Jeremy Porter & The Tucos

I have listened to them. The songs are fucking great.

There’s twelve of them. It’s pop-rock. Jeremy tells some really great stories across catchy chord progressions. It’s recorded very well, too. “Partner In Crime”, from which the album takes its name, best exemplifies the sound he’s achieved. It’s the somber tale of a girl fleeing put to rocking riffs. Jeremy’s voice is immaculate.

Anyhow, thank God for my procrastination: not only can you dig on these songs but you can see ‘em performed live. Jeremy Porter and the Tucos will be releasing these sounds Friday at the New Dodge Lounge.

Come out and have a smoke. - Motor City Rocks

Jeremy Porter & The Tucos-Partner in Crime. While The Replacements may have reunited recently for an EP of covers, the album of the year so far for the 'Mats fan is the latest from ex-Offramps frontman Jeremy Porter & his Tucos. While Porter doesn't quite approach the brilliance of Paul Westerberg (and I'm sure he'd be the first to admit it), the spirit of the 'Mats is presenc in Partner in Crime as rowdy rockers give way to heart-on-the-sleeve slower numbers and vice versa. So you get the one-two punch of "Castaways" and "Little Miss Awesome" as well as the plaintive country-influenced "Wedding Day", which is a thematic cousin of Westerberg's "Nobody" but stands on its own terms as a standout itself. Speaking of standouts, "Pizza Girl" is infectious rocking fun, "What You're Doing Today" is some find midtempo Americana, and the title track is one of those heart-on-the-sleeve, last-call-at-the-bar slower tunes I was talking about. - Absolute Powerpop

Imagine Gram Parsons fronting Hüsker Dü, or Waylon Jennings fronting X. I know, it’s a tough image to conjure, but Porter and his boys do it musically. - Detroit Metro Times

In 2010, after nearly two decades of counting highway markers in bands like The Offramps, SlugBug, and Fidrych, Southeast Michigan-based country-folk/power pop/roots punk noisemaker Jeremy Porter decided to go it alone, releasing the rambunctious yet introspective Party of One. His second outing, the rough-and-ready Partner in Crime, finds Porter back in the van, though this time around it's full of Tucos, or to be more specific, Offramps and Fidrych bassist Jason Bowes and Hotwells drummer Gabriel Doman. Nervier and punchier than his debut, with highlights arriving via the beer-goggled, devil-may-care rockers "Make Out King," "Pizza Girl," and "You Owe Me a Heart," and the raw and nostalgic "Wedding Day" and "Still Waiting Here," Partner in Crime finds the sweet spot between The Replacements, Matthew Sweet, and Uncle Tupelo, yet retains the grizzled, diesel-smoke patina of the Midwest. - All Music

If we didn't know that Jeremy Porter & The Tucos were a Detroit-based band, we definitely would have thought they hailed from down south. Partner in Crime, the group's new LP, has an undeniable country/blues twang that sounds like something straight from the heart of Tennessee- but it's pure Michigan. The album is part country, part pop-rock, part alternative and a whole lot of kickass.

The use of a harmonica and piano gives the group a similar feel to Lucero, yet Porter's voice resembles that of Blink 182's Tom DeLonge, hence adding a punk-rock element. It's a whole bunch of genres thrown together, but it works out very, very well...especially with a cold beer in your hand. - Real Detroit Weekly

Jeremy Porter - Party of One - Red Red Wine on a Sunday

Jeremy and the boys are touring the Midwest to support their new single "Night on the Town." Now this is rock n' Roll! Even their new tunes will sound familiar and very Detroit. - Real Detroit Weekly

JEREMY PORTER & THE TUCOS: Night on the Town: 7”

Porter, former front man to The Regulars plus a slew of other Michigan outfits, has reunited with former band mates to form The Tucos. Back in the saddle, they deliver three solid tracks on glacier blue vinyl showcasing their range from power pop to country. The title track is straight up fun with Porter’s vocals reminding me of Beck at times, plus hurtling drums and ebullient rhythm; everything a night on the town should be, right? “Ain’t My House Anymore” is the game changer with a jangly bluegrass guitar structure and Porter sounding more like Tom Petty, where “Galveston,” the bonus song that comes with the MP3 download, is a country-inspired love letter. Recommended for those who appreciate the Telecaster’s twang. –Kristen K (Magwheel, magwheel.com) - Razorcake

Jeremy Porter - "Sidewalk Ends" - Used Wigs

After listening to “Party of One,” Jeremy Porter’s debut solo CD, it’s easy to see what makes Americana music a deeper listen than pure Pop. Both genres share the synthesis of multiple source genres, but while Pop is sweet like cotton candy and can be as satisfying as a rice cake, good Americana challenges you to become an active listener, to get personally involved. And that’s what the best parts of this accomplished songwriter and guitarist’s new record do. They draw you into their reality and let you live there for a little while. And it’s not always an easy place to live.

