Slant 6 Cowboys

Folkster Greg Brown has joined the jump-country-blues band BR5-49! At least that?s what it sounds like as the Slant 6 Cowboys open up on their new self-titled album. Don Whitcher?s voice smokes just enough to call Greg Brown to mind, vocals that aren?t quite fluid, that crack and dip and mumble. The band move that country blues with a twang?slide guitars, mandolin, banjo, and dobro. It?s railroad, wagon train, county fair music that blows the top off the sideshow stage. The Slant 6 Cowboys appear to be out of place in the American Folk section, but because of the immediate similarity with Greg Brown, these Country-influenced Rock guys land a little out of place. Beyond the Whitcher?s vocals, Whitcher and Peter James also lay down some slide guitar/dobro licks reminiscent of the incredible guitar work from Brown?s constant sidekick, Bo Ramsey. Brown?s folk style has always tended towards country blues, coming out of the hills of southern Iowa. So really, it isn?t a surprise to hear Greg Brown in the Slant 6 Cowboys. Now, for those familiar with Greg Brown, you?ll probably be quick to say that the comparison was due to word association. Brown?s 1998 album was titled Slant 6 Mind, complimenting a woman with having a mind with the power of slant 6 engine. So, of course, I?d immediately think of Greg Brown when I see a band naming themselves for that same engine, cowboys hitching up all of that horsepower. My friend, Jeremy, stopped by while I writing this review at Taco Bell. He picked up the CD case, looked at the inside photo of the Slant 6 Cowboys, and said, ?I could never do what you do. I?m too picky.? You can?t judge music by the cover?especially indie music. Yeah, the Cowboys have kind of a cheesy photo on the inside of their CD cover, but who wants a slick photo shoot, flashy packaging, and a snazzy marketing campaign if the music sucks? What you get with the Slant 6 Cowboys, what Jeremy would?ve realized had he listened instead of just looked, is that this is some great music coming out of a little corner of America?even if it is Southern-soaked, Old West, AltCountry folky blues from. . .New Hampshire. Go figure, but listen well nonetheless. Standout tracks include the opening song, ?Badlands,? which could come right from Greg Brown?s Slant 6 Mind; the defiant, driving, sad love song, ?Hearts Break,? with duet vocals from April Hobart; and ?Your Man? with its invitation-to-dance introduction. One final comparison between the Slant 6 Cowboys and Greg Brown. Greg Brown?s Poet Game featured the song ?Jesus & Elvis,? comparing the King of Rock ?n? Roll and the King of Kings. The Slant 6 Cowboys close out their debut album with their own ?Jesus and Elvis? about the lessons learned from the Kings while living on borrowed time. The song is a mellow blend of guitars that drifts away just like the character who is without direction in a border town, ?somewhere on the edge again.? - Benjamin C. Squires

The Slant 6 Cowboys are unique! They are an Alt Country band with a sound that is all their own. Take the glint in the eye of Clint Eastwood in the Good, Bad, and the Ugly, the snickering sneer and precision of Yul Brenner in Westworld, and the knowing attitude of Jack Palance as he takes one more swig of whiskey--put them to music in an Alt Country style and you have Slant 6 Cowboys. As the Slant 6 Cowboys strap on their 6 and 4 strings, choose their sticks, and grab the microphone for one more sound check, you know something amazing is just ahead. Movie analogies aside the Slant 6 Cowboys are a great listen. The band is based out of New England and regularly play in the area. Their convention of consistent performance schedule shines through in their recordings. The CD features an even dozen tracks. The CD opens with "Badlands". The opening riff could easily fit as a spaghetti western soundtrack. As the song progresses you are treated with lyrics that contain a fragile mix of paradoxical images and desperate reality. A smoking lead solo by Peter sets the stage for the rest of the CD. "Driftin'" opens with some beautiful slide guitar. Drummer Brian Lowe starts at a rapid rolling drum pace and never stops. Bassist Ben Butterworth thumbs out a backbone with his Ampeg Baby Bass. Don Whitcher plays Dobro, provides the lead solo and a gritty blues vocal. Guitarist Peter Coonradt adds acoustic slide. It rocks from the start and never stops! "Tennessee Love" is a bluegrass influenced bluesy country ballad [could I fit any more genres in the description?]. A nice interplay between Peter on mandolin and Don on guitar makes the song all come together. April Hobart singing back up augments and softens Don's vocals. The blues driven "Hearts Break" rocks the listener with it's backbeat, slide guitar, and thumping bass line. "Whiskey Breathin" is one of those infectious songs that grows on you with each listen. Don tells the story of a man with relationship problems and a whiskey breathin' anger that just won't leave him alone. A beautiful acoustic solo adds a warmer touch to the tone of the lyrics. The bouncy "Your Man" has a solid bass line and drum backbeat that set the stage for countrified bluesy guitars. The slippery guitar solo shows the versatility of Peter's instrumental expertise. He slips from straight country rock to rapid rocking guitar chops. "Out Of Time" opens with a Peter Green sounding guitar overlay. The mournful tale of despair is augmented with reverb drenched grungy guitar. Drums and bass drive the tune home. Slant 6 Cowboys will keep you enjoying long past the initial listen. The S6C band has changed a little since this recording--a new bassist and drummer have joined the team. Drop by their web site for a look around and an opportunity to sample some Slant 6 Cowboys firsthand. I am sure you will want to add them to your collection of CD's soon! - Steve Ekblad

Recently I was looking around for something new. Something fresh. I happened to find a band by the name of Slant 6 Cowboys. I checked their website out and liked what I heard. Then I bought the cd and realized just how good these guys are. I was shocked that such a talented band has gone un-noticed by the mass media. I have a feeling though that these guys will be huge soon enough. If you have any taste in good country, then buy this cd for it is well worth the wait, no questions about it. Trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed. - Bruce D.-CD Baby.com

New Hampshire's Slant 6 Cowboys display traces of Johnny Cash and Steve Earle on thier debut. "Your Man" in particular recalls Cash's Sun era, though with harder edge of the "American Recording" years. Elsewhere the alt.-country influence of Earle appearsto be strong. Songwriter Donny Witcher tackles dark themes in such tunes as "Badlands", "Hardtimes", and "Cold Hard Facts", though he avoids being overtly political as Earle has been in recent years. Witcher is the focal point of the band as the leadf singer and songwriter as well as playing dobro, mandolin, and pedal steel. Lead guitarist Peter Hames Coonradt provides some fancy licks, particulary - Robert Wooldridge