Crooked Saws

Loyal reader, I preach constantly about how you should use the contact page of this blog. If you have not used it yet, here is one good reason why you should. I’m gojng to give you a little glimpse of my introduction to Crooked Saws and my response to it.

Crooked Saws: “I found Incognito by reading Gary Schwind. I think (and hope) my band Crooked Saws is right up his and your alley. We’re a 2 piece blues band from Minneapolis with heavy Hill Country influences. We just released our first album Mo-Fi’ which was recorded using 2 mics and single live takes of each song. Review or no we do really hope you enjoy it. Thank you.”

Your humble narrator: “First off, I want to thank you for reading Gary Schwind, which just happens to be me – the lead writer and editor-in-chief of Incognito. A two-piece blues band with hill country influences? Hot damn! I’d say you came to the right place. That does sound right up my alley. I’ll give it a listen.”

First off, the band should be commended for knowing its audience. Anyone who has ever read this blog knows that I have a thing for two-piece bands, especially blues bands. This band does fit into Trashy Tuesday with some of its songs like “Freak.” This is some grimy lowdown blues with a healthy dose of fuzz. Also, the fact that the recorded the album with only one take on two mics. That fits right into the trashy mold.

That being said, a lot of this band’s songs sound a lot like old-time blues. Specifically, these guys remind me of Son House. Just listen to “Death Terror Blues” and see if you disagree. I’d say that Hillstomp is a pretty good comparison for this band as well. This especially comes through in the lo-fi gem “Good Lovin’” The vocals are purposely rough and it has a bit of a dark feel like you get in a lot of Hillstomp songs.


A completely different comparison hit me with the song “Get Up Again.” Jesse Revel’s vocals in this song remind me a lot of Shane Sweeney of Two Cow Garage. He has a similar deep vocal quality with some grit in it that suggests someone who has been involved his fair share of brawls. If you’ve been looking for some good gritty blues, you’ve found it in Crooked Saws. - Incognito Music

Loyal reader, I preach constantly about how you should use the contact page of this blog. If you have not used it yet, here is one good reason why you should. I’m gojng to give you a little glimpse of my introduction to Crooked Saws and my response to it.

Crooked Saws: “I found Incognito by reading Gary Schwind. I think (and hope) my band Crooked Saws is right up his and your alley. We’re a 2 piece blues band from Minneapolis with heavy Hill Country influences. We just released our first album Mo-Fi’ which was recorded using 2 mics and single live takes of each song. Review or no we do really hope you enjoy it. Thank you.”

Your humble narrator: “First off, I want to thank you for reading Gary Schwind, which just happens to be me – the lead writer and editor-in-chief of Incognito. A two-piece blues band with hill country influences? Hot damn! I’d say you came to the right place. That does sound right up my alley. I’ll give it a listen.”

First off, the band should be commended for knowing its audience. Anyone who has ever read this blog knows that I have a thing for two-piece bands, especially blues bands. This band does fit into Trashy Tuesday with some of its songs like “Freak.” This is some grimy lowdown blues with a healthy dose of fuzz. Also, the fact that the recorded the album with only one take on two mics. That fits right into the trashy mold.

That being said, a lot of this band’s songs sound a lot like old-time blues. Specifically, these guys remind me of Son House. Just listen to “Death Terror Blues” and see if you disagree. I’d say that Hillstomp is a pretty good comparison for this band as well. This especially comes through in the lo-fi gem “Good Lovin’” The vocals are purposely rough and it has a bit of a dark feel like you get in a lot of Hillstomp songs.


A completely different comparison hit me with the song “Get Up Again.” Jesse Revel’s vocals in this song remind me a lot of Shane Sweeney of Two Cow Garage. He has a similar deep vocal quality with some grit in it that suggests someone who has been involved his fair share of brawls. If you’ve been looking for some good gritty blues, you’ve found it in Crooked Saws. - Incognito Music

Today I want to introduce you to a band called Crooked Saws and their authentic, soulful blues rock we shall call Mo-Fi.
With 2 microphones and an old reel to reel machine, Crooked Saws spent an afternoon recording this album.
Using Kickstarter, (reference our discussion on crowdsourcing), they raised $500. The album was pressed, they began booking shows, and then Jesse met death…but, fortunately, he is still here.

