It seems like every day more and more punk rock kids are picking up acoustic guitars and writing folk songs. I see 2007 as a sort of culmination of this since it's had some pretty major releases from Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music and Tim Barry of Avail. Of course, there's always Plan-It-X Records for all your folk punk needs and the kids down in Gainesville who used to be in hardcore bands.
Matthew Winn (Wildebeest) is a musician who started out in Athens, GA and moved up to Brooklyn. I first came across his music thanks to another singer-songwriter who's also familiar with the quaint, southern town. A lot of his music borders the folk punk lines, but the gems are his more understated songs like "Tractors" where the real folk influence takes over even when it's played live with his band. Don't get me wrong, the trumpet, drums, and feedback are wonderful and deafeningly pleasing, but there's a more intimate feeling to his solo songs. So far he's released a full-length and a couple very limited EPs that you'd be lucky to get your hands on. His upcoming album Dead Pets was recorded in a cabin in the Catskill mountains, but until that is let loose, we're going to have to settle for some awesome live performances.
"Host and Hostage"
"Tractors"
"Tractors" (Solo)
"Animals"
From If You Make It:
By the way, do you hear some Unwound in that or is it just me?
1 comment:
Matthew Winn was born in NY moved to Spain for a couple years, then back to NY only to move to Athens then moved to Brooklyn. Evan Louison who was in his band was also in a band with him called Mendicant Friends.
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