David Ramirez - American Soil Album Review

Austin, Texas - a green, freethinking southern mesh and marvel complete with it's own regional artist culture - the tiny blue dot in the midst of the big red state - the live music capital of the world - host of the well known Austin City Limits Music Festival, South by South West, and Fun Fun Fun Fest - home of Matthew McConnaghey, Sandra Bullock, Willie Nelson, Robert Rodriguez, Andy Roddick, and David Ramirez. Although David's name may not be household just yet, it's definitely poised to soon be lighting up a marquee near you. Smooth, soulful, folk-laden compositions that make even the most critical and cynical of listeners crave an aged oak rocking chair and vanilla pipe tabacco make up David's 2009 release - "American Soil". The album's doleful content can best be catergorized as an intimate journey through a artful American soul - a journey wrought with new life, lessons, and love lost.

David's journey began a relatively short time ago in Houston, Texas where he joined up with a few artist friends aiming to satisfy a common musical itch. His continued education brought him to the Dallas/Forth Worth metroplex; a new city filled with new people and new opportunities. As a full time college student, David Ramirez and band would release three records, "11503 Lansbury" (2003), "Human" (2005), and "While Underneath Lights" (2007), all of which received positive attention from the metropolitan music and arts scene.

After a relatively long and successful run as one of Dallas' more mature and overtly directional acts, the band parted ways in 2007 leaving David to pursue music as a solo artist. With heavy questions of life, meaning, and artful progression weighing heavily on his mind, David left his home in Texas and traveled north to Nashville. Intentions were to genuinely delve into said questions while also dabbling in the pensive and veritable medium of Folk music; an honest art form in which he had always been drawn to as a writer and performer. Intense personal soul searching would soon cause David to "quit his job, sell his belongings, and set out across America" (facebook.com/DavidRamirez) with a sincere desire to truly experience and discover for himself just what this nation has to offer by the way of nature, influence, and culture.

For the good part of six months David would play subject to a constant state of physical and mental locomotion. Early on in his travels David stopped off for a brief time in Birmingham, Alabama where he recorded an acoustic album "affectionately titled" "Birmingham: An Acoustic EP". Little did anyone know that the short but concise 5 track EP would play preview to David's soon to be soulful masterwork, "American Soil".

In 2009 David returned to Music City U.S.A. to track the tunes that make up "American Soil". Teamed up with multi-instrumentalist and producer Cason Cooley (The Normals, Derek Webb), David spent a grueling week recording and polishing the new record at, engineer and session player, Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, Third Day, Martha Wainwright)'s 3,000 square foot Nashville studio, The Smoakstack. The product was an honest amalgemation of Folk, Rhythm & Blues, and Southern Alternative entitled "American Soil" that currently serves as the primary makeup of David's touring set list.

"American Soil" consists of eleven rootish tracks resounding with deep insightful, personal inward exploration and sincere storytelling that can quite literally be deemed Americana.

After giving the album a good listen through, track number five, "Good To Be Bad", immediately stands out, and although I'll be reviewing songs earlier in the track listing, I felt compelled to begin with this darker, bluesy piece that sub-musically screams, "ATTITUDE". "Good To Be Bad" opens with a catchy overdriven phrase that becomes even more prevalent later in the composition, and serves as a strong tonal anchor throughout. The track is littered with complemental backing organs, brought home by a temperamental guitar solo, and made complete with David's moody southern crooning; overall the most broodingly robust tune with radio single potential.

"Arithmetic" is by far one the album's most doleful and contemplative tunes. Although the lyrical subject matter is somewhat bereft, a fairly upbeat tempo keeps one's feet a-tap throughout. Though the song is, for the most part, acoustically driven, a repeated instrumental and slightly overdriven riff serves as a glue that stitches verse and chorus together quite seamlessly. An extended emotionally charged guitar solo toward the latter half brings the song to an entirely new plane of field, screaming it's way into already attentive ears, and giving the traditionally tragic amorous composition a stiff shot of adrenaline.

"Carry Me Like The Wind" is the album's true opening track lyrically ripe with David's real life personal experience as a genuine traveler and connoisseur of the American dream and spirit. "Carry Me Like The Wind" is one of the most poetic of David's compositions. Piano driven, ambient in nature, and truly "windy", the spirit of this song resounds throughout the album's entirety, and gives the listener a real and unobstructed view of a musical traveler's soul.

"Mother's And Fathers" is delightfully country in nature featuring the strained tones of a weepy steel guitar and a twangy complementary banjo prevalent throughout. This tune is contemplative, scenic, and wistful; lyrically poetical and story-like. Southern listeners will have this catchy composition stuck in their heads for hours after, and likewise find their spirits reacquainted with their rural American roots.

This album is best listened to in it's entirety. Each tune serves as a building block; a puzzle piece to a symphonic puzzle that cannot be truly appreciated having not been viewed upon completion.

"American Soil" sits comfortably and suitably placed on my shelf somewhere between Damien Rice's "O' and John Mayer's "Continuum". If you're a fan of thoughtful lyrics and soulfully folkish musical stylings, this record is a must have for any lover of Southern bred alternative.

