Get To Know: Bowery Boy Blue
Move over Neil Young, this band is taking over.
New York City doesn’t necessarily inspire images of steel guitars and banjos, but in recent times these instruments have become a feature within its music scene. An explosion of new-wave country bands have been coming out of the five boroughs in recent years, taking classic country rock influences and melding them with contemporary indie rock. This movement has gathered more followers as it develops, from the band Cheyenne and now to Bowery Boy Blue. Zeb Gould, previously of the band Stereofan, and his band have sought to make country in the big city cool again. Gould, and his wife Megan, started writing together previous to the band’s inception in Stereofan. After recording their debut album Stalk That Myth under the moniker Bowery Boy Blue in Chicago’s famous Electrical Audio studio, Gould added three more members to make it a full-fledged band.
Stalk That Myth is so much more than your typical indie country rock album. The depth within the album, from the composition to the lyrics, is so well-constructed that it can’t be labeled anything but a solid album. Gould uses influences from contemporary indie rock, classic country music and alternative rock to create a musically diverse album - with a voice sounding so similar to Neil Young. From Bowery Boy Blue’s style of music to the twangy edge to Gould’s voice, there is a definite influence from Young and his collaborations with Crosby, Stills and Nash. “Ah, What a Cruel Change” has Gould sounding so much like him that the track could easily be mistaken for a Young song. Gould’s songs with his wife also add another interesting vocal aspect to the album. Their work on the tracks “Great Dead Town” and its counterpoint “Dead Great Town” not only make two great bookends to Stalk That Myth, but it also highlights how well the two work together musically.
This week’s single, “Come Closer, Sister,” is full of the intimacy that makes Bowery Boy Blue such a strong band. With a heavy bass beat and Gould’s unique voice, the song draws you in immediately. Gould’s songwriting skills shine on “Come Closer, Sister” as well, showing that he has more to offer than the conventional notion of a country band does. It’s a type of country music that’s more than tractors and dead dogs. It’s the perfect companion for any winding country or dark highway, an ode to late night drives where contemplations and revelations occur.
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Sep 16, 2008 @ 7:00 am