Front Porch Musings

There are a lot of good Americana / Alt-Country / Whatever bands that are currently making great music in the NYC area, and this is one of those bands. I know very little of their story, but what I could gather from their Facebook and MySpace pages which, as you’ll soon find, is also very little. I know that the band has 5 current members and 2 former members, and they’re calling Brooklyn home. I know that their current interests include shooting stop signs with buckshot, fire-crackers, and weed. I even know that they once played a show with God & Country and Poconos at The Delancey. Other than that, my knowledge of Golden Bones is very limited. Almost everything I know of them, I learned from listening to their awesome Self-Titled EP that they released last week. I suppose I could’ve just sent them an email if I wanted to learn more about them before writing this post, but I had to have something up for Tuesday, and let’s be honest, you come here for the music, not my ramblings.

The album is definitely something that is right up our alley, and if you like our alley, you’ll probably like this album as well. It’s got a fair amount of twang, a nice dose of folk, some country, a taste of the blues, and some great melodic vocals on top of all that. I’m hearing a little mix of The Band, Deer Tick, CSNY, and The Avett Brothers. How’s that for some toppings on your fro-yo? The album opens up with Bad Habits, with the banjo setting the tone for a bluegrass romper that turns to a sweet love song. Laureline comes next and really shows off their vocals. The instrumentation is great here too, and this is where I hear that CSNY reference I made earlier. Malibu is one of their most country leaning tracks, that recalls a drug trip, probably somewhere near Malibu? There’s also a great track called Adeline that features some great keys, twangy guitar and mandolin for good measure. They jam like The Grateful Dead towards the end too. Maybe Adeline is Laureline’s fiery younger sister? This is one of the best albums we’ve been sent lately, and we must thank one of the former members of this band, Matt Terrell for being a nice enough dood to think of us and forward it along.
Bad Habits

Laureline

Malibu

Adeline

Like I said, this is a really cool album from a band that I know very little about, but hope to learn (and hear, and see) more from these guys soon. One of the coolest things about these guys is that they’re offering this album fro FREE DOLLARS HERE. There’s nothing better than free music. When it’s legal. And, this is great free music.

Here’s a great live video too:

That’s all for now. Go Dodgers,

Brain

Kingsley Flood is a Boston based Americana band that is ready to knock your socks off, if that’s what you’re looking for. They’re also ready to lull you into a calmer mood while you enjoy a peaceful stroll. Hell, if you’d like for some folky bluegrass tunes to be stuck in your ear, you’re in luck, because they can do that too. These guys are seriously talented. The best way I can describe their overall sound is to imagine that Okkervil River hired Jeff Tweedy to be their lead singer, and had him infuse some of his musical stylings as well of course.

The 5-piece definitely falls into the “Americana” space, but what I really appreciate about them is that they make coal-miner, mountain music, and top it off with lyrics that us normal folks can relate to. Don’t get me wrong, I love songs about moonshine and broken tractors, but those aren’t exactly things I’m going to deal with. And, since you’re reading this post, I’m assuming you have access to a computer, so you probably won’t either. I’m trying to find a cool way to finish this paragraph without stealing from the band’s own self description, but they just say it so darn well: “Meshing the personal and the political with a true fiery, country-city sound (call it “post-Americana”), Kingsley Flood draws as much from Woody Guthrie and the Band as it does Joe Strummer and the Replacements.” I’m not going to call ANYTHING “post-Americana” but if you’re influenced by The Band and The Replacements, you’re a-okay in my book. So, as their description suggests, this album is quite versatile. It’ll be available on April 3rd, but they’ve been kind enough to provide us with four tracks that you can share with all of your friends, for the rock bottom price of zero Rupies.

“Cathedral Walls” is the third track on the album, and leans more toward their mellow side. The song explores some spiritual themes, and displays some beautiful vocal harmonies. There’s some beautiful string work towards the end, and the ominous tone of the organ gives it a great feel.
Cathedral Walls

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“A Little Too Old” starts out with a great beat and violin, and will certainly justify that Jeff Tweedy reference I made earlier. The Chorus picks up pretty good, and there’s some really cool guitar riffs in here as well, The trumpet adds a great smoky feel, and they tie them all together for a bad-ass jam at the end. It made me reach across the couch and punch Skeet right in the mouth.
A Little Too Old