The songs on the CD, which was released in January 2010 through Magwheel records, swing on a pendulum between introspective acoustic numbers and punk-inspired rockers, with Porter’s fine guitar work threading the songs together into a musical whole. With the perfect voice to match the deeply-layered content of his songs, Porter sounds a little like a young Ray Davies, especially on the Kinks-tinged “Not Like You’re Mine,” which even has a great Dave Davies-sounding guitar part.

The opening song, “Sidewalk Ends,” along with “Last Time I Saw You Happy,” and “Dead on Your Feet” comprise the acoustic or mostly-acoustic songs, which find Porter sounding like he’s restraining himself from jumping out of his chair and smashing his guitar. The guy is intense, even on acoustic guitar. “Hallmark Holiday” starts off acoustic and then turns electric with a blazing guitar solo and lots of great dynamics. These songs convey an intimacy that compels you to be engaged with the songwriter. Only “Dead on Your Feet” seems a little out of place here.

For the electric songs, Porter really seems relaxed and ready to cut loose. While the play-on-words title “Out Inside” may sound a little contrived, in the lyric it isn’t. He makes it sound natural, and it works in the song. While an interesting idea, “The Turnaround” doesn’t ever seem to really get off the ground. But “When September Passed Us By” makes up for it in spades. This is probably the most fully realized song both musically and lyrically on the record. The singing, writing, and playing all come together here to make a solid lynchpin for the CD.

And finally a personal favorite, “Hundred Bucks” presents an open, free and fun Country, Hip Hop, Neil Youngian rocker with drum loops and a wah-wah guitar. Now there’s enough blending of genres to satisfy any roots fans.
- Americana Roots

Jeremy Porter-Party of One. Party of One is a fitting title for Jeremy Porter's new release, considering he's now gone solo from one of Detroit's top power pop bands, The Offramps. For those who enjoyed that band, you'll be glad to know that Porter doesn't stray too far from their sound, although the results are a bit more singer-songwriter-y; think Westerberg solo vs. late-period 'Mats, and he even reprises a 'Ramps classic, "Hallmark Holiday". Highlights here are "Last Time I Saw You Happy", a midtempo number that really does channel PW; the acoustic "Dead on Your Feet", and the rocking "Out Inside". A must for Offramps fans, and worth a listen for the uninitiated as well. - Absolute Powerpop

Every so often someone is kind enough to make music custom tailored to my particular needs. (More musicians need to do this.) I love alt country, preferably the flavor laced with some bar-soaked edge and a shot or two of world weariness (Drag The River, Centro-matic, Son Volt) and I also dig the old-timey power pop infused punk (Big Drill Car, Doughboys, The Mats). When I find a successful merger of the two, I get a bit giddy.

Jeremy Porter, front man of Detroit's Fidrych and The Offramps, takes both genres and effortlessly crafts a seriously enjoyable record with a variety of moods, tempos and lots of clever songwriting.

Check out the first four songs on his MySpace and you'll be hooked and impressed with his range, from the bittersweet duet "Last Time I Saw You Happy" to the upbeat "Out Inside" that evokes late 80s indie rock goodness like Tommy Keane and early R.E.M., to the masterful "Sidewalk Ends," (which I cannot get out of my head), it's all packed with concise and compelling storytelling and some killer melodies.

