Magnolia Summer
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Magnolia Summer

St. Louis, Missouri, United States | INDIE

St. Louis, Missouri, United States | INDIE
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"FEATURE: Magnolia Summer's Midwinter Contentment"

Feature about Magnolia Summer and review of "Lines From The Frame."

http://nodepression.com/articles.aspx?id=4962

A quick drum roll, two slashing guitars in lockstep on a simple but propulsive riff, then a bouncy vocal melody sung with distant backing harmony, and lyrics having something to do with the moon and the sun. It's all over in 1:56, a basic rock song with passion, conviction, and the pleasures of four guys in a room bashing out the changes. (And yet, hidden underneath the second verse are some odd toy piano notes, which hint at a darker tone than is at first obvious.)

A hushed, cracking, intimate vocal over a gently strummed acoustic guitar, obvious introspection resolving at the end of the verse in an open burst of violins, which then weave overdubbed counterpoint around the haunted melody. Eventually it all builds up into an explosion of guitars, bass, drums, and more glorious fiddles, riffing and churning and climbing as the song looks outward from its cloistered opening. The last two minutes are astounding, as the chorus of violins and guitars expands further and further from the measured beginning.

"Like Setting Suns" and "Diminished Returns" are the opening songs on Lines From The Frame, the third album from St. Louis band Magnolia Summer. The yin and yang of short, direct rock songs and layered, evolving cluster songs is established quickly. The rest of the album builds on these two styles, never sounding either too relaxed or too structured.



Leader Chris Grabau is the only absolute constant in Magnolia Summer; he mixes and matches from what he refers to as "the Magnolia Summer ecosystem" – six highly talented friends who play in a large number of other bands at the same time. Lead guitarist John Horton is also in the Bottle Rockets; bassist Greg Lamb and drummer John Baldus double up in the country band the Linemen. Guitarist, backing vocalist and co-producer Joe Thebeau leads the rock band Finn's Motel; pedal steel player Dave Anderson is in the Americana band Tenement Ruth; and violinist Kevin Buckley leads alternative rock band Grace Basement.

"I really like the idea that we can fluctuate around, and have four people, or have six," says Grabau. "There's sort of a language that everybody knows as we're playing a song. It's almost you can tell in a split second what's going to happen, and know where he's gonna go. I feel really good that the people involved, even the people who come in every once in a while, have that intuition well enough that we can do it."

Horton hesitantly provides a point of comparison. "It's definitely got that old-school – I'm not going to say jam band," he says. "As far as in that situation, the parts are kind of left up to whoever's playing. Especially in a live situation, the parts are kind of loosely defined."


An abbreviated Magnolia Summer lineup performs an acoustic version of the new album's "By Your Side" at SXSW 2008.

Since debuting in 2003 with Levers And Pulleys, Magnolia Summer has performed with lineups ranging from three to seven musicians. Despite various membership changes, and a loose-enough structure that players have been known to realize they were expected to perform only minutes before walking onstage, there has never been a time when Magnolia Summer doesn't sound polished and assured.

"All of them should have their own voices," says Grabau. "That's the whole intent. No single person should be aping somebody else's parts. It should be a reflection of them, as much as the song. That's the main motivation behind it being so loose, is to let other people, when they can be there, have their own voice."

Grabau generally brings basic guitar parts and vocal melodies to the band, but then all the members shape it from there. Sometimes, as on "Wrong Chords", a rocker built around a delicious doubled-up pentatonic guitar riff, it all comes together in a flash. "It's a riff song," says Grabau. "I had the vocal melody, and we worked it out in practice. It takes on a different life with a full band. We added a part or two, and it was done."

Horton adds, "It had a certain feel to it. Suffice to say, all the arrangements are organic. There wasn't really a whole lot of thought; whatever sounded like it was going to work well. If it was not going to work well, we discarded that. I remember there was a lot – Baldus' little drum roll to it – there was a lot of talking about that."

