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I am Clint Sutton. I live in a rural part of Cameron in Marshall County, WV. I play Rock and Roll on the traditional Rock and Roll instruments, and I've written and recorded a bunch of songs that add up to a record. Some of these songs are available here for those interested to sample. I've done my best to aproximate the sound of a band on my own on the recordings, but there also exists a band that plays these songs live! ************************************************************************** Slop Models is the live band. Billy Sheeder, a brilliant songwriter and hero of mine played guitar for a while and perhaps again in the future. Nowdays, we have another brilliant songwriter and hero of mine, Mark Poole playing guitar. Kelly Strautmann plays bass guitar and and uses a phone cord to plug in. Trey Curtis is the drummer, bless him. We are playing in the Morgantown, WV area now.
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Absolute Powerpop says...
Two things that don't often happen on this blog: I post two CDs of the Day, and I break out the siren. But I just didn't want to wait until tomorrow or Monday to spread the word about Clint Sutton's self-titled debut, which will shoot right to the top of my Best of 2008 list. This disc reminds me more than anything of one of my favorite power pop discs of the 90s, Matthew Sweet's 100% Fun. It's got the big crunchy guitars, the sugary sweet melodies, and hooks galore.
Leadoff track "Somebody Told Me" knocks it right out of the park on the first pitch, and will have instant appeal to fans of the great "S's" of powerpop: (Sweet, Superdrag and The Shazam), and followup "Stone's Throw" is virtually its equal. There isn't a bad track here, but to quote Orwell, some here are more equal than others: "Foregoing the Breakdown" dials things down to midtempo, but loses nothing in melody and drive; "Tomorrow" rocks with a Beatlesque bounce; "Theory" adds some nice harmonies and synths to the mix; "Song You Like" almost jangles; and "Watershed Broke" closes the album, not with a ballad whimper, but with a bang. In fact, there are no ballads here to break up things, just 11 tracks that really put the power into power pop.
Just head over to the Baby and listen to the samples. If this doesn't shoot to the top of your "must get" list, please turn in your powerpop enthusiast membership card at the door.
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Daily Athenaeum says...
For some records, you know within the first few seconds that you have something special in your hands. For Wilco, it’s the “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” opener, “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.” Tom Waits’ “Swordfishtrombones” enticed listeners with the first few notes of “Underground.”
Though Clint Sutton’s self-titled album sounds very little like either of those albums, it certainly inspires that same kind of initial response.
“Somebody Told Me,” the introduction to the album, inspires more timeless rock than the typical local independent offering. Instead of boring listeners with a typical buildup, the album moves right into the mid-tempo, head-bobbing brand of rock music that sounds as lively as if you were actually in the studio.
What distinguishes this record from many independent records populating the shelves of music stores across college campuses is its honesty in simply trying to be a great record.
With most local music scenes full of bands that mimic acts and follow the indie trends that fill the pages of popular magazines, this record seems to stand up alongside its influences instead of standing in their shadows.
Tracks like “When We’re Gone” could easily be labeled with terms like “classic” or “indie” rock by both sides of the fence. What’s important, either way, is that it simply does rock.
The album, which is a long- time coming for those who have seen the music’s live incarnation, transitions from song to song with ease. Though recorded in Sutton’s own home, the production quality of the album does not hide behind a do-it-yourself approach. It’s as straightforward as the hooks that keep the music consistently catchy.
It is certainly impressive that Sutton is responsible for all of the instrumentation of the album, though the album does certainly seem repetitive at times.
Whether or not this is necessarily a bad thing is up in the air. With Sutton’s brand of rock, it seems comforting to instantly recognize his sound.
What makes the album fresh is not always its hooks, after all. Each song is a rock song, perhaps suggesting that Sutton’s sporadic approach to recording serves as a more efficient method when he wants to make every song count.
During the last chords of “Watershed Broke,” the album closes with an effort that seems more rejuvenating to a music scene than a jab at its flaws.
The record does not seem to be a statement about music, after all. It’s more of an example of what can be done than what no one else is doing.
Fans of the record will surely be at least a little disappointed by not having more tracks for their listening pleasure. Though it may take another few years to hear more out of this project, most of us would be happy to wait.
Grade: A
Andy Smith
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