Stray Cat Railroad" ends the CD--this combination of delta blues and rock  shows  why Medicine Hat is such an interesting band.

Their web site shows that the members of Medicine Hat are still young. But they  have certainly learned both country and blues well.  All ten of the songs here are originals that pay homage to the band's influences, while still showing a unique songwriting voice.

Blues has been stuck in a rut in the last decade, with bands repeating the same riffs  and songs over and over. Bands like Medicine Hat are a welcome sign for the future of the blues, mixing indie style with American tradition."
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December, 2004 - ALBUM REVIEW; Critic Terrence Flamm of the Illinois Entertainer
                            reviewed Sundown Road and had the following to say:

"Medicine Hat's tales of violence and life on the road have an authentic rural  feel, thanks to Demi Buckley's slide guitar, mandolin, and harmonica playing. Buckley writes the bulk of the band's material with occasional help from guitarist Ryan Marzano, and Ben Walker brings the lyrics to life with his rough- hewn vocals. "County Line Girl" is a melodic, midtempo southern rocker, while "Sharecropper" gallops along at a much faster pace.  Medicine Hat gets down with some ZZ Top boogie on "Front Porch Swing," and sounds most effective evoking Steve Earle with the energetic roots rock of "Highway Run"."