"It's funny because that song is about a two-minute song," Grabau adds. "Oftentimes when I have a song, when we work it out as a band it becomes a much longer song. We add a part and everything else. But, that particular song it was, that's what it is. And that's all right, man. Sometimes all you need is about two minutes. You don't have to go into a detour."

On the other hand, "Diminished Returns" was built up over several rehearsals, and taken even further in the recording process itself. "Yeah, that took a while," Horton acknowledges. - No Depression


""Top 20 Records of 2008""

So let's say you're a fan of the Jayhawks, who managed two or three of the best rustic rock albums of the last dozen years or so until they finally petered out after edging to close to the blandest sins of Crosby, Stills & Nash or the Eagles. If you're a fan, perhaps it was exciting that this year former Jayhawks Gary Louris and Mark Olsen put out a record together. That disc is pretty good. What I'm here to tell you is that Lines From The Frame by Magnolia Summer is better, and will scratch that Hollywood Town Hall itch better than the originals will.

MagSummer is the vehicle for Undertow Records label manager Chris Grabau; material I've heard from him in the past has sounded good, but really didn't stick with me. Grabau has a wonderful tenor voice like a cool Missouri wind blowing through one of those endless fields along highway 70, and that's always been an asset for him. On this new record though, he does a very smart thing: he enlists some new blood into the band and brings them front and center. As a result, Kevin Buckley's strings take over a few songs in breathtaking fashion ("Diminished Returns", and the glorious final two minutes of "By Your Side"). Kelly Kneiser of Glossary adds some backing vocals (she turns "Birds On A Wire" into a de-facto duet by matching up perfectly with Grabau's heartfelt vocals over Dave Anderson's mournful pedal steel). There's also the indelible stamp of Finn's Motel frontman Joe Thebeau (who plays guitar in Magnolia Summer and got co-producer credit on this record), who gently urges Grabau to the best hooks he's ever written. Lines From The Frame is easily the best country-tinged rock album of 2008.

- http://www.popnarcotic.com


"Lines From The Frame review-KDHX"

http://kdhx.org/blog/2008/11/13/magnolia-summer-lines-from-the-frame/

Though it was released this November, Lines From the Frame, the third album from Saint Louis band Magnolia Summer, sounds like it was made for warmer, longer, fuller days, days to take stock of who you are and where you’re going, and long nights to look for and find a good rock band to get you to the next day. There’s a sense of freedom in the crunchy guitar hooks, arcing violin lines (courtesy of Grace Basement’s Kevin Buckley) and the craftsman-like arrangements of power pop and country. Maybe it’s Chris Grabau (he of the songwriting and singing) and John Horton (he of the Bottle Rockets) and Joe Thebeau’s (he of Finn’s Motel–where did that band disappear to?) thick and agile guitar parts or maybe it’s John Baldus’s splashing, impulsive drums that puts me in mind of Big Star’s Radio City–though the songwriting is somewhat more philosophical than “September Gurls.” But Grabau’s contrasting images and ideas–decline and ascent, erasure and memory, battle scars and moments of reprieve, time lost and found–have a classic economy and naturalness.

My favorite track today is the acoustic “Birds Without a Wire,” which features some lovely piano and pedal steel, plus harmony vocals from Glossary’s Kelly Kneiser. It’s an elegiac song with a restless, yearning heart.
- http://kdhx.org/


"RFT COVER STORY - by Annie Zaleski (11.05.08) D.I.Y. Now for the Future: The Undertow Collective and Magnolia Summer are using technology to modernize their D.I.Y. creative vision""

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-11-05/news/d-i-y-now-for-the-future-the-undertow-collective-and-magnolia-summer-are-using-technology-to-modernize-their-d-i-y-creative-vision/


