Freak Scene #14: Original Cowards Show No Fear on Latest
A Guide to Music in Western Mass. (and sometimes Connecticut)
This week in Freak Scene, Original Cowards are having fun on their latest, Country Club Creeps. Also, Western Mass. duo High Tea have a new song, as do Connecticut singer Jennifer Hill and the New Haven-area group Sammy Rae & the Friends.
There’s nothing fussy about Original Cowards’ 2023 album Country Club Creeps, no putting on of airs. It’s a collection of straightforward indie-rock songs powered by muscular guitars and poppy melodies that often evoke the Northampton trio’s influences without sounding exactly like any of them.
What they sound like, in fact, is three guys (and some special guests) making music together because making music together is fun. And as we know, fun is awesome. Sometimes the fun here takes the shape of big, loud rockers: opener “Burned by the Sun” is a stomping shuffle built around singer/guitarist’s John Crand’s serrated riffs and Riley Godleski’s steady beat, while “Dream Mind” rides a superheated guitar sound that will remind Dinosaur Jr. fans of J Mascis, along with thrumming bass from Leo Hwang (who also plays in Vimana, who we learned about in Freak Scene #8).
Elsewhere, Original Cowards lay back. There’s no hurry on “Phoebe,” where Godleski’s beat provides a sturdy framework for harmony vocals and hazy pedal steel guitar courtesy of Andy Goulet, late of Salvation Army String Band and more recently Animal Piss, It’s Everywhere. That’s Goulet again on “Lowlands,” his swooning pedal steel lines lending a melancholy air to a meditation full of naturalistic imagery that also features piano from Philip Price of Winterpills.
The core trio plays with relentless energy on the title track, while guest Andy Bosse sprays fiery lead guitar lines over everything to make it all burn hotter. The musicians lock into the groove here so tightly that they somehow manage to extend the song to nearly 6 1/2 minutes, but it never feels labored or overlong — it actually goes by in a flash, before fading out and combusting back into 20 seconds or so of crackling noise.
OK, with fire metaphors now exhausted (extinguished?), Original Cowards seem like the kind of creeps you’d be glad to have at the country club. At the very least, they’d keep things lively.
High Tea Feel Palpitations on ‘Tender Heart Attack’
Folk-rock duo High Tea do some unburdening on their new single, “Tender Heart Attack,” a direct and unsparing purge of complicated emotions. Isabella DeHerdt (also of Kalliope Jones) sings from the perspective of someone trying to find their bearings after the person they thought was their soulmate skipped town. For all the messy feelings, DeHerdt and Isaac Eliot keep the music simple, letting their voices carry the song over a blend of acoustic guitar, bass and percussion, with filigreed squiggles of electric guitar. It’s the duo’s first single since “Scuba Diving,” which they released last August.
Sammy Rae & the Friends Finally Get It
Maybe I was wrong about Sammy Rae & the Friends. The whole “we’re not merely best friends, we’re family” ethos always seemed cloying, and there’s something inherently suspicious about horn-laced funk-rock, especially when it’s from Derby, Connecticut. Yet the group’s new song, “I Get It Now,” is a slow-burner with a whole lot of heart. It’s the first love song the band has released, and the combination of Rae’s soulful vocals, piano and, later in the song, cinematic orchestrations, shows a different side of the group — one with the potential to make believers of grumps like me.
Jennifer Hill Refocuses on Music, With Help From June Millington
After 15 years working on SWAN Day CT (Support Women Artists Now), Jennifer Hill is refocusing on her own music. The Farmington singer has a new album on the way called Love Bomb, preceded by the bluesy single “Gemma Star.” The song showcases Hill’s powerful vocals, and features a scorching slide guitar part courtesy of the irrepressible June Millington, co-founder of the Institute for the Musical Arts in Goshen, Mass. (I’ve been lucky enough to write about her a few times, including this story in Rolling Stone and this one for Pitchfork).
Field Day Festival Canceled
Organizers have pulled the plug on Field Day, the festival that had been scheduled for the first weekend in June at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton. “Despite our ambitious vision, a stellar lineup, and a dedicated team, ticket sales and sponsorship have not met expectations, leaving us facing the very real possibility of significant financial loss,” reads part of a statement about the decision to cancel. Those who bought tickets will receive a refund soon.
Upcoming concerts
DSP Concerts brings Billy Bragg to the Academy of Music in Northampton on July 23. Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives are there Sept. 12, while Graham Nash performs Oct. 4. Also, Blind Pilot plays July 15 at the Iron Horse. Mary Gauthier and Robbie Fulks share a bill there Sept. 13. At the Drake in Amherst, Mannequin Pussy performs Aug. 4, Stop Light Observations are there Aug. 17 and Slow Pulp play Nov. 8. Check here for tickets and more information about DSP shows.
Infinity Hall in Hartford brings in Marc Cohn Sept. 27, and Robert Cray Oct. 27. Also, John Hiatt is there May 23, and he’ll sound amazing in that room. Tickets and more information here.
Tracy Walton, Jon Berman, Big Show and Amanda McCarthy perform May 15 at Loophole Brewing in Springfield, hosted by Lee Totten. Music starts at 6:30 and it’s free.
Correction
Last week, I had the venue wrong for jazz musician Elena Ciampa’s performance tonight as part of Arts Night Out, in conjunction with MICA Fest. She’s at the Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St.
Next week: we’ll delve into the new album from Mystics Anonymous.
Do you know a musician you’d like to read about in Freak Scene? Let me know! To submit your (or their) music for coverage consideration, send a note to erdanton at gmail or reply to this email. Check out these guidelines first. You can find previous issues of Freak Scene in the archive. (Freak Scene is free, but donations are gratefully accepted, and have no bearing on coverage.)