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First things first. I have to be honest. I am a mean, cruel, curmudgeonly man When my family and I went to see There Will be Blood (fantastic flick by the way, best thing I’ve seen in years) when the Daniel Day-Lewis character says, “I see the worst in people. I don’t need to look past seeing them to get all I need. I want to rule and never, ever explain myself. I’ve built up my hatred over the years, little by little . . . ” my wife and daughter's pretty faces swiveled to silently accuse me in the dark.
So that’s me. But.
But, the guys in Veteran Status are fantastically nice guys. Disarmingly nice. But, being who I am, I was prepared to dislike them. I approached their show with an attitude of, “All right. Win me over”. And they did. And there’s something to be said for the idea that an artist’s character, his being if you will, is best and perhaps only truly displayed through his art. So what do we have in Veteran’s Status latest album, Railbent? Well, let me say this, it’s taken me more than a month to write this review because my aforementioned wife and daughter – excellent judges of charter and of music, both, promptly absconded with the disc and made it difficult for me to spend more than 20 minutes with it at a time. eventually, I ripped it, stuck it on my player and listened to it while walking to the gym and stalking around campus.
Veteran Status are, at its heart, two guys (Doug and Brian -- both veterans, one a purple heart awardee, hence the name) with acoustic guitars. It’s a straight forward formula creating unironic folk music – strong voices with strong writing. In fact, although they tackle pretty standard musical themes, love, loss, and destiny, they never lean heavily on cliché. Nor do they try to make their voices sound like something they're not. They sound…honest. The first two tracks, in fact, reveal not the soft folk of Iron and Wine or "Bonnie" Prince Billie, but more of a rock troubadour style. These aren't hushed still lives in song, but gutsy acoustic numbers which could easily be reimagined as fully amplified Born To Run-era Springsteen-esque songs.
When we saw them live (at Seneca’s Brother Bean) the question that my wife leaned over to ask me was, "Are they brothers”? They’re not, but they have a familiar, easy give and take with each other that also shows through in their music in songs like the jumpy up-tempo number “Beautiful Rebecca”
The production on Railbent is weak on the low end, but it’s perfectly appropriate. This is not a bass heavy album. Veteran Status has a light, bright sound. It’s by no means a Pollyanna album, but instead one that creates the overwhelming feeling of gladness, not happiness, that giddiness that doesn’t last, but an low-key sense of, “Yeah, maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem.”
There’s a lot to be said for a Rust Belt band just starting out that, like Veteran Status, insists upon the importance of original music. There’s no doubt in my mind that with their skills and presence they could play classic rock covers in a smoky bar every weekend, but instead, they choose to see themselves as artists, as writers and performers, and if there’s any justice in the world, that choice will play out for them. So, yeah, Veteran Status are nice guys who make nice music. But don’t count them out, nice guys don’t always finish last. - Michael Dittman
It isn’t often that I get to review CD's released by a band that is practically in my own backyard, but when the opportunity does arise, I never pass it up.
One of those rare cases is Veteran Status, consisting of Doug Bailly and Brian McCauley, out of Northwestern Pennsylvania and students at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, are two young musicians with a knack for creativity that is all their own.
In spite of being fairly new to the music scene, both Bailly and McCauley perform like seasoned professionals on Railbent. The synergy in their guitar strumming and harmony are captivating, and the acoustic guitar performances give them a very unique sound.
Though they initially make the listener (including myself) think they are teenagers, they are actually young adults that are talented beyond their years, and that talent shines on this album.
Songs such as “San Francisco,” “Why,” and “Beautiful Rebecca,” along with Railbent’s other tracks, are written from the heart and performed with an insight and passion that really can’t be put on paper.
If this is an indication of what they can produce, I am optimistic that Veteran Status will continue to grow professionally and eventually garner “veteran status” indeed.
- Indiemusicstop.com - L. Anne Carrington
Veterans Status made their radio debut on the Acoustic Hour Radio show. Though relativity new in the music scene, they performed more like seasoned professionals. Brian and Doug were early, very prepared and excited out being on Air. If this was a job interview, they would have already gotten the job.
Brian and Doug have been friends for several years. You can hear the synergy in their guitar strumming and harmony. I also observed them using a 2 capo insert on each guitar. It gave the acoustic guitars a very unique and interesting sound.
These young mean appear more like teenagers than young adults. They surprised our audience with their stories serving in the army and how it has impacted their lives.
