Yarn
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
August 3, 2010
4****
Third triumph in a row for the N.Y.C alt. country band!
At times Yarn can sound a little like Whiskeytown era Ryan Adams, at others, what could be termed 'classic country rock', such as the early Buritto's, both comparisons being intended as compliments! This album has an appealing loose ramshackleness of many of the better alternative country bands and totally lacks the polish that many bands (or record companies?) in this genre seem to think necessary. All of the songs are either written by Blake Christiana or co-written with Shane Spaulding, who also had several writing credits on their previous albums, 2007s YARN & 2008s EMPTY POCKETS. The songs tell stories of longing, lost love, travelling and home, in fact staples of the genre but always with Chritiana's own personal take on life's problems, enabling the album to avoid saminess and giving it an individual, fresh feel.
The riff on New York City found borrows from Elvis's version of Arthur Crudups My baby left me, possiblyshowing where at least some of their roots are to be found, although their song tells of the glories of the city rather than crying on a sleeve! The beautiful ballad Schenectady tells that you can leave home years in the past but it always remains with you wherever you go. These bars don't look too friendly probably sums up the songwriting in as much as you can almost feel you know the bar and could have been there on the night in question, with Christiana's languid vocals being particularly reminiscent of Ryan Adams! The beautiful Abilene is given a lovely mellow but powerful feel by the excellent harmonies and is underpinned by the steel guitar. In fact the writing of each song as well as the playing is of a consistently high standard with an excellent mix of mid to slow tempo songs.
The band is made up of the aforementioned Blake Christiana on lead vocals and guitar, Trevor MacArthur on backing vocals and guitar, Andrew Hendryx, mandolin and harmonica, Rod Hohl on electric guitar, dobro and vocals, Nick Bugel, bass and Robert Bonhomme, drums and percussion. All are highly accomplished musicians and have a feel for alt. country, too much having been made of the fact that they are based in Brooklyn N.Y.C. Proof if needed that it's the feel for the music, not the location that defines the quality. - American Roots Music
August 3, 2010
4****
Third triumph in a row for the N.Y.C alt. country band!
At times Yarn can sound a little like Whiskeytown era Ryan Adams, at others, what could be termed 'classic country rock', such as the early Buritto's, both comparisons being intended as compliments! This album has an appealing loose ramshackleness of many of the better alternative country bands and totally lacks the polish that many bands (or record companies?) in this genre seem to think necessary. All of the songs are either written by Blake Christiana or co-written with Shane Spaulding, who also had several writing credits on their previous albums, 2007s YARN & 2008s EMPTY POCKETS. The songs tell stories of longing, lost love, travelling and home, in fact staples of the genre but always with Chritiana's own personal take on life's problems, enabling the album to avoid saminess and giving it an individual, fresh feel.
The riff on New York City found borrows from Elvis's version of Arthur Crudups My baby left me, possiblyshowing where at least some of their roots are to be found, although their song tells of the glories of the city rather than crying on a sleeve! The beautiful ballad Schenectady tells that you can leave home years in the past but it always remains with you wherever you go. These bars don't look too friendly probably sums up the songwriting in as much as you can almost feel you know the bar and could have been there on the night in question, with Christiana's languid vocals being particularly reminiscent of Ryan Adams! The beautiful Abilene is given a lovely mellow but powerful feel by the excellent harmonies and is underpinned by the steel guitar. In fact the writing of each song as well as the playing is of a consistently high standard with an excellent mix of mid to slow tempo songs.
The band is made up of the aforementioned Blake Christiana on lead vocals and guitar, Trevor MacArthur on backing vocals and guitar, Andrew Hendryx, mandolin and harmonica, Rod Hohl on electric guitar, dobro and vocals, Nick Bugel, bass and Robert Bonhomme, drums and percussion. All are highly accomplished musicians and have a feel for alt. country, too much having been made of the fact that they are based in Brooklyn N.Y.C. Proof if needed that it's the feel for the music, not the location that defines the quality. - American Roots Music
August 28, 2010
You might say that, in effect if not in intention, Yarn reimagines New York City as a kind of rural village. Not that nobody's ever done that before, of course. The city has hosted folk revivalists since the 1930s, not to mention bluegrass and honkytonk bands, though where its rooted products are concerned only the folk singers -- among Yarn's most immediately recognizable antecedents -- ever have had much of a national impact.
With Come On In, its third album (albeit the first I've heard), Yarn shows itself to be worthy of a far-flung following. At the very least, it's worthy of repeated listening, to which it stands up -- always the test of a good record.
