I am a little late to the table on Columbus, OH band Two Cow Garage, but as the old adage goes, better late than never. Two Cow Garage are a three-piece alt-country outfit from the Heartland who recently released their aptly-titled third album, III. At first listen, you’ll notice similarities with Drive by Truckers and Lucero. Lead singer and guitarist, Micah Schnabel, has that “soaked in Jack” voice that fits like a glove with Two Car Garage’s brash, no-frills sound.
The best track is “Should’ve California,” a song that Patterson Hood would be proud to boast in his collection. It is a brilliant reflection of what Schnabel’s life could have been, as if he’s not at peace with the path he’s chosen. In a day when ass clowns like Pete Wentz adorn every magazine cover with his tough-guy pout, it is always refreshing to see an artist pour his heart into a song.
“No Shame” follows a similar pattern as the band explores giving up the hardscrabble life of constant touring and living hand to mouth that grinds them to the bone. “There’s a guitar that’s leaning on my wall / The instrument of my ultimate downfall / And notebooks scattered all over my floor / Six hundred pages all filled with regrets/ And hundreds of songs that ain’t finished yet / And a job application getting harder to ignore.”
After listening to III non-stop for a few days, I downloaded their second album The Wall Against Our Back. It’s also phenomenal. This is a band that has built their reputation and following on touring and writing songs that don’t hide a thing. If you are a fan of alt-country, this is a band that you must support. They’re not in it for the accolades or fame. Hell, after listening to a few of the songs, you get the feeling they might be happier doing something else. Lucky for us, they won’t.
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goddamn you are right.
AGREED!
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