Traveling Broke and Out of Gas

Though they come from Indiana, Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas (which I think resonates more as a song title or an album title than a band name, but okay) will likely please the Tennessee musical palette. The quartet’s most recent of three full-length releases, last summer’s Till the Days Return, is 14 tracks of innovative indie folk and bluegrass with a heavy Appalachian influence. Rachael Yanni’s sterling vocals are unpretentious, sweet but not overly feminine, and pair nicely with her washboard and ukulele, along with husband/musical partner Cody Hall’s detailed lyrics, vocals, percussion and guitar, Davide Martzoli’s bass and vocal contributions, and Maxx Heathcote on lead guitar—though all band members frequently trade off instruments.

Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas began as a duo between Yanni and Hall, eventually expanding to a foursome and graduating from street corners and living rooms to venues, playing a folk/indie rock/country/bluegrass hybrid dubbed “bastard Americana.”

“Fireside Wine” has the beautiful hum of an upright bass, a violin that carries the tune, and Yanni’s vocals, which evoke and punctuate the image in the title. Background vocals come in during the last minute to pair with Yanni’s, as she sings
Open up another jug of wine
The last one that we had has run dry
The night is young
And the fire is still warm

The songs are involving, evocative, beautiful and textured. “Run for Your Lives” is driven by a distinct bass line that sets a tone both playful and intense, while “Cactus Smoke” is folky and tribal, a gypsy dance with a quivering guitar part and a deep rhythmic pulse that flares up and falls like fanning a flame, rushing like a river through a valley of instrumentation. - Murfreesboro Pulse

Hailing from Lafayette, Indiana— or more appropriately, Back ‘n’ Forth, U.S.A.— Traveling Broke and out of Gas is a near-perfect fit for the traditional audio ether of Southern Illinois. Traveling Broke and out of Gas play a modern, tasteful version of Americana and folk music with strong roots in the history of the genres, precise, rootsy playing, and thoughtful lyrics.

The group started out in 2006 as a husband-and-wife, hoboish busking duo. Busking is playing music on the streets— the glorious graffiti of the music world, music for the public. The band has since become a touring quartet, give or take a few musicians.

The current lineup consists of Rachael Yanni on lead vocals, baritone ukulele, and percussion; Cody Hall on vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, and percussion; Davide Marzoli on vocals, bass guitar, and bass violin; and the newest member of the group, Maxx Heathcote, on electric guitar. Rachel and Cody’s eight-month-old son is also featured in the group and is said to play more often than anyone in the band. We will go ahead and assume he plays percussion no matter which instrument he is playing. - Carbondale Rocks

Not many bands would describe their music as “epic psychedelic folk rock.” They probably wouldn’t be the first words that come to mind if people were to describe local band Traveling, Broke, and Out of Gas. However, that description is more than accurate than any traditional label.
With the use of fiddles, guitar, bass, and a female vocalist, this band embodies what is classified as folk-rock. They produce songs that give you goose bumps and make you want to watch your back as you walk down the streets to songs that make you want to get up and dance like no one is watching.
“Our perspective and backgrounds lead to a very eclectic brand of music. Each one of our songs is unique from the one before it, whether it’s a delta blues rip-off or punk-grass or doo-wop, our songs take on many shapes,” they said.
The versatility of their songs comes from people’s countless experiences. “Storytelling is one of the most important aspects of the human experience; it’s through stories that we learn about where we’ve been and where we can go, we see ourselves and each other in these stories. The stories give us a language to communicate to one another. Music is a very sincere medium for storytelling, and it’s how we chose to share ourselves to one another. A performance is really just a psychic conversation between the audience and the performers, and it’s this experience that we thrive on,” they said.
And thrive they did at their recent performance at the Taste of Tippecanoe. Although they performed at 4:30p.m., when few people had arrived at the festival, they were greeted with smiles and a gleeful crowd. They were the perfect band to start off the festival; getting the a crowd to bob their head only a few notes into their songs.
The band said their favorite part about performing is, “traveling to new towns and meeting great people, and watching them dance! Being on stage is a thrill. You get to take on a whole new persona to entertain people, like theater.”
The band has travelled to countless towns with its music. They hope to someday go to Europe where two of the band members are from. Their next show will be at The Lafayette Theater where they will be releasing their third album “Till the Days Return” on August 2. - The Purdue Exponent

It can’t beat the awe and joy of bringing new life into the world, but new music for the founders of Lafayette’s Traveling Broke and Out of Gas is a respectable runner-up.

