Music
Press
Fred Mills: “Let’s get lost/ We don’t need a good reason,” sings Austinite Kyle Barnett midway through this 5-songer’s opening cut, “I’m Not Tired.” Bedspringed on an irresistible Yo La Tengo-cum-Velvets choogle-groove – that’s Lisa Barnett in the role of Moe Tucker – the anthemic tune’s nothing less than a manifesto for night owls across the globe. Other highlights include the spindly-riffed, Pavementesque “It’s You and Me” and nimble two-step “As It Is Said,” a folkadelic ditty for the Donovan and Pearls Before Swine fans in the household. All in all, one whale of a debut, with nary a misstep.”
Gary Jansz, Delusions of Adequacy: “Hailing from the perennial indie-rock friendly Austin, Texas, Hitchhike has come up with a bristling little slow-burn charmer that demonstrates an aptitude for solemn hymns of reflection, warmth and understated style. If ‘I’m Not Tired’ doesn’t have you harkening back to the adrenaline rush of prime mid-90s indie-pop exuberance, then you have ice water in your veins.”
Baby Sue Music Review: This five-song EP presents a band that plays from the heart. The tunes are extremely unpretentious, using only the bare essentials to get the point across. Neat guitars combine with driving rhythms to create hummable pop tunes that are smart and unique.”
Bob Pomeroy, Ink 19: “’We were traveling while we were sleeping/I slept through a country and woke up with you,’ Hitchhike’s Kyle Barnett sings on the Globe Trekker anthem, ‘I’m Not Tired.”…The song is propelled by shuffling rhythms and sinewy guitar leads. It’s followed by ‘It’s You and Me,’ which uses its mildly psychedelic guitar textures to emulate the feeling of driving all night…These two songs could be the soundtrack to important segments of my life… This is a small record that has been lovingly crafted, rewarding those who get lost in the headlight hallucinations of Hitchhike’s late night ramblings.”
Tracers, Evil Sponge:”’ Night Light’ is quite impressive…it would rank rather highly, even if the only good song were the nearly sublime ‘I’m Not Tired.’ As it is, the rest more than stands on its own merits. And to the band themselves: I had not heard of you previously, but you can bet that you’re now on my radar.”
Scott Hall, Nuvo: "Judging from Hitchhike’s debut five-song EP, Night Light, the band should please [Lovemeknots] fans while intriguing new listeners with its clever guitar interplay and greater variation in rhythm and mood."
Aiding and Abetting: “Languid in philosophy, if not in tempo. Let Hitchhike come to you; that’s the best way to catch the high.” - various
Discography
Night Light (Favorite Street, 2004)
"Genevieve," Appetizers and Leftovers compilation (2005)
"I'm Not Tired" from "Night Light" continues to get airplay on the University of Texas' college station KVRX, as well as internet radio stations such as the Fevered Brain of Radio Mike (http://www.thefeveredbrainofradiomike.com/) and Bellarmine Radio (http://buradio.bellarmine.edu)
Photos
Bio
Husband and wife Kyle and Lisa Barnett started Hitchhike while Kyle was a graduate student at the University of Texas. After school, the Barnetts moved Hitchhike to their new home, Louisville, KY. Upon arriving, the Barnetts -- Indianapolis natives -- found two other Indy ex-pats Roxell Karr and Sean O'Neil, in Kentuckiana to round out the band. Informed by an eclectic mix of influences, their songs can be tight pop gems or sprawling, rhythmic drones.
Some reviews:
Fred Mills: “Let’s get lost/ We don’t need a good reason,” sings Austinite Kyle Barnett midway through this 5-songer’s opening cut, “I’m Not Tired.” Bedspringed on an irresistible Yo La Tengo-cum-Velvets choogle-groove – that’s Lisa Barnett in the role of Moe Tucker – the anthemic tune’s nothing less than a manifesto for night owls across the globe. Other highlights include the spindly-riffed, Pavementesque “It’s You and Me” and nimble two-step “As It Is Said,” a folkadelic ditty for the Donovan and Pearls Before Swine fans in the household. All in all, one whale of a debut, with nary a misstep.”
Gary Jansz, Delusions of Adequacy: “Hailing from the perennial indie-rock friendly Austin, Texas, Hitchhike has come up with a bristling little slow-burn charmer that demonstrates an aptitude for solemn hymns of reflection, warmth and understated style. If ‘I’m Not Tired’ doesn’t have you harkening back to the adrenaline rush of prime mid-90s indie-pop exuberance, then you have ice water in your veins.”
Baby Sue Music Review: This five-song EP presents a band that plays from the heart. The tunes are extremely unpretentious, using only the bare essentials to get the point across. Neat guitars combine with driving rhythms to create hummable pop tunes that are smart and unique.”
Bob Pomeroy, Ink 19: “’We were traveling while we were sleeping/I slept through a country and woke up with you,’ Hitchhike’s Kyle Barnett sings on the Globe Trekker anthem, ‘I’m Not Tired.”…The song is propelled by shuffling rhythms and sinewy guitar leads. It’s followed by ‘It’s You and Me,’ which uses its mildly psychedelic guitar textures to emulate the feeling of driving all night…These two songs could be the soundtrack to important segments of my life… This is a small record that has been lovingly crafted, rewarding those who get lost in the headlight hallucinations of Hitchhike’s late night ramblings.”
Tracers, Evil Sponge:”’ Night Light’ is quite impressive…it would rank rather highly, even if the only good song were the nearly sublime ‘I’m Not Tired.’ As it is, the rest more than stands on its own merits. And to the band themselves: I had not heard of you previously, but you can bet that you’re now on my radar.”
Scott Hall, Nuvo: "Judging from Hitchhike’s debut five-song EP, Night Light, the band should please [Lovemeknots] fans while intriguing new listeners with its clever guitar interplay and greater variation in rhythm and mood."
Aiding and Abetting: “Languid in philosophy, if not in tempo. Let Hitchhike come to you; that’s the best way to catch the high.”
Links
