Grace Basement

Bio:

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Grace Basement makes the RFT's Best of 2009! Here's the link below. http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2009-12-16/music/hometown-proud-top-ten-local-releases-2009/

The nice folks at Creamy Radio have been spinning and enjoying Gunmetal Gray, making it one of Cappy’s Top 5 of 2009 (in the company of Marc Olsen, Deer Tic, Wilco and the Eels!). Check it out here. http://www.creamyradio.com/?p=1205 Thanks! Also, thanks to all at KDHX for playing Gunmetal Gray and featuring Grace Basement in the New Music Spotlight. GUNMETAL GRAY REVIEWS Here's Chris Schaeffer's review from the RFT followed by The Post-Rockist blog review and more

Grace Basement bandleader Kevin Buckley may be a world-class Irish fiddler, but his gifts for harmony and melody don't stop at jigs and reels. As a guitarist, singer and songwriter, he synthesizes 50 years of popular music into engaging, direct three-chord rock songs. Buckley played every note on Grace Basement's 2007 debut, New Sense, but his Gunmetal Gray is a full-band effort and features other special guests from St. Louis' rock, folk and Irish music scenes (including his father Jack, who contributes sweetly keening Uilleann pipes). Even though Buckley surrounds himself with talented players, these ten songs are peppered with his unique trademarks: immediate hooks, stacked vocals, serpentine fiddle runs and quirky but heartfelt lyrics. Gray's easygoing pop swings in two directions. Certain songs are saddled with — but not bogged down by — a sense of resigned melancholy (the addiction lament/lullaby "Back of the Moon"). Others — such as the infectious opening track "There He Goes" — ramp up the group's perky, punchy, pop dynamics. On that sunnier tip, "On Your Side (Soldier's Song)" begins like a Sonic Youth jam and morphs into a horn-aided rocker reminiscent of Being There­-era Wilco. Even slower songs such as "Why Would I Wait for Another?" and the stunning album-closer "Land of Endless Change" turn Buckley's blues into something grand and majestic, thanks to their precisely arranged instrumental codas. Few bands anywhere spin out songs that spring to life with a simple, earthy joy and heart-on-sleeve sentiment — but Grace Basement and Gunmetal Gray achieve this balance with emotional maturity and musical intuition.

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The Post-Rockist It’s one thing for a band to proclaim Harry Nilsson and XTC among their primary influences; it’s quite another to follow through and deliver the goods. Gunmetal Gray, the sophomore effort from St. Louis’ Grace Basement, hearkens back to the better features of any number of pure pop purveyors — a more creatively concise Jon Brion; a Ben Kweller not inclined to indulge his hokum country fancies — but at no point does it feel reduced to pastiche. With impeccably layered harmonies, urbane arrangements, and lead songwriter Kevin Buckley’s deft fiddling, Gunmetal Gray has turned out to be one of most pleasant surprises of 2009. I’ve been listening to this album since April, when the band temporarily released it as a free download from their website. The download was split like an old record into two tracks, an A side and a B side. I don’t know if the vinyl analogy was intentional, but considering how meticulously composed each individual track was put together, the overarching emotional flow of the album as a whole is remarkably fluid. From the boisterous and baroque opener “There He Goes” to the wry resignation of “Tilly Lingers” through to the orchestral flourishes of “Land of Endless Change,” the band, only recently conceived of as a four-piece, puts on a consistent and exuberant display of power pop prowess. It seems the timeframe for nabbing the disc as a free download has passed, but you can still order it online from Undertow Music or, what I would recommend, buy it direct from the band tonight at their CD release show at Off Broadway. Boston’s Everyday Visuals and St. Louis’ excellent Old Lights are opening.

St. Louis' Grace Basement is led by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Buckley who has quite a knack for writing concise pop gems. It’s pretty evident from the opening track "There He Goes" that the harmonies and chord minor changes are very infectious, and the addition of fiddle backing is an added bonus. The dance hall influenced melody of "Tilly Lingers" is another catchy gem along the lines of Harry Nilsson and XTC. Unlike the solo approach of the debut album New Sense, Buckley is assisted by guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mike Zapf and drummer Sean Price - it gives the entire album fuller sound. The smart pop sound avoids being too quirky — like Jon Brion or Ben Kweller without the over indulgent dramatics. The urbane arrangements at the albums mid point (like "Why Would I Wait For Another?" and "Warships") come closer to the latter-era Camper Van Beethoven or Whiskeytown. The mature acoustic guitar on "Highway" is meticulously constructed and "Golden Bell" has a wonderful melody and weary vocal that brings to mind Scott McCaughey (Minus Five) or Ryan Adams. The album ends with the orchestral flourishes of “Land of Endless Change,” a fitting finale of Beach Boys styled vocal harmony, guitar and strings. This LP is a high watermark in the bands development and it's most definitely worth adding to your pop collection. -Powerpopaholic.com