Husband and wife Cody Hall and Rachael Yanni welcomed their first child, Thomas, in February, just months before the Aug. 2 release of their band’s new album, “Til the Days Return.”

Hall, Yanni, bassist Davide Marzoli, violist Sean Holman and guitarist/fiddler Craig Stinson poured a year’s worth of love, passion, sweat, stress and patience – qualities all young parents are familiar with — into the 14-song album, which well represents Traveling Broke and Out of Gas’ unique blend of folk, blues and old-time country music.

The band will celebrate their third album’s release with a 7 p.m. Aug. 2 show at Lafayette Theater. Traveling Broke and Out of Gas will be joined by local string band superstars Woodstove Flapjacks. The first 100 through the door get a free copy of “Til the Days Return.” Illinois act Chicago Farmer is on the bill as well.

While the roots of TB&OoG (love that unofficial acronym) extend back to 2006, the band has really come into its own the last few years, finding a fantastic sound with Holman’s viola prowess and Stinson’s extra electric guitar effectively complimenting Hall and Yanni’s songwriting and voices. Hanging in the back and keeping things together is Marzoli’s bass. The veteran local bass man uses the upright on most “Days” tracks, which is appropriate and welcome on the tunes’ yesteryear influence. However, the electric is busted out and works well on “Cheap Thrills,” the most rocking tune on the album.

It was recently announced that the Aug. 2 show would be the last for Holman, which could be a blow to the band. He and Stinson’s string-work is elegant in “Gm Waltz,” a beautiful instrumental.

On the vocal mic, Yanni and Hall trade off from song to song or duet on tracks like “So Far So Good,” where Thomas makes his first lyrical appearance in the last verse and his own voice can be heard in the outro. Hall’s low, gruff growl and Yanni’s bluesy, soaring voice make for an interesting combination. Stinson gets lead vocal duty with Yanni in the driving, musically upbeat “Working Man’s Blues.”

And speaking of singing, the spiritual, album-closing “Reprise” is a sing-along begging for live audience participation.

As a whole, “Days” is a cohesive, intimate release. Overdubs, effects and other studio trickery are not found on this record. It simply captures a band that is riding high on a distinct sound that seems to finally be breaking through. TB&OoG made its Taste of Tippecanoe debut in June. “Days” could extend that momentum.

While little Thomas calls Hall and Yanni dad and mom, “Til the Days Return” has five musical parents, who should be proud of their creation. - Think Lafayette

After years on the scene, Traveling Broke and Out of Gas has released its first album, "Can You Spare Some Change?"

The 11-track release blends folk, rock, blues and country in a style that is befitting of the band's name. The songwriting has that sense of desperation of life on the road when things go awry. You run out of gas. You're out of money, and perhaps what's forced you to the road is about to catch up with you.

Cody Hall and Sanjay Mallipudi's acoustic and electric guitar work is showcased on this release. However, the best attributes are the hot and cold vocals between Hall and vocalist Rachael Yanni.

This is a strong release from a band that was able to use the studio to really diversify and explore its sound. "Can You Spare Some Change?" will make you want to see Traveling Broke and Out of Gas live, which is the mark of a good album. - Lafayette Journal and Courier

As the opening band, Traveling Broke and Out of Gas began the concert. It was the first time the Indiana-based band had performed in Boston and they gave it everything they had. The strumming solos and harmonica playing were impressive; the use of a washboard in a few of their songs was a nice variation on the usual instruments. The washboard especially gave them a unique sound.

The singing was pleasant as well, but it was when they showed off their ability to harmonize that the songs really took on a life of their own. Occasionally, the male lead singer would break out a raspy voice, which sounded very much like screaming. The music might have benefitted from more harmonization and less of that.

