JAY TRACHTENBERG
1) Grupo Fantasma, Sonidos Gold (Aire Sol)
2) James McMurtry, Just Us Kids (Lightning Rod)
3) Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal (Back Porch/Manhattan/EMI)
4) Okkervil River, The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar)
5) The Black Angels, Directions to See a Ghost (Light in the Attic)
6) Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada, The Alchemist Manifesto (ESL)
7) Alex Coke, Tina Marsh, & Steve Feld, It's Possible (Voxlox)
8) The Black & White Years (Brando)
9) Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Ride the High Country (Freedom)
10) The Summer Wardrobe, Cajun Prairie Fire (Sauspop)
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4 Horses on Dutch Altcountry.NL Blog...that's right. Horses:
http://www.altcountry.nl/recensiesnov08.htmlsummerw
SUMMER WARDROBE
Ik schreeuwde al eerder van de daken – nou ja, schreef op het weblog – dat The Summer Wardrobe een geweldige band is. Ook een icoon als Roky Erickson is deze mening toegedaan want hij huurde onlangs de band uit Austin, Texas in ten behoeve van zijn gerevitaliseerde carrière. Dat is mooi voor The Wardrobe – en verdiend. Hun zelfgetitelde debuut uit 2006 bevatte een zweverige, psychedelische mix van alt.country en Flamin' Groovies-pop, vooral zo hemels vanwege de dominantie van John Leons pedal steel. Deze woestijnsound is op Cajun Prairie Fire (Sauspop Records) in weerwil van de titel opgeschoven richting Britse jaren tachtig postpunk. Maar geweldig is de band nog steeds. Nu klinken Echo & The Bunnymen-achtig reverb-gitaren op in de kosmische countryrock van het kwartet. En zo is The Summer Wardrobe te beschouwen als een vernieuwer van de traditie; als een rockband die de alt.country een stapje verder helpt in zijn evolutie. Temidden van de atmosferische rock van epische songs als High In The Mid 90's, Cajun Prairie Fire en Mine Mine Mind – een Roky-cover – klinkt de amechtig jengelende pedal steel nog steeds fier op, waardoor de psychedelische rocksound van The Summer Wardrobe pure leftfield alt.country is, en schitterend bovendien.(Wiebren Rijkeboer)
Cajun Prairie Fire is te koop bij Sauspop records.
Rough translation:
I shouted already earlier of the roofs - wrote nou yes, on the web-unwieldly - that The Summer Wardrobe a terrible link is. Also an icon such as Roky Erickson this opinion has been mattered because he engaged recently the link ow tin, Texas for its gerevitaliseerde career. That beautiful for The Wardrobe - and has been deserved. Their itself-entitled debut from 2006 contained a woolly, psyhedelic mix of alto country music and Flamin' Groovies-pop, especially this way celestial because of the dominantie of John Leons pedal stalk. These woestijnsound have moved over on Cajun prairie Fire (sauce headstock record) in will of the title direction British years eighty mail punk rocks. But is terrible the link still. Now sound echo & The Bunnymen-achtig reverb-gitaren in the cosmic country music rock of the quartet. And this way is consider The Summer Wardrobe as an innovator of the tradition; as a rock link which the alto country music helps a step further in its evolution. Among the atmospheric rock of epic songs such as high in The Mid 90 s, Cajun prairie Fire and Mine Mine Mind - Roky-cover - the amechtig whining pedal stalk sound still proud on, moreover as a result of which the psyhedelic rocksound of The Summer Wardrobe pure leftfield alto country music is, and shining. (Wiebren Rijkeboer)
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Dryvetyme Onlyne review:
http://www.dryvetymeonlyne.com/2008/12/14/the-summer-wardrobe-cajun-prairie-fire/
The Summer Wardrobe
Cajun Prairie Fire
Sauspop; 2008
These days, the concept of "Southern Rock" is quite dubious and the struggle to locate a decent product can be rather tough. While some are on perpetual lookout for the next Lynyrd Skynyrd, others are desirous to find a group like The Byrds, and still others pine away for the next Johnny Cash and/or Elvis. On one hand, it's a fruitless search, because anyone who attempts to crib from those iconic acts will only come across as a rank amateur at best and an outright thief at worst. On the other, the quest is a noble one, as the genre abounds with all manner of excellent music that needs to be perpetuated into present and future generations.