After a 6 week hospital visit and 3 months of recovery, Crooked Saws decided it was time to get to work.
In under 6 months, they have opened for Reignwolf, have been featured on Field & Stream’s popular show Hook Shots as well as the Outdoor Channel’s award-winning show Head Hunters.
They also won the 1st round of Famous Dave’s Battle of the Blues Bands.
When you click play, hear the first notes, and then tune into Jesse’s vocals and lyrics; you are immediately pulled into this blues experience. When you get knocked down, you get back up again.
This is exactly what Crooked Saws has done on this album. As you keep listening, you tend to forget that there’s only 2 people, but the one thing you cannot deny is the amount of soul that has been placed in this record.
This is as authentic as a blues record can get. One take, 2 tracks, a reel to reel machine, and nothing but soul.
Even though you can download this album for free, I went ahead and sent them some money for it.
If you’re a fan of blues rock, I suggest you head over to Bandcamp and do the same.
You can connect with the band on Facebook and Twitter. Or go visit their website.

Read more at http://www.midtnmusic.com/crooked-saws-review/#o4Z8h5ASjgxDy9sv.99 - Middle Tennessee Music

Today I want to introduce you to a band called Crooked Saws and their authentic, soulful blues rock we shall call Mo-Fi.
With 2 microphones and an old reel to reel machine, Crooked Saws spent an afternoon recording this album.
Using Kickstarter, (reference our discussion on crowdsourcing), they raised $500. The album was pressed, they began booking shows, and then Jesse met death…but, fortunately, he is still here.

After a 6 week hospital visit and 3 months of recovery, Crooked Saws decided it was time to get to work.
In under 6 months, they have opened for Reignwolf, have been featured on Field & Stream’s popular show Hook Shots as well as the Outdoor Channel’s award-winning show Head Hunters.
They also won the 1st round of Famous Dave’s Battle of the Blues Bands.
When you click play, hear the first notes, and then tune into Jesse’s vocals and lyrics; you are immediately pulled into this blues experience. When you get knocked down, you get back up again.
This is exactly what Crooked Saws has done on this album. As you keep listening, you tend to forget that there’s only 2 people, but the one thing you cannot deny is the amount of soul that has been placed in this record.
This is as authentic as a blues record can get. One take, 2 tracks, a reel to reel machine, and nothing but soul.
Even though you can download this album for free, I went ahead and sent them some money for it.
If you’re a fan of blues rock, I suggest you head over to Bandcamp and do the same.
You can connect with the band on Facebook and Twitter. Or go visit their website.

Read more at http://www.midtnmusic.com/crooked-saws-review/#o4Z8h5ASjgxDy9sv.99 - Middle Tennessee Music

If you’re looking for the average, run-of-the-mill blues experience, then Mo’Fi, the debut release from Minneapolis-based Crooked Saws is not for you. However, if gritty, dirty, feel-it-in-your-bones blues is what you’re after, give this two-piece powerhouse a listen and you won’t want to stop. Mo’Fi is a mixture of true Americana and a sound so uniquely their own that Crooked Saws is, hands down, a contender for best (and dirtiest) blues ensemble in the Twin Cities. There, I said it.

The 15-song, nearly hour-long album opens with the tune Get Up Again, which is light on the surface but once the gritty vocals of lead singer Jesse Revel kick in, the deeper message is apparent: the world is one cruel place.

“You wipe the tears from your eyes

Pull yourself to your feet and you spit in their face

And you take what you get but you get up again, son.

You gotta get up again, son.”


Revel said the song, which is based on the message from a father to a son, is a quick lesson in how to survive in a dog eat dog world. The quick vocals alongside the simple acoustic guitar make for an unusual but fitting introduction to the Crooked Saws.

“I also understood it to be a song that would resonate with people in a lot of ways,” he said. “It’s a ‘fuck you’ to the bullies of the world, be they kids at school, bosses, governments or nameless and faceless forces that make one feel castrated, helpless, hopeless, kicked and robbed. There are a lot of those feelings right now and that is where the song is coming from.”

Up next is a track the band recently made into a music video. Low is a track that gives the listener the initial salty taste of the pure grit Revel has. A broken heart hurts so much worse when sung in this fashion as he speaks of a woman who left him low.

“My girl always keep it smooth. Always says it right.

Yeah, she keep me loose. She’s fast like a tornado.

Yeah, she twist me up when I move in slow.

