Lead vocals and rhythm guitar: Josh Welsh, who started out in the vaguely punkish garage band Throttlebox and who has gradually but inexorably moved in the direction of stripped down acoustic material.
Bass, drums, harmonica, and some backing vocals: Martin Garner (of the Asbestos Sisters).
Piano and glockenspiel: Lance Hammer.
Slide guitar: Rupert Sandes.
Harmony vocals: Molly Hansen.
Songs on "Toot Toot, Boom Boom" were written by Josh and Philip Welsh, with the exeception of "The Sun Is On My Face Again," by Greg Eliason and Josh Welsh, and the traditional "The Water Is Wide."
Influences
Johnny Cash, Blind Willie Johnson, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Tom House, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Vic Chestnut, dB’s, Richard Buckner, Greg Brown, Bettie Serveert, Jonathan Richman, Gillian Welch, Al Green, Bonnie Prince Billy, Buddy Miller, Neil Finn, Dave Alvin, Little Larry Collins, Eliza Gilkyson, the Replacements, the Rolling Stones, Graham Parker, Guy Clark, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Tom Waits, Bobby Bare, Jr., Marshall Crenshaw, Peter Case, Elizabeth Cotton, Etta Baker, Richard Thompson, Ron Sexsmith, Ry Cooder, the Silver Jews, Alejandro Escovedo, Southern Culture on the Skids, Neil Young, all in no particular order.
Sounds Like
"Toot Toot, Boom Boom" is largely acoustic, guitar driven songs about meeting your kinfolk in the hereafter. Hard to say who or what it sounds like, exactly, but it might bring to mind John Prine, Greg Brown, The Swell Season, Wilco, and maybe the Willard Grant Conspiracy. Johnny Cash and the more recent Nick Lowe stuff as well, sort of...
Who or what is Meatyard?
Meatyard is not the photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard.
Meatyard is not the New Zealand grungecore death metal band.
Meatyard is… Well, if Townes Van Zandt, Roger Miller, Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon had a poker game in heaven, they might just listen Meatyard’s latest CD Toot Toot, Boom Boom.
After releasing several CDs worth of demos over the past few years, Meatyard went into the Jungle Room Studio in 2008 and recorded Toot Toot, Boom Boom, a collection of mainly acoustic, guitar-driven songs with male-female harmony vocals.
OK, that’s a pretty bland description that tells you next to nothing… Here’s a stab at a somewhat better description: The band’s off-kilter lyrics are reminiscent of John Prine or Warren Zevon, while the vocal style is closer to Johnny Cash, Greg Brown or (late) Nick Lowe. The music isn’t exactly what you’d call country, blues, or folk, and putting the word ‘alternative’ in front of any of those isn’t much help — but the sound is somewhere in that mix. If Leonard Cohen had a country band, maybe just maybe he would sound something like Meatyard. Or if Stephin Merritt from the Magnetic Fields ever played with Dwight Yoakum (and he should, shouldn’t he?), they might come up with this sort of stuff.
Who’s who in the band: lead vocals and rhythm guitar are by Josh Welsh, who started out in the punk/garage band Throttlebox. Bass, drums, harmonica, and some backing vocals are provided by Martin Garner (of the Asbestos Sisters); piano and glockenspiel by Lance Hammer, the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed Ballast; slide guitar by Rupert Sandes; and harmony vocals are by Molly Hansen (now of Denmark). This particular batch of songs were all written by the brother-team of Josh and Philip Welsh, with the exeception of The Sun Is On My Face Again, by Greg Eliason and Josh Welsh, and the traditional The Water Is Wide.
Click this link for Jenna Nicholls album "Curled Up Toes in Red Mary Janes"
"Just as unhurried as it is precious and reflective. The atmosphere is serene; you’ll pick
every word that is uttered and find a world that normally goes at a million miles an hour
slow to a relaxing canter. "
Hello Meatyard, thank you so much for being a friend to RT Dafis. I'm inviting people whose music I know he would appreciate. Best wishes and lots of love to you, mary duvalier xxx