Thus, as this reviewer feels that the hunt for quality Southern Rock in the 21st century is a righteous one, more bands need to follow the example set by The Summer Wardrobe on their new album, Cajun Prairie Fire. This Austin, TX-based quartet manages to meld together a wide swath of influences, ranging from country, rock, and '70s folk-pop all the way to quirky psychedelia, creating a sound that is both retro-fitted for honky-tonks and forward-looking with its vision. Lyrically, the record calls to mind the trippy, Southwestern, not-quite-apocalyptic imagery of Cormac McCarthy, but the music on the album is much warmer and fuller than the creepy, futuristic subject matter might denote. With key tracks like "Highs in the Mid '90s," "Baby, Let's Switch Graves," and "When You Died" giving off a Spiritualized-meets-country-pop feel that should appeal to fans of Centro-matic, the rushing waves of guitars on Cajun Prairie Fire from The Summer Wardrobe provides the listener with a much-needed touchstone on the road to bring worthwhile Southern Rock to this generation.
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Austin Sound review:
The Summer Wardrobe - Cajun Prairie Fire (Sauspop)
By Abby Johnston • Dec 9th, 2008 • Category: Featured Story, Sound Reviews • ..tr> ..table>
The Summer Wardrobe's sophomore release, Cajun Prairie Fire seamlessly blends psychedelic-rock and country to produce an album fit for acid rockers and Caballeros alike. Staying loyal to the guitar driven sound of last year's self-titled debut, the Summer Wardrobe makes a triumphant return, six-string and pedal steel blazing. The influence of greats like Roky Erickson, for whom the band played back up for a year, is much more evident on this latest release. Although at some points the new songs dabble with the ambient, hypnotic sound of acid rock, the album as a whole remains wrapped in what the band refers to as a "pop shell," making it accessible to a wider audience. This thirty-five minute concept album follows a young Cajun named Ocotillo Sundown, who travels west to escape drug addled, post-apocalyptic Louisiana.
"Highs in the Mid '90s," clocking in just over six minutes, kick starts the album with a strong bass line and murky but solid guitar work, beginning the journey through the Southwest. Our narrator, lead singer and guitarist Jon Sanchez, has a crooning tenor vaguely resembling that of Tom Petty. His unobtrusive singing style, although often times lost in the swelling layers of sound, serves as the perfect complement for the bold opening. Aside from the inventive cover of Erickson's "Mine Mine Mind," "Highs in the Mid '90s" most obviously draws upon the psyche-rock sound, even borrowing the name from the 1980s garage and psychedelic rock compilation albums "Highs in the Mid-Sixties." The liquid riffs and consistent bass tie together an otherwise gritty track, which ends with a chaotic guitar solo from Sanchez.
Just when you believe you have the sound pinned down, though, the twangy second track "Ocotillo Sundown" replaces the rough rock that blasted from the speakers just seconds before. This and the reflective closing "One Longtime Feeling" offer serious nods to the country-rock sounds of The Byrds, who the band adamantly names as an influence. The Summer Wardrobe hops genres yet again with "Baby, Let's Switch Graves," which, despite the darker title of the song, is a catchy, danceable power-pop ballad with a brass section. The band further demonstrates compositional depth and variation in the songs with the introduction of a sitar in the ambient "When You Died" and a lonesome accordion in "Venus of the Merchant Marine." Sanchez's lead guitar and John Leon's pedal steel gently mesh together on the title track, but allow for more focus on the lyrics than the other arrangements. The song comes together for a chorus that takes the listener to a dream-like state, steadily guided by reggae beats.
The Summer Wardrobe successfully evades the confines of one particular genre. The multi-variable songs hold the intensity of psychedelic rock, the sincerity of country, and, at times, the refreshing snap of power-pop. This bizarre collection of infinitely disparate genres is intertwined through the excellent steel guitar work by Leon, making what should be awkward, mismatched songs a natural and effortless album. As for the fate of our protagonist Ocotillo, that gets pretty fuzzy at times, but at least his adventure is scripted by a fantastic soundtrack.