Be sure to check out David on facebook, myspace, and keep wary ears and eyes attuned for your next chance to catch one of his engaging and intimate live performances.

"American Soil" now available on iTunes.

www.DavidRamirezMusic.com

Connect with David on Facebook

Cheers,
Bo Michael King

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We Were Wolves/Cousin Phelpy CD Release - The Night in Review

As I retreated from the small furnace of a room where The Art Studio monthly hosts some of the Southeast Texas area's stranger and more progressive acts, I thought to myself, "Who ever heard of melodic grudge rock?". Cousin Phelpy had just concluded an engaging thirty-five minute set amidst a small crowd of perspiring fans who seemed to, for the most part, remain undaunted in the harsh face of the extreme Texas heat that radiated through the open air venue on Franklin Street. The three piece Beaumont based band consisting of Greg Busceme on guitar and vocals, Carlo Busceme on Bass and Keyboards, and Chris Sastre on drums called for crowd requests, and even managed to keep a crowd based game of "toss the beach ball" alive throughout.

Upon my arrival, having already seen and heard We Were Wolves on numerous occasions but never having been exposed to Cousin Phelpy, I didn't know what to expect from this intriguing trio who seemed to have generated enough of a local buzz to command a small crowd of 40 or more. After digesting my first taste of Phelpy I was a bit taken aback, not to say that I didn't enjoy myself, but more so concerned with how I would even begin to classify such a diverse band that clearly drew inspiration from progressive grunge and early 80s punk like the Ramones and the Misfits. However, back to my opening statement - I was intrigued by the amount of melodic overtones present in their work as well the occasional inclusion of smoother bluesy riffs reminiscent of latter day Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age. I also seemed to glean a few measures of shoreline influenced indie from their instrumental opening riffs and ariose verses which immediately reminded me of the some of latest beach rock emergences (ex. Surfer Blood). The trio did seem to lack in solidarity, but fall nicely into the Garage Rock category which is most often categorized by a certain ragged fusion of spontaneity and fussy disarray.

As for the concert itself, the first of Saturday night's two band line-up - Cousin Phelpy put on a diverse display of melodious punk-laden indie grunge that was only energized by The Art Studio's own crowd generated sauna.

The crowd dispersed outward to the lit portion of the venue, many taking a moment to purchase one of Cousin Phelpy and We Were Wolves' split vinyl LPs, and most making their way outside to catch a quick breath of fresh air as the second of the two band's began to take the stage.

It's no secret that We Were Wolves (Jake Hooker - Bass and Vocals, Zach Elizondo - Drums, Vinc Prihoda - Guitar and Vocals, and Drew Haught - Guitar and Vocals) put on a raw and highly engaging live show characterized by strong tonal distortion and crude three part vocal arrangements that seem more full of energy than angst. Classic Marshall overdriven tubular tones began to fill the thick air as the band quickly sound checked drawing the crowd back into the overly heated portion of the venue. My immediate thoughts were somewhat surprising as I was instantly reminded of one of Beaumont's debunked progressive acts from the early 2000s, Very Ultra, who shared a similar sound with W.W.W. There is nothing modest about a We Were Wolves set; raucous vocals, overtly rude guitars, and a truly dynamic rhythm section.

Sharing similar influences with their newly released vinyl's co-denizens, We Were Wolves seems to draw inspiration from 80s punk and sometimes bare a musical similarity to the likes of modern progressive acts such as Wolfmother, Queens of the Stone Age, and Them Crooked Vultures. There is a glorious mixture of grunge, punk, and hard hitting bluesy soloing that emanates from all We Were Wolves compositions.

Fans broke into torrid dancing towards the middle of the set as the heat that once tormented an anxious crowd became a sweaty stimulant that only added to the ruckus-like atmosphere. In my heated indulgence, as the band broke into "Swampapi", (one of the four songs available on the W.W.W. half of the split vinyl) my thoughts revolved somewhere between the mixed timbre of a rich and windy train horn and the doleful howl of loan wolves (quite appropriate, I agree). Several times I fought the urge to escape however briefly outdoors in order to take in a breath of unsalted air, but was held firmly in place by wolfish traded guitar solos and driving bass lines.

After almost 40 minutes of being trapped beneath the hood of a 1973 chevrolet pick-up with the growling 350 V-8 engine that is We Were Wolves, the set came a close. Fans dispersed, and the room began to cool. More vinyls were purchased, and friends and die hards alike stayed late into the night congratulating the two acts on a well played night of auditory sensation and pleasant company.

The night as a whole will best be remembered as a glorious evening of distorted guitars, lone fog machines, cheers to Nati-Light, energetic tunes, and drunken revelry all blended together with a little Texas heat. Be sure to check out Cousin Phelpy and We Were Wolves on facebook and myspace, and show your support to two of Southeast Texas' premier acts. We Were Wolves leaves August 13 on a ten day tour through the southern United States. Be sure to check and see if they are passing through a city near you.

Connect with We Were Wolves on Facebook

Connect with Cousin Phelpy on Facebook

Cheers,
Bo Michael King

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