ABOUT LFTF: Sonically, Frame is crystal-clear and dynamic. Grabau's keening, wistful vocals mesh well with mournful violin from Kevin Buckley and the occasional curl of pedal steel. The music ranges from slow-burning alt-country (the Whiskeytown-esque "Like Setting Suns") to pensive ballads ("Birds Without a Wire," a gossamer duet with Glossary's Kelly Kneiser) and gnarled, loud rockers (the wiry "Wrong Chords"). "By Your Side" is a Wilco-like track on which strings explode like a sunrise by the end. The jaunty jangle and springy cowbell of "Pulling Phase to Ground" recall the rowdiest moments of R.E.M.'s Life's Rich Pageant.
- The Riverfront Times


"Review of From Driveways' Lost View"

On Magnolia Summe's debut, 2003's Levers and Pulleys, the atmosphere was muted and personal, like a friend quietly sharing a secret. Since the, the quintet has evolved - a veritable who's who of St. Louis musicians, including Waterloo's Chris Grabau and Mark Ray, the Linemen's Greg Lamb, Ring, Cicada's Aaron Zeveski, and the bottle Rockets' John Horton - and discovered its inner rock band through relentless live work. The raucous results are all over the band's sophomore effort. There are still moments of relative calm, like the sedate "Casting Satellites," the mournful "Palindrome," and the Wilco-tinges "Words for the War." For the bulk of the album, however, Magnolia Summer combines the shimmery folk expanse of the first album with a rollicking Americana vibe that suggests Joe Pernice fronting Crazy Horse. And that's a good thing (Brian Baker). - Harp Magazine


"Magnolia Summer profile"

"Supergroup" isn't a term that gets tossed around St. Louis' music scene too often (unless a former member of the Urge is involved, of course), but Magnolia Summer may be this town's answer to the New Pornographers or, heaven forfend, Damn Yankees. Former Stillwater head Chris Grabau leads this ensemble-cum-recording project, which includes contributions from Waterloo's Mark Ray, Climber chanteuse Heather Moll and guitarist-about-town John Horton. Though these and other St. Louis all-stars help craft the sound onstage and in the studio, Grabau's gentle delivery and subtly beautiful lyrics are at the forefront. With the recently released Levers and Pulleys, Magnolia Summer has lovingly pieced together an album's worth of late nights, faded photographs and wistful recollections. After just a handful of live shows, Magnolia Summer has already got this town buzzing. Don't say we didn't warn you. - The Riverfront Times - St. Louis


"Magnolia Summer: Watch the road and memorize, this life that passes before my eyes."

Growing up in Joplin, Missouri, Magnolia Summer vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Chris Grabau suffered through the same boredom countless small-town kids face. As he puts it, with not much to do, "we got together and either did incredibly stupid stuff or played some music." But in between hours of garage-based noodling with friends, Grabau discovered punk rock — thanks to some neighbors who weren't exactly thrilled with his musical choices.

"I remember I was listening to Van Halen, and they stopped throwing rocks at us long enough to tell us that we should listen to this stuff," Grabau recalls wryly. "They gave me a mixtape of, like, the Clash, the Police. Even the Violent Femmes were considered really punk back then.

"It was one of those mind-blowing, life-changing things. Dead Kennedys, Butthole Surfers, Sex Pistols. They just would feed all these stupid young kids next door to them stuff because they couldn't stand that we were listening to 'Panama' in our backyard. It was music that was made on your own terms, stuff that people made themselves. There was this sort of DIY aesthetic about punk rock at that time that I got."

Grabau's assertion that this attitude still influences him today makes sense when considering Magnolia Summer's origins. The group originally started as a loose recording project, a collective of musicians who shared ideas and words with each other. From these interactions came their 2003 debut, Levers and Pulleys, an album whose spacious songs and spare violin reflected the nature of the sessions.

Unexpectedly, constructing Pulleys actually helped Magnolia Summer coalesce into a full-fledged band — albeit one that never lost this spirit of camaraderie. Witness their current lineup, which includes a veritable all-star cast of St. Louis musicians: Bottle Rockets guitarist John Horton, Ring, Cicada drummer Aaron Zeveski, Linemen bassist Greg Lamb and Waterloo vocalist-songwriter Mark Ray. (Grabau is also in Waterloo.) With a solid group in place, Grabau naturally approached recording Magnolia Summer's sophomore album, From Driveways' Lost View, from a collaborative perspective.

