illustration and poster design by Kyle Hilton

Local graphic artist Kyle Hilton is doing some effin insane work if you haven't heard. A product of Southern Miss, Hilton is doing national-level illustration work right here in Jaxxon.

> check it

site design by Vince Falconi

Hymnal, the brainchild and labor of love for a small group of writers and artists in Jackson, MS, including Sir Noleo himself, is an online "zine" that covers the Southeast music scene. This week, the good ship Hymnal finally took to the seas. There's a ton more work to cover as we aspire to cover more and more music from outside of our home base in Jackson. If you are interested in covering music in your area for Hymnal, drop me a line.

After the Fall - Taylor Hildebrand from Robby Piantanida on Vimeo.

If you have even a passing interest in Jackson music and artfully produced videos, you owe it to yourself to check out the following video by Rob Piantanida for Taylor Hildebrand's song After the Fall. Perhaps my favorite part is how Piantanida gives each musician a chance to shine in their own reveal. This complements the song's structure perfectly, as the instrumentals are layered one after another until the tapestry is complete. 

Tom Beck of Beck Photographic employs a host of techniques in capturing stunning images. His instrument of choice lately has been his little plastic Diana 120 camera and its variety of accessories. The Diana might look like a toy, but make no mistake...in the hands of a talented photographer with a great eye, it transcends gimmickry and becomes an imperfect and artful device for capturing the world around us. That isn't to say that plastic cameras are his only tools, as he is a talented commercial photographer capable of lighting and capturing images of stunning fidelity.

See more of Tom's work on his Photo-Of-The-Day blog.

One of the brightest stars to come out of the Mississippi State University graphic design program, Justin Schultz and The Flying Chair rules the Jackson, MS gig poster scene. His sophisticated use of hand-drawn art and type bring a uniqueness to every piece, while unified stylistically with his larger body of work. The playful concepts complement his artwork perfectly - never taking the subject matter, nor the execution, too seriously.

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Illustration by Michael BollsTo furrow is to, generally in a pained manner, wrinkle one’s forehead. This expression is so pronounced that the bunched skin resembles the parallel farming trenches, from which, the verb derives: furrows. While digesting the lyrics presented in Furrows’ self-titled debut, you imagine that Cody Cox, lead singer and songwriter, has heard that description before. It isn’t hard to suppose that, after living some of the experiences described here, the topography of one’s brow would be altered. It is a credit to the songwriting that these experiences are felt, with the mind, just as acutely as the physical expression would be noticed by the eyes.

The album is dense with well-written imagery and emotion, and starts out with Sweet Anesthesia, a twangy tale of the relief that can only come in forgetting. Cox sings, over a punchy swing rhythm, “I'll buy you a drink if you whisper in my ear. Just promise me that I won't wake up 'til sometime next year.” The initial impression is one of a strong familiar tie to the rootsy leanings of Cox’s former band, Goodman County, where he was also joined by Furrows’ bassist Barry Shannon and drummer Tony Abercrombe. But where Goodman County was more of a freewheeling amalgam of garage, punk and country, Furrows is more evolved and polished, showing a wider variety of influences.

This evolution, by design, is the result of the band seeking to enhance the immediate emotional impact with a deliberate eye toward the clarity of message. The lineup, balanced out by the musicality of Tyler Kemp on keys and the judicious guitar of Jason Daniel, gives Furrows a more layered sound. Varying from Crazyhorse-inspired Americana, to Zeppelin-style blues, the greater variety seems to have ignited something in Cox’s lyrics. There is more maturity and sophistication, that thanks to the tighter compositions and playing, rings clearer and more poignant than ever.

As evidence of the band’s strengths, this album features two of the best songs Cox has ever written. The first, Ambulance, is an absolutely lovely harmonica-punctuated waltz. The architecture of the song is remarkable, lulling the listener while it builds to a wonderfully powerful crescendo as Cox dejectedly sings “If silence is golden and these songs are lead, then loop my last weary words over my head.”

The second is Match Gone Fire, which represents perhaps the best songwriting of Cox’s career. Slowly, over sparse drums by Abercrombe, Cox lays out the case: “If I'm the building strong and you're the wrecking ball, then there's no one to blame for where this wreck came from.” His metaphor is one of several contrasting couplings describing a love that was doomed from the start. The strength of this song alone, in my opinion, makes this album a worthy purchase. It is a sophisticated and powerful piece that rivals anything going on in the national scene.