But she left me… low.”


The painfully deep guitar and haunting drum beat on “Low” make for the perfect drinking song when you just need to forget that certain someone. The talent in Revel’s voice when searching for the highest notes on the track is on point and just as stellar at his deepest.

Keeping on pace with the slow, angst-ridden theme is Room 414, a song that pits the despaired against the devil at a crossroad. Again, Revel shows off his vocal abilities to reach the higher notes and delve deeper. The range of this man’s voice transcends the haunting imagery behind this track. A bit faster of a rhythm but just as dirty as the first three songs is Freak. The song is sexy, a bluesy twist on the quintessential love song with a small spattering of raunchy. One can almost picture slow dancing in a sweaty, southern, old world underground. Where can I find that club?


Break Me Down takes the listener inside the mind of a broken man who has realized that no matter what he does for his lady, it’s never going to be enough. The song takes on a Pearl Jam feel to it with the guitar and the vocally higher chorus and semi upbeat tempo. Death Terror Blues is a track that, although is the shortest on the album, has one hell of an impact. A slow, quiet hand clap accompanies Revel’s once again gritty voice. The extremely simple song can be felt throughout the entire body. The agonizing lyrics beg for the love of someone lest he die. By far, “Death Terror Blues” is one of the best songs on the album.

“Death Terror Blues is sort of me reaching as far back as possible into roots music – blues, folk, bluegrass, Appalachian and Cajun, but particularly spirituals, work songs and field songs,” Revel said. “It’s a sort of sound that’s moving in a very religious sense, whether you’re religious or not – the human voice and a simple rhythm. It’s on the album as a kind of touchstone, a clue to understanding why there’s so much space in the music and so much emptiness.”


Crooked Saws performing live. Photo courtesy of Jim McFarlane.
Nearly halfway through the album, Desolation Angels, which really should be the anthem for all Minnesotans, speaks of the darkness of winter and barely holding onto the faint glimmer of light. The vinyl characteristic of this track makes me wish I were listening to this album on vinyl. Similar sounding to “Break Me Down,” “Desolation Angels” is another vocal showcase for Revel as he effortlessly dives for the deep notes and reaches for the aching higher notes. Taking a trip down druggie lane, Free rounds out the No. 7 spot. As the most musically polished track on the album, “Free” is an invitation to get lost in the hauntingly different vocals and eclectic digital touches that actually make the listener feel as if they were on a drug trip.

“You can let it all go

Baby you’ll survive…

Free yourself.

Free yourself for a little while.”


The introduction to Gimme Gimme sells the song as a “pretty well distributed blues tune” among the South and is a pr - On The Rechord

If you’re looking for the average, run-of-the-mill blues experience, then Mo’Fi, the debut release from Minneapolis-based Crooked Saws is not for you. However, if gritty, dirty, feel-it-in-your-bones blues is what you’re after, give this two-piece powerhouse a listen and you won’t want to stop. Mo’Fi is a mixture of true Americana and a sound so uniquely their own that Crooked Saws is, hands down, a contender for best (and dirtiest) blues ensemble in the Twin Cities. There, I said it.

The 15-song, nearly hour-long album opens with the tune Get Up Again, which is light on the surface but once the gritty vocals of lead singer Jesse Revel kick in, the deeper message is apparent: the world is one cruel place.

“You wipe the tears from your eyes

Pull yourself to your feet and you spit in their face

And you take what you get but you get up again, son.

You gotta get up again, son.”


Revel said the song, which is based on the message from a father to a son, is a quick lesson in how to survive in a dog eat dog world. The quick vocals alongside the simple acoustic guitar make for an unusual but fitting introduction to the Crooked Saws.

“I also understood it to be a song that would resonate with people in a lot of ways,” he said. “It’s a ‘fuck you’ to the bullies of the world, be they kids at school, bosses, governments or nameless and faceless forces that make one feel castrated, helpless, hopeless, kicked and robbed. There are a lot of those feelings right now and that is where the song is coming from.”

Up next is a track the band recently made into a music video. Low is a track that gives the listener the initial salty taste of the pure grit Revel has. A broken heart hurts so much worse when sung in this fashion as he speaks of a woman who left him low.

“My girl always keep it smooth. Always says it right.

Yeah, she keep me loose. She’s fast like a tornado.

Yeah, she twist me up when I move in slow.

