Governours
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Governours

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"Jezebel Music Review"

[JezebelMusic.com wrote this about Bill's set at the Singer/Songwriter Showcase in 2007]

"…this dude works his ass off on stage. He embellishes his Replacements style songs with stomping, twirling, posing, even fade-outs. Bartholomew is an open mic regular and is clearly growing as a performer. 2008 promises to be a year of incredible growth for this ambitious songwriter." - JezebelMusic.com


"Governours: Recomended Upcoming Show"

Recommended Upcoming Show - Governours - 03.27.2009 & 03.28.2009



Brooklyn singer-songwriter Bill Bartholomew and his new band Governours,
formed in late 2008 with drummer Tito Ladd and bassist John Phipps,
will be rolling through Austin for a couple of dates this weekend. As
evidenced by his 2008 solo EP World On A Wire, Bartholomew’s mostly acoustic-fueled folk pop is driven by strong songwriting, wordy lyrical constructs, and an ear for hooks.

On the album-opening title track, the
listener is greeted with thumping drums, high hat taps, simple piano
stabs, and acoustic strums, followed by Bartholomew’s pleasant vocals.
It’s a deceptively simple sounding pop tune, but Bartholomew adds in a
few well-placed vocal quirks and some unusual arrangement switch ups
that help the song build in emotion and power without ever losing it’s
defining sweetness. He repeats many of these tricks with even greater
success on standout track “Bright Eyed, Blurry, and Blue.” The song is
propelled by its bouncy rhythm and powerhouse chorus. Mid-album track
“Arsenal” finds Bartholomew in a Dylan-esque mood, accompanied only by
his acoustic guitar. The song is reminiscent of some of the leading
indie folk troubadours of today, bringing to mind acts like Elvis
Perkins and The Tallest Man On Earth. “There Are No More Numbers” and
closer “American Anthem” (presumably not named for the awful 1986 Mitch Gaylord film)
show Bartholomew’s rock ‘n’ roll side, the latter even ending with some
blistering electric guitar work. Overall, the short EP is a breezy
walk through some seriously infectious pop, and by the close of the
record, I found myself not wanting it to be over.

From what I’ve heard, Governours seem
to embrace both Bartholomew’s softer acoustic side and the harder rock
edge heard on a few of the EP tracks. Governours will be playing at
two different locations this weekend, so stop by and give them a listen
if you’re looking for some good music to compliment what will hopefully
be a beautiful and cool Austin springtime weekend. Locations and times
listed below.
Friday, 3/27/09

Clementine Coffee Bar

2200 Manor Road

Austin, TX 78722

9:30 pm
Saturday, 3/28/09

Thunderbird Coffee

1401 W. Koenig Lane

Austin, TX 78756

8:00 pm
- On Deaf Ears (Austin, TX)


"The Deli Magazine Reviews World on a Wire EP"

From the winter 2009 issue (news stands or www.thedelimagazine.com)


Sometimes it's difficult to discern if a singer-songwriter is excited and passionate about his or her music. An influx of singer-songwriters yields to subpar, anemic vocal deliveries and lackluster melodies, which subsequently leads to jaded music critics questioning their existence. Without a doubt, Bill Bartholomew enjoys performing and recording his songs on the spirited, hook-laden EP, "World on a Wire." On "American Anthem," he starts off with standard pop rock, but midway through the song cuts into a funky breakdown with a showcase of his guitar skills. Bartholomew's bright vocals and charged-up choruses make for an exciting debut.

- The Deli Magazine


"Bill Bartholomew Live at Pianos (NYC)"

Bill Bartholomew performed from start to finish wi...
Bill Bartholomew performed from start to finish with palpable energy. Bartholomew succeeds at delivering well written, honest-to-goodness acoustic folk/rock songs. A skilled songwriter and natural performer, Bartholomew has the ability to seamlessly give himself to (and lose himself in) his music. His accompaniment, Quinton Gelderman on djembe/cymbal, added significantly to the heartfeltedness of the performance with energetic, physically-engaging percussive reenforcement. - Dan DIppolito – jezebelmusic.com - Jezebelmusic.com


"5th Annual Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition journal"

Bill Bartholomew literally didn't need a microphone at times for the force and emotion in his powerful voice. - 2008 Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition journal - Jezebelmusic.com


Discography

Bill Bartholomew - World on a Wire EP (April 2008)

Photos

Bio

GOVERNOURS (BROOKLYN, NY) COMBINE SMART FOLK-POP SONGWRITING WITH A DYNAMIC ROCK PERFORMANCE.

THINK NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE MEET TALKING HEADS, WITH AN INDIE-ROCK / ALT-COUNTRY TINGE.

HAVING EARNED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN LISTENERS FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF HIS 2008 SOLO EP 'WORLD ON A WIRE', SINGER-SONGWRITER BILL BARTHOLOMEW FORMED GOVERNOURS IN LATE 2008 AS A PROJECT FOR HIS ROCK/POP OUTPUT.

THE BAND HAS SPENT 2009 TOURING (AS FAR AS WEST AS AUSTIN, TX AND THROUGH THE SOUTHERN AND EAST COAST U.S.), ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES AS A HEADLINER AT MANY CLUBS AND DIY VENUES IN NEW YORK CITY AND THE NORTHEAST REGION.

THEY ARE TO BEGIN TRACKING THEIR DEBUT FULL-LENGTH IN MAY 2009 FOLLOWED BY A SUMMER FESTIVAL AND CLUB TOUR.

SINGER-SONGWRITER AND GUITARIST BILL BARTHOLOMEW’S CLEAR VOCALS AND EXPRESSIVE GUITAR WORK CHANNEL AN ARRAY OF MELODIES AND EMOTION, WHILE BASSIST / VOCALIST JOHN PHIPPS PROVIDES COLORFUL HARMONIC INTERPLAY OVER DRUMMER TITO LADD’S SOLID AND CREATIVE RHYTHMS.