Pistol George Warren

If the Mayans are right and 2012 will bring the end for us all, make sure that you take heed and listen to Mindemoya, with its blues infused, revival like spirit, amazing guitar work and pedal steels flourishes that will make even the most hardcore country fan weep. With great production value, taking serious sonic steps forward from their debut album, Back to Northern Country, Pistol George Warren are one of Canada's most exciting new acts. With the permanent inclusion of three lovely ladies as beautiful harmony singers, this already tight live band steps up yet another notch, almost effortlessly as their strong live musicianship propels them ever closer towards musical perfection. P-G-W as their loving fans have abbreviated them, stand out and solidify that they are well worthy of reaching for and attaining that Canadian music golden ring. PGW are worthy inheritors of a strong place in the Canadian Alt-landscape alongside bands like Attack in Black, Blue Rodeo, the Weakerthans, Cuff the Duke and the Sadies.Pistol George Warren will offer you a contemplative, reckless, kicking, parting note that screams pride in being a band from Northern Ontario. They may even save a musical soul or two along the way.

Steve Kraus - CKLU 6 Degrees (radio review)

Sound 5/5

A little bit of country, a little bit of soul, some ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll and a heaping of gospel thrown into a blender. The result is the instantly unforgettable Northern Ontario eight-piece, Pistol George Warren.

Performance 5/5

The band doesn’t rely on any sort of gimmick to help sell their music, despite that the small army on stage would make the idea almost too easy. Instead, the musicians simply play their instruments with exacting measure behind a wall pitch-perfect of vocalists. Nothing more is offered, or really necessary.

Professionalism 4/5

Getting this many people on stage and ready to play in a timely manner must be an absolutely trying feat. The band managed without issue, and enjoyed their time onstage watching the audience grow larger with each new tune.

Aesthetic 4/5

At the helm, a young man at a microphone; directly to his left, three young ladies completing a wall across the front of the stage; behind all this, four lads bashing their instruments wholeheartedly – nothing superfluous or extraneous, just all sorts of adorable hipster kids having a lot of fun together.

Authenticity 5/5

I’m not entirely certain what – beyond a collection of great songs – Pistol George Warren is trying sell; but whatever it is, everyone in attendance bought it.

Overall 23/25 - Toronto Music Scene

For the past hour or so my foot’s been stomping, hand’s tapping and head shaking uncontrollably. Something has clearly gotten into me, and that something is the infectious new sounds from country/folk rockers Pistol George Warren. Pistol George Warren is a 9 piece outfit from my hometown of Sudbury, Ontario and today they just released a new album entitled ‘Mindemoya‘.

Occasionally bands with such large numbers can sound crowded, messy and unorganized, but these cats have it all figured out. Everything flows smoothly like the cold river waters of Northern Ontario. On the album opener ‘Back Porch’, Matt Ralph’s energy level soars as his raspy, twangy voice hoots and hollers over the full-bodied instrumentals. All the while the beautiful back up vocals from the ladies lend a calm to the chaos. This song has been on repeat, repeat, repeat. Don’t just stop at the opener though. I’ve just purchased the whole LP and it is filled with upbeat and downbeat jams that show a distinct maturity from such a young band.

Please head over to bandcamp and show these guys your support (Mindemoya for only $8). They are a hard working band and they deserve it. For Sudbury folks; their CD release is set for June 8th at the Townhouse…..So be there! -K. - Yeti Music

I got an email the other day from Sudbury’s Pistol George Warren, a nine-piece folk-country band with psych overtures and a whole lot of soul. They’ve just released their newest album, “Mindemoya”, which was engineered, produced and mixed by Dave MacKinnon of the Fembots. The band actually recorded the album in a log cabin on Lake Kagawong, southwest of Sudbury in the middle of an island in Lake Huron. I mean, it looks like a pretty big lake, but next to Lake Huron it’s like this tiny little puddle. And it’s a pretty big island, too. I mean, Lake Huron is one giant freaking lake. Great, in fact.

Regardless, their music is extremely catchy, and they’d definitely make an awesome live band. It would be one hell of a party.

And turns out Jon, just saw our very own Jessica Jalbert in Sudbury, along with Doug Hoyer, both of whom we’ve mentioned a few times right here on NMM – and both of whom will be making the trek down to Sled Island. Speaking of which, somebody remind me to get in touch with them and do a little feature here or on Gig City about their gigs.