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The next one their gonna give you is “Roll of the Dice.” This is a really cool ballad that tells the story of a man given many gifts and privileges, but still struggling with issues and feelings of emptiness. This song is a sweet example of how talented these guys are as songwriters. “I’ve been right and I’ve been good, and I’ve sung songs where Jesus has stood.” Oh yeah, and the guitar on this track is probably my favorite on the album.
Roll of the Dice

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Okay, as I always do, I’ve saved my favorite track for last, “Cul de Sac.” The mandolin on this track is where I hear that Okkervil River likeness, and I freakin love it. This is another rocker, with a chorus that will stick in your head for days. I also love the backing vocals that make this thing feel really big and dramatic.
Cul de Sac

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So, those are the only four songs that we’re going to be giving away, but there’s one more that I really want y’all to hear. “Eventually” is an absolutely beautiful song that tells a great story about hope and faith.
Eventually

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It wouldn’t be a proper post if I didn’t give you a video, so here’s a live performance of “Roll the Dice.” Give it a whirl, and be sure to check the tour dates below to see these guys in your neck of the woods!

Have a good one,

Brain

UPCOMING SHOWS

KINGSLEY FLOOD ON MYSPACE

KINGSLEY FLOOD OFFICIAL SITE

If you’re a big bluegrass fan, you’ll really like this album. If you’re a fan of folk music, you’ll also be quite pleased by this album. If you like strong vocal harmonies, there’s something here for you too. If strings are your thing, you’ll enjoy the tracks that The Steel Wheels have put together here as well. I’m running out of ways to say likewise, and I don’t want to sound repetitive, so I’m going to start writing this post.

The Steel Wheels are the offspring of the musical chemistry that was developed between Trent Wagler and Jay Lapp. They make their home in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains where Lapp grew up and derives most of his inspiration from the music he heard in church and among local gatherings. Jay met Trent, who had been anchored in the Virginia music scene while touring, and the rest, as they say, is history. They added Brian Dickel on upright bass and Eric Brubaker on the fiddle to complete the Shut Eye Records foursome. When you listen to their first full-length album “Red Wing,” you’ll be taken on a very diverse journey that harkens comparisons to Old Crow Medicine Show with their strong fiddle backbone and amazing four part vocals. They also manage to strip down the music and create slower, romantic songs that have earned comparisons to Langhorne Slim. Surprisingly, they’re also really good at incorporating the blues into each of these styles, which is something you don’t see everyday. Call it what you will, this album has something in it for everyone.

The album opens with an amazing instrumental piece called “At Long Last.” I’m usually not a big instrumental guy, but this is one of the best fiddle songs I’ve heard in quite some time. Backed by some very subtle and soft banjo, this song really makes you feel like you’re in the mountains, and it makes me want to grow a really long beard and distill my own moonshine. The guys do a great job of backing up their obvious instrumental talent with some great lyrics on “Long Way To Go,” which I would describe as a mix of OCMS bluegrass, with good ole southern blues. Similar styles are on display in “Nothing You Can’t Lose,” but they create funkier chain-gang feel that’d make The Soggy Bottom Boys listen twice. Their creativity and vision is beautifully on display in the title track “Red Wing.” The song has been played among musical circles for generations, and Wagner decided to slow it down and re-write it. I mentioned earlier that their four part vocal harmonies will please some folks, and there’s no better track to do so than “Surround Me.” The four voices compliment each other amazingly well, and it’s hard to believe at times that this song is essentially all vocals. Pure gospel. There are a total of 14 tracks on this album, so you’re getting more than your money’s worth. “Valley” is a beautiful track that perfectly displays all of the positive elements previously mentioned into one smooth, soothing love song.

At Long Last

Long Way To Go

Nothing You Can’t Lose

Red Wing

Surround Me

Valley

This album was released in January of this year, and has seen some serious action on the East Coast, and Mid-West. It definitely deserves a listen out West as well though. These guys will be touring around the aforementioned regions throughout the year so make sure to check the dates on the link to their site below. Speaking of below, check out the video here of the 7 day, 7 show tour that they did a few years ago. You’re probably thinking “big deal Brain, tons of bands play 7 shows in 7 days.” First of all, don’t be such a jerk. Second of all, how many of those bands travel through that whole tour by bike. How rad is that?

Steel Wheel Duo Spokesongs Tour from Joel Landis on Vimeo.

Welp, see ya later.

Brain

Buy Red Wing

The Steel Wheels Official Site

The Steel Wheels on MySpace