Their my space page has a very unique video of Brian playing guitar with his son. I would highly recommend that you check it out. Why, Well, it appears that Brian and Doug, love music, writing, singing, and performing. This comes across in their videos and during their live performance on the Acoustic Hour Radio Show. Their songs are written from their hearts. Their passion and insights rang true during the show.
We will continue to feature Veterans Status's music on the Acoustic Hour Radio Show. We have also invited them back in the spring.
The Acoustic Hour recommends that you give them a listen and consider them for your radio air, or live venue
Check them out on line www.myspace.com/veteranstatusband Hear for yourself...the live audio show www.acoustichour.com Finally, I hope that Veteran Status continues to grow professionally. Our listeners have given them the thumbs up!
Anthony Frazier
Host and Producer
The Acoustic Hour Radio show
Renda Broadcasting
840 Philadelphia St.
Indiana PA 15701
www/acoustichour.com
- Anthony Frazier - The Acoustic Hour
Veteran Status Live Concert Review
Brother Bean Coffeehouse, Seneca, PA
March 29, 2008
I heard excellent things about the acoustic wizardry of Veteran Status for several
weeks prior to their live performance at the Brother Bean Coffeehouse. I arrived to find a
packed house that was bustling with a tangible energy of anticipation. The show
opened with a phenomenal set from silky-smooth vocalist Seth Brewster. Seth’s ultrarelaxed
style was perfect for the venue. His voice demonstrated excellent intonation, as
he moved in and out of very complicated vocal runs with ease. He was well received by
the crowd.
Veteran Status took the stage shortly thereafter and were welcomed heartily by
the place. This show was the first with bass player newcomer, Chuck. I give Brian and
Doug a lot of credit, as they integrated with the new musician in a very relaxed way.
Chuck played several excellent bass lines. Never hearing Veteran Status prior to this
evening, I imagined their former sound without bass, but quickly concluded that Brian
and Doug made an excellent decision to add to their existing sound.
The music was aggressively upbeat. The group really shined when Doug would
blast into some intricate guitar fingering work. Even though it came across well, I would
love to hear Doug make magic on an electric guitar in those moments. Brian’s vocals
were excellent. It is no surprise he has been vocally coached. He moved in and out of
his pisaggio range (break point) seemingly with ease. Doug’s vocals were a hardened
and more dirty version that worked very well on the pieces he sang. His voice reminded
me of Hinder or Nickleback style. Overall the set progressed nicely with bits of humor
and personal insight added to freshen the mix. The crowd was engaged without
problem, and the coffeehouse spirit remained lively throughout the music set.
Overall I was pleased with Veteran Status. They lived up to their sizable
reputation, which continues to grow. I would love to see the softer side of Veteran Status
on their next record, as these guys are certainly talented enough to carry difficult
melodies, guitar riffs, and trade-off harmonies. I would recommend a Veteran Status
show without hesitation.
–Mike Thomas, CEO Antiphonal Records
- Michael Thomas - Antiphonal Records
Discography
Railbent - 9 track album, released January 2008.
Tiny Plastic Horses - EP, released TBA 2008.
Photos
Bio
Veteran Status is an acoustic group that was founded in Waterford, PA. Veteran Status's eclectic sound has been compared to a variety of artists from Elliot Smith and Neil Young to Hinder and Bruce Springsteen.
The members of Veteran Status are Brian McCauley on lead vocals and guitar, Doug Bailly on lead guitar and vocals, and Chuck Oliver on bass.
Brian and Doug first met in 2001 as members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Doug had just returned from basic training when he met Brian, who was just about to ship off to basic. They quickly became friends due to their shared interests in music and hiding from their superiors while smoking cigarettes.
In 2004 Brian and Doug were deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They spent several months in Iraq serving as infantryman conducting combat presence patrols, raids, and quick reaction missions. Both had had their guitars shipped to them while overseas and in their free time they practiced, learned songs, and began writing together.
Tragedy struck in April 2005 when Brian was wounded in a suicide car bombing attack. Due to the extent of his injuries Brian's tour was cut short, but after Doug finished his deployment the two were able to reunite and continue creating music together.
In September 2007 Brian and Doug started to take their music seriously and began to work on their first album, Railbent. In March of 2007 they decided their sound was lacking something and Chuck on the bass provided the missing ingredient. With their new fuller sound, masterful vocals, and strong writing, Veteran Status is ready to take the next step in their musical career.
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