The Hollyfelds - Title Stealers

It's been a while since I've written a review of an album. Like, two in the past 3 years, counting the one last week. But I like to support local kids, especially when I like their music.

The Hollyfelds get a lot of leeway in this town, and rightfully so. I think people want to say they're alt-country, but I think that comes from a misunderstanding of the term "alt-country."  As fluid and flexible as genres can be, I don't think you could stretch it to fit in The Hollyfelds.  They're definitely not what "country" has become, all due respect to pop-country diva Tailor Swift and ... Okay honestly I could look up a male counterpart in pop-country, but the genre (specifically pop-country) bores and nauseates me enough to give up on that.

The Hollyfelds are not, by any stretch of the imagination, pop-country, but they don't quite end up sounding like Will Oldham. I make the argument that it appears to me that they're unabashedly country, and that's why people like them. They play an unadulterated, genuine version of their overarching genre, endearing and engaging the listener beyond the disposable artists one might find oozing from commercial radio. 

Their only downfall may be that their lyrical content doesn't quite match up to the tone and style of their music. Their last release left me feeling a similar way. That said, on repeat listenings, I found myself listening closely to the lyrics, finding the story in the song, ending up feeling admiration for their ability to mix less common country song fare with their throwback, 70's/early 80's (pre-Hank Williams jr.) sound.

At the end of the day, I think by avoiding pop-country/sappy/soulless lyricism and alt-country/folky/occasionally-seeming-disengenuous themes, their new release feels more like a breath of fresh air than a rehash of a genre some feel as tried, true, tired, and trite.

Full disclosure, while i may not actually know them, I like these kids. When I friended their myspace page back in the day, they recognized me at their next show. Now that's how you connect to a fan. That is not, however, how you Make a fan. You Make a fan simply by playing music that connects with people, with making a bold and true statement, with grasping expertly what it is that you're trying to accomplish, then executing it.  That is The Hollyfelds.

If this in anyway sounds like something you'd like, check out their new tracks, off their album Title Stealers, which they're releasing This Friday, Nov 30th at The Soiled Dove

Hear one of them here:

The Hollyfelds - 32nd Street

Tickets to the show are here:

Here are the tickets to the show, which also appears to be their last show for a while.

"I can't be the one to help you forget, but you might be the one, so I won't give up yet."

The Hollyfelds - Black Heart Blue
Verdict: Love (<)+

(This is a review of The Hollyfelds's new album, but I really don't start saying the really nice stuff about it until the last paragraph, so if that's what you're here for, go to the last paragraph)

I've been a fan on the Hollyfelds for a while now. I've only seen them once since they opened for Langhorne Slim last year, but that didn't really count because I saw them at an Indian food restaurant, and they weren't performing, they were just being people. So when I got word that they'd released a new EP, I was excited to hear it, because everything I'd heard before was just fantastic (I'd still recommend their old stuff too).

This new EP, Black Heart Blue, has a lot of songs about love, but, in keeping with country traditions, the songs lean more towards the painful sides of love. That's right, The Hollyfelds are unabashedly country, and there's no shame in that at all, especially when you go about it in the way these cool kids go about it. When I think of country, I think of Hank Williams singing about how he's lonely (he's crying he's so lonesome sometimes), and women who are rising up and pushing their power in the face of the misogynistic society, but still finding a place in their heart for men (either to use them or to have them there by their side helping them fight the life fight). I've always found this aspect of country music fascinating. Men listen to it to get their blues out, admitting weakness and sensitivity, and Women listen to it to encourage themselves to stand up and fight. I think the fact that the people our country pigeon-holes into the country-rock-listening-group are people who are manly men and battered women. Maybe the music is there to try to get these two to change their ways, kind of showing them the way. A very interesting dynamic I've honestly never heard anyone talk about before (but I've not really done any research on this one...). Really, though, I have no idea what most popular country music talks about, so I could be entirely wrong on this whole concept.

Also, now that I'm thinking about it, pop country could be thought of as the new punk, because punk started out trying to make people hate it (kind of ... I know there's about a billion reasons as to why punk started ... just go with me on this one) ... and a lot of people really dislike pop country, so in that way, it's kind of a punk thing to do.

I bring all that up because I think it needs to be said that pop country, as a whole, is a very misunderstood genre that is frequently ridiculed, and I just can't help but think that's wrong. Sure old county and alt-country groups are respected, but pop country in the last 15-20 years just doesn't get any good press. Well I think the Hollyfelds is a great start to turning that sort of thought process around.

Regardless of all that though, The Hollyfelds really shouldn't be too concerned with what genre they are going to be put into, because they're clearly such great musicians that these things simply just don't matter. Their new album is country through and through, but the sentiments are similar to any other song out there. These musicians are looking for love, having a hard time with decisions, and having trouble with what's truly going on here in this crazy world of ours ... just like every other musician, and, really, person out there, except they have siren-esq voices and a backing band that will make any band rethink whether or not they, like the Hollyfelds, have the skills to pay the bills. (did I seriously just write that? so dorky). The Hollyfelds write scincere, heart breaking, and, over all, catchy tunes that'll put a tear in your beer. The Hollyfelds have yet to release a poorly written song, but if you're looking for the sweetest ears of corn, pick this one, it's clearly the best of the bunch (though their older stuff is seriously nothing to be snubbed.

