John Statz

“… beautiful album from a talented and future promising singer -songwriter.” - RootsTime.be

“… a really strong and captivating album.” - One Chord to Another

“… a really strong and captivating album.” - One Chord to Another

“Basically this is Americana at it’s very best.” - Wake the Deaf

“This week’s strongest Colorado debut comes via John Statz, who falls gracefully in line with The Pines and Kelly Pardekooper in pegging Bo Ramsey to produce his Old Fashioned.” - Routes and Branches

“And if we’re eager to spread the word, it’s because this album is the best thing we’ve heard so far this year: thick with the ringing tones of the American heartland, graceful in execution and delivery, and perfectly, exquisitely folk, in the same vein as generations of wandering troubadours before him.” - Cover Lay Down

“…in a genre that is saturated with similar sounds and styles, Old Fashioned demonstrates that John Statz can stand beside the best and above the rest with his songwriting alone. I should also say that in these early months of 2012 with great releases from some fine folk and Americana artists, John Statz has created an album that equals.” - No Depression

“…in a genre that is saturated with similar sounds and styles, Old Fashioned demonstrates that John Statz can stand beside the best and above the rest with his songwriting alone. I should also say that in these early months of 2012 with great releases from some fine folk and Americana artists, John Statz has created an album that equals.” - No Depression

"...a hard-chugging roots-rock record in the tradition of Neil Young and Tom Petty..." - Shepherd Express - Milwaukee, WI

"...a hard-chugging roots-rock record in the tradition of Neil Young and Tom Petty..." - Shepherd Express - Milwaukee, WI

Ghost Towns was ranked #2 in The Isthmus's "10 Best Madison Albums of 2010" list

"When Statz moves away from social commentary, his best songs still brood. "Wichita Waltz" reflects on lost love with a twang that's high on pathos." - The Isthmus - Rich Albertoni

Ghost Towns was ranked #2 in The Isthmus's "10 Best Madison Albums of 2010" list

"When Statz moves away from social commentary, his best songs still brood. "Wichita Waltz" reflects on lost love with a twang that's high on pathos." - The Isthmus - Rich Albertoni

"The whole thing [Ghost Towns] is packed with tasty full-band americana..."

"john statz is a fantastic americana / singer-songwriter..."

- Vocal Nerd Rodeo

"The whole thing [Ghost Towns] is packed with tasty full-band americana..."

"john statz is a fantastic americana / singer-songwriter..."

- Vocal Nerd Rodeo

“The singer-songwriter’s unquenchable wanderlust has taken him from Colorado to Wisconsin to West Virginia to Hungary, and during his travels, he wrote Ghost Towns, a full-length dripping with folk-rock immediacy and the kind of grit that cooled heels never gather.” - Westword - Denver, CO

"His music contains beautiful guitar playing and a voice that harkens back to the golden age of folk artists when they honed their craft performing whenever and wherever they could. The raspy vocals add a certain honesty to his words. When he covers the classic "Can The Circle Be Unbroken" he shows an ability to tap into the gospel heritage of folk that many ignore."

The full article, with an interview included, can be found here:

http://www.upstagemagazine.com/articles/getarticle-new.php?ID=6106&wherefrom=search - Upstage Magazine

"John turns in eight originals and one cover here, the latter being the Carter Family's country classic "Can the Circle Be Unbroken." All the rest are delivered in John's own special blend of folk-rock, socially-aware singer/songwriter and country stylings, showing elements of Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and others in his songs about the disaffected ("Absentee"), the dispossessed ("Every Other Time") and the downright disgusted ("Useless"), songs about war ("Letter From Southeast Asia" and "Rite of Spring") and the icy chill of deep winter in the North (the title cut). Stark, harrowing, serious, John Statz gives you every reason to take him seriously as he sings of rage and despair."

http://crowandwolfmusic.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=465 - Crow and Wolf Music!

"Though yet to be released, Ghost Towns may just be one of my new favorite albums of
the year."

"I literally cannot say a bad thing about this album."

