RSS
Help
CartTwo Cent Revival to Release "The Devil's in this Whiskey" on June 15th
Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:03:40
Calling all Johnny Cash fans! He's been somewhat reincarnated in the form of Two Cent Revival, who will release his debut EP The Devil's in This Whiskey on June 15th. TCT has an amazing baritone voice -- think a young, hip Johnny Cash-- and he just dropped his debut single of the same name. I took a listen and yeah, he definitely has the same stylings as the legendary Johnny Cash.
A little info about TCR: it's the new project from Brazilian-born, Texas-raised singer/songwriter Matt Jones and it mixes folk-tinged Americana and classic country elements with dark lyrical themes and an acoustic-focused rock band. Driven by Jones' baritone vocals, the songs hint at wooden barrooms and dusty churches, walking the line between failure and redemption.
On The Devil's in This Whiskey, Jones and his band add a harder edge to the sound he began developing on his previous release, Butter and Rum (2008). Produced by Alex Houton (Charlotte Sometimes, Bailey Grey), mixed by multiple Grammy Award winning engineer Brian Vibberts (Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Dave Matthews Band), and mastered by David Ives, the new five song EP features a 1971 Fender Telecaster, a late 1930's Gibson Kalamazoo acoustic guitar, and a Kentucky mandolin to create a distinct vintage workhouse tone with a modern Americana bite. The usage of vintage equipment only serves to make it sound that much more real in an age of digitally tweaked, overworked and perfected to the point of being sterile music!
Written and arranged over three months between NYC and Red Bank, NJ, Jones' goal was to create a sound that was both musically appealing and lyrically interesting. "I wanted to be able to talk about shit on my mind, which wasn't necessarily happy, but have it still be catchy," he said.
With driving electric guitar and vintage acoustic guitar sounds, The Devil's in This Whiskey was heavily influenced by Jones' longing for his southern and southwestern roots. "I used to live on the bayou in Texas, where we'd drink cheap beer barefoot and hang out from late afternoon until well past sunset. I distinctly remember the smell of freshly cut grass and the whine of the mosquitoes in the summer," he said.
"Living in New York makes me realize how much I'm partial to the vibe of Texas and Tucson," he said. "I wanted to get out of it, but now I yearn to be back there."
Jones' predilection to the sights, sounds and details of home, evident only after his move to New York, has transformed him into an exceptional songwriter. Jimmy Norman, co-writer of "Time Is On My Side" said "Matt Jones [has] a lot going for him: his stage presence, his interesting, original songs, and especially his phrasing. He is a great storyteller."
Check out his site here.
What did you think of Two Cent Revival?
—Amy Sciarretto
04.06.11
