Darla Farmer

Picturing some Nashville bank teller with slick horn-rimmed glasses, a kitschy red sweater, and exorbitant amounts of make-up and perfume is probably a good way to distinguish Darla Farmer. Having drawn the name from a bank teller out of Music City that most likely matched that description, Darla Farmer is an unusual seven-piece collective with a job to do on Rewiring the Electric Forest, its full-length debut on Paper Garden Records.

I’ve had more genre discussions about bands like these than I’d care to remember. Sliding an album into the player and having friends walk in and wonder “What the hell is that?” has often been a significant part of my life and Darla Farmer would be sure to draw out a similar response. As such, I decided to tuck myself away for this one.

Good thing I did. Rewiring the Electric Forest is an enormously peculiar merger of frantic energy, folksy bedlam, and…yes, carnival rock. Reading the press release, I saw the term and laughed aloud, spitting milk everywhere.

Upon hearing “The Quotient,” I knew what they were on about. No sense cryin’ over spit milk, after all.

Remember having visions of those tiny cars and about 50 clowns packed in? That’s what comes to mind with Rewiring the Electric Forest and its eclectic liveliness.
When the first track pops open, it’s like a jack-in-the-box with a dorky smirk has just burst out of some hidden corner in your mind. Singer Clint Wilson bounds about like a ringleader to the most chaotic carnival freak show ever. The rest of the band stacks bleats of trombone, trumpet, piano, and guitar around Wilson’s wildness.

Wilson lisps and rambles tenaciously through “History” and other songs like it with the mumbling-and-stumbling delivery of a drunken circus clown with a bottle of Jack Daniels in the back pocket of his huge polka-dotted pants. Somewhere, Darla Farmer is giving someone the right change.

The contrast is funny, but entirely precise. Darla Farmer melds madness with modesty to form a fluent blend of Arcade Fire-meets-Frankenstein’s bride lunacy.

There’s a constitution to the carnival rock, as skilled work stretches the rock seams of “Mechanical Thoughts” to enchanting levels beyond the emblematic call-and-response that the song previews with its intro.

Other songs teasingly bound and fuss about, like the feverish “The Strangler Fig” and the Mexican hat dance from hell found on “Dirty Keys.”

The chaos doesn’t mean that Darla Farmer doesn’t have a strong sense of gorgeous melody, however. Tracks like the dazzling and hilariously-titled “The Cow That Drank Too Much” and the pensive “The Vigilant Mr. Lynch” show the band’s softer gentler side. The instruments come together admirably, slowing things down under the Big Top.

Still, Darla Farmer isn’t for everyone. The album reads like a frenetic admonitory tale of a carnival funhouse that eats its guests and then falls in love with them. The vivacious and often startling efforts of Wilson and Co. are always fascinating, never inert, and constantly sprouting from song to song so that Rewiring the Electric Forest feels like a journey of progress and yearning. - Blogcritics.org, Jordan Richardson

Picturing some Nashville bank teller with slick horn-rimmed glasses, a kitschy red sweater, and exorbitant amounts of make-up and perfume is probably a good way to distinguish Darla Farmer. Having drawn the name from a bank teller out of Music City that most likely matched that description, Darla Farmer is an unusual seven-piece collective with a job to do on Rewiring the Electric Forest, its full-length debut on Paper Garden Records.

I’ve had more genre discussions about bands like these than I’d care to remember. Sliding an album into the player and having friends walk in and wonder “What the hell is that?” has often been a significant part of my life and Darla Farmer would be sure to draw out a similar response. As such, I decided to tuck myself away for this one.

Good thing I did. Rewiring the Electric Forest is an enormously peculiar merger of frantic energy, folksy bedlam, and…yes, carnival rock. Reading the press release, I saw the term and laughed aloud, spitting milk everywhere.

Upon hearing “The Quotient,” I knew what they were on about. No sense cryin’ over spit milk, after all.

Remember having visions of those tiny cars and about 50 clowns packed in? That’s what comes to mind with Rewiring the Electric Forest and its eclectic liveliness.
When the first track pops open, it’s like a jack-in-the-box with a dorky smirk has just burst out of some hidden corner in your mind. Singer Clint Wilson bounds about like a ringleader to the most chaotic carnival freak show ever. The rest of the band stacks bleats of trombone, trumpet, piano, and guitar around Wilson’s wildness.

Wilson lisps and rambles tenaciously through “History” and other songs like it with the mumbling-and-stumbling delivery of a drunken circus clown with a bottle of Jack Daniels in the back pocket of his huge polka-dotted pants. Somewhere, Darla Farmer is giving someone the right change.

