live some combination of: frank floyd on wurlitzer and accordion, jay foote on the upright bass, alex foote on electric guitar and glockenspiel, angela webster on drums, greg mcmullen on the pedal steel, jeff hudgins on clarinet, elizabeth dotson-westphalen on trombone and vocals
on recordings (and sometimes live) a whole mess of people... nathan wanta - vocal, wuritzer, mariee sioux - vocal, alela diane - vocal, madelyn burgess - vocal, bass, guitar, angel deradoorian - vocal, jolie holland - vocal, garrett pierce - guitar and vocal, gregory gheorghiu - vocal, alisa rose - fiddle, karl meyer - fiddle, elizabeth dotson-westphalen - trombone, sarah kramer - trumpet, chad king - pedal steel, jeff hudgins - clarinet
Influences
horses, birds, movies, breece d'j pancake, bill monroe, gamelan, fugazi, gillian welch, steve earle, early david bowie, texas gladden, the daniel boone national forest, nina nastasia, arvo part, suzi pritchett, sacred harp, old regular baptists, little debbie
Sounds Like
Video by Matt Bauer, editing and title sequence by Jenny Lee
video by Leigh Iacobucci
Video by Jenn Myers
MATT BAUER: Wasps and White Roses
the intersection of mountain banjo music and quiet indie folk
MATT BAUER: Nandina
alt country / americana with driving banjo, sleepy electric guitars, and intimate vocals.
Record Label
USA - La Société Expéditionnaire / Europe- Modulor
"There is an economic darkness on this recording. Lonely banjos ride along sharp ridges, horns swirl in cold creeks, and there is subtle sense of loss in Bauer's music that leaves the impression of a man whose demons will not be stilled."
-Skyscraper
"An album of fragile beauty"
-Under the Radar
"One of this year's finest records"
-Muzzle of Bees
"Matt Bauer's banjo-driven folk songs hang together on a gossamer thread, moving from background to foreground with an understated power."
-30music.com
"Matt Bauer plays a ghostly sort of folk, wreathed in delicate webs of banjo and whispered with a lightness Sam Beam might envy."
-Philadelphia Weekly
"While the murder ballad is a time-honored tradition in folk music, Matt Bauer’s latest effort, “The Island Moved in the Storm,” takes it to a higher level in the form of a suite. Incorporating imagery from his Kentucky roots, Bauer creates a gorgeous musical travelogue, both spare and fully orchestrated, based on a murder victim known for years only as ‘Tent Girl.’ Matt Bauer whispers the details in a beautiful feathery rasp, inviting you join him as and eyewitness to the secrets of this sad story."
--Irene Trudel, WFMU Program Host
"While the lyrics often yield to the dark side of country life, the arrangements are thin and carry traces of the Appalachian music that saturates the lives of Bauer's characters. His sparing use of instrumentation is effective in creating an atmosphere around these always-unraveling narratives"
-Leo Weekly
"The Album is flawless....at times gut wrenching, it's the kind of album you want to experience. The Island Moved In The Storm delivers a diverse instrumentation that carries Bauer's words with a grace proving him to be a master at work."
-BlogCritics.org
"Extremely well put-together, The Island Moved In the Storm is a broken fairy tale, a fever dream."
-mixtapesheartbreaks
"His songs are outstanding...There's a sparseness that pervades his debut, The Island Moved in the Storm, and it makes for an unsettling but immediately compelling listen. Bauer's lyrics are sneaky good, utilizing naturalistic imagery and deft turns of phrase."
-The L Magazine
"The staggering darkness and the uncomfortable weight of his songwriting is where his magic is."
-Aversion.com
"Bauer's work is simply astounding—not just on par with Samuel Beam's Iron and Wine bittersweet ethos, but a rival to its haunting intimacy"
-Kevchino.com
"Bauer's deft musings on violent beauty and the natural order of things could serve as a worthy backdrop to scenes from a Terrence Malick or Werner Herzog film."
-mog.com
"He's channeling something heavy, preparing the rest of us for a darkness or beauty that we aren't yet ready to receive. We believe Matt Bauer is a prophet."
- Thrasher Magazine"He's channeling something heavy, preparing the rest of us for a darkness or beauty that we aren't yet ready to receive. We believe Matt Bauer is a prophet." - Thrasher Magazine
WOW!!!! Fox Kits is amazing!!!! thank you so much for sharing your world!!! You are such a gift to my world. i am proud to tell you that my 3 year old sings along with your songs. thanks again.