In the meantime, stream “Front Porch” below; you can get “Mindemoya” on their bandcamp site for $7.99. It’s also available on iTunes. Turns out the album is currently #1 on local campus radio station CJSR’s folk charts, which is also pretty cool. Definitely check it out. - New Music Michael

reviewed by Cory McCrindle

This release by Pistol George Warren is, metaphorically speaking, a train. Sometimes it moves steadily and slowly, carrying you along with it at a comforting, even pace. Sometimes it gently rocks you back and forth with lilting grace. Sometimes it surges ahead, powerfully and invigoratingly, catching you up in the rush. But for all its force and energy, the one thing the train never does is leave the tracks. And that is both the blessing and the curse this album holds.

Here’s a game you can play with your musical friends. Tell them you have come across a lost Bob Dylan album from the late seventies or early eighties. Say that this was never released because Bob had just had some minor vocal surgery done and therefore didn’t sound quite like himself, and that’s why the album was never put out. Then throw on Mindemoya and let them listen. I’m willing to bet a few people will believe – however tenuously – that this could be that fictional lost album. Such are the similarities between this Pistol George Warren offering and something Mr. Zimmerman could have released…but didn’t.

The opening track on Mindemoya sets the stage with a little blue collar music. “Front Porch” offers up some gritty vocals, delicious pedal steel guitar work and wonderfully clunky percussion. It’s all tied together with some groovy background vocals in a semi-anthemic musical package that will put a smile on your face. This train is up to a pretty good speed before you even realise it.

Tune two is called “Rocky Mountain Blues Pt. 1,” and puts me in mind of an only slightly more upbeat version of The Band’s “Tears of Rage,” which was written by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel from The Band. It’s a gloriously unpolished piece, once again featuring some gorgeous pedal steel guitar. The vocals have a real whiff of soul about them and are perfectly complemented by the background singers.

“No Stranger” is a bluesy testament grinded out around the background vocal refrain “Low you’re so lonesome, you’re no stranger to the Lovesick Blues.” While the instrumentation is solid, it’s really the oft-repeated vocals that carry this number along. And while it’s certainly a worthy inclusion on this album, it doesn’t venture far from the beaten path…kinda like a train on the tracks, to recall my earlier analogy. That’s both a strength and a weakness, in my opinion. A strength in that it really drives home the message, a weakness in that the theme never really gets expanded upon or fully explored.

The whole Dylanesque thing really gains credibility with the song “Be Your Dog.” You could really picture Bob singing this, although only stylistically, not lyrically speaking. The background vocals again really shine on this one, and the instrumentation is tight and polished. It’s an upbeat number that makes it one of the tastiest tunes on the album.

“Kingston Gully” is one of the best tracks on the album in my opinion. The guitar work is tantalizing, and lays a nice foundation for the crisp vocal output. It’s hard not to once again invoke Mr. Dylan’s name here. Even lyrically speaking, this could fall easily into the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack without the requisite killin’. It’s a good story song, and one that holds up well to multiple listening. The straight forward delivery serves this number well.

“Old Like a Stone” veers between country and travelling roadside Gospel to great effect. It’s a bit of a toe tapper and has a nice tempo change later on for variety. This is one example where I think the song could have gone on longer. I found myself wanting to hear more, but then it was done. The lyrics stand out here, and I love the fact that they include references to Manitoulin Island (Ontario) where this collection was recorded. I should mention that the album takes its name – Mindemoya – from a location on the island.

The next song, “Rocky Mountain Blues Pt. 2,” is a hard-driving number, powered in part by pounding drums and coloured in nicely with, at times, screeching vocals. The guitar work helps add some impetus, although it feels like it is, at its heart, a showcase for the drummer. And that’s great. Being a big fan of all things Canadian, I am glad that “sweet Kelowna” gets name-checked.

The vocals take center stage on “A Voice in the Night.” While this is on the surface a simple tune, it is nonetheless powerful. The instrumentation is solid and performs its supporting role very well, not charging past the vocals but instead adding just the right amount of tension. Again I felt the song was a little on the short side at just over three minutes, as I would have gladly listened to a few more verses.

