There’s a new breed of Americana that recently has sold itself as a genre to stick. Years ago we were lauding bands like The Felice Brothers and The Avett Brothers as innovative strikers-out from convention and inventors of classically beautiful music. Luckily, creation in this vein hasn’t ended there. Can you remember when you first heard Alabama Shakes? Remember when you first heard Deer Tick? Most recently, and perhaps most impressively, can you remember the feeling when you first heard Houndmouth?
If you first heard the Kentucky quartet blindly, you might have thought that you were listening to new music from Felice Brothers but to the insightful ear the similarities between the bands are superficial at best. Instead of band continuously comparable to others, Houndmouth has branched out from the now-established genre to include a more garage-rock element that separates them as something truly inspired. The band is able to seamlessly blend traditional American roots music with the intuition of their audience’s modern desires.
Houndmouth released its debut self-titled EP less than a year ago on August 27 and has already responded with a full-length record (two of the songs from the EP were actually re-recorded for the full-length and sound even better now). The group released its debut full length From the Hills Below the City June 3 on Rough Trade records and are now celebrating the success of this record by touring the US with Alabama Shakes. In addition to unique gigs, their summer line up is stock with festivals including Outside Lands in San Francisco and the antiquely reputable Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.
While they readily admit to the keen influence The Band (from Canada, which is very much not the South) has had on them, they seem more so a product of their location than their fandom of The Band. Yes Louisville is distinctly Midwestern compared to the more southern parts of the state, but Houndmouth still reeks (in a good way) of the south. Everything time the vocals yearn of Memphis and whiskey, instead of sounding trite and unsurprised it feel natural and as if the group is speaking truly of what they know, rather than conforming to lyrics that match their sound.
It’s clear from fan reactions that these guys have been local favorites of Louiseville for some time. It’s only too kind, then, that the Midwest-southern fusion city has decided to share these folks with the rest of the country at last. Check out the LP and Houndmouth’s summer tour dates on its official website.
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