Horsehead

Go ahead – reel off your favorite alt-country/Americana/whatever-you-want-to-call-it albums of all time … the seminal statements of the genre. What would be on the list?Son Volt’s Trace ? Whiskeytown’s Faithless Street ? Hollywood Town Hall by The Jayhawks? Wilco’s A.M. ? Whatever the albums are, what about them grabs ahold of you? Smart lyrics and a stone-real delivery? A haybale punk vibe? Garage pop crossed with Exile On Main Street -style cellar funk? Twanging crunch? Crunchy twang?Here – have some of all of the above. World, meet Horsehead. The album is Sympathetic Vibrations – their fourth – and I humbly offer it up as being real and good and raggedy and right.Sympathetic Vibrations delivers – name your poison, bucko. The album enters softly with “Moving Target” – just Horsehead principals Jon Brown and Kevin W. Inge (the self-proclaimed “Dimmer Twins”). Brown leads the way on vocals with acoustic guitar in hand, while Inge infuses the tune with wisps of keys and lovely pedal steel. By the way, it’s worth noting that the frigging guy – Inge – basically taught himself pedal for this album. If you’re not familiar with the beast’s workings – foot pedals, knee levers, ten strings and all – then Inge’s accomplishment might be lost on you. Trust me – there are folks who’ve been pickers all their lives who wouldn’t dare get near a pedal steel in a recording studio. Inge may be a rookie steeler, but he handles it like a seasoned pro, adding washes of sparkle amongst the grit on “Get Up” and putting the thing on full stun for “Spinning Your Wheels” with a slightly raspy-voiced tone that is absolutely beautiful.Brown is the band’s lead voice and tunesmith. The album’s 13 cuts show he knows how to convey his songs’ souls (and the characters who inhabit them) in short order – from the heartbroke, dirt-streaked weariness of “God Damned The Rain To Fall” (Travis Rinehart’s guest banjo completes the picture) to the ominous won’t-take-no-for-an-answer stalk of “Sweet On You”. On “Emptiest Arms In The World” Brown delivers the goods with flannel-shirted soul and the confidence of a man who could rebuild his own carburetor. And the good-byes of “Candy” leave you wishing him well and hoping like hell that he and that gal end up together in a good place.Bassist Randy Mendicino ended up swapping rhythm partners midway through the Sympathetic Vibrations session when longtime drummer Andre LaBelle left the band and Gregg Brooks settled in behind the kit. It’s a tribute to all three that the transition was a seamless one and only the liner notes tell the tale – there are no obvious splits between the Mendicino/LaBelle and Mendicino/Brooks tunes. Dig the nuts-on lurch of “Darkened Streets” (think vintage Molina/Talbot slam – and listen for the “Norwegian Wood” tease in the guitar break); the driving rhythm of “Running For The Door” tears along like a cousin to Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309” before Brooks and Mendicino shift gears and go into full surf mode; “Wasting Time” is big and majestic – beat-down, but not without pride just the same.Multi-instrumentalist Inge (we’ve already discussed his grossly-amazing pedal steel contributions) is all over this thing: doubling up with Brown on guitar here … adding some organ here … a bit of piano here … a master of divining what a particular tune needs – no more and no less. Horsehead buddy (and Drive-By Trucker) Jay Gonzales sits in on piano for a couple of tunes, the most notable being the walloping rocker “Big Sun”.“Big Sun” alone could sell you on Horsehead: wicked grab-you-by-both-ears opening guitar riffs; big bass swoops and straight-ahead drumming; enough crash-and-thrash to get your attention before settling into the palm-muted chug of the verses. Brown tells his tale perfectly about the folder at a laundromat who “smelled of soap and cigarettes.” It’s obvious the story can go only go one way – and the fact that the song evolves into a total guitar workout is the perfect way to tell the tale. The song fades at about the 5-minute mark, but comes roaring back with an eff-you-we’re-not-done attitude: Mendicino and Brown join forces while Brooks rolls and tumbles in glorious drum ecstasy; and Inge simply plays the piss out of his six-string. Of all the titles Horsehead wears well, “Big Sun” proves that above all, they are one hell of a rock and roll band.And beyond that, Sympathetic Vibrations is one hell of an album.

