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Press Reviews Eustis Ridge Review [+ Show] Portland Press Herald http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=251106&ac=Go&pg=2 Local Americana/folkster band Gunther Brown is thrilled to bits about the release its debut EP, "Eustis Ridge," and the release show is tonight at One Longfellow Square. Pete Dubuc's rough and raspy vocals are terrific, as is John V. Boyle's guitar, mandolin and dobro playing. "Say Goodbye" is the first of five songs. "As you walk away, nothing left to say, kick the ground and know that hard times are here again," sings Dubuc. The rest of Gunther Brown is Ethan Gamage on bass, drummer Derek Mills and keyboardist Chris Devlin. Devlin starts off "The Reason" with slow and mysterious keys that soon are joined by electric guitar. The song is an acerbic recount of a relationship that fell into the bottom of the well. Boyle's guitar adds to the angst and poignancy. "Hello Tonight" is a return to optimism, and I'm awarding bonus nods to Mills and Devlin on this one. Dubuc and Boyle's vocals both fuel "Minnesota," and Boyle's guitar work glistens. "Great Eustis Jailbreak" is an old-fashioned romp into the county jail, complete with hidden liquor, ammo and an overly confident warden woven into hand-clapping, countrified rock. I officially dig all "Eustis Ridge" tracks and hope that that Gunther Brown (www.myspace.com/musicofguntherbrown) finds its way back into the studio for more. What Can Brown Do For You [+ Show] The Portland Phoenix WATCH CLOSELY Gunther Brown. Our local alt-country renaissance continues this weekend with Gunther Brown's debut release, a five-song, 20-minute EP called Eustis Ridge. They're alt-country enough, anyway, despite frontman Pete Dubuc's (you might remember him from WCLZ) penchant for low-end gravelly vocals that get downright singer/songwritery, and, of course, it doesn't really matter. This is a new band with chops to watch. The overall vibe is a bit sedate and down in the mouth — even the bar-stomp "Great Eustis Jailbreak," with cool piano backing, seems to have a governor on it — but there's nothing wrong with some indie rock seeping into a record. Guitarist John Boyle (he's a Portland music-scene ex-pat returned from Seattle) is excellent, with a Nashville pop to his licks, but some irony in his tone, and the way they use Chris Devlin on keys is interesting. They could use more of the backing vocals that open "Minnesota," and a little more giddy-up in their step from time to time, but they've got a polished sound and some soul, which makes Eustis Ridge worth a visit. Sam Pfeifle can be reached at sam_pfeifle@yahoo.com. Journal-Sentinel Interview [+ Show] Kennebec Journal - Morning Sentinel http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/happening/stories/16195361.html Pete Dubuc, lead singer/songwriter/guitarist for the new Americana quintet known as Gunther Brown, spoke in a recent telephone interview from his Portland digs -- the band's home base -- about what fans can expect at the group's performance tomorrow night at Guthrie's, 115 Middle St., Lewiston. "We've gone in the 'fun' direction," Dubuc said. "I think people will find that the music is pretty light. We're not taking ourselves extremely seriously here; it's not about changing the world, ya' know -- we have some fun. That's what we're setting out to do. "We played Guthrie's probably two or three months ago and we really liked it. It's a cool spot for original music; it's a comfortable enough area for the band and it's a comfortable area for those hanging out, too. You can tell that the people who run it are very interested in music. Not to mention that the food's really good -- they have fantastic food and drink." Talk turned back to the band and it was learned that most of the five members hail from different parts of our fair state. "Ethan (Gamage), our bass player, is from Hope; I grew up in Strong, by Farmington; and I forget where specifically our drummer (Derek Mills) is from but it's way up in Aroostook County," Dubuc said. "So we're sorta spread out as far as where our roots are, but we're pretty Maine, I'll just say that." John V. Boyle (lead guitar, mandolin and backing vocals) grew up in suburban Boston, but is a veteran of the Portland music scene since the 80s. The band's newest member, who joined in December 2008, is keyboardist Chris Devlin. Labeling is the bane of any band worth its salt, but for a new group getting some kind of sonic description, it helps in letting folks know what musical direction the band leans. Having said that, was Dubuc comfortable with the Americana descriptor? "Yeah," he said. "I mean, I think that's the term that most fits what we do. The only problem with that term is that you usually still have to further explain it to most people -- it always lends itself to further discussion, but I always find it a good starting point." He continued on by saying Gunther Brown's music is acoustic based but most of the lead guitar work is electric. "So," Dubuc said. "It sorta doesn't too politely fit in either side of that Americana thing." And then there's the band's name: That, in itself, tend to lead people in the right direction, when all is said and done. "It's a name that I thought sounded cool; that was personal in nature," the lead singer said. "And to me, it made sense for the music that we were doing. I mean, if you heard that Gunther Brown was playing somewhere, you wouldn't think it was a metal band, ya know?" Was there anything Dubuc wanted to get across to the folks reading this "What's Happening" article about their show in Lewiston tomorrow night? "If people come to see us, they'll come see a band that is having fun," he said. "People are making a lot of great music but sometimes it doesn't seem that they are having fun, making that music -- that's something that is really important to us; so if they come and we're not having fun then they're free to throw things and yell at us to help snap us out of it a little bit. If we had to pick a thing that we wanted to be known as, it would be 'the band that's having fun.' " The Night Is Young [+ Show] AIMSEL L. PONTI - Portland Press Herald Musician Travis James Humphrey described Gunther Brown so succinctly, I simply must use said quote: "Gunther Brown feels like a good punk band that discovered Hank Williams and comfortably evolved into an alt-country thing." So, in case it's not clear, Gunther Brown is a band, not a guy. In fact, it's four guys: John V. Boyle, Pete Dubuc, Ethan Gamage and Derek Mills. I listened to five tracks on their MySpace page and dug 'em all first time through. The band members converged via their mutual love for alt-country music. It didn't take long for them to also realize their shared appreciation for '80s alternative, in particular bands like New Order and the Smiths (double hoorah to that!). Dubuc has a sandpapery voice that is comfortable and distinct. He is the primary songwriter and makes his mark with "Say Goodbye" and "Great Eustis Jailbreak." Boyle's electric guitar is as significant as Dubuc's words and vocals, and when you add the rhythm section of Gamage and Mills, well, it sounds darned good. Gunther Brown. 1 p.m. Sunday. North Star Music Cafe, 225 Congress St., Portland. www.guntherbrown.com, www.northstarmusiccafe.com |