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Post-punk mayhem meets collegiate attitude, all thrown around with a quirky sense of style. That's what you get when you listen to Portland, Oregon's Tractor Operator, the musical outlet for Eric Jensen, a man that seems to have a grip on garage rock, lo-fi, and post-punk, combining them all into an intriguing indie-rock amalgamate. From the simplistic, lo-fi acoustic guitar and voice of "2 Dead Cats" to the Americana of "Daddy Day Care", through the chugging guitar and loose rock of "Surrender Dorothy", Jensen and his Tractor Operator create a sound that is both indescribable and the epitome of indie-rock. I'll give it a B-.
- In Music We Trust/Alex Steininger
Post-punk mayhem meets collegiate attitude, all thrown around with a quirky sense of style. That's what you get when you listen to Portland, Oregon's Tractor Operator, the musical outlet for Eric Jensen, a man that seems to have a grip on garage rock, lo-fi, and post-punk, combining them all into an intriguing indie-rock amalgamate. From the simplistic, lo-fi acoustic guitar and voice of "2 Dead Cats" to the Americana of "Daddy Day Care", through the chugging guitar and loose rock of "Surrender Dorothy", Jensen and his Tractor Operator create a sound that is both indescribable and the epitome of indie-rock. I'll give it a B-.
- In Music We Trust/Alex Steininger
Discography
Self Titled debut in 2005
Evil Will Hand You Boredom 7" on Jealous Butcher and Smells Delicious Records in 2006
Bleeding Hearts and Severed Legs on Jealous Butcher in 2007
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Bio
Tractor Operator started out in 2005 when Eric and his sister Tara played a show under the name Tractor Operator. Shortly thereafter, Eric's two solo EP's were released as one full length on Smells Delicious Records. That album was listed among the top 5 local albums of that year by the Willamette Week's music editor, Mark Baumgarten. TracOp was also selected as one of the top ten new bands of 2005 by that same publication.
Since 2005, Tractor Operator has released a 7" vinyl EP as well as a 2nd full length, both on Jealous Butcher Records.
While Tractor Operator is usually just Jensen, playing solo acoustic covers of his original recordings, lately it has grown to include other musicians on stage. Dave Snider, James West and Brian Gardiner fill out the sound occasionally, each bringing their own translation and eclectic style to the fold.
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