-Brian Robbins - Jambands.com

Go ahead – reel off your favorite alt-country/Americana/whatever-you-want-to-call-it albums of all time … the seminal statements of the genre. What would be on the list?Son Volt’s Trace ? Whiskeytown’s Faithless Street ? Hollywood Town Hall by The Jayhawks? Wilco’s A.M. ? Whatever the albums are, what about them grabs ahold of you? Smart lyrics and a stone-real delivery? A haybale punk vibe? Garage pop crossed with Exile On Main Street -style cellar funk? Twanging crunch? Crunchy twang?Here – have some of all of the above. World, meet Horsehead. The album is Sympathetic Vibrations – their fourth – and I humbly offer it up as being real and good and raggedy and right.Sympathetic Vibrations delivers – name your poison, bucko. The album enters softly with “Moving Target” – just Horsehead principals Jon Brown and Kevin W. Inge (the self-proclaimed “Dimmer Twins”). Brown leads the way on vocals with acoustic guitar in hand, while Inge infuses the tune with wisps of keys and lovely pedal steel. By the way, it’s worth noting that the frigging guy – Inge – basically taught himself pedal for this album. If you’re not familiar with the beast’s workings – foot pedals, knee levers, ten strings and all – then Inge’s accomplishment might be lost on you. Trust me – there are folks who’ve been pickers all their lives who wouldn’t dare get near a pedal steel in a recording studio. Inge may be a rookie steeler, but he handles it like a seasoned pro, adding washes of sparkle amongst the grit on “Get Up” and putting the thing on full stun for “Spinning Your Wheels” with a slightly raspy-voiced tone that is absolutely beautiful.Brown is the band’s lead voice and tunesmith. The album’s 13 cuts show he knows how to convey his songs’ souls (and the characters who inhabit them) in short order – from the heartbroke, dirt-streaked weariness of “God Damned The Rain To Fall” (Travis Rinehart’s guest banjo completes the picture) to the ominous won’t-take-no-for-an-answer stalk of “Sweet On You”. On “Emptiest Arms In The World” Brown delivers the goods with flannel-shirted soul and the confidence of a man who could rebuild his own carburetor. And the good-byes of “Candy” leave you wishing him well and hoping like hell that he and that gal end up together in a good place.Bassist Randy Mendicino ended up swapping rhythm partners midway through the Sympathetic Vibrations session when longtime drummer Andre LaBelle left the band and Gregg Brooks settled in behind the kit. It’s a tribute to all three that the transition was a seamless one and only the liner notes tell the tale – there are no obvious splits between the Mendicino/LaBelle and Mendicino/Brooks tunes. Dig the nuts-on lurch of “Darkened Streets” (think vintage Molina/Talbot slam – and listen for the “Norwegian Wood” tease in the guitar break); the driving rhythm of “Running For The Door” tears along like a cousin to Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309” before Brooks and Mendicino shift gears and go into full surf mode; “Wasting Time” is big and majestic – beat-down, but not without pride just the same.Multi-instrumentalist Inge (we’ve already discussed his grossly-amazing pedal steel contributions) is all over this thing: doubling up with Brown on guitar here … adding some organ here … a bit of piano here … a master of divining what a particular tune needs – no more and no less. Horsehead buddy (and Drive-By Trucker) Jay Gonzales sits in on piano for a couple of tunes, the most notable being the walloping rocker “Big Sun”.“Big Sun” alone could sell you on Horsehead: wicked grab-you-by-both-ears opening guitar riffs; big bass swoops and straight-ahead drumming; enough crash-and-thrash to get your attention before settling into the palm-muted chug of the verses. Brown tells his tale perfectly about the folder at a laundromat who “smelled of soap and cigarettes.” It’s obvious the story can go only go one way – and the fact that the song evolves into a total guitar workout is the perfect way to tell the tale. The song fades at about the 5-minute mark, but comes roaring back with an eff-you-we’re-not-done attitude: Mendicino and Brown join forces while Brooks rolls and tumbles in glorious drum ecstasy; and Inge simply plays the piss out of his six-string. Of all the titles Horsehead wears well, “Big Sun” proves that above all, they are one hell of a rock and roll band.And beyond that, Sympathetic Vibrations is one hell of an album.

-Brian Robbins - Jambands.com

It has been three years since Horsehead released their debut album RECORD OF THE YEAR. The hard working four piece have built upon what they achieved then to make their grounded, rustic, country-rock second album WELCOME…TO THE HORSEHEAD. They have been living and breathing these songs for some time so they needed to be recorded. It took the band 16 hours and $260 to make which, when considering its quality puts other band’s recent efforts to shame. The first thing that strikes you about WELCOME…TO THE HORSEHEAD is how confident sounding it is and how passionate they come across. In the spirit of the Rolling Stones, Crazy Horse, Free, and the Band, Horsehead give you a record that is full of wonderful harmonies and guitar licks, while providing you with their tales of woe and the demons they have endured. This record evokes thoughts of a band being together on the road and being part of a collective that want to sing the songs that their souls crave to sing.

