Cowboy Curtis

In December, 2003, Cowboy Curtis self released their debut record, "Observations/Assumptions" and recieved attention from Seattle's influential KEXP, landing them a #22 spot as the only self-released album on the charts in March, beating out artists like TV on the Radio, Iron & Wine, and Blonde Redhead. - Bio

"With the right breaks, the band could end up in heavy rotation on nearly any Top 40 or College station in America!" - Mark Lush

Cowboy Curtis, (along with Joanna Newsom, Xui Xiu, and M. Ward) was featured on NPR's "All songs Considered" on April 20th, 2004. - www.npr.org/programs/asc

Cowboy Curtis is featured on the Nettwerk Records compilation "Public Display of Affection: The Sound of Independent Radio." - Nettwerk Records

"From the moment Minneapolis-based Cowboy Curtis launches into the compilation's hard-rockin' opener, "Longway Around", we know we're in for a good show." - Georgiana Cohen

"Out of Minneapolis, Cowboy Curtis, have an excellent debut of poppy, New Waveish indie-rock with lots of aggressive hooks and intelligent, heartfelt lyrics." - DJ John Richards

The album's first track, "Longway Around," opens with the line, "it's been a long ten years, and I feel it's getting longer" before a blitzkrieg of guitars and drums come crashing on the listener's ears. "People Song" is an up-tempo, guitar- and keyboard-heavy pop song that has enjoyed recent local airplay for good reason. Nothing will jerk you out of a bad mood faster than cranking this song on your stereo and dancing around your living room like a fool.

"Tired" expands on the band's penchant for layering weary emotions ("So when are we going home? I'm tired, don't you know?") over zippy New Wave-style synthesizer and explosive drums. The warning "Don't waste your time on me, 'cause I'm already wasted for anything" on "Exaggeration (Over?)" continues this theme.

Yet the angst isn't enough to ward off the band's playful exuberance. The title track, which closes the album, is a lively, cautiously optimistic number that rounds out the collection with a flourish of trip-happy keyboards and driving bass before a swirling hum of feedback, random voices and distortion bring the song to a sonorous conclusion. Once the infectious buzz of "Observations/Assumptions" is firmly entrenched in your brain, it's more that welcome to stay.

-LM - Rift Magazine

This homecoming gig for Cowboy Curtis should be exciting. Fresh off taking the West Coast by storm in what is repudiated to be an incredibly reliable used van despite its bargain basement price tag, Cowboy Curtis are now set to rock the hometown folks in the same manner in which they wowed those wusses up in Washington State. Expect plenty of material from their increasingly high-profile debut, the recently self-released Observations/Assumptions, which is a collection of awesomely robotic and nervey pop-rock.
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Grafting sweetly melodic and geeky semi-adolescent yearning on to politely ass-shaking rhythms, its no wonder the young Cowboy Curtis boys . . . have been getting some nice props (influential Seattle college radio station KEXP has been playing the crap out of them, which should hopefully get other campuses around the nation to start following suit). - Rob van Alstyne