Rainstorm Brother is the elemental, post-rock-inflected, freakfolk of John Isaac Watters and Tyler Chester. The new duo’s sound is the marriage of solo artist (and former architect) Watters’ pensive, spare acoustic numbers and producer/keyboardist Chester’s deep, dreamy soundscapes. READ MORE…
This Saturday, Denver punk band Bud Bronson & The Good Timers, played to a sold out Ratio Beerworks to celebrate the release of their new LP, Between the Outfield and Outer Space (BTOAOS). Traditionally championing the lifestyle of carefree, beer-loving revelers, BTOAOS shows a more contemplative side of the beloved rockers. Using baseball metaphors coupled with coming-of-age themes, BTOAOS highlights the fears we all seem to have in the face of a world that may be changing for the worse. 303 Magazine was lucky enough to sit down with lead singer, Brian Beer, to delve into the meaning behind the lyrics. READ MORE…
Within the first five seconds of Makeout Mountain, I want and need to be front row center at an illiterates show with a beer in my hand. This isn’t your everyday punk rock album, it’s loud and fierce and not afraid to be different. Makeout Mountain is a cohesive body of work as a whole starting with the stunning artwork. The arrangements and production of some songs like “Owl Commander” capture the raw talent of illiterates. Some punk nowadays can seem forced to fight the man or be hardcore enough, but not illiterates. These guys are not afraid to throw some piano into a punk ballad and make it their own, or blend genres throughout the album. The songs are short and sweet, but have a wealth of depth at further inspection into the lyrics. Several songs on Makeout Mountain could be deemed anyone’s favorites but if I had to pick my top 3 they would have to be; “Ramones City”, “Svengali”, “Mayonnaise Elbow”, and “Blood Bath & Beyonce”. It was such a pleasure to listen to this gem of an album and I look forward to throwing it into my rotation. READ MORE…
Harmony-driven folk trio the Deep Hollow are set to release their sophomore album, Weary Traveler, on November 9. In the meantime, we’ve got an exclusive first listen.
Based out of Springfield, Illinois, and composed of Micah Walk, Elizabeth Eckert, and Dave Littrell, the Deep Hollow blend classic Midwestern Americana vibes with traditional folk energy. Think stripped-down guitar-playing, three-part harmonies, and award-winning songwriting.
“Weary Traveler is only the second record for the Deep Hollow, but the three of us have been making music as solo acts or in other projects for many years,” Walk says. “Liz has been singing since she was very young and grew up doing community theater. She’s recorded some solo material and made it to Hollywood on American Idol some years back. Dave has had a few projects over the years but mainly a progressive rock band called the Station that has toured pretty extensively. I have a band that plays my songs and often perform as a solo act. With the Deep Hollow only being a few years old, it is by far the youngest project for any of us. But it had such immediate magic — we all knew right away that it was something special.”
Coming from slightly different musical backgrounds, the bandmates all bring a little something different to the Deep Hollow.
“You might not think that a prog-rocker, a folky songwriter, and a show singer would make a good trio, but it really works,” Walk says. “Dave’s slide and electric guitar work really add to the Americana vibe, and Liz has such a great voice — she’s really the one that makes the three-part harmony sound so nice.”…..READ MORE
Four albums deep, James Houlahan is still reveling in the wonder and imagination of the record-making process. His new LP, The Wheel Still in Spin, drifts through varied states of being, musically and lyrically evoking the stillness against constant motion of that strange optical phenomenon the wagon-wheel effect, where a spoked wheel’s spin appears to cut opposite its actual rotation. It’s an apt analogy with Houlahan. In addition to the new album’s title, he alludes to the Tarot’s Wheel of Fortune on the record, and often makes explicit reference to wheels and circles as a means of processing his own journey. Influenced by icons such as Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Joni Mitchell, Houlahan’s songcraft lends itself to a particular alchemy of Americana. It’s easy to understand how and why Houlahan has become such a staple of the Los Angeles music scene….READ MORE