Front Porch Musings

The Evangenitals describe themselves as “an alt-country hillbilly love punk rock revolution of the freak folk/Americana variety.” If that didn’t paint you a clear picture of the style of music that these folks create, I don’t blame you as I was a bit confused when I first read it as well. Confused but extremely excited. All of the styles of music described in that one sentence are awesome. When I was getting ready to hit play I felt like I was about to bite into a sandwich made of bacon, ribs, nachos, ranch dressing, pizza, Copenhagen Snuff, ice cream, Budweiser, and Blake Lively. What I heard was pretty close.

The Evangenitals are the brainchild of Juli Crockett and Lisa Dee. The former a playwright/director, and the latter an opera and jazz singer. The two have long been playing with the talented Henry Bermudez on lead guitar, fiddler Andrea Baker, and Ari Desano on the squeezebox. Their new rhythm section, which isn’t on the EP, consists of Laurie Es on the bass, and Kristy McInnis banging the drums. These 6 women and one man (lucky dood) all bring ingredients that help to create the unique and diverse sounds that define this band. The best way that I can describe the finished product is to imagine Old Crow Medicine Show and Those Darlins getting really drunk together, writing some songs, then recording them. At their sound’s core, I hear a solid bluegrass foundation. One that focuses on consistent rhythms, some strings, and a fiddle. Their songwriting, which is definitely one of their strengths, has the ability to follow-suit with the bluegrass feel, but also get a little wild and fun.

The EP opens with Hello, which in my opinion is the second prettiest track on the album. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a sucker for female musicians, and hearing both Juli and Lisa carry this song from start to finish really sold me on the rest of the EP. Another great track showcasing both of their voices beautifully is Home. It’s got a really great feel to it that makes you realize how great home is. The second track on the EP, Hard Luck, is where the band goes to the darker side of emotions, the place where most country music comes from. When the shit hits the fan, you might as well drink so more shit gets on the fan, then you might as well blame it on luck and write a song about it. Then clean up the shit later. I think my favorite track on the album is Bad Town. This one is a great, fast tune, where I think you’ll really hear that OCMS + Those Darlins referrence. Lyrically, I find this to be the most clever and witty track, having my favorite line “all the women are tough as nails and all the chickens are cocks.” I like that line so much I tweeted it the other day.

Hello

Home

Hard Luck

Bad Town

Earlier I mentioned that Hello was what I considered to be the second prettiest track on the album. The video below is for the song So Sweet and is, in my opinion, the prettiest song on the whole EP.
So Sweet

There you have it folks, The Evangenitals. The name is a cross between enthusiasm and private parts, and I think their music fits quite well with their monicker. On a special note, if you can read the poster above, you’ll note that they will be playing in San Francisco this Friday, January 29th at Thee Parkside. Skeet and I will certainly be there, and I’ve got a special promotion planned. For every person that finds us at the show and mentions that they read this post, we’ll give you a high five. In today’s economy, who couldn’t use a high five, right? Judging by what I’ve heard and the size of the band, I’m sure this show will be one that you don’t want to miss. Also, check out the rest of the band’s California dates below, as well as the links to more interesting Evangenital things.

January 27th @ LaBrie’s – Glendale, CA
January 29th @ Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
January 30th @ The Fernwood – Big Sur, CA
January 31st @ Don Quixote’s – Felton, CA
February 13th @ Old Towne Pub – Pasadena, CA
February 19th @ Desi Cafe – Bakersfield, CA
March 5th @ Redwood Bar – Los Angeles, CA
March 27th @ Gallagher’s Pub – Ocean Beach, CA

See you folks at Thee Parkside!

Brain

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Evangenitals Website

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