Possibly, with some adjustments, Yarn could be something like an innovative bluegrass band, but it's all right as it is, which is not yet another iteration of the wimpy, smooth-harmony California "country-rock" ensemble. Yarn's sound has an edge, both attitudinal and electrical, that conjures up fond memories of Steve Earle's brilliant early records. Certainly, the band's songwriter (also acoustic guitarist) Blake Christiana has Earle's gift: a crisp, twangy vocal style and a precise, no-nonsense way with words. I'd add, however, that his melodies are more consistently engaging than Earle's.
Less than a minute into the opening cut, "Alone on the Weekend" -- a title that in lesser hands could forecast something awful -- I had confidence, not destined to be disappointed, that I was heading into time happily spent. Christiana may be a romantic, but he's also a realist who seeks to negotiate the world with clear eyes, unclouded by self-pity or sentimentality. All 13 songs are firmly constructed and tuneful, and some -- "New York City Found," "These Bars Don't Look Too Friendly," "Abilene," "Time Burns On" -- stick happily inside your head as you go about your lifely business. The terrific "Strikes & Gutters" could be among the stellar cuts on John Prine's blue-collar-poet masterpiece Diamonds in the Rough (1972) but for the (literal) electricity.
Backing Christiana are some impressive pickers (Trevor MacArthur, Roderick Hohl, Andrew Hendryx, Rick Bugel) and a smart, sensitive drummer (Jay Frederick), with occasional assistance from fiddler Jeremy Garrett, saxophonist Jeremy Wall and pedal-steel player Skip Krevens. If other musicians have attempted what Yarn is doing, few have done it so well. - Rambles
August 28, 2010
You might say that, in effect if not in intention, Yarn reimagines New York City as a kind of rural village. Not that nobody's ever done that before, of course. The city has hosted folk revivalists since the 1930s, not to mention bluegrass and honkytonk bands, though where its rooted products are concerned only the folk singers -- among Yarn's most immediately recognizable antecedents -- ever have had much of a national impact.
With Come On In, its third album (albeit the first I've heard), Yarn shows itself to be worthy of a far-flung following. At the very least, it's worthy of repeated listening, to which it stands up -- always the test of a good record.
Possibly, with some adjustments, Yarn could be something like an innovative bluegrass band, but it's all right as it is, which is not yet another iteration of the wimpy, smooth-harmony California "country-rock" ensemble. Yarn's sound has an edge, both attitudinal and electrical, that conjures up fond memories of Steve Earle's brilliant early records. Certainly, the band's songwriter (also acoustic guitarist) Blake Christiana has Earle's gift: a crisp, twangy vocal style and a precise, no-nonsense way with words. I'd add, however, that his melodies are more consistently engaging than Earle's.
Less than a minute into the opening cut, "Alone on the Weekend" -- a title that in lesser hands could forecast something awful -- I had confidence, not destined to be disappointed, that I was heading into time happily spent. Christiana may be a romantic, but he's also a realist who seeks to negotiate the world with clear eyes, unclouded by self-pity or sentimentality. All 13 songs are firmly constructed and tuneful, and some -- "New York City Found," "These Bars Don't Look Too Friendly," "Abilene," "Time Burns On" -- stick happily inside your head as you go about your lifely business. The terrific "Strikes & Gutters" could be among the stellar cuts on John Prine's blue-collar-poet masterpiece Diamonds in the Rough (1972) but for the (literal) electricity.
Backing Christiana are some impressive pickers (Trevor MacArthur, Roderick Hohl, Andrew Hendryx, Rick Bugel) and a smart, sensitive drummer (Jay Frederick), with occasional assistance from fiddler Jeremy Garrett, saxophonist Jeremy Wall and pedal-steel player Skip Krevens. If other musicians have attempted what Yarn is doing, few have done it so well. - Rambles
Albany, NY
September 30, 2010
Alternative country kings Yarn are coming to Red Square on Saturday night, and you better bring your dancing boots, and maybe even your cowboy hat. They might sound like they're from Harlan County, Ky., but they hail from that nearby hotbed of country music, Brooklyn. (The South; south New York).
Yarn is living proof it really doesn't matter where you live, you can play country music with honesty and integrity (which is increasingly lacking in Nashville). In fact, Yarn doesn't sound like pre-fab Music City music at all. Blake Christiana and Trevor MacArthur have been singing clever county songs drenched in dobro, mandolin, harmonica and even saxophone.
