I have bad news for my loyal readers. All eight of you. I would thank you by name but I think that would be in bad taste. Just the fact that you think of me as the Dick Van Patten in your quest for independent musical knowledge is enough. I’m ashamed to admit, however, that I have just recently stumbled across a tremendous alt-country outfit out of Vancouver named Ox. Their latest release, American Lo Fi came out in 2006 and I feel cheated about finding them at the tail-end of ’07.
The crux of the band is Mark Browing. He blends alt-country and folk to give the album a Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown feel. The first three songs on the album are so good that the rest of the disc could have sucked and I would still consider it money well-spent. “Miss Idaho” is a deliberate, bluesy tune with wonderful harmonizing with Ryan Bishops. Then they launch into a cover of Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” that is ten times as good as the original. Browning’s voice is meant to sing this song (no offense to Robin Zander but Browning’s distressed voice really makes the tune hit home).
The last of the trifecta is “Sugar Cane” which would fit right in on Stranger’s Almanac. The rest of the disc doesn’t suck either. “Country Music Promoter” and “1913,” are delightfully stripped down to showcase Browning’s voice and “Civilization,” which takes a unique look at Bush’s legacy.
So to my loyal readers, I hope I’ve righted this wrong. In the future I will be more on the ball and will not let excellence like this slip through the cracks.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you - even if it is a little late, a refreshing sound is never too late!
cool thanks
their other album, dust bowl revival, also has a great cover of The Highwayman’s “Deportee.”
Very nice. Love “Surrender”
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