"I wanted to make a band record," he says. "I'm very fortunate to have such a great group of friends to play music with. I wanted to make a document that hinted at that music relationship, and also the relationship of a working band. I tried to use these songs as a means to carry that through."

To that end, the basic tracks for View were laid down as a band starting in late 2004, with overdubs added later at various home studios around town. The end result is an engaging album that bursts with movement: Guitars strut like a marching drum major — whether bashing out gnarled rock or picking out dusky twang — as bass, organ, piano and even strings provide subtler currents of melody and mood. A little bit Wilco's ragged storytelling, sometimes Built to Spill's noisy-jumpy indie rock, often R.E.M.'s Out of Time-era regal jangle, View isn't afraid to smash expectations or transcend genres.

"[View] has a lot more colors to the palette," Grabau agrees. "[We're] a rock band, so you have the prerogative to make really quiet songs and really loud songs. Whatever's necessary to carry the song across. I wanted this concise rock record that has some songs that were really louder in scope, louder in focus than the first one. But I didn't want the record to be relentless. I'm not always a rock writer, the band always doesn't play rock songs. That's where the ebb and flow comes in."

Equally up-and-down are View's lyrics, in the sense that they distill the confusion of your twenties — a period often marked by feeling unsettled and unmoored. Grabau's expressive croon jumps out of the music: "Please stay," he pleads on the rootsy "Lost in the Way." "It's gonna be a bad break," he frets on "Words for War," as plush piano encircles simple acoustic guitar riffs. And on the lively highlight "Once in a While," he tries to figure out where things went wrong: "How can I explain, that nothing's the same? Don't tell me why do we change, every passing day. Once in awhile...." At this Grabau's voice trails off, repeating the last phrase wistfully. If Pulleys used whispered fragility to push its points across, View takes vulnerability and alternately embraces, laments and questions it.

"The record is about a love that owns you but is never completely fulfilled, loved ones you find yourself torn away from because of the daily complexities of life that constantly drive you away," Grabau says. "[It's] about work that sustains you but never completely delivers, about friends that you never seem to have enough time to connect with; about decisions that are made out of necessity; about a government that doesn't represent you and provides no solace whatsoever; about closed doors you can't reopen; a neighborhood that is never quite a home; and about words that never seem to come out right."

While this all might seem rather de - Village Voice media


"2006 SXSW Profile - Deep Forest Green and Mily, Milky White: Magnolia Summer's palette abounds with startingly fragrant color"

Magnolia Summer is the rare band that can tone down its jangle to suit an impromptu living-room gig -- and then just as easily crank up the amps to rock out at St. Louis' notorious dives.

But even as that same dichotomy aligns the quartet with other hardworking Americana faves, its keep grasp of emotional nuance sets it apart from the pack. Furthermore, Magnolia Summer singer-songwriter Chris Grabau reports that the band's upcoming Undertow Records album, From Driveways' Lost View," feels a bit more like a band record. The basic tracks were recorded together as a band, which I suppose lends itself to that concept. I'm very fortunate to have such great friends to play music with. I think it's a great representation of Magnolia Summer as of now."

Indeed, View includes tunes brimming with wistful twang, rich piano melodies and hints of R.E.M.'s baroque-pop era. "Thematically speaking and sonically speaking, I wanted to add a couple more colors to the palette for this one," Grabau says, "I wanted this concise rock record that had some songs that were really louder and more focused than the first one (their 2003 debut, Levers and Pulleys), but I didn't want the record to be relentless. I'm not always a rock writer. - Annie Zaleski - Village Voice Media


"Emusic review: From Driveways' Lost View"