The brisk runtime of the album is rounded out by a few other noteworthy tracks, including the album’s most rocking song, the ‘60s blues-inspired romp, Drag Your Knees. The most unique and poppy track of the album, If I Was a Night, may also be its most shallow. That isn’t to say that it is bad, as it is rather catchy and listenable, but the song lacks the lyrical resonance of its neighboring tracks. Bridgeburner, featuring its majestic guitars and organs, soars with themes of regret. Appropriately, the almost spiritual nature of the instrumentation echoes as if it were being played in a cathedral ... the perfect venue for contrition. The final taste of the album comes from No Letters, a bluesy piano jam. If Sweet Anesthesia was pulling up a place at the bar, No Letters is the last call.

Furrows is an album of well-textured musical depth, as well as a high-water mark for Cox as a songwriter. Ambulance and Match Gone Fire are both so strong that it’s hard not to recommend the album on their strength alone. Luckily there is a lot more goodness to be had in addition to those. The well-crafted melodies, strong lyrics and quality production makes Furrows’ debut as easy a recommendation as I’ve made this year. Your brow may well crinkle with delight.

Furrows' all-ages cd-release party is March 12, at 7 p.m. at Sneaky Beans. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door. 
http://www.myspace.com/furrowsband

When I arrived in Jackson years ago, there was this really loud, fast punk/garange band that played a lot at Martin's and Don's called The Overnight Lows. They were composed of Jackson's Marsh and Daphne Neighbors, a husband-wife duo that just so happened to rock pretty hard. Their with ripsaw guitars and thunderous, rock-god beats filled those tiny bars with a wall of sound that could deafen those with lesser hearts. Many moons later, this band is finally making the national splash it deserves, signing with Memphis' Goner Records and releasing their first full-length, City of Rotten Eyes. Blending bits of influence from 70's NYC garage, amped up punk, a little whimsy of The Vasolines, and the audacity of Goner alumni Jay Reatard, the band waves their party flag high.

Standout tracks include the driving title track, Shut Up Looking at Me, Lipstick Burn, and Picked Apart (Left to Rot.) It's a very quick listen, with no song lasting over three minutes, and most substantially less. With such a longer playtime, the lack of variety in tone and pace might wear on you. But this album is in and out so quickly that you might very well listen to it twice before you realize it. Punk has always been a dish best served in small portions. This album may well make you want seconds.

Their LP release gig is Saturday, March 6th @ Ole Tavern on George Street.

> Goner Records

> Buy on eMusic

photographer unknown - contact me and you'll be credited

Musicians are a bit like objects in space. Give them a particular orbit with which to hang around, and eventually they bounce off of each other. Sometimes, these cosmic particles stick together, drawn by gravity into bands. And sometimes, these bands bump into other bands, giving way to an all new creation...bound together by the magic ties of the universe: the "supergroup." Horse Trailer is such a collaboration, formed with members of some of Jackson's most talented groups. And like any supergroup, they succeed most when they are not just individual artists taking turns at the mike, but when common purpose and love...that gravity... slings them forward on the same course like a comet streaking across the sky. Composed of many pieces, but greater than the sum of its parts...able to let those individual parts shine brightly, but never more brightly than the whole.

Horse Trailer is composed of singer/guitarist Taylor Hildebrand and drummer Dave Hutchinson of Passenger Jones; singer/guitarist Johnny Bertram and mandoliner Jamie Weems of Johnny Bertram and The Golden Bicycles (Weems also plays with Wooden Finger, and The Scramblers); singer/guitarist Tommy Bryan Ledford of The Taylor Grocery Band; and the dynamic standup playing of bassist Valley Gordon of Dixie Nationals/Hot Tamales/Scramblers fame. Each member brings much to the table, as their pedigrees attest, allowing Horse Trailer to be a band that is deep and textured at every position. And the experience gives this relatively new band the ability to gel quickly, growing tighter and stronger. In fact, this was observable over the course of the evening.

Ledford began the set with Taylor Grocery Band's Jericho Road, and it served its purpose well as a starter. The song’s driving rhythm got the juices pumping like the wheels of the train the song refers to. Ledford's voice is appropriately traditional for the style, and complements the group’s more indie-folk counterpoints well. Bertram followed with Lonesome Road, a rootsy swing with tones of Elliot Smith, Gram Parsons and Neil Young. Bertram displayed a clarity in tone that echoed through the Fondren streets, lending a smoothness to the set. Hidebrand, not to be outdone, brought Clouds Fighting, a Passenger Jones tune, whose signature chorus “You don’t ever come around” has a soul at play that recalls The Swell Season’s Glen Hansard.