Grace Basement from St. Louis is back with their sophomore effort, "Gunmetal Gray". Voted "Best New Band" by The Riverfront Times in 2007, bandleader Kevin Buckley is hopeful that his latest will take off like a shot from a gun. Kevin Buckley is not only the guitarist, singer and songwriter behind Grace Basement, he happens to be a world-class Irish fiddler. He brings this novel element into his pop rock songs, creating a fresh and interesting dynamic. Building on this theme, he's also recruited several noted guests from St. Louis' rock, folk and Irish music scenes (including his father Jack, who plays the Uilleann pipes). So you'll also hear some gentle horns, accordion, harp, and more peppered throughout "Gunmetal Gray". Lyrically, Buckley thoughtfully explores themes of separation, loneliness, and finding meaning. "Gunmetal Gray" has lots of ammo packed right up front with instantly catchy cuts like "There He Goes" (my favorite on the disc, by the way), "Tilly Lingers", the soothingly sweet ballad "Back On The Moon", and the rockin' "Bad Design". These are hard acts to follow; consequently, the latter half of the CD seemed to struggle in matching this precedent. However, I really enjoyed the acoustic driven ballad "Highway" and the quiet, steady build of "Golden Bell" towards the end. Grace Basement walks the line between melancholy and upbeat pop, with an occasional sidestep into the baroque. Recommended if you like Guided by Voices, Waterboys, or Flaming Lips. -Bill's Music Forum

As as if it wasn’t already enough that St. Louis’ Grace Basement manages to deliver a pleasing reading of fine melodic alt-rock influences like Wilco, Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices and Superchunk, the band also incorporates more rustic instrumentation into the powerful mix. Thus, we are treated to the likes of fiddle, viola, lap steel, banjo, harp, accordion, concertina, horns and even uilleann pipes, which brings the band’s sophomore album to an entire different level. You’ve gotta respect the attention to textural detail that singer-songwriter-producer Kevin Buckley pays to these pop tunes – wonderfully indebted to the Beatles, XTC, the Beach Boys and Big Star for melodic invention. There is a magical balance between the sweet and raw qualities that blending the genres of powerpop and country-folk-blues results in. I am rather taken by this unique-sounding album. From the pulsating opening There He Goes onwards, one is never quite sure what twists and turns the impressive material would take, completely subverting expectations at all the right places. Which to me, is a testimony to a creative mind in action. -powerofpop.com

Voted "Best New Band" by The Riverfront Times (2007)

“The music is smart, and the tone is varied without being scattered; specifically, it's a genre-hop through alt-country, basement pop, fuzzy rock and acoustic folk…. More surprising is the source, 27-year-old Kevin Buckley, who plays every instrument on the record and who is primarily known for his mastery of the fiddle. New Sense is packed with simple harmonic riffs, complex vocal harmonies, and tossed-off lyrics that spring to life in the record's joyful atmosphere.”
- Christian Schaeffer, The Riverfront Times (July 2007)

“The sound is crisp, lush and ever-flowing streams of stellar guitar work and earth fiddle make "New Sense" a wonderfully arranged, smoothly harmonized and accomplished display of what song-craft should be about. VERY Highly Recommended."
- Bruce Brodeen, Not Lame Records (2007)

“Pretty hooks, jaunty verses, slightly-raggedy vocals… He's got real skill as a writer, and he imbues his songs with just enough of an off-kilter perspective to shear off the sharp edges of craft.”
- Jon Worley, Aidabet.com (2007)

“…the Beatles' melodic smarts; Guided by Voices' songwriting quirks; Superchunk's sunny, grungy riffs…”
- Annie Zaleski, The Riverfront Times (November 2006)

“The creative spark comes in many ways. For renowned fiddler Kevin Buckley, it started innocently enough with a project recorded on a Tascam 424 mkII 4-track cassette machine in his parents' basement and ended up as New Sense (Dren Records, 2007), a full-length CD recorded in Adobe Audition that blended power pop and Americana rock and was released under the moniker Grace Basement.”
- Diane Gershuny , Electronic Musician Magazine (Jan. 2008)

"Delicious Pop! New Sense is one of the few great comfort albums! I've listened to it a hundred times and it sounds better with each listen!"
- Nick Acquisto, The Space Parlour, KDHX

“This is a real awesome debut CD. The same kind of enthusiasm that emerged from the first Johnny Polonsky album "Hi My Name is Johnny" is here After a few listens, this one really sticks with you and the song melodies grows like a weed garden in your brain. That makes it a top ten contender in my book."
-Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic.com (2007)

TO PURCHASE NEW SENSE, CLICK ON ANY OF THE FOLLOWING LINKS

NOT LAME RECORDINGS

MILES OF MUSIC

AMAZON.COM

EUCLID RECORDS

VINTAGE VINYL

Member Since:

September 23, 2005

Members:

Kevin Buckley-Ben Phillips-Sean Price-King Jellyroll Czechmate-Tommy Martin-Eileen Gannon-Tim Sullivan-J.J. Hamon-Matt Pace-Ian Walsh and Kelly Winter to name a few.

Influences:

Dukes of Stratosphear, Guided by Voices, The Bothy Band, John Hartford, They Might be Giants, The Beatles, Neutral Milk Hotel, Planxty, The New Pornographers, Future Clouds and Radar, Gillian Welch, Kinks, Harry Nilsson, Apples in Stereo, that dog, Fleetwood Mac, Gram Parsons, Big Star, Wilco, XTC, R.E.M, Nada Surf, Matthew Sweet, Ron Sexsmith, Beach Boys, The Shins, Dylan, Matt Pond PA, Frank Black and the Catholics, Pixies, Shakti, Bee-Gees, The Byrds, Jellyfish, Weezer, Ben Kweller, Ween, N. Young. Emitt Rhodes, Elliott Smith, Pavement, Creedence.

Record Label:

Dren Records www.drenrecords.com