In ways, Christiana could be called a New York version of Texas singer/songwriter Steve Earle (who now lives in New York). Their tune "Down On Your Luck" has an airy, summer sound, but you might want to jump in and sing along to "Yodelay." Just like they do way down South.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Red Square
Tickets: $12
Info: 465-0444; http://redsquarealbany.com/
-- David Malachowski - Times Union
Albany, NY
September 30, 2010
Alternative country kings Yarn are coming to Red Square on Saturday night, and you better bring your dancing boots, and maybe even your cowboy hat. They might sound like they're from Harlan County, Ky., but they hail from that nearby hotbed of country music, Brooklyn. (The South; south New York).
Yarn is living proof it really doesn't matter where you live, you can play country music with honesty and integrity (which is increasingly lacking in Nashville). In fact, Yarn doesn't sound like pre-fab Music City music at all. Blake Christiana and Trevor MacArthur have been singing clever county songs drenched in dobro, mandolin, harmonica and even saxophone.
In ways, Christiana could be called a New York version of Texas singer/songwriter Steve Earle (who now lives in New York). Their tune "Down On Your Luck" has an airy, summer sound, but you might want to jump in and sing along to "Yodelay." Just like they do way down South.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Red Square
Tickets: $12
Info: 465-0444; http://redsquarealbany.com/
-- David Malachowski - Times Union
October 12, 2010
BLAIRSTOWN-Brooklyn might seem like an odd place of origin for a country rock band to hail from. But that is exactly where one of the country's fastest rising groups calls home. On the verge of taking the United States by storm, Yarn is first ready to take Northwest Jersey by storm as it headlines Blairstown based HomeGrownRadioNJ's 6th anniversary Harvest Fest on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Sponsored by Hoboken Eddie's BBQ Sauces, the group's month-long fundraising celebration concludes with the Harvest Fest at the Fountain House on Route 94 in Fredon. Yarn headlines, but there will be plenty more music with Citizens Band Radio, Stoney River Boys, Mystery Train and other outstanding acts throughout the day and into the event. The show starts at 2 p.m. and continues well until the night! Attendees must be 21 to enter. Tickets are just $10 per person for a full day (and evening) of entertainment.
To Yarn's frontman, Blake Christiana, the perennial home of cold concrete, hipsters and industrial ruins is the perfect place for an Americana/Alt-Country band to hone its work.
Yarn has received quite a bit of buzz in the Americana world as a result of the band's first two recordings as well as strong performances at clubs and festivals. Their self-titled debut record reached No. 14 on the AMA and R&R Radio Charts, and ranked No. 79 on the AMA's Top 100 Albums of 2007. Yarn's 2008 follow-up, Empty Pockets, which features guest appearances by Edie Brickell, Tony Trischka, Casey Dreissen and Caitlin Cary of Whiskeytown, spent months in the AMA charts. The album peaked at No. 5 and was honored with eight first round 2009 Grammy nominations in several categories.
Yarn weaves roots music idioms into a fresh sound that turns on hipsters and fans of country music alike with technically impressive song-crafting and universal tales from the road of life.
The band's newest release, Come On In, peaked at No. 7 on AMA Radio this summer and four months later remains on the charts.
"Life was going on," said Christina of his inspiration for the songs on Come On In. "A couple relationships went sour, lots of time on the road. I just love those dramatic moments in life, when change is upon us and everything is uncertain."
The record is not all heartbreak and drama though. "New York City Found" takes an upbeat look at navigating the vast cityscape of NYC that feels as exciting as it is intimidating. "Yodelay" nods to overcoming childhood fears, and "I Gotta Go" is a celebration of self-realization and moving on.
In August, Yarn was one of the major highlights of the Skylands Music & Arts Festival in Blairstown.
Hunterdon County based Citizens Band Radio offers its special blend of country and rock, as well, to the show. Not only do they mix rock and country, but add elements of bluegrass, blues, folk and Americana.
HomeGrownRadioNJ burst onto the scene six years ago on Oct. 30 and has been a music force in the area ever since, with annual festivals and other major events throughout New Jersey.
From the start, HomeGrownRadioNj has been a steadfast champion for the independent artist throughout New Jersey and beyond. Its continuing commitment to spreading the music so few get to hear has earned them a spot in the hearts and minds of musicians and music fans throughout the area. In-studio concerts and special events are the norm for those familiar with the station and the bi annual benefit shows have become an entrenched entity in the region.