These songs, while good in their own right, tended to feature a single artist’s style, as they took turns performing songs they've done in their respective bands. While not a bad thing, functioning as an introduction to the cast, the real magic of the set occurred when the singers stepped aside and Horse Trailer stepped forward. The jam that followed, appropriately called Horse Trailer Breakdown, really showcased their excellent musicianship and cohesiveness. Mandoliner Jamie Weems would particularly shine in these moments, recalling Chris Thile’s less bluegrassy numbers with his skill and improvisation. This jam seemed to ignite something in the band as the following songs brought the singers together in harmonies that had only been hinted at before, and a tighter performance as a whole. Horse trailer had found its orbit, and was picking up speed. As the set came to a close, the earlier gospel leanings reached their logical fruition. As Bertram sang “you can’t take my joy away from me…I’ll put on my white robes and sing along”, eyes and hearts were lifted up as the chorus bled into the gospel hymnal, Leaning on The Everlasting Arms. The band, not to end on too serious a note, broke into one last jam to say goodnight to the enthusiastic crowd.

Soon folks were paying their tabs or shuffling home, and I came to a realization that Horse Trailer had only just begun its journey. This band is good already, make no mistake, but It's exciting to think about the potential that could be realized when the band writes more material together...of when Bertram, Ledford, and Hildebrand join voices together in harmony, lifting each other up as a single instrument...of Weems gracefully dancing notes around the melodies while Gordon and Hutchinson are locked together in razor-sharp rhythm. That gravity is taking hold, making the bonds tighter. And when they have finally reached that perfect unison, Jackson will have a group truly worthy of being called super.

Horse Trailer plays Hal & Mal's Red Room Saturday, January 30th.

© Melody Moody

Taylor Hildebrand is a beautiful soul. In fact, I would wager that just about anyone who knows him would attest to his warm company. I, however, fall into the category of acquaintance...having worked with him on a few festivals, but I can tell you that there are few artists who are as friendly or so open. He sets you at ease. Which makes his outstanding lyrics the more disarming. It helps that those lyrics are propelled by a soulful and dynamic voice that soars above the soft melodies he has crafted. His sound recalls Ray Lamontagne a bit, but less Memphis and more Portland. His bands Horse Trailer and Passenger Jones are stylistically quite different, but equally able to showcase Taylor's strengths, as a frame would a portrait. But not on this particular evening. 

Standing in the dining room of Hal & Mal's and performing to a sparse and largely quiet crowd, Taylor was simply Taylor. Alone and beautiful in the simplicity. Horse Trailer's bassist Valley Gordon joined with some soft standup on a few songs, but otherwise, it was a stripped down solo gig. And in that format, he soared, reminding us how a song on a simple acoustic can be just as powerful as its heavily amplified counterpart. It was like a warm hug from an old friend to this listener, because my first introduction to Taylor was solo at Jacktoberfest in 06 (note - If memory serves, he was in fact the very first performer ever for Jacktoberfest, making him the christening bottle to the bow of the good ship Free Festival.) He had a few less miles on his tires...a few less stories to tell. But even then, there was an old soul behind his sleepy eyes. Some things only get richer with time, and the depth of a few years of experience had seasoned the flavor on this night in the present tense.

Journeying through Passenger Jones staples, covers of Sun Kill Moon and Ryan Adams, as well as some tunes from his upcoming solo EP, the short-ish set felt like a good cross-section of strong lyrical songs that fit the acoustic format well. To Be The One, a not often covered song from Ryan Adam's legendary Heartbreaker album, was particularly memorable. "The empty bottle, it misses you. But I'm the one it's talkin' to" flowed from Taylor as if the words were his own. And the conviction applied to them made the illusion all the more potent. But the highlight of the night was Taylor's own Float Slowly. The lament of a long held love lost, he belts out the lyrical daggers of the song's beautiful chorus "Spun wild out, swim around my head. Only to float slowly now it's bellied up and dead." Later into the set, the similar tempos of many of the songs did muddy the pace a bit, bleeding one song into the next without much distinction between them. But it could have been that I was on my fourth pint. That I must concede. Even still, Taylor can grab your attention and snap your head back up pretty quickly when he steps into the mike for extra emphasis. 

After paying the tab and shuffling out the door, past a cadre of bearded hipsters on the way to my truck, I bumped into Taylor again. Expressing my approval of his set (as if he needed my affirmation), I noticed that the warmth of his soul, like the craft of his songs, had grown richer with the years. The brief moment was like a desertif after a fine meal...the warmth lingering long after the night had ended. And like consuming anything worthwhile, the conversation with friends afterwards quickly turned to the subject of "what a great night it was." A testament to this, we all agreed to do it again soon. And I can think of few better hosts.

Taylor's band, Horse Trailer, plays at Hal & Mal's Red Room on Jan 30th.