His new CD "Party Of One" is available here. It's on the Mag Wheel Records label, which also sells one of my all-time favorite EPs, "Mala Leche" by Chino (The Soria brothers post Nils band). So good!
- Used Wigs

Plymouth, MI-based singer/songwriter Jeremy Porter’s (Fidrych, the Offramps, SlugBug) solo debut is steeped in the kind of loose and earnest slacker Americana that made the Replacements accessible outside of the Twin Cities. Porter’s keen turns of phrase, winsome melodies, and everyman croon feel cut from the same era, and while Party of One may never reach the drunken majesty of a record like Tim or All Shook Down, it operates under the influence of the dirt road masters (Big Star, Gram Parsons, Neil Young) who helped birth them. Standout cuts like “Last Time I Saw You Happy” and the bare-bones “Dead on Your Feet” feel lived in and amiably weary, while the grungy “Not Like You’re Mine” and "When September Passed Us By” suggest a steady diet of Hüsker Dü and the Hold Steady. Even “Hundred Bucks,” with its ghost banjo, wah guitar, and cheap drum machine works despite the home-recorded indie rock gimmickry, proving once again that authenticity can hoist irony up on its shoulders, but never the other way around. - AMG

Oct 3 - Singer-songwriter and former Marquette resident Jeremy Porter plays a solo-acoustic show at 9 p.m. at Harley's Lounge with opening act Sycamore Smith.

Porter, who lives in the LP played in several Marquette bands, most notably The Regulars, who were one of the first "punk" bands in the UP. "I have since returned to Marquette regularly with bands I've been in since moving away, most recently with The OffRamps." - The Mining Journal - Marquette, MI

2008 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest - Honerable Mention:

Short Of Suicide - Jeremy Porter

(As featured on The OffRamps - Split The Difference) - GLSC

“…Their best trump card in fact is their singer/guitarist Jeremy Porter who particularly excels as a songwriter. Maybe if Porter was born 20 years earlier his talent would propel him to the company of Bob Mould or J. Mascis.”

- Heaven magazine 2007

“…Guitarist and singer Jeremy Porter crafts songs that go beyond the three-chord formula…his solos, along with the odd harmonica give the [Offramps] CD the perfect hint of twang – just enough so people who like twang will notice while people who hate twang won’t" - Port Huron Spin

“…Their best trump card in fact is their singer/guitarist Jeremy Porter who particularly excels as a songwriter. Maybe if Porter was born 20 years earlier his talent would propel him to the company of Bob Mould or J. Mascis.”

- Heaven magazine 2007

Jeremy Porter will be playing for the first time in Nasville on Sunday, June 14, and you're invited. From Plymouth, MI Jeremy Porter brings his solo-acoustic set to The 5 Spot in Nashville. Take the hooks and melodies from your favorite Cheap Trick record, the dark humor from a Tom Waits ballad, and soak it all in a puddle of beer next to Paul Westerberg's amp and you might have something resembling a description of Jeremy's sound. This is Jeremy's first time in Nashville. Also playing are Nashville's Million Sellers.

Check out more about Jeremy on these sites http://www.myspace.com/jeremyportermusic, http://www.theofframps.com/jeremyporter, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeremy-Porter/43142869424 - Nashville Gab

I'm a sucker for Replacements-y rock obsessed with location and full of longing, and so my ears perked up when Jeremy Porter -- who performs music of that ilk -- wrote in to say he was playing at Lemmons tonight. The demo of "Throwing Stones" is my jam, and Porter (who he said played a lot in the Lou in the '90s with the group SlugBug) was kind enough to also send along another song, "Hallmark Holiday," for you to sample. If you dig, head on down and check him out tonight. The show starts at what I assume is the usual Lemmons time, 9ish or so. - By Annie Zaleski - Saint Louis Riverfront Times

Jeremy Porter - from Plymouth, MI - brings his solo acoustic set to The Darkroom on June 11th. As front man & songwriter for Detroit area bands Slugbug (90's), The OffRamps (00's) and Fidrych (present), Jeremy has played the city several times over the years. Get there early - Jeremy is on at 8PM, opening for Injured Parties, Mikey Peterson & Nathan Xander. - Chicago Reader

Jeremy Porter will be playing for the first time in Nasville on Sunday, June 14, and you're invited. From Plymouth, MI Jeremy Porter brings his solo-acoustic set to The 5 Spot in Nashville. Take the hooks and melodies from your favorite Cheap Trick record, the dark humor from a Tom Waits ballad, and soak it all in a puddle of beer next to Paul Westerberg's amp and you might have something resembling a description of Jeremy's sound. This is Jeremy's first time in Nashville. Also playing are Nashville's Million Sellers.

Check out more about Jeremy on these sites http://www.myspace.com/jeremyportermusic, http://www.theofframps.com/jeremyporter, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeremy-Porter/43142869424 - Nashville Gab