"everyone is bound to find a song on Ghost Towns that they will fall in love with." - The Scene

"...dense arrangements and ramshackle jalopies like “Disclaimer” make riding through a demilitarized zone in an old junker sound surprisingly comforting." - The Onion - Madison, WI

"Statz has built a reputation as one of Madison's most adventurous touring musicians"

"Ghost Towns makes it clear that Statz takes his art seriously. The album is a collection of rootsy folk-rock that travels through places, time and emotions."

"The guitar twang on "Wichita Waltz" is halting and subdued, like the despair of lost love the song expresses." - The Isthmus - Madison, WI

"The title is dark, but this release achieves a perfect balance between those upbeat folk-rock gems and the subdued singer-songwriter tracks. It’s great to hear John’s music fleshed out with a full band." - 5 Score Pachyderm

"Statz has really grown into a distinct sound since his last release and I expect he will continue to produce some great music as he keeps touring and taking inspiration from his travels." - Nomad's Playlist

Jan. 22
John Statz
Mick's Music & Bar, 5918 Maple, 10 p.m., FREE, johnstatz.com, micksomaha.com

Anyone who likes Bob Dylan — which should be everyone — can groove along with John Statz's soothing, soulful and skillful scores delivered with his Dylanesque soft voice. His passionate songwriting, cool guitar and harmonica also evoke Dylan. Statz doubles (or quintuples) on the banjo, mandolin, lap-steel, and vox making for one crazy folk and bluegrass combo act from the Wisconsin-bred music machine. Statz is fairly new on the scene at just 23, but has already made a stamp, winning the 2006 Madison Area Music "Folk/Americana Album of the Year" Award for Dusk Came Slow, and opening for the likes of Ben Kweller. Check out his MySpace page to hear "Our Love Was Made for Canada," which mentions the ice of Omaha. Or, see it to believe it live.

— Sally Deskins
17 Jan 2008 - Omaha Reader

"...a collection of beautiful songs..."

"...musical fireworks..." - AltCountryForum.nl

His voice, slightly nasal but bravely forthright, is the most unassuming one in this survey. He sounds as if he picked up a guitar from his bed and said, "Hey, wanna hear somethin'?" Yet his music is as affecting as any of them. Statz's take on "Can the Circle Be Unbroken?" is quirky, funky and fresh, without any pretense. But his own songs pack a quiet punch. His concise storytelling in the offhandedly chilling "Every Other Time" manages to telescope complex socio-political dynamics. Like Foucault, Statz, 23, is an artful protester, deftly spinning acrid, metaphoric variations on the song's loaded title word.

-Kevin Lynch
3/19/08 - The Capital Times (Madison, WI)

"Madison songwriter John Statz's patient grasp of acoustic folk should soon put him alongside state favorites like Jeffrey Foucault"

The Onion
June 28, 2007 | Volume 43 Issue 26
theonion.com
- The Onion

John Statz will introduce his lovely new folk album "Our Love Was Made For Canada" to a small group of friends and you tonight at Cafe Montmartre (9pm). Though the album's lyrics speak of plenty of heart-bursting country anecdotes, the words tend less to talk towards a conclusion and more to chew on their own meanings. The result is a tone that pairs exploration with reservation, which perfectly compliments John's raspy vocal hesitance. Despite gracefully-rolling acoustic phrasing, his worn voice sometimes gives up just a bit sooner than it technically should - joining all of us a half step down from proud. And we enjoy the company. This self-effacing humility bows deep in "Song and Dance Man", but is kept upbeat by an adventurous violin and soft by a gentle harmony. On the dusty "Can a Circle Be Unbroken" John grasps onto the collar of the note instead of hitting it and always manages to release it one second before holding it too close to his chest. He reacts similarly in the powerfully honest "Absentee" and just touches angry with the harshest guitar on "Useless". But on "Every Other Time", he makes the case that straightforward confrontation can be even more intimate than the overplayed sultry persuasion or emotional drippiness. Fittingly, the title track backpedals with a statement that seems to end in a slight question mark. Our Love Was Made For Canada? I can speak with less hesitance, this is a beautiful album.

www.justsayinisall.com - I'm Just Sayin' Is All

"Dusk comes off as an intensely personal collection... each song is a wordy vignette, populated by a rush of characters, emotions and memories."

