Yearly Archives: 2011

MVRemix Album Review for Jonny Lives! “Revolution For Free”

 

The Universal Steve

 

Steve is a common name. Ask singer-guitarist Steve Bryant, of Chance the Gardener and Toadmortons fame; guitarist Steve Randall and bassist Steve Nicholson, both from Natalie Cortez’s Ultra Violets; and drummer Steve Edberg, formerly of Acme Rocket Quartet. The four Steves, all players in Davis’ laid-back music scene, were playing around as Los Cuatro Estebans and the Four of Steves before settling on this moniker. This, the Universal Steve’s debut, contains 12 examples of organic bong-in-the-shed country rock–songs that ramble to a point and then nicely decompose (see “Ground” and “Spike”). Especially stellar is Randall’s guitar work, which justifies the purchase price alone. Low-key thrills from the Nick Drake-and-Pavement-attack-Mickey Newbury songbook, but certainly worth your time.

Chance The Gardener

 

Blakey’s thick drawl is upfront from the start — if one can’t hack that, listening is probably not recommended — while Bryant’s own more strained, slightly desperate tones made for a good contrast song for song. Musically, the group could hit both the high lonesome and charging rock levels just right, along with plenty of points in between. At the band’s best, it easily equals the likes of forebears like Gram Parsons, alternating between restrained emotion and heavier stuff that calls to mind prime Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

(click here to purchase “The Day The Dogs Took Over” on iTunes.