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Left of the Dial Online Music Mag review:
http://www.leftofthedialmag.com/?p=502
November 29, 2008
To be honest, the Times of London hit the right tone when suggesting this band "summons the ghosts of forgotten acid revivalists" like Rain Parade, though I would add True West and Dream Syndicate to their keen mix, a way of summoning the 1980's heyday of paisley and noir Americana combos. Think of Wim Wenders films like "Paris, TX," the tuneage of lonesome pines, and swirl rock. With a hint of gothic country and a world weary sophistication, tracks like "Ocotillo Sundown," when unfolding into waves of broiling guitar, could resemble the work of Wovenhand, mixing ambience with ample shots of tremor-fed volcanic energy in the right places. "Highs in the Mid-1980s," the opener, in fact, feels like it could sit between the early era of the Church and 16 Horsepower. Perhaps we can call the genre shoegaze alt country: dark without being dismal, and moody and musical without being muddled and myopic.
"Cajun Prairie Fire" offers subtle worldbeat/reggae beats with rustic punk overtures, layers of crunch beholden to the lyric, "Why don't you slip inside," all while being alluring and miasmic. "Baby, Lets Switch Graves" tosses around some pop frequencies, a memory of Angie, and a warbly-voiced ode to headstones. "Venus of the Merchant Marines" probes the story of seafarers and seashores with slow ambling musical arcs. "When You Died" has a slight dark dub vibe, fuzz-drenched moonscapes, and lone star cosmic country underpinnings, while the crackling pop deftness of their woozy Roky Erickson cover, "Mine, Mine, Mind" comes with twang in tow and psychedelia injected in warm doses, making the acid-belt hallucinations feel like an East Indian carpet ride. To close, they offer the subtle shades of "One Longtime Feeling," a gentle sway in a senorita's warm tortilla arms. For curious craft and soft crunch, this is the path.
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Kool Kat Musik review:
https://www.koolkatmusik.com/showproduct.aspx?Productid=4996&Sectionid=1
Cajun Prairie Fire
The Summer Wardrobe
On their sophomore effort, they play music that evades easy categorization, though overall it's Texan in character with a blend of swampy roots rock and retro psychedelia. It's no accident that they cover Roky Erickson's "Mine Mine Mind" on this CD, not only because Erickson is also part of this strain of Texas rock (albeit with a far more frightening wacky edge), but also because they have actually toured with Erickson as his backing band. "No doubt they could score a spaghetti Western noir – the band's revolver chamber of shoegaze atmospherics and cosmic country beckons for big-screen accompaniment – but that doesn't mean it can necessarily write one. Set in a post-apocalypse 'Deadwood' on the Gulf Coast, this is a rather loose concept album that follows one drug-addled man's struggle toward spiritual redemption. From the psych-guitar sunset in opener 'Highs in the Mid 90s' to the echoes of Pink Floyd rippling from John Leon's aching steel guitar, the Wardrobe paints a much bigger picture in darkly cinematic hues. In this context, the lonesome, Byrdsian twang of 'Ocotillo Sundown' and 'One Longtime Feeling,' plus a re-imagining of Roky Erickson's demonic 'Mine Mine Mind' as a desert mirage, work surprisingly well." - Austin Chronicle "You could say this is mini-concept album (lasting only 35 minutes). It's described as a 'pseudo-concept, sci-fi ride that ziz-zags the underbelly of a South and Southwest, sometime in the not-too distant future & past'. They have kept the guitar driven sound with lead singer Jon Sanchez's vocals riding over the fuzzed out six string and this can be heard to great effect on the superb opener 'High in the Mid '90s' and clocking in at just under seven minutes it's a cracking song to start of the record. The second song 'Ocotillo Sundown' sees the band slow down with this Calexico influenced country song – the title track is the best song on the record written by all the band and featuring some sublime guitar work with a fabulous chorus. All the songs were written by the band apart from a cover of 'Mine, Mine, Mind' that features John Leon's magnificent pedal steel and Jon Snachez's lead guitar intertwining between the speakers – stretching out to over six minutes it's never self-indulgent just beautifully played and sung. The record finishes with the reflective 'One Longtime Feeling' and I can strongly recommend this innovative and interesting record. A superb second record and enhancing their reputation after their debut a couple years ago!" - Americana UK EXCELLENT!!!