"...he deserves even more credit for his vivid imaginings and knowingly emotional tales."

Rick's Cafe
October 2006 Issue

www.rickscafe.org - Rick's Cafe

"It’s no wonder the bright, young songwriter claimed 2007’s Madison Area Music Award (MAMA) for his debut Dusk Came Slow. And with Statz’s follow-up, Our Love Was Made for Canada, the dude proves he’s no one-trick pony."

"Most folk musicians tend to fragment into two partisans: passive reflectors or belligerent nationalists. But Madison-area native John Statz does the genre one better, juxtaposing a healthy knowledge of World War I with the experiences of modern life to uncover today’s truths by looking to the past." - Volume One - Eau Claire, WI

"It’s no wonder the bright, young songwriter claimed 2007’s Madison Area Music Award (MAMA) for his debut Dusk Came Slow. And with Statz’s follow-up, Our Love Was Made for Canada, the dude proves he’s no one-trick pony."

"Most folk musicians tend to fragment into two partisans: passive reflectors or belligerent nationalists. But Madison-area native John Statz does the genre one better, juxtaposing a healthy knowledge of World War I with the experiences of modern life to uncover today’s truths by looking to the past." - Volume One - Eau Claire, WI

"here's a young troubadour that i think could go places. his name is john statz and he hails from illinois' largest state park, wisconsin. he's an honest and earnest young man with some stories to tell."

"john's new record, a evening with john statz is just him, his voice and a harmonica thrown in from time to time and what more do you need?"

-

Praise for the New Album
Category: Music

Captains Dead

"here's a young troubadour that i think could go places. his name is john statz and he hails from illinois' largest state park, wisconsin. he's an honest and earnest young man with some stories to tell."

"john's new record, a evening with john statz is just him, his voice and a harmonica thrown in from time to time and what more do you need?"

-Captains Dead
www.captainsdead.com
September 12, 2008 - Captain's Dead

"here's a young troubadour that i think could go places. his name is john statz and he hails from illinois' largest state park, wisconsin. he's an honest and earnest young man with some stories to tell."

"john's new record, a evening with john statz is just him, his voice and a harmonica thrown in from time to time and what more do you need?"

-

Praise for the New Album
Category: Music

Captains Dead

"here's a young troubadour that i think could go places. his name is john statz and he hails from illinois' largest state park, wisconsin. he's an honest and earnest young man with some stories to tell."

"john's new record, a evening with john statz is just him, his voice and a harmonica thrown in from time to time and what more do you need?"

-Captains Dead
www.captainsdead.com
September 12, 2008 - Captain's Dead

"...he keeps the story spare, bringing out an emotional depth from the gut with a series of very well composed and varied guitar lines."

"I'm not a big fan of live albums. The laughs in the background, the wonky sound quality, the inappropriately timed hollers, the between-song drivel. I mean, If I'm going to buy an album to listen to over and over, I want studio quality songs.

That said, there's something very sweet and right about Madison folksinger John Statz' latest album, An Evening With John Statz, recorded live this past April at Uncommon Ground in Chicago."

-Katjusa Cisar
77 Square (Capital Times)
September 13, 2008

- 77 Square

"...he keeps the story spare, bringing out an emotional depth from the gut with a series of very well composed and varied guitar lines."

"I'm not a big fan of live albums. The laughs in the background, the wonky sound quality, the inappropriately timed hollers, the between-song drivel. I mean, If I'm going to buy an album to listen to over and over, I want studio quality songs.

That said, there's something very sweet and right about Madison folksinger John Statz' latest album, An Evening With John Statz, recorded live this past April at Uncommon Ground in Chicago."

-Katjusa Cisar
77 Square (Capital Times)
September 13, 2008

- 77 Square