However, the band kept high energy throughout their performance and even unveiled a brand new song. “Take the Dime,” which hasn’t been recorded yet, was a mellow tune with nice guitar and harmonica solos. Another song that stood out was about cold beer in the summer; the lyrics were catchy and the audience was treated to an intense drum solo. - Emertainment Monthly

“With Rachel's vocals being as humid as New Orleans in July, the soul drips in from the very beginning, somewhere between Ma Rainey and Hope Sandoval. The twin fiddle sound creates a drone somewhere in the middle of civil war meets Indian classical meets psychedelic 70s tune. At times they even venture towards the early Blues sound of Memphis Minnie or Charlie Burse's Memphis Mudcats, with their stripped down primitive sound. Just when you think you've got it figured out they slide a little gypsy sound in there as well. The new album reflects an awakening of sorts. A new beginning. Like water shaping a rock over time, bands like Travelling Broke are ever changing. They are the sound of our landscape, a score for the country cruise, and a soundtrack that reminds you of home when you're just far enough away.” - Matt Scherger, Dancefloor Mountain (Jul 03, 2013)

Earlier, Wednesday night, I was sitting at the bar in The Mill, watching as the 4-person band got set to play.

Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas were preparing to dish out some "Bastard Americana" as they call it.

Cody Hall, on lead guitar and vocals. was joined by Rachael Yanni, strong voiced and working hard on a scrub board.

The band, from Lafayette, Indiana, often switch instruments, even in the middle of a set, so nothing was really carved in stone.

Cody shuffled around and took his turn in the back on the drums, Rachel put aside the washboard and sang original songs, amid instrumental diversity and worked the lyrical magic.

They have produced three complete albums, and do national and regional tours.

Their site says they appear in coffee shops, dive bars (thank you Mill with no cover charge), stadiums, concert halls and even on street corners.

It was an evening of folk/blues/rock/ with some hill country twang thrown in for good measure. - Chuckography

Traveling Broke and Out of Gas — Another band that is ever evolving, this ensemble blends blues, folk and old-time for a sound that can cause chills in one song and get you dancing in the next. Instrumentation combinations are interesting: fiddles and washboards mesh with electric bass and guitars. Founding members Rachael Yanni (vocals) and Cody Hall (guitar) are a stellar one-two creative punch, and bassist Davide Marzoli is one of the best in the scene. - Think Lafayette

Today’s review takes us deep into the Midwest’s rows of corn. Based in Lafayette, IN (That’s Purdue University for sports fan and engineering students) since 2006, Traveling, Broke, and Out of Gas has been concocting their own down home brew of rootsy, slightly rocking, Americana. Fronted by the husband and wife combo of Cody Hall and Rachel Yanni, the band is more like a family of Gypsies than a pre-defined musical line up as one might expect. Their latest roster for their ambitious new record, Till The Days Return, is rounded out by long time bassist Davide Marzoli, guitarist/fiddle player Craig Stinson, and violinist Sean Holman.

Till The Days Return is an ambitious 14 song record. Originally conceived in two parts; a traditional string band/bluegrass set of songs and a more honky-tonk (with the occasional psychedelic texture) set of rock songs to be exact, Till The Days Return is presented as a story of traveling (metaphysically?) lovers...go figure. The record is a nice blend of styles for sure. Rachel Yanni’s voice has grown considerably since their last record and Cody’s acoustic driven songwriting seems to expand at an exponential rate. Recorded at Sound Logic Studios, the band has achieved a clean sounding record that is quite believably a live in studio sound. It’s also a much bigger sound for the band which can only be gained by a steady regimen of practice and live shows and maybe a few Tom Waits records thrown in for good measure. Stand out tracks include the reggae-esque driven King Ludd (and it’s rather unexpected Carl Sagan soundtrack style psychedelic drone out turned Ken Kesey speed rap) which really sets up the albums brightest moments, catching stride, as they segue into the super groovy The Thirst, the aforementioned Tom Waits atmosphere of Cheap Thrills, and beautifully minimalistic Gm Waltz. Theres a little bit of everything on the record, so to speak.

Till The Days Return is a great step forward for Traveling, Broke, and Out of Gas. Fans of the “Muddy Roots” scene as well as the more traditional roots music can equally enjoy the record. From their rough start as a busking duo to an orchestrated traveling roots band, Traveling, Broke, and Out of Gas have set themselves up for another round of heavy touring that has served them well before. Midwesterners, catch this band as they establish themselves as a regional/festival act. Everyone else, give the record a spin. - The Ripple Effect

After hanging out in the pool & bounce-housing with Traveling, Broke, and Out of Gas, they jumped on stage and went to work. I met these guys and gal while working on the Artists United show. They’re great entertainers and players (often showcasing their proficiency on multiple instruments from tune to tune). Cody humored me by playing my kazoo for a song. Also, their suitcase with kick pedal attached sounded better than any bass drum I heard all day! - Chris June