The final track on Mindemoya is called “Just Want to See His Face.” It rumbles along nicely from the start thanks to the bass and drum work. This song has unmistakeable religious overtones, although at no time attempts to beat you over the head with the - Grayowl Point

Pistol George Warren create an excellent synthesis of their most obvious influences, and provide interesting avenues for thinking about the relationship between place, meaning and music. - See That My Blog Is Kept Clean

Pistol George Warren have really come together on this recent album with great vocals and harmonies. A young band with a really grown up sound. Picture the Rollings Stones with more blues and country, and a 705 area code. This is what a Sudbury Saturday night is supposed to sound like - Jason Turnbull, CBC Radio 1 'Points North' - CBC Radio 1 'Points North'

Pistol George Warren have really come together on this recent album with great vocals and harmonies. A young band with a really grown up sound. Picture the Rollings Stones with more blues and country, and a 705 area code. This is what a Sudbury Saturday night is supposed to sound like - Jason Turnbull, CBC Radio 1 'Points North' - CBC Radio 1 'Points North'

Pistol George Warren is the badass love child of Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol, with the chops to back up their brave explorations into true rock n roll. See this band and feel their power.
- Maia Davies - Ladies of the Canyon (Warner Music)

Pistol George Warren is the badass love child of Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol, with the chops to back up their brave explorations into true rock n roll. See this band and feel their power.
- Maia Davies - Ladies of the Canyon (Warner Music)

Pistol George Warren’s debut album, Back to Northern Country is a lively entry into the alt-country canon from a band with a lot of charm.
The band is musically chimerical, straddling a line between furious psychedelic guitar symphonies and outlaw country. Pistol George Warren’s two vocalists help to ease the transition between the rock and roll tunes and the country tunes. Maty Ralph’s simultaneously seductive and menacing Jagger-esque growl is perfectly matched to songs like the relentless “No Rodeo King”, which begins with soft piano and vocals, and rides a heavy groove into what culminates in a veritable guitar orchestra. Second lead vocalist Jon Danyliw’s voice recalls Townes Van Zandt, with one of the finer examples of his vocal work is on “Time Barrels By”. This song is backed throughout by a group chant before reaching it’s climax where he sings, “hold steady,” before the whole thing falls apart into a denouement reminiscent of Wilco’s “At Least that’s What You Said” that gives the rhythm section a minute to fuzz out the track before it ends.
There’s a terrific balance on the record between upbeat rockers and down tempo ballads that gives it a nice arc. A hazy joy buoys the entirety of the album; you can tell the band is having a lot of fun here.
The band doesn’t try to hide it’s influences, making overt nods to their heroes by including a moving, reverb-y cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers”, a breathless rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s “Mr. Soul”, and ending the album with a powerful rendition of the Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Colorado”, which featured some of the best pedal steel work of the whole album.
If you’re in any way a fan of classic outlaw country, AM gold rock and roll, or more modern alt-country in the vein of early Cuff the Duke, Pistol George Warren demand a place in your record collection. - Words About Clayton Drake

Pistol George Warren, if you ever chance to catch them live, rock like a sixties garage-rock combo, with the ability to fill small spaces, such as a friend’s apartment, with wonderous noise, bodies and sweat. On record, they come across more subdued, but no less talented. The solid line linking the twin halves of their identity is undoubtably the Rolling Stones. Live, they sound like a more unhinged version of the Stones’ 1964 self-titled debut album, and lead vocalist Matty Ralph seems well-studied in Mick Jagger’s reptilian swagger. Their debut album, Back to Northern Country, however, charts territory closer to the Stones’ explorations of country-western music on albums such as Let it Bleed. Nonetheless, songs like “Cockroach Salad” offer a studio glimpse of their live fervour.

Pistol George Warren have just finished recording their second album, but an abridged version of their first, Back to Northern Country, is available for streaming and free download here. Enjoy! - See That My Blog is Kept Clean

Sudbury band Pistol George Warren are set for their 4th NXNE appearance this year. They promise to bring their unique blues-R&B good times show and love of British comic Simon Amstell to the Dakota Tavern stage. Pistol George Warren Fans should know bourbon for the boys / beer for the girls and the safe word is "Star Wars" - BlogTO

A soul-country party band from Sudbury sounds as contradictory as fitting all nine of them on-stage at The Dakota. But it worked. And they work with infectious energy, exuding joy, smiles, sunshine and hi-fives with every song. A must-see every time they're in town. - BlogTO