Billie Holiday, Zach Della Rocha, Patsy Cline, Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Tori Amos, Ryan Adams, Neil Young, Thom Yorke, Rufus Wainwright, Suzanne Vega, Beck, Robert Plant, Eddie Vedder, Cat Stevens, John Denver, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Minor Threat, Kurt Cobain, Jason Falkner, Nick Drake, Flaming Lips, Dolly Parton, Bono, Chris Martin, Brian VanderArk, Donny Brown, The Band, Zack Pearce, Our Lady Peace, Hank Williams, The Grateful Dead, Waylon Jennings, Outkast, Public Enemy, Jackson 5, Kris Kristofferson, Jenny Lewis, Jeff Tweedy, Ben Gibbard, Muse, Ours, Elton John, Gordon Lightfoot, Mazzy Star, Norah Jones, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, The Killers, Louis Armstrong, Harry Chapin, Evan Dando, Lucinda Williams, MUSE, Emmylou Harris, Mark Knopfler, NIN, Flea, Primus, Lefty Frizzell, Rooney, Dave Grohl...Sam Roberts, Stereophonics, Depeche Mode, Jim Morrison, The Marvelettes, Chuck D, Depeche Mode, The Atomic Numbers, Aimee Mann, Air, Asleep @ The Wheel, BRMC, David Bowie, Blinker The Star, Shannon Hoon, Elliott Smith, R.E.M., Smokey Robinson, Kelly Jones, Simon and Garfunkel, Kent, Rhett Miller, James Taylor
****AMERICANA-UK****
"ArthurAutumn (AKA-Brent A. Nuffer of Detroit legends Studiotone) is one of those guys that manages to gather a great big armful of influences (Ryan Adams, Flaming Lips, Evan Dando), plonk them down on the table and somehow come up with a sound that is, well, a bit different. A melancholic crooner, for want of a better description, Nuffer is at once likeable and, like so many records at this time, sets a nice, pre-cursor to the coming summer days with a warmful glow, on the whole there is much to like. Tracks like "Hold On", the opening "Always On My Mind," (no, it's not that one) are trantalising blend of alt-country-esque grooves and subtly, flowered pop. Enough here to interest those of you who like your Americana served with oodles of soft, pop charm. In his aforementioned band, Nuffer has managed to create a real buzz at US radio. Given the "friendly" nature of this record I would suggest that he send one to Bob straight away."
****LEICESTER BANGS-UK****
"With a name that conjures up vague memories of some lost cult figure from the deepest recesses of quintessentially English psychedelic whimsy-ArthurAutumn is in fact the nom-de-plume of Brent A. Nuffer, front man of contempary Detroit alt-rock outfit Studiotone. Not remotely evocative of 60's revialism, in the guise of his alter-ego, Nuffer fleshes out his reflective-focussed songs in warmly minimalistic style, and the contributions of cohert/producer Zack Pearce, particularly impressive on lap steel, lend the proceedings a fluid almost dreamy quality, that ought to find favour among some alt-country fans."
****REVIEW MAGAZINE-BOB MARTIN****
Brent Nuffer has always been more known for his Rock and Roll leanings, but as is true with the myriad of dimensional emotion that flows through any true artist, tapping into different ways of expressing that emotion serves as the fountain of color that keeps one's edge sharp and sound fresh. With the release of his new CD StyrofoamPillsHeartbreakShaker under the nomme' de-plume of ArthurAutumn, Nuffer has opened the vein on mercurial and inner emotional swells of heartache, rendering the lyrics in lushly lyrical & autumnal arrangements courtesy of a musical line-up including Donny Brown (Verve Pipe,) on drums and Josh Woodland (Studiotone/guitar) on bass. Mixed by Andy Reed the albums tackles deep inner and personal emotional terrain on topics like death & depression-common to each of us in different ways, yet successfully distinguished in this instance by the manner in which the music & lyrics weave an embrace of warmth and comfort over the listenier, creating an ultimately uplifting experience not by ignoring the demons & dramas that may afflict us, but by showing how beautiful the textures of the roller coaster ride can be. Opening with lush, lonely, and lovely guitar strains of "Always On My Mind," Nuffer opens his musical lens slowly throughout each track cycling through the album, showing flashes of influence ranging from the poetic introspection of Jackson Browne to the non-judgmental country sermons of Hank Williams, Sr. yet the overall impact is decidedly original-the portrait of an artist as a wandering troubadour of the heart. Produced by Zack Pearce and mastered by Glenn Brown, whom has worked with Kid Rock, Emimem and Jack White."
****NOT LAME RECORDS****
"For fans of "Heartbreaker"-era Ryan Adams, Cat Stevens, The General Store, Sam Roberts and Rufus Wainwright listen up-well, listen above and dig it!"
****WHITES BAR****
"StyrofoamPillsHeartbreakShaker, is something else, a troubling piece of music to be sure. It's certainly not for the hurried-up let's go to a restaurant for some cool jazz and a Neil Young cover band-crowd. It's certainly not about some angst-ridden brokeback theme like, "I wish I could quit you" as it is a longing to find oneself and in doing so, finding the other. Autumn created music that has a stark aural splendor that is scaffolded by elusive if not elegant lyrics. The use of dialectics i.e., the holding of opposites, such as love versus sex or truth versus self-deception, creates an extraordinarily powerful tension in the music that sets this disc apart from the ordinary singer/songwriter schmaltz that floods today's scene. It's as if Autumn's existential anguish contradicts his quest for order and reason. But in the end his spiritual longing transcends those limitations and he learns that the art of happiness doesn't involve being happy at all, at least not in the merry-christmas-partridge-family-let's-go-shopping kinda happy. The resolution of the dilemna is carved out in a form of self-awareness, of being who you are. And therein lay his triumph. This body of work underscores that basic truth. From corporate greed, forgotten people and a manufactured war-we have a lot to talk about..."
****LANSING STATE JOURNAL-ANNE ERICKSON****
"Not many rock guys were raised on Billie Holiday and Zach De La Roche, but Brent A. Nuffer can make that claim. The album is far different from the sometimes heavy-rock of previous projects-more acoustic based, melancholy melodies and even a country shuffle."
****CHRIS RIETZ****
"ArthurAutumn delivers genuinely fresh, original sound on debut CD. For starters, Nuffer is the kind of rock singer who's well suited to the transformation into pop balladeer: he has a strong voice, dialed down to a conversational intimacy but able to soar into an emotionally charged high range. Check out the hint of vocal power latent in "Empty Heart" or "Where Do You Go?" It's a major-seventh-chord ballad in the classic mold, and his falsetto riffing is one the CD's high points."
****NOISE MAGAZINE-CHRISTIAN CZERWINSKI****
"You're not going to find a giant crowd of emo poseurs at an ArthurAutumn show. No large screen relaying images of his fingers plucking an acoustic guitar. ArthurAutumn just comes up to the stage and dutifully performs a slew of songs from his debut album, StyrofoamPillsHeartbreakShaker. He takes a heart and soul approach to his music, ditching the whole relationship terrain for darker subject matter. Autumn's songs crawl along with a 50's country flair, commingled with elements of folk and pop. On "Empty Heart," one of Nuffer's stand-out tracks, a weeping lap steel provides a subtle backdrop for his smooth voice and introspective lyrics. Quite often, his breathy voice seeps into plaintive lulls making the moodiness of his repertoire apparent.
how strange. i am sitting here writing. it's a poetry evening. your album is playing.... you know the song with the lyrics ... "all the letters have been sent" ... the song where i think you sound like you're saying "seattle".... it's on. right.now.
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