My hair was all greasy. I had just woken up. And so they did. The alternately rocking and weeping show proved that Tim Easton s new release, The Truth About Us, has something most mopey alt-country artists have yet to grasp life beyond old love. It s a fitting tribute to the nomadic lifestyle, considering that Easton was a street performer with Beck in Paris and recorded his first 14-song release on Podulka Records in the Czech Republic.
Somebody get the waitress.
Transistor Blues picks up where Rosavelt's 1996 effort, Carp and Bones, left off. While that album captured the nuanced sophistication of the band's twang-heavy songs, it had a much folksier, softer edge than their barnstorming live shows. Transistor Blues captures that edge. This Cleveland trio, however, is an exception. Though they draw from a well of several acts including the Velvet Underground, the Vulgar Boatmen, and perhaps a slight touch of Joe Henry, this album somehow made me forget all the reference points.