October Feature 2006
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Photo
by Judith Levitt |
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Feature Article by Ben
Krieger
There is an unfortunate tendency in Williamsburg for assigning the singer/songwriter label to acoustic artists. Part of this is the fault of bands and sound engineers at venues, who both seem to seem determined to pump the guitar volume into the stratosphere, drowning out the very thing that often helps to define a band more than anything else: its lyrics. But Paul Westerberg is a singer/songwriter. So is Bob Mould. And while the riffs and feedback deliver visceral impact, these writers would be nothing without the words they pen. Brooklyn rocker Tom Rhodes understands this. With one foot in North Carolina and one in the Bushwick apartment he still pays rent on, Rhodes is back with a new record entitled No Apologies. Cranking up the amps, but making sure that his poignant lyrics are clearly understood, he has assembled an impressive cast of Brooklyn’s finest and crafted a lyrical testament to following one’s heart on all cylinders, flipping off anyone who advises otherwise.
Mixing love, remorse and nostalgia into
the CD's centerpiece, title track lays out Rhode's intentions clearly:
there are no hipster gimmicks on this record, just rock. No Apologies
plays like the best Eagles material, with genre bending that never
strays too far from rootsy, guitar-driven arrangements. And he's
got the campy, Exile-era chick backing vocals to seal the deal.
The other songs continue in this autobiographical vein, tracing
Rhodes' steps over the past few years in the Brooklyn scene. "One
Black Pearl" is a revved-up ballad for everyone who remembers the
Goo Goo Dolls when they were unknown, talented indie songsmiths.
On "Four Bare Walls," the artist ponders the strength it takes to
break the mental boundaries that keep an artists from "going for
it." He continues this internal dialogue on another reggae-influenced
song entitled "Breathe." In anyone else’s hands, "Big Rock Star"
would be an abrasive, ironic snorefest. Tom Rhodes is a big
rock star and when he steps up to the mike, it’s to fire his charisma
across the room. The song kicks off the second half of the record
and Rhodes reveals a bit more of that trademark, wise-ass charm
of his stage (and offstage) persona. Throw in a couple of love &
lost numbers, filled with slow dances, Chelsea Hotel breakfasts
and drunken shenanigans... the picture is now complete.
While the songs are set in the context of a songwriter's life, Rhodes the imagery is carefully selected for open interpretation, particularly in the choruses. “Sometimes the best way to learn something is to teach someone,” says Rhodes, reflecting on how he writes his sings for himself as well as others. “Going for it” is a way of life that our hero endorses for everyone, on stage and in the audience. If a fan takes the time to soak in the message, get off their ass and make the most of their existence, Tom Rhodes has done his duty.
While 2004’s Tom Rhodes had its creator handling most of
the instruments himself, the new project feels more like a family
affair. The credits for No Apologies read like The All-Star
Jezebel Songwriter Playbook. Len Monachello (All Night Chemists),
Doug Siegel and Kat Hayman are just a few of the talented musicians
who contributed to the recording. Sonically, the record is (as Rhodes
puts it) "lo-fi with good microphones." Engineer Willie Breeding
helped to conjure up some killer sounds using this approach. Acoustic
guitars chime away, guitars rip when necessary, organs swirl on
cue, and Gasper Bertoncelj's drums sound fantastic. It is unclear
as to whether or not Rhodes will be working with this Brooklyn crew
again. A country boy at heart, the songwriter spent a lot of time
living on farms before he came to NYC, and sadly, it seems as if
he's ready to ramble back in that direction again...
There's a well worn path between New York City and North Carolina,
and if you're traveling along it, you'll meet musicians headed for
the city to seek their fortune, as well as folks who are headed
south for the same reason. The last time I was in Chapel Hill, I
met a transplant bartender from the Big Apple who explained the
lure of the southern indie rock haven: "I make less money and work
more, but somehow I have more money and time for my music than I
ever did in New York." Rhodes sees this potential in his new home
as well and is currently juggling the benefits of both locales:
networking potential up North and musicians who actually have time
to tour down South. "Before I moved to NYC and was working
as a solo guy with an acoustic, I always played in rock bands...
I've always been a rock guy," says Rhodes. The next chapter
in this troubadour's story will introduce a new band that Rhodes
will take on the road, Stateside and beyond. Thursday's rock show
at Galapagos will be a scorcher with his Brooklyn family, closing
a chapter that might as well have been titled, "The Loudest,
Drunkest, Drop-Dead-Talented, Gotta-Love-Him, Not-Necessarily-in-That-Order,
Brooklyn Singer/Songwriter Who Ever Kicked Your Ass."
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Click the CD to purchase! |
http://www.tomrhodesmusic.com
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