May 03, 2004

Nowhere Man & A Whiskey Girl

Arizona's Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl remind me a lot of the Spinanes--and not just because it's a two piece indie folk-pop band, either. Siblings Amy & Derek Ross make simple indie-pop with a jazzy edge not seen since Manos, and that's enough to give them a major thumbs-up. Luckily, there's more to them than just being a Spinanes imitation, and I'm happy to say that this is a great little debut. The songs go from simple acousitc pop of "Please Die" and "Bottle Rockets" to the country pop of "Dirt In My Mouth," though they never venture out of the most basic guitar/piano/bass format. The rustic artwork of a dusty Arizona town only adds to the overall sepia-toned feel of this little record. Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl is easy to listen to and even easier to fall in love with, and it takes all of one spin to fall in love with these kids.

But wait! There's more! The record is enhanced with a ton of goodies--literally. The record is presented in demo form, with four unreleased songs (including a cover of Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why"), lyrics to all of the songs, a collection of photos of the duo, a biography of the band (as well as Bisbee, Arizona, the town from whence these kids come, as well as the inspiration for the record), a video documentary of the making of this record and a concert performance from Phoenix. Though I wasn't able to access this extra record (gee, I really need to upgrade!) it's presented quite well and I bet it's killer material as well. Enjoy!

--Joseph Kyle

Artist Website: http://www.nowheremanandawhiskeygirl.com

Label Website: http://www.727records.com

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