Jimmy’s song (Ballad Of A Thief) is a song full of emotion with intimate and at times heavy vocals from front man Jon C. Brown. Walk It Off shows them in an alt.country punk mood, a bit like what would happen if Springsteen, AC/DC and the Clash merged and made sweet music together. An interesting thought, but it does work and also shows how versatile this band can be. Hogtown is a wonderful boys’ drinking song about staying in one place. The standout track has to be Too Late to Run a song about not wanting to give up but not really having a choice. A song that wouldn’t sound out of place being played in any stadium, with a tune that you can punch the air to, lyrics you can chant to, backed with some amazing harmonies and guitars. Horsehead blend together a great array of musical influences to make a record that is very much their own. Combining great lyrics, rocking guitars and drums along with powerful vocals to make WELCOME…TO THE HORSEHEAD a truly great alt.country record. - Maverick Magazine (UK)

It has been three years since Horsehead released their debut album RECORD OF THE YEAR. The hard working four piece have built upon what they achieved then to make their grounded, rustic, country-rock second album WELCOME…TO THE HORSEHEAD. They have been living and breathing these songs for some time so they needed to be recorded. It took the band 16 hours and $260 to make which, when considering its quality puts other band’s recent efforts to shame. The first thing that strikes you about WELCOME…TO THE HORSEHEAD is how confident sounding it is and how passionate they come across. In the spirit of the Rolling Stones, Crazy Horse, Free, and the Band, Horsehead give you a record that is full of wonderful harmonies and guitar licks, while providing you with their tales of woe and the demons they have endured. This record evokes thoughts of a band being together on the road and being part of a collective that want to sing the songs that their souls crave to sing.

Jimmy’s song (Ballad Of A Thief) is a song full of emotion with intimate and at times heavy vocals from front man Jon C. Brown. Walk It Off shows them in an alt.country punk mood, a bit like what would happen if Springsteen, AC/DC and the Clash merged and made sweet music together. An interesting thought, but it does work and also shows how versatile this band can be. Hogtown is a wonderful boys’ drinking song about staying in one place. The standout track has to be Too Late to Run a song about not wanting to give up but not really having a choice. A song that wouldn’t sound out of place being played in any stadium, with a tune that you can punch the air to, lyrics you can chant to, backed with some amazing harmonies and guitars. Horsehead blend together a great array of musical influences to make a record that is very much their own. Combining great lyrics, rocking guitars and drums along with powerful vocals to make WELCOME…TO THE HORSEHEAD a truly great alt.country record. - Maverick Magazine (UK)

From Virginia in the U.S., the band Horsehead, making swings and very charming rock "somewhere between Tom Petty and the Rolling Stones", as themselves. A good stock. Good melodies, good vocals, nice guitars. They write that this disc was 16 hours to record. In this case it is yet another proof that the best rock created in the moment and the interaction. Music for long drive and narrow rock clubs. -Magnus Sundel - www.trotsallt.se (Sweden)

From Virginia in the U.S., the band Horsehead, making swings and very charming rock "somewhere between Tom Petty and the Rolling Stones", as themselves. A good stock. Good melodies, good vocals, nice guitars. They write that this disc was 16 hours to record. In this case it is yet another proof that the best rock created in the moment and the interaction. Music for long drive and narrow rock clubs. -Magnus Sundel - www.trotsallt.se (Sweden)

Last year I have the old blog once my 10 seconds rule explained. This CD of Horse Head belongs to the category to which you already know after 10 seconds: this is pretty good. Not because the music is unique, Horse Head mixes country and rock in a fairly traditional manner, but because you hear that men with passion to work. Stones hint, hint Tom Petty, Springsteen touch, but all played with conviction and sung especially with intense enthusiasm. As they say: "it took only 16 hours to track. (...) Recording it was a way to put some demons to rest." Normally I would it all be skeptical, but they speak the truth: from the opening song, the acoustic Heart Breaking Songs through the rockers and ballads in between, until the melancholy valve know Wedding Pictures Horse Head to convince. Welcome to Horse Head is a must for everyone who likes passionate altcountry with a bite and hold. -David Huijzer - www.altcountry.nl (Netherlands)

