Thunder in the Valley
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Thunder in the Valley

Band Pop Rock

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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Press


"Like Deadwood grabbing you by the throat for a waltz"

Like the Pogues or Tulip Sweet, Thunder in the Valley push rock and roll nostalgia so far back, and so far past rock and roll, that their sound feels olden rather than old, like a crisp new episode of HBO's Deadwood grabbing you by the throat for a waltz. - City Pages


"A sound that is theirs and theirs alone"

If they are not careful they might accidentally create a new genre. Maybe "Rag-Soulcore." While we've seen so many hip bands mining the past to produce mostly contrived efforts, TITV collect and combine their influences for a sound that is theirs and theirs alone. Music meant for an off-kilter night of cheap beer and expensive whiskey. - Tiny Mix Tapes


"Loose, playful, and cacophonous"

Thunder in the Valley's music has...a deftness you would expect from a band that has been aound the block a few times. Loose, playful, and cacophonous, A Long, Long Walk...is big, rich, experiemental and unique. It's extremely hard to think of any other band that is just like Thunder in the Valley. Or even kind of like them. - Pulse of the Twin Cities


"TITV boldly ignores genre boudaries in pursuit of the perfect song"

They say lightning never strikes the same spot twice, but we're glad to report that Thunder in the Valley definitely does. The quintet's A Long, Long Walk lives up to the promise if its 2004 self-titled debut, and better yet, builds on it. Though still rooted in the swooning sounds of early 20th-century vaudeville music, TITV boldly ignores genre boundaries in pursuit of the perfect song. - The Onion


"I told you the band wasn't like anything else in town"

Building in the promise that they're not like any other band...woozy and swaying piano-rock band Thunder in the Valley has come a long, long way on its second CD, "A Long, Long Walk." There's so much going on, the disc often sounds like a crowded piano bar in some eastern-European small town. Singer Graham Smith doesn't get drowned out, though, coming off like a cross between Robert Smith and Tom Waits (seriously) in "So the Story Goes" and other bouncing gems. I told you the band wasn't like anything else in town. - The Star Tribune


"A gem"

A bit swing, a bit ragtime and a bit Tom Waits, the disc is a gem, from the sharp production and infectious songwriting to the handsome design. - St. Paul Pioneer Press


"These songs storm through the room with little regard for whatever stands in their way"

These songs are impeccably arranged, from the whimsical bass-piano interplay of "Three Fishermen" to the fantastic handclaps of the barroom stomp "Altar." Thunder in the Valley's live shows receive a fair amount of positive press and it's easy to imagine why. These songs storm through the room with little regard for whatever stands in their way, and both band and listener benfit... "A Long, Long Walk" is nothing short of a joyous romp... - Rift Magazine Online


Discography

A Long, Long Walk (Heart of a Champion Records, 2006)
Self-titled EP (Kissing Cousins Records, 2004)

Compilations:
Vice Magazine
Copper Press CP27
770 Radio K Stuck on AM Vol. 5
Audiophiles Guide to the Twin Cities

Photos

Bio

THE THUNDER
There’s thunder in the valley, and a rain is coming soon. Feeding off of a variety of genres, including vaudeville, blues, county, klezmer, classic rock, soul and punk, Minnesota’s own Thunder in the Valley’s rising profile and undeniable talent attracted the attention of the American Composers Forum, which stepped in with resources and studio time to record a full length debut, A Long, Long Walk, on Heart of a Champion Records.

AN AWARD-WINNING SOUND
When the thunder rumbles, people hear it. Thunder in the Valley’s self-titled ep (Kissing Cousins Records, 2004) and rollicking live show made a big impression on the Twin Cities music scene, fans and critics alike—scoring high on City Pages’ annual Picked To Click poll and other year’s best lists. Thunder in the Valley was given the gold star by the legendary club First Avenue, which invited the band to play its prestigious annual Best New Bands showcase. In 2005, the thunder kept rolling along, with two Minnesota Music Award nominations for Best New Group and Best Eclectic Group.

Thunder in the Valley's eclectic sound has shared stages with bands and performers from across the music spectrum, including Golden Smog, Wolf Parade, The Microphones, Man Man, Kaiser Cartel, Skeletons and the Kings of all Cities, Danielson, The Plastic Constellations, and POS/Doomtree.

THE FORECAST
The storm is still brooding and building. Thunder in the Valley has been wowing audiences with its exuberant blend of rock and ragtime—not a nostalgia trip, but an innovative blend of old and new styles that conjures thoughts of Tom Waits, Sixteen Horsepower, and DeVotchKa. This year, Thunder in the Valley is on the move, taking its rambunctious show to stages across the country.