Ok, so I think this review deserves a bit of back story. Last week I went to an open mic night to support my best friend. We were the first to arrive and as we were sitting at the bar talking in walks the most magnificent top hat. This top hat was being worn by a man with a guitar (not the most unusual of sights, especially in Nashville). The man introduced himself as Curtis. As we sat there talking we learned that Curtis was from Australia and had left on a round the world trip to play his music (at least partially funded by the album I'm reviewing). A couple of other interesting individuals gathered around us and we began discussing music, the places we were from, the places we had been, the places we were going, and there may have been a few buffalo jokes in there as well. As Curtis began talking about his style he described it as “Eclectic Acoustic Rock,” and went on to state that it may be a bit different since Australia doesn't have a Blues tradition in its music. Needless to say, my interest was piqued. Curtis got up when it was his turn and played two songs off of his album. I left shortly after, but not before getting Sleeping Lions, and his permission to review it.
Hey everyone! This week I will be reviewing Interpretum (Tape One) by The Crux, a self-described folk punk band from Santa Rosa, California.
Before I get started, let me say that I would not exactly describe The Crux as a folk punk band. After listening to 2 of their full length albums (Be Merry and Ratcatcher) and the EP that I'm currently reviewing I would probably place them more in the folk category. There are some punk influences, but there are also some jazz influences, and about a half dozen other styles thrown in for good measure. Then again when I hear folk punk my mind immediately goes to bands like Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, Larry and His Flask, etc. The Crux is like none of these bands, but by the same token they're not really like any of the obviously folk bands you could think of either. I'm not sure which circles they run in, but I think Steampunks could really enjoy this band. True, their lyrics aren't stereotypically steampunk, but their sound is definitely interesting. More over, while the vocalist probably won't make it on anyone's list of the greatest singers of all time (and to be honest, he doesn't need to be a great vocalist given the style) they are incredibly competent storytellers and musicians.
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a fun New Year's celebration. This week I'll be doing a double review for the Workhorse and Firehorse EPsby Downcity Armory, a self-described electrocore band out of Providence, Rhode Island.