The St. Louis group Magnolia Summer writes tense, quaking songs gilded with golden guitar jangle and topped with the raw, throaty vocals of Chris Grabau. They're not alt-country per se, but there's a definite twang and croon to their scuffed-up tunes that positions them close to bands like The Bottle Rockets. "Sum of All Fears" is a haunting slow burn, Grabau croaking out dire proclamations over plinking piano and dry guitar strum. "Sink or Swim" is sweeping and bright, anchored in a melodic guitar lead and driving, insistent percussion. - Emusic


"review of From Driveways' Lost View"

Three years after this St. Louis collective's debut, the group released its sophomore release. Even though the guitars buzz a little louder and the music boasts a harder edge, little else has changed. This is still multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Chris Grabau's project, and it is his sense of loneliness, melancholy, and introspection that drives this haunting album. Like the last disc, this one is best appreciated as an entire work. The songs generally don't jump out individually, but the overall effect finds a groove where the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. Even when the guitars are brought up in the mix on "The Passing Days," the midtempo track can hardly be considered a rocker. There are aspects of Son Volt here, especially in Grabau's moaning vocals on "Habitrail" where he sounds eerily like Jay Farrar. There are also references to Michael Stipe on one of his many contemplative days. Although the musicians are listed, the liner notes don't specify who plays what on each tune. Although that's a bit frustrating, it helps bring unity to the sound, making this feel more like a group effort than a Grabau solo album. The disc loses some steam in its final third, and by the closing cut, the lovely ballad "Palindrome," it falls a bit on the snoozy side, especially when compared to the comparatively lively opening tracks "Along for the Ride" and "Once in a While." Subtle organ on "Director" and more obvious piano on "Sum of All Fears" bring essential textures to this tapestry. The occasional tambourine on the chorus of the latter track is also perfectly placed, another charming and understated touch. It's those production strokes along with songs that grow more impressive with every spin that helps make Magnolia Summer's music so consistently moving on this affecting and gently ambitious album. 3 1/2 stars. - Allmusic


Discography

The Line From the Frame (undertow - 2008)
From Driveways' Lost View (undertow - 2006)
Levers and Pulleys (undertow - 2003)

Photos

Bio

Magnolia Summer is a St. Louis-based rock band that has a rolling cast of members who also do double time in other bands (such as Grace Basement, The Linemen, and the Bottle Rockets). Centered around singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist, Chris Grabau, Magnolia Summer has released two previous records (via Undertow) to critical acclaim. Over the years, Magnolia Summer has toured throughout the midwest, showcased in SXSW and CMJ. They have shared the stage with Cracker, The Minus 5, Grant Lee Philips, Glen Kotche, Bobby Bare Jr., The Court and Spark, Robyn Hitchcock, Ken Stringfellow, Marah, Richmond Fontaine, the Bottle Rockets, Will Johnson, and Glossary.

Lines From The Frame is the first recording the band has completed in an outside studio. The band solicited help of acclaimed engineer, Jason McEntire at Sawhorse Studios (Son Volt, Ha Ha Tonka, Ludo, Destiny's Child). This time, Magnolia Summer expanded its sonic palette to include pedal steel and strings with friends Dave Anderson (Tenement Ruth) and Kevin Buckley (Grace Basment). Glossary's Kelly Kneiser also lends backing vocals on a couple of tracks. The end result is a sound more direct and expansive than any other outing to date.

In addition to Frame, you can also hear Magnolia Summer on the upcoming "Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs For 43 US Presidents;" a 3-CD compilation that features music by Mark Kozelek, Califone, Rosie Thomas, Bill Callahan, Xiu Xiu, Radar Bros., and Alan Sparhawk. The compilation is scheduled to be released in September 2008. Magnolia Summer contributed on the song, "William McKinley: Czolgosz's Dream."

With a strummy Americana sound somewhere between Son Volt and the Pernice Brothers, these songs slowly grow on you. Grabau's vulnerable, barely whispered vocals perfectly convey the music's delicate and intimate strokes (Hal Horowitz, ALLMUSIC).