The contrast is funny, but entirely precise. Darla Farmer melds madness with modesty to form a fluent blend of Arcade Fire-meets-Frankenstein’s bride lunacy.

There’s a constitution to the carnival rock, as skilled work stretches the rock seams of “Mechanical Thoughts” to enchanting levels beyond the emblematic call-and-response that the song previews with its intro.

Other songs teasingly bound and fuss about, like the feverish “The Strangler Fig” and the Mexican hat dance from hell found on “Dirty Keys.”

The chaos doesn’t mean that Darla Farmer doesn’t have a strong sense of gorgeous melody, however. Tracks like the dazzling and hilariously-titled “The Cow That Drank Too Much” and the pensive “The Vigilant Mr. Lynch” show the band’s softer gentler side. The instruments come together admirably, slowing things down under the Big Top.

Still, Darla Farmer isn’t for everyone. The album reads like a frenetic admonitory tale of a carnival funhouse that eats its guests and then falls in love with them. The vivacious and often startling efforts of Wilson and Co. are always fascinating, never inert, and constantly sprouting from song to song so that Rewiring the Electric Forest feels like a journey of progress and yearning. - Blogcritics.org, Jordan Richardson

Though they’ve been making waves in Tennessee since 2004, Nashville’s Darla Farmer but haven’t released an album until now. The band's diverse sound evinces their geographic spread, with members hailing from the South, Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Their press kit claims they're a ska-meets-thrash band, but this reviewer found that characterization a little hard to swallow. They are a seven-piece, self-dubbed carnival rock band that plays a musical amalgam of ska, folk-punk and Americana, interspersed with jarring, electronic haze and the occasional church bell, so concise epithets are not likely. Comparisons to Tom Waits are easy but misguided, so let's jut get them over with now.

Opener "Dirty Keys" begins with a machine-gunning industrialized guitar riff and hoarse, croaky screams, while "Tommy Bones" tells the story of a belligerent, aristocrat-hating (murdering?) drifter set to a jaunty, cheerful (sounding, at least) ditty. However widely ranging Rewiring is, Darla Farmer’s sound nevertheless consistently returns to its center: syncopated, up-stroked guitar, one whirlwind of a horn section and a razor-sharp bite of violin.

Vocalist and lyricist Clint Wilson definitely had a lot to say for his band’s debut; the liner notes overflow with tiny, tiny lyrics about the evils of the world, ranging from the loss of the earth to the twin evils of capitalism and environmental exploitation to alcoholism and drug use. All the songs are distinctly narrative, yet lack a visible personal angle. Wilson's vocals also tend to throw you off. Whether he is crooning wistfully or screaming hardcore, his voice is downright feminine; even after multiple listens (and even more checks of the liner notes for a female’s name) it’s hard to believe that these words are being sung by a man. Chalk one more up for the weirdness of this band.

Feminine front man or no, this album satisfying and energizing independent of its startling changes of pace. Easily recommended for its mélange of musical styles and excellent instrumentation, just don't go in expecting a cut diamond. This is an album of pressurized amalgamate if there's ever been one. - 'Sup Mag, Jay Lowe

Though they’ve been making waves in Tennessee since 2004, Nashville’s Darla Farmer but haven’t released an album until now. The band's diverse sound evinces their geographic spread, with members hailing from the South, Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Their press kit claims they're a ska-meets-thrash band, but this reviewer found that characterization a little hard to swallow. They are a seven-piece, self-dubbed carnival rock band that plays a musical amalgam of ska, folk-punk and Americana, interspersed with jarring, electronic haze and the occasional church bell, so concise epithets are not likely. Comparisons to Tom Waits are easy but misguided, so let's jut get them over with now.

Opener "Dirty Keys" begins with a machine-gunning industrialized guitar riff and hoarse, croaky screams, while "Tommy Bones" tells the story of a belligerent, aristocrat-hating (murdering?) drifter set to a jaunty, cheerful (sounding, at least) ditty. However widely ranging Rewiring is, Darla Farmer’s sound nevertheless consistently returns to its center: syncopated, up-stroked guitar, one whirlwind of a horn section and a razor-sharp bite of violin.