But she left me… low.”


The painfully deep guitar and haunting drum beat on “Low” make for the perfect drinking song when you just need to forget that certain someone. The talent in Revel’s voice when searching for the highest notes on the track is on point and just as stellar at his deepest.

Keeping on pace with the slow, angst-ridden theme is Room 414, a song that pits the despaired against the devil at a crossroad. Again, Revel shows off his vocal abilities to reach the higher notes and delve deeper. The range of this man’s voice transcends the haunting imagery behind this track. A bit faster of a rhythm but just as dirty as the first three songs is Freak. The song is sexy, a bluesy twist on the quintessential love song with a small spattering of raunchy. One can almost picture slow dancing in a sweaty, southern, old world underground. Where can I find that club?


Break Me Down takes the listener inside the mind of a broken man who has realized that no matter what he does for his lady, it’s never going to be enough. The song takes on a Pearl Jam feel to it with the guitar and the vocally higher chorus and semi upbeat tempo. Death Terror Blues is a track that, although is the shortest on the album, has one hell of an impact. A slow, quiet hand clap accompanies Revel’s once again gritty voice. The extremely simple song can be felt throughout the entire body. The agonizing lyrics beg for the love of someone lest he die. By far, “Death Terror Blues” is one of the best songs on the album.

“Death Terror Blues is sort of me reaching as far back as possible into roots music – blues, folk, bluegrass, Appalachian and Cajun, but particularly spirituals, work songs and field songs,” Revel said. “It’s a sort of sound that’s moving in a very religious sense, whether you’re religious or not – the human voice and a simple rhythm. It’s on the album as a kind of touchstone, a clue to understanding why there’s so much space in the music and so much emptiness.”


Crooked Saws performing live. Photo courtesy of Jim McFarlane.
Nearly halfway through the album, Desolation Angels, which really should be the anthem for all Minnesotans, speaks of the darkness of winter and barely holding onto the faint glimmer of light. The vinyl characteristic of this track makes me wish I were listening to this album on vinyl. Similar sounding to “Break Me Down,” “Desolation Angels” is another vocal showcase for Revel as he effortlessly dives for the deep notes and reaches for the aching higher notes. Taking a trip down druggie lane, Free rounds out the No. 7 spot. As the most musically polished track on the album, “Free” is an invitation to get lost in the hauntingly different vocals and eclectic digital touches that actually make the listener feel as if they were on a drug trip.

“You can let it all go

Baby you’ll survive…

Free yourself.

Free yourself for a little while.”


The introduction to Gimme Gimme sells the song as a “pretty well distributed blues tune” among the South and is a pr - On The Rechord

Crooked Saws has hit upon what makes a great blues duo: Room filling guitar, large vocals, loud drums, and plenty of distortion. Skilled at their instruments, and with tons of passion behind each note, it’s easy to forget that there is just two of them, and that’s why they’re great. The blues is best when done bare-bones, relying on passion and fire rather than complicated instrumentals and generated noises.
Singer/guitarist Jesse Damien Revel has a big enough voice for five men, and the vocal chords of an aged bottle of whiskey, and it really shows in the song “Freak.” The song starts with a dreamy-guitar part, and some great staccato drum work, leaving Revel’s voice to wander freely and fill in the gaps before kicking things off with a shout. The distortion hits. The cymbals crash. And you’re in blue-rock bliss. “Freak” is from Crooked Saws’ debut album Mo’ Fi, and is most definietly worth your time. - Music That Isn't Bad

Crooked Saws has hit upon what makes a great blues duo: Room filling guitar, large vocals, loud drums, and plenty of distortion. Skilled at their instruments, and with tons of passion behind each note, it’s easy to forget that there is just two of them, and that’s why they’re great. The blues is best when done bare-bones, relying on passion and fire rather than complicated instrumentals and generated noises.
Singer/guitarist Jesse Damien Revel has a big enough voice for five men, and the vocal chords of an aged bottle of whiskey, and it really shows in the song “Freak.” The song starts with a dreamy-guitar part, and some great staccato drum work, leaving Revel’s voice to wander freely and fill in the gaps before kicking things off with a shout. The distortion hits. The cymbals crash. And you’re in blue-rock bliss. “Freak” is from Crooked Saws’ debut album Mo’ Fi, and is most definietly worth your time. - Music That Isn't Bad