Hail Taxi
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2005
Music
Press
Nathaniel Sutton has been a part of the Edmonton arts scene for a number of years now. A one-man band and determined DIYer, Sutton brings forth his most acoustic set with a rightfully self-titled effort. The difference is the wide variety of instrumentation. Cellos, violins, harmonicas, banjos, horns and mandolins all make brief appearances throughout.
"Nickel Or Dime" is the first real standout track. Here, Sutton starts off with simple acoustic strumming and his distinctive throaty voice before moving into a pleasant saxophone solo. "WingTech 3000" balances piano keys and guitar strings with lyrics of society's reliance on technology. "City Of Dreams" is almost too quick and after a quick, mood-setting interlude, the album moves into the closing duo of "Zombies Are Everywhere" and "Bring It On (Godzilla)". These two tracks show off his unique song writing style as he manages to craft generally catchy tracks relating to zombies and Godzilla, respectfully.
Overall, it's a modest effort as Sutton covers a lot of ground. Metaphors are abundant as references to werewolves,, dinosaurs and bumble bees are weaved into themes of day to day human behavior. Even with the eclectic instrumentation, Sutton's classic and contemporary rock influences can still be heard.
- Cory Jones (Beatroute Magazine) - Beatroute Magazine
The first thing i like from this Juan Palomo from Alberta, Canada,
is that it's a one-man band. He plays it, composes it and produces
everything. Then, through the 15 tracks of his second disc, after his
debut 2 years ago, Dramatic Scene, there's no track similar to another
one. His lo-fi with lots of electronic and percussion moves among one
thousand and one influences. It comes to my mind the most experimental Bob Mould, Chad Vangaalen, Lucky Thirteen's Neil Young,
The Faint, Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, The Folk Implosion), the most tripping
Grandaddy, Eric Bachman (Archers of loaf, crooked fingers), Ed Harcourt or Cursive. In fact, you can find refferences that either him
could imagine, such as these Japan-like rythms in Fragile, this dancing touches Visage-like in 1933 or the syncopath rythm Talking Heads-like in Blow my mind. Metaphors and imagination in the lyrics are another "puntazo" and more accoustic moments like Subliminal messages can surprise too. What a dude!
- Txema Maneru (Staf Magazine) - Staf Magazine
Discography
Nathaniel Sutton - Dramatic Scene - (Engineer Records) - 2006
Nathaniel Sutton - Starlite - (Oak Apple Records) - 2009
Nathaniel Sutton - Nathaniel Sutton - (Engineer Records / Oak Apple Records) - 2012
Photos
Bio
Hailing from the landscapes of Edmonton, Alberta Canada comes a humble story of a solo singer / songwriter & performer Nathaniel Sutton. While delivering mostly Folk-based Indie-rock, you'll find splashes of dynamic Alt/Country, pop and even EDM sensibilities with eclectic influences that parallel elements from other artist-greats like Folk Implosion and Beck.
Sutton struck some inevitable fate when he was approached by Engineer Records in 2005 (with him being a huge fan of the label; buying many label releases over the years) and was asked to submit some of his material to their label staff. The intrigue of who took notice to his relentless dedication / record purchases as a label fan, soon realized that Nathaniel was a musician himself, and developed a bond with the label this way.
Thanks to a "Music-Collector's" passion, alongside a stroke of luck, Engineer Records realized that Nathaniel was a very inspirational musician with a noticeable multifaceted talent for being a sustainable one-man army in songwriting, recording, and producing a very diligently manifested musical vision that has his own defining factors and signature sound. This helped his name flourish among the label, which led into a solid relationship between Nathaniel Sutton and Engineer Records. It was this relationship that would eventually lead to the release of his debut album “Dramatic Scene” in 2006.
Flash-forward ten years later, Nathaniel Sutton has since attended post-secondary education and achieved a Diploma in Audio Production. He released solo material through his own label Oak Apple Records and featured an exclusive track “Far More” through the sought-after compilation series, “The Emo Diaries”, on Deep Elm Records.
Now, being in his early 30’s, Nathaniel Sutton returns to the music scene under his new moniker, Hail Taxi, and his appropriately titled EP “Apart For So Long”. The 5 track offering contains vibes of familiarity yet foreignness and maturity that can only be heard to understand. With the prospect of good connections, brilliantly written music and strong work ethics, Hail Taxi is a name that is becoming more recognizable by the day; and has hit the ground running with no intentions of stopping anytime soon.
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