For more about HomeGrownRadioNJ and the Oct. 30 show, visit homegrownradionj.com. - HomeGrownRadioNJ
October 12, 2010
BLAIRSTOWN-Brooklyn might seem like an odd place of origin for a country rock band to hail from. But that is exactly where one of the country's fastest rising groups calls home. On the verge of taking the United States by storm, Yarn is first ready to take Northwest Jersey by storm as it headlines Blairstown based HomeGrownRadioNJ's 6th anniversary Harvest Fest on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Sponsored by Hoboken Eddie's BBQ Sauces, the group's month-long fundraising celebration concludes with the Harvest Fest at the Fountain House on Route 94 in Fredon. Yarn headlines, but there will be plenty more music with Citizens Band Radio, Stoney River Boys, Mystery Train and other outstanding acts throughout the day and into the event. The show starts at 2 p.m. and continues well until the night! Attendees must be 21 to enter. Tickets are just $10 per person for a full day (and evening) of entertainment.
To Yarn's frontman, Blake Christiana, the perennial home of cold concrete, hipsters and industrial ruins is the perfect place for an Americana/Alt-Country band to hone its work.
Yarn has received quite a bit of buzz in the Americana world as a result of the band's first two recordings as well as strong performances at clubs and festivals. Their self-titled debut record reached No. 14 on the AMA and R&R Radio Charts, and ranked No. 79 on the AMA's Top 100 Albums of 2007. Yarn's 2008 follow-up, Empty Pockets, which features guest appearances by Edie Brickell, Tony Trischka, Casey Dreissen and Caitlin Cary of Whiskeytown, spent months in the AMA charts. The album peaked at No. 5 and was honored with eight first round 2009 Grammy nominations in several categories.
Yarn weaves roots music idioms into a fresh sound that turns on hipsters and fans of country music alike with technically impressive song-crafting and universal tales from the road of life.
The band's newest release, Come On In, peaked at No. 7 on AMA Radio this summer and four months later remains on the charts.
"Life was going on," said Christina of his inspiration for the songs on Come On In. "A couple relationships went sour, lots of time on the road. I just love those dramatic moments in life, when change is upon us and everything is uncertain."
The record is not all heartbreak and drama though. "New York City Found" takes an upbeat look at navigating the vast cityscape of NYC that feels as exciting as it is intimidating. "Yodelay" nods to overcoming childhood fears, and "I Gotta Go" is a celebration of self-realization and moving on.
In August, Yarn was one of the major highlights of the Skylands Music & Arts Festival in Blairstown.
Hunterdon County based Citizens Band Radio offers its special blend of country and rock, as well, to the show. Not only do they mix rock and country, but add elements of bluegrass, blues, folk and Americana.
HomeGrownRadioNJ burst onto the scene six years ago on Oct. 30 and has been a music force in the area ever since, with annual festivals and other major events throughout New Jersey.
From the start, HomeGrownRadioNj has been a steadfast champion for the independent artist throughout New Jersey and beyond. Its continuing commitment to spreading the music so few get to hear has earned them a spot in the hearts and minds of musicians and music fans throughout the area. In-studio concerts and special events are the norm for those familiar with the station and the bi annual benefit shows have become an entrenched entity in the region.
For more about HomeGrownRadioNJ and the Oct. 30 show, visit homegrownradionj.com. - HomeGrownRadioNJ
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Brooklyn-based Americana/Alt-Country band Yarn’s sound owes as much to Gram Parsons and Earl Scruggs as to Jerry Garcia and Exile On Main Street-era Rolling Stones. Following in a fine tradition that includes forward thinking roots bands like The Flying Burrito Brothers and New Riders of The Purple Sage, Yarn weaves roots music idioms into a fresh sound that turns on hipsters and fans of country music alike with technically impressive song-crafting and universal tales from the road of life.
Yarn’s newest release, Come On In, (UFO, 2010) is a record of longing, of loss and of picking up and moving on. As with most great American music that is rooted in the blues, there is still hope and a glimpse of light at the end of the day. Come On In is Yarn’s third recording. Their self-titled debut record reached No. 14 on the AMA and R&R Radio Charts, and ranked No. 79 on the AMA’s Top 100 Albums of 2007. Yarn’s 2008 follow-up, Empty Pockets, spent months in the AMA charts. The album peaked at No. 5 and was honored with eight first round 2009 Grammy nominations in several categories.
Yarn is touring intensively to support Come On In and their impressive live shows continue to build the buzz and the fanbase fueled by their first two recordings.
Links
