Axton Kincaid

“Twelve charmingly breezy alt country pieces…spiced with a strong pinch of bluegrass. They follow a trail blazed by several similar acts such as Freakwater, Jeff & Vida, and Jim and Jennie & the Pinetops. Axton Kincaid's strongest trumps, in addition to Howser's voice and songs, are the slick harmonizing of the other group members, and the use of mandolin and pedal steel.” - Ctrl. Alt. Country/ctrlaltcountry.be (Belgium)

Nice, down-to-earth, twangy alt-country with a bluegrassy feel, sort of like Jim & Jennie or Freakwater--a little more settled-down and conventional, but no less enthusiastic or lively. Nice set of original tunes, mostly written by San Francisco-based singer-guitarist Kate Howser, kicking off with a catchy honkytonk/old-timey ditty, "Who's Gonna Pour My Whiskey When You're Gone?" that sets a great pace for the rest of the record. Good, solid band with a nice grasp of country music's soulful, non-novelty side... I'm always in favor of folks who take it seriously and get things right. Lookin' forward to more from these folks!"
- Hillbilly Record Riot

Many of you out there in local band land will remember Fojimoto, one of the best of the altcountry (sorry! Don't know what else to call it) get-ups of the early '00s. Maybe you've even been wondering what happened to the players, as we have. Well, we found two of them in Axton Kincaid, where they've joined up with some indie rock refugees from Luster. Recalling a slightly calmer Meat Purveyors, the group presents triple-layer harmonies, slide guitar, and talented singers, delivering not only a mournful cover of the Stone Roses' "I Want to Be Adored," but also a mandolin approach that's almost serene where so many other pickers get spastic. El Capitan and Four Year Bender open. - SF Weekly

The first full-length release from this gritty San Francisco alt-grass outfit reprises some of the songs from their earlier EP, notably "Who's Gonna Pour My Whiskey When You're Gone?", a catchy mix of honkytonk and old-timey stringband stomp, and the evocative drinkin'-and-thinkin' tune, "Red Light." The group handily fits into the contemporary altbilly scene, with a particular affinity for all those folks from the Midwest who know what it's like to drink too much, too often and really not give a damn. Freakwater and Scrawl come to mind right off the bat, but maybe that's just because the main vocalists are gals, but also because the lyrics are very downer-iffic and express a distinctly female perspective, albeit one that's rather grungey, raw, urban and hip. The remnants of the band's rock'n'roll past are readily evident, both thematically and musically -- mandolin picker Jennifer Daunt takes several searching, improvvy solos that have that choppy, rockin' feel to 'em, but while she lacks the technical rigor and formalism of mainstream bluegrassers, she makes up for it by sounding like a real, live human being, rather than just another hotshot superpicker. Flaws are one of the things that help define this band -- songwriter Kate Howser paints portraits that are often desolate and unfulfilled, but also joyful and unrepentant, a mixture of moods that is reflected in the music. In true DIY spirit, the imperfections are there, but they help you notice the sparkle of the gem underneath." - Hillbilly Record Riot

I know it's only March, but I think I might already have my favorite song title of the year: "Who's Gonna Pour My Whiskey When You're Gone?" OK, so this little ear pricker-upper by local twang gang Axton Kincaid is actually a farewell to a cherished bartender, not a lover, as I first thought, but with its dual themes of loss and drinking, it's as country as a greased pig (and yeah, that's a compliment). The quintet, recalling moments of Freakwater and the Be Good Tanyas and armed with dazzling three-layer harmonies, will hopefully deliver this future barroom classic at the release party celebrating its new album, Songs from the Pine Room. Could they be a 21st-century Carter Family, perhaps?" - SF Bay Guardian

"Axton Kincaid takes up where the late lamented Meat Purveyors left off, and that's a good thing. The local quintet's sad country drinking songs tend to be slow and emo where the Purveyors' were fast and pissed off, but it's all in the intoxicated, mandolin-led indiegrass family. Songwriter Kate Howser's got a way with words on new CD Songs From the Pine Room: "Keep your eyes/ On the red lights/ For the next two miles, they're your best friends," she warns in the drinking-and-driving adventure tune "Red Lights." Bay Area favorite Jon Fojtik gets in one of the only country-music drum solos known to humankind on "Rearview," and the whole album is destined to be a favorite of pedal steel fans everywhere as Mac Martine plays Jon Rauhouse to the rest of the band's Neko Case."
- SF Weekly