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What people are saying about Awful Joy...
Voted one of the top 5 albums of 2005, Voted one of the top 5 live
shows in Chicago in 2005---CHICAGO INNERVIEW MAGAZINE
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"Lowry's psychedelic neo/anti-folk pop is an offbeat offshoot
where the hurdy gurdy man takes us on a twisted magical mystery tour.
Hot wired and intense, even in its quieter moments, this is
challenging, innovative music that pushes established boundaries with
alarming ease." CREATIVE LOAFING, ATLANTA
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Named One of the Top Emerging Artists of 2006
THE DELI MAGAZINE, NYC
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"On the 13 tracks of the band's new release, Awful Joy, beauty,
banality and brutality coexist fragile and sincere in fingerpicked
guitars, whinnying harmonicas and cascading pianos. The result is as
strange and beautiful as any acid excursion. As [Lowry] puts it in
"Arkansas," sometimes the real world can ruin our good time, but it
still contains the only magic that we know of, so what're you so scared
of?" CHRIS GLENN, THE PITCH WEEKLY---KANSAS CITY
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"Lowry's quietly strange brand of neo-folk music is akin to an ocean breeze stirring the hot, heavy summer air: It refreshes and delights, and leaves listeners smiling about the pleasant little surprises that await in life. Such a pleasing discovery is bound to unassumingly tuck itself away into one's soul, to be remembered and treasured for a long time to come." KATHERINE LATSHAW, ENCORE MAGAZINE---WILMINGTON/CAPE FEAR
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". . .they are creating music that is timeless and groundbreaking. . .
.More than just the production. . . the songs themselves come through
as a force to be reckoned with", BLOCK MAGAZINE, NYC
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"One of the true musical gems to come out of the past year. . .Rather
than the typical verse/chorus/verse structure many of the tracks from
their debut LP "Awful Joy" build slowly and subtly before reaching
their cathartic peaks, GHOST MEDIA, CHICAGO
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"If you're a fan of melodic, intelligent pop music in any form you owe
it to yourself to check these guys out. Awful Joy is a spectacular
album, and Alex Lowry's immense talent makes for an amazing show. . .
Full of melodious hooks and emotional movement, the record is a
testament to how overtly enjoyable pop music can be when it is stripped
of self-consciousness and pretension. " DON BARTLETT, CHICAGO INNERVIEW
MAGAZINE
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"Lowry's ostensibly part of the neo-folk revival over-running the East
Village, but this disc is all over the rock time line, from Ziggy-era
Bowie to Yoshimi-Lips, with twangy intervals, chamber pop stops and
even a prog-rock touch or two along the journey. They are not to be
missed." JOHN SCHACT, CREATIVE LOAFING--CHARLOTTE
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[Awful Joy] outdid my expectations by leaps and bounds at least half of
the album would be capable of winning legions of fans. .... So far this
gets local release of the year in my book, setting the bar pretty high
for what is capable by independent New York musicians. URBAN FOLK
MAGAZINE, NYC
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"The way Lowry manages to wrestle a melody out of all the seemingly
disconnected layers of sound is a beautiful mystery that, whether it be
serendipity or sheer diligence, makes the songs not merely intriguing
but flat out catchy. . . .It's not often, as in "4th of July" that you
hear cello and banjo working together but it is that sort of collage of
sound and Lowry's dreamy fits of language that make this record not
just a solid work of art but such an unadulterated and immediate joy."
ROBIN CRACKNELL, AMERICANA UK
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"It's a mellow minefield. . .the singing isn't pretty, but it's earnest
and sad and tough to ignore. His guitar work on the other hand, is
pretty, and nimble and country-tinged too. This music isn't pop or rock
or even alt-country, really, but a mish-mash of all three. Do not miss
this band." BIRMINGHAM WEEKLY
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"Lowry might be a bit off his rocker but he has a mastery for crafting
clever and intelligent pop hooks. . . .The East Village might be the
proper place for him to call home but after a single listen hell find
himself at home in your stereo and music rotation." SMOTHER MAGAZINE
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"Lowry has in 'Awful Joy' created an album of music that acts like
water on a watercolor, blurring lines between genres and re-sorting
them into something new and vital." DAILY VAULT, JASON WARBURG
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"Love, self-discovery, fist fights, theres a little bit of everything
on Awful Joy. Mostly love, though. I mean, there is a sunflower on the
album cover." CITY WEEKLY, OMAHA
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"Lush and orgasmic at times, the music can shift shapes and transcend
forms just as easily as the curious lyrics." THE READER, OMAHA
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"Their elegant mix of unpredictable song structures and dynamics, almost-morose melodies and tunes, and straight-beat grooves are along the same vein as recent works by Flaming Lips, Elf Power, Modest Mouse, and Portastatic. . . . .artistically spectacular." T. BALLARD LESEMANN, CHARLESTON CITY PAPER---CHARLESTON, S.C.
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