Vocalist and lyricist Clint Wilson definitely had a lot to say for his band’s debut; the liner notes overflow with tiny, tiny lyrics about the evils of the world, ranging from the loss of the earth to the twin evils of capitalism and environmental exploitation to alcoholism and drug use. All the songs are distinctly narrative, yet lack a visible personal angle. Wilson's vocals also tend to throw you off. Whether he is crooning wistfully or screaming hardcore, his voice is downright feminine; even after multiple listens (and even more checks of the liner notes for a female’s name) it’s hard to believe that these words are being sung by a man. Chalk one more up for the weirdness of this band.

Feminine front man or no, this album satisfying and energizing independent of its startling changes of pace. Easily recommended for its mélange of musical styles and excellent instrumentation, just don't go in expecting a cut diamond. This is an album of pressurized amalgamate if there's ever been one. - 'Sup Mag, Jay Lowe

"It takes a special kind of band to bust out some brass at Springwater, but the seven-piece ska-thrashers in Darla Farmer did so, eloquently and with energy and charm to spare.
Building their sounds out of the twin tenets of classic dub skank and art crunch, this ragtag assortment of young musicians has just come off of a remarkable two-week series of events, sling-shotting from a showcase at Belmont to Springwater to a headlining set at the Exit/In in the time it takes many bands to figure out a practice schedule. It's a remarkable turn in their fortunes, and one that rightfully has left much of the city wondering, ''Who is Darla Farmer, anyway?'' Simply, it's a synthesis of seven students from differing musical backgrounds who make ska and thrash play nice together, putting some excitement and verve out there for the delectation of the masses. They rock, and well." - All The Rage

"It takes a special kind of band to bust out some brass at Springwater, but the seven-piece ska-thrashers in Darla Farmer did so, eloquently and with energy and charm to spare.
Building their sounds out of the twin tenets of classic dub skank and art crunch, this ragtag assortment of young musicians has just come off of a remarkable two-week series of events, sling-shotting from a showcase at Belmont to Springwater to a headlining set at the Exit/In in the time it takes many bands to figure out a practice schedule. It's a remarkable turn in their fortunes, and one that rightfully has left much of the city wondering, ''Who is Darla Farmer, anyway?'' Simply, it's a synthesis of seven students from differing musical backgrounds who make ska and thrash play nice together, putting some excitement and verve out there for the delectation of the masses. They rock, and well." - All The Rage

"This seven piece act blends a wide range of influences for a genuine and special musical experience. Featuring guitar, bass, drums, piano, violin, trumpet, and trombone as its musical backbone, Darla Farmer takes a unique twist on Tom Waits/Nick Cave-inspired Americana. Mix equal parts Beatles, Radiohead, Ween, and the Blood Brothers into the equation for something wild, dark, violent, and simultaneously heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Frontman Clinton Wilson’s lyrics are chilling, provocative, and thoughtful while maintaining a level of accessibility for listeners. As phenomenal as Darla Farmer’s music really is, Wilson’s lyrics are the focal point, as the music comfortably wraps around the lyrical themes. Darla Farmer brings a fresh, original outlook on music by incorporating a variety of styles to create a more universally appealing sound. The band is not one that can be defined in just a few words. This is definitely showcased through their live performance – one that is uniquely and stylistically sound." - Decoymusic.com

"This seven piece act blends a wide range of influences for a genuine and special musical experience. Featuring guitar, bass, drums, piano, violin, trumpet, and trombone as its musical backbone, Darla Farmer takes a unique twist on Tom Waits/Nick Cave-inspired Americana. Mix equal parts Beatles, Radiohead, Ween, and the Blood Brothers into the equation for something wild, dark, violent, and simultaneously heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Frontman Clinton Wilson’s lyrics are chilling, provocative, and thoughtful while maintaining a level of accessibility for listeners. As phenomenal as Darla Farmer’s music really is, Wilson’s lyrics are the focal point, as the music comfortably wraps around the lyrical themes. Darla Farmer brings a fresh, original outlook on music by incorporating a variety of styles to create a more universally appealing sound. The band is not one that can be defined in just a few words. This is definitely showcased through their live performance – one that is uniquely and stylistically sound." - Decoymusic.com

"Since 2004, the musical outfit known as Darla Farmer has been bringing their eccentric and experimental sound to the Nashville music scene," the Darla Farmer MySpace biography claims.

Though their bio is technically accurate, "eccentric and experimental," makes Darla Farmer sound as if their music might be somewhat inaccessible, but that could not be further from the truth. Darla Farmer is more like the charming old man that lives down the street and tells stories while serving you a cup of tea, rather than the drugged-out rambling homeless man that tells you he was once abducted by aliens.