Last year I have the old blog once my 10 seconds rule explained. This CD of Horse Head belongs to the category to which you already know after 10 seconds: this is pretty good. Not because the music is unique, Horse Head mixes country and rock in a fairly traditional manner, but because you hear that men with passion to work. Stones hint, hint Tom Petty, Springsteen touch, but all played with conviction and sung especially with intense enthusiasm. As they say: "it took only 16 hours to track. (...) Recording it was a way to put some demons to rest." Normally I would it all be skeptical, but they speak the truth: from the opening song, the acoustic Heart Breaking Songs through the rockers and ballads in between, until the melancholy valve know Wedding Pictures Horse Head to convince. Welcome to Horse Head is a must for everyone who likes passionate altcountry with a bite and hold. -David Huijzer - www.altcountry.nl (Netherlands)

For me, the real treat of the evening was getting to see Horsehead for the first time. If I were passing out "Senior Superlatives," these guys would definitely get "Most Likely to Succeed" (or rather "Most Deserving of Success"-- with the music biz, who knows what's "Likely"?). Like New American Standard, Horsehead are not attempting to reinvent the wheel-- they just wanna keep it rolling. I heard echoes of Tom Petty, Steve Earle, and all kinds of other great stuff, but I also heard one of the more original songwriting voices I've heard come out of Richmond since Louis Ledford. Guitarist-vocalist John Brown combines an appealing stage presence with a command of his chosen style of "Americana"/"alt-country"-- I hate all of these terms, but what're ya gonna do? Also like NAS, Horsehead kept their stage volume reasonable and had a good mix. Ditto for the guitar arrangements-- smart and tasteful. I look forward to seeing these guys a bunch more, and I expect to see YOU there! -Namon Meurig - The Tin Whisker - Richmond, VA

For me, the real treat of the evening was getting to see Horsehead for the first time. If I were passing out "Senior Superlatives," these guys would definitely get "Most Likely to Succeed" (or rather "Most Deserving of Success"-- with the music biz, who knows what's "Likely"?). Like New American Standard, Horsehead are not attempting to reinvent the wheel-- they just wanna keep it rolling. I heard echoes of Tom Petty, Steve Earle, and all kinds of other great stuff, but I also heard one of the more original songwriting voices I've heard come out of Richmond since Louis Ledford. Guitarist-vocalist John Brown combines an appealing stage presence with a command of his chosen style of "Americana"/"alt-country"-- I hate all of these terms, but what're ya gonna do? Also like NAS, Horsehead kept their stage volume reasonable and had a good mix. Ditto for the guitar arrangements-- smart and tasteful. I look forward to seeing these guys a bunch more, and I expect to see YOU there! -Namon Meurig - The Tin Whisker - Richmond, VA

Despite the equine band name, Record Of The Year struts a lot more than it trots. For starters, there’s the vocal snarl of the opener, “Different Man”, followed by “Hide Today” and its “Sweet Virginia” take on country. “Too Bad” sports Nicky Hopkins-style piano between the grooves, and you’ll find Keef and Ronnie guitar slash almost everywhere. And “Six Foot Anna” could be “Angie” in southern roots-rock dress. Even the most disinterested reader has probably spotted a theme by now; it might have been more fitting for this Richmond, Virginia, quartet to have named itself Horse’s Head Soup. Making it all go down easy are the band’s road-tested chops — as displayed by frontman/songwriter Jon C. Brown and lead guitarist Kevin Inge, both late of psychedelic shouters Dragstrip Syndicate, and Silos/Gutterball/Cracker vet Bob Rupe — and their genuine, not to mention press-kit-professed, love for the Stones.
— RICK CORNELL - No Depression (USA)

Despite the equine band name, Record Of The Year struts a lot more than it trots. For starters, there’s the vocal snarl of the opener, “Different Man”, followed by “Hide Today” and its “Sweet Virginia” take on country. “Too Bad” sports Nicky Hopkins-style piano between the grooves, and you’ll find Keef and Ronnie guitar slash almost everywhere. And “Six Foot Anna” could be “Angie” in southern roots-rock dress. Even the most disinterested reader has probably spotted a theme by now; it might have been more fitting for this Richmond, Virginia, quartet to have named itself Horse’s Head Soup. Making it all go down easy are the band’s road-tested chops — as displayed by frontman/songwriter Jon C. Brown and lead guitarist Kevin Inge, both late of psychedelic shouters Dragstrip Syndicate, and Silos/Gutterball/Cracker vet Bob Rupe — and their genuine, not to mention press-kit-professed, love for the Stones.
— RICK CORNELL - No Depression (USA)