The Hollyfelds - She's Got You
The Hollyfelds - Hey 52

smancy news from the mouth of the horse (The Hollyfelds' myspace):
Friday night (April 3) we will be celebrating [the release of our new EP] at The Skylark Lounge in Denver (140 S. Broadway). $5 at the door will get you in to see not only us, but also the awesome GT and The Sidewinders! Music will start around 9:30, so don’t be late!

Saturday night (April 4) we will be driving South to Colorado Springs to celebrate. We will be at The Rocket Room (230 Pueblo Ave.) and will be playing with The Chris Winters Show and Roosterd. The show is only $5 and starts at 9:00.

By The Time The Sun's Gone Down Tonight You'll Know You're the Only One

So yeah, that's how pi works. anyway...

Oh indie-folk, you are an evil temptress. I spend quite a pretty penny making it to shows just to see 2 or 3 pained solo acts who decide to take their pain on the road, inevitably making theirs an even more pain filled life...

okay, enough of that babbling. I loves me some indie-folk (I wonder just how often I'm going to say that). The show at the Larimer Lounge last night was a show filled with the amazingness that is Langhorne Slim. But first, I'll start with the openers.

The Hollyfelds were the first band to play, and I was rather pleased the show opened with such a bright and cheerful band, despite the fact that their songs ranged from drinking to suicide to drinking (said the blogger playfully). I am actually kind of disappointed in the crowd because there were about seven people there for the first half of their set, and then about 12 people when they finished. While that means that when they looked into the crowd one of the lead singers recognized me from my myspace photo and kinda gave me a shout out, I'm still upset that there were not more people to appreciate their efforts. They covered a Neko Case song, and, though I dislike Ms. Case, I think the song was amazing (and I bet they did a much better job than Neko would have). I mostly think this because the singer who sang on that song had the voice of an angel (that's not to discredit the sultry vocals of the other singer, she was damn good too). I don't feel bad about hosting all of their songs (that I could find) because they have expressed that they want people to download and have all their songs, so here ya go:

The Hollyfelds - Dan's Song
The Hollyfelds - Old Carbon
The Hollyfelds - Indicision
The Hollyfelds - The Empress of Wyoming

this was the first time I saw the Greeley-based group Vitamins, but not for a lack of trying. Things just never worked out so that I'd be able to see them. Last night the stars must have been aligned just right. I was rather pleased to see that a few UNCO students came down for the show, filling the room nicely, and after about 10 minutes of sound-tech problems, the show got on, and the room filled with a dreamy-haze. Vitamins are a feel-good-a-holic's dream. well, maybe not the ultimate dream, but groovy people all the same. Listen up:

Vitamins - Brontosaurus
Vitamins - Shoot'em


Los Dos and The New American Ramblers were on next. Unfortunately the large crowd brought forth by Vitamins quickly dispersed back to Greeley, leaving the Larimer Lounge quite empty. Truthfully, I can understand to some degree why they wouldn't have stayed for Los Dos' set, but seriously, give the artists some credit for coming. This was actually the first time I'd ever heard of these fellas, and I have to say that I was rather pleased with their performance. I think that their placement in the evening could have been better coordinated, i.e. they could have played first, because their slow songs and country vocals really brought down what was left of the house, something that I think would have been better suited for the opening slot, seeming how the Hollyfelds and Vitamins had put this energy into the place that was, frankly, brought right down by Los Dos. They were good, damn good, but between the hi-energy acts like Vitamins and Langhorne Slim, it just didn't fit. here are some interestingly small (in size), but long (in duration) recordings of the boys in Los Dos.

Los Dos and The New American Ramblers - Mary and the Devil
Los Dos and The New American Ramblers - Bitter Water
Los Dos and The New American Ramblers - Dancing Down the Days
Los Dos and The New American Ramblers - Smile of Ivory
Los Dos and The New American Ramblers - Oil War Blues/Ain't No War Of Mine
Los Dos and The New American Ramblers - The River of the City
Los Dos and The New American Ramblers - God or the Thunder

Langhorne Slim put on quite the freeking show. I love those men. As soon as he took the stage, the room filled back up with good people in need of a good time, which Langhorne Slim delivered. There were the occasional issues with the sound guy and the equipment (Larimer Lounge can be kinda jank sometimes), but other than that there were absolutely no complaints, and I've not much more to say than SEE THESE MEN LIVE! I want to put the whole damn Langhorne Slim discography up, but that wouldn't be cool (since you ought to go out and buy it all), so I just put up a bunch. I hope it's not excessive. And while you could just as easily go over to the Daytrotter.com site and Download the Daytrotter session, I really want to stress that you have these songs, so I'm going to host the files right here too (but, if you can, give Daytrotter some well deserved traffic).

Langhorne Slim - My Future (off of Electric Love Letter)
Langhorne Slim - Lord (off of Electric Love Letter)
Langhorne Slim - Loretta Lee Jones (off of Electric Love Letter)
Langhorne Slim - Mary (off of When the Sun's Gone Down)
Langhorne Slim - I Will (off of When the Sun's Gone Down)
Langhorne Slim - English Tea (off of Daytrotter Session)
Langhorne Slim - By The Time the Sun's Gone Down (off of Daytrotter Session)
Langhorne Slim - She's Gone (off of Daytrotter Session)
Langhorne Slim - Restless (off of Daytrotter Session)

Since I don't have any live recordings of the Slim men, here are about a hundred videos of varying quality (the first one is amazing [b/c it's an actual music video]):