Taylor Brown

Taylor Brown - Bar Stool Ferris Wheels
2009, Tick And Tack Records

Taylor Brown has music in his blood. The Kirkland, Washington-based singer/songwriter is the son of a Broadway singer and began performing himself at the age of four. Brown is thoroughly DIY, constructing his own home studio so that he could record his own material in his own fashion. The resulting debut album, Bar Stool Ferris Wheels is all Taylor Brown, all the time. The artist plays and sings all parts on the CD, recorded over a two-and-a-half year period. With a dense lyrical style reminiscent of Jason Mraz and a penchant for modern rock guitar, Brown has developed a sound with real commercial potential.

Bar Stool Ferris Wheels opens with a Ben Folds-style piano rocker called Coin Toss. Brown's voice is quite pleasant to listen to and the instrumentation is, if not unique, at least interesting. Coin Toss is a lesson in trading fate for chance and is well written, although perhaps a bit unfocused lyrically. Brown has major guitar skills, as displayed on What She Says. This catchy tune has the lyrical density of Jason Mraz tune and is accompanied by some amazing guitar work. This is probably the most likely single on the album with a very catchy melody and beat. Don't Look At The Sunshine is catchy in a disjointed fashion that would do quite well on what passes for pop radio these days. These Strange Worlds features some of the most frenetic guitar work on the album and is worth listening to for that alone. I enjoyed Faces Turning, although I still think Brown is pushing a little too much lyrical content into the song structure here. My favorite song on the disc is Flash Back. The song is presented in a strong arrangement with its pop sensibility intact. You still get that sense of lyrical hyperactivity here but you can hear Brown trying to pull back just a bit. Other songs of interest are That Way I Need You, Ode To Downs and The Days When I Was Young.

Taylor Brown has loads of musical talent, and as a composer I'd put him up against the best in pop music right now. Lyrically he has at tendency to try to do too much within the framework of a song. This isn't necessarily a fatal flaw but it does create some awkward moments on Bar Stool Ferris Wheel. Even with that said, it's a great debut. A little more time doing this and perhaps the opportunity to collaborate with other musicians will wear away the rough edges and I suspect Brown will be a top notch songwriter in time. For right now he's a talented rookie coming out of Spring Training ready to set the world on fire. This kid can't miss.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Taylor Brown at www.myspace.com/taylorbrownplaysmusic. You can purchase a copy of Bar Stool Ferris Wheels at www.cdbaby.com/cd/taylorbrownmusic.

Labels: Ben Folds, Jason Mraz, Taylor Brown

- Wildy's Word

Applause. It doesn't fill your gas tank and you can't eat it, but it does fill the soul.
That's what it took for Taylor Brown to take that road less traveled, swapping his plans to go to medical school to pursue the tortuously unstable field of performing music.
His first taste of fame came in 1995 when Brown, now 25, landed on the cover of Enjoy for his role as a sixth-grader in "Lost in Yonkers" at Billings Studio Theatre. There was no denying the kid had stage presence and loved to sing, just like his mother, Cathy Hanson Brown, and younger siblings, Hannah and Guthrie. But Brown was also drawn to science, just like his veterinarian father, Ken.
On the night of his graduation from Senior High, guitar in hand and leaning into the microphone at MetraPark to sing a song his classmates encouraged him to write for the ceremony, Brown made perhaps the most important decision of his life.
"I was all set to go to UM and go into pre-med. But at graduation, there were so many people cheering and it was just such an amazing experience performing in front of that large a crowd, I changed my mind. I thought I could become a doctor and play my music on the side, but at 40 I would have been miserable."
At that late date, it seemed impossible to earn a spot at the prestigious Cornish College of the Arts, often referred to as the "Juilliard of the West Coast." But Brown auditioned for the Seattle school and was accepted. Another hurdle cleared.
He had to make another difficult decision between his junior and senior years of college - a well-paying gig in Nashville as a session guitarist or finishing his degree.
"I called my school adviser, and he even said, 'Do it. Stay in Nashville because opportunities like that don't come along very often.' "
But Brown said he never saw himself playing guitar in someone else's band but as a bandleader or singer/songwriter solo act, so he returned to school and earned a degree in jazz composition and jazz guitar.
"I just went to Nashville to check out the competition and to see how hard it would be to make it there. I figured, hell, it won't be hard to come back here and make it."
After finishing his degree in 2006, Brown stayed on in Seattle, teaching guitar lessons part-time, performing with the band Falling Grace, and recording two CDs, "Bar Stool Ferris Wheels," which is available on iTunes, and "Goldfish," which may be out in time for his gig Wednesday at Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co.'s Garage Pub. Brown wrote the songs, and sang, played guitar and piano, on the CDs. Brown's bright vocals and strong storytelling is reminiscent of his namesake, James Taylor, and another up-and-coming pop vocalist, Jason Mraz.
Brown is launching a national solo tour from Billings, just he and his three guitars hitting the road. He spent months on the Internet booking dates across the country, with numerous shows in Colorado and others in Oklahoma, Texas and California.
High school buddies Jenni Grass and Jade Blanco pitched in to help with the photography and artwork for Brown's posters and CD covers, and he's hoping to see some Senior High alums at his show Wednesday night. His brother, Guthrie, and friend Phil Griffin, who make up the duo Gutpill, open the show.
"It's going to be interesting," Brown said of the tour. "What's important to me is to go into this boldly. Some places I'm going to be playing for tips and CD sales, other places are paying me to play. I'm just going to see how far I can take my music."


CASEY RIFFE/Gazette Staff
Singer- songwriter Taylor Brown changed his career path at his high school graduation when the crowd cheered his original song. He performs Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co.'s Garage Pub - Billings Gazette

As families reunite for the holidays, so do familiar voices — that’s why The Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co.’s Garage Pub is playing host to a series of shows featuring family talents from Billings. Singer-songwriter Chase McBride plays Saturday accompanied by his father, Kevin, and his grandfather, Doc. Sunday’s show with singer-songwriter Taylor Brown will be led off by his brother Guthrie’s duo, Gutpill. On Wednesday, Hana Pestle plays her second straight Garage Pub holiday show, where she will be joined by her sister, Skylar.

Sunday’s show with singer-songwriter Taylor Brown, above, will be led off by his brother Guthrie’s duo, Gutpill. On Wednesday, Hana Pestle plays her second straight Garage Pub holiday show, where she will be joined by her sister, Skylar.
- Billings Gazette