What they refer to as "eccentric and experimental," could be the instrumentation, which consists of guitar, vocals, bass, violin, trumpet, trombone, piano and drums…or it could be the fact that their highly orchestrated and full sound brings mental images of sitting in a swanky, cabaret style theatre where drinks flow, the excitement is high and life is being lived like there is no tomorrow.

Darla Farmer is comprised of Belmont University students and Nashville area musicians and their head-turning music may soon put them on the fast track to a career and success.

This untitled three song demo was released in hopes of signing a one year contract with a Belmont-student-founded label, Paper Garden, with the knowledge that Paper Garden could help them move to a bigger label in the future.

"Ideally, we'd love to get on with a label like Saddle Creek or Sub-Pop," drummer Ben Klise said.

While there's no ink dried on the issue yet, things look good for Darla Farmer; their songs make it impossible to sit still and it's obvious why fans and labels alike are interested.

The band plans to release their first full-length album by November of this year, and Klise, the drummer, has been responsible for all recording and mixing as of yet.

"I first heard Darla Farmer play at a party my sophomore year at Belmont, and I thought, this is the band I want to be in," Klise said. "Then I got involved recording them and when their old drummer had to leave, I was asked to step in since I was already familiar with the material."
There is a genuine sense of excitement among the members of Darla Farmer about the music that they write and it's evident in the drive of the songs.

"I love playing and I really I enjoy playing music with this group of people, lead vocalist and guitar player Clint Wilson said. "I'd like to keep doing it as long as I can."

"The songs on the demo were chosen because they were three of our favorites," pianist and self-proclaimed tambourine player Ben Weber said. "We went with tracks that we liked playing and represented us well."

Though, as of yet, Darla Farmer's music is accessible almost solely through MySpace, if things go well, their music may be available on a much more widespread level and their music could be making toes tap across the nation.

"I've really got a good feeling about this and it's been great to get to be a part of this band," Weber said. "The more we gig and write music, the better we get and the more I want to keep doing it."
- The Daily Vidette - Illionios State University

"Since 2004, the musical outfit known as Darla Farmer has been bringing their eccentric and experimental sound to the Nashville music scene," the Darla Farmer MySpace biography claims.

Though their bio is technically accurate, "eccentric and experimental," makes Darla Farmer sound as if their music might be somewhat inaccessible, but that could not be further from the truth. Darla Farmer is more like the charming old man that lives down the street and tells stories while serving you a cup of tea, rather than the drugged-out rambling homeless man that tells you he was once abducted by aliens.

What they refer to as "eccentric and experimental," could be the instrumentation, which consists of guitar, vocals, bass, violin, trumpet, trombone, piano and drums…or it could be the fact that their highly orchestrated and full sound brings mental images of sitting in a swanky, cabaret style theatre where drinks flow, the excitement is high and life is being lived like there is no tomorrow.

Darla Farmer is comprised of Belmont University students and Nashville area musicians and their head-turning music may soon put them on the fast track to a career and success.

This untitled three song demo was released in hopes of signing a one year contract with a Belmont-student-founded label, Paper Garden, with the knowledge that Paper Garden could help them move to a bigger label in the future.

"Ideally, we'd love to get on with a label like Saddle Creek or Sub-Pop," drummer Ben Klise said.

While there's no ink dried on the issue yet, things look good for Darla Farmer; their songs make it impossible to sit still and it's obvious why fans and labels alike are interested.

The band plans to release their first full-length album by November of this year, and Klise, the drummer, has been responsible for all recording and mixing as of yet.

"I first heard Darla Farmer play at a party my sophomore year at Belmont, and I thought, this is the band I want to be in," Klise said. "Then I got involved recording them and when their old drummer had to leave, I was asked to step in since I was already familiar with the material."
There is a genuine sense of excitement among the members of Darla Farmer about the music that they write and it's evident in the drive of the songs.

"I love playing and I really I enjoy playing music with this group of people, lead vocalist and guitar player Clint Wilson said. "I'd like to keep doing it as long as I can."

"The songs on the demo were chosen because they were three of our favorites," pianist and self-proclaimed tambourine player Ben Weber said. "We went with tracks that we liked playing and represented us well."

Though, as of yet, Darla Farmer's music is accessible almost solely through MySpace, if things go well, their music may be available on a much more widespread level and their music could be making toes tap across the nation.

"I've really got a good feeling about this and it's been great to get to be a part of this band," Weber said. "The more we gig and write music, the better we get and the more I want to keep doing it."
- The Daily Vidette - Illionios State University