Customer Reviews

Madison

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This is the best thing I've heard in a long time! Buy it and it will be the best thing you've heard in a long time! Below is are the reviews from Southeast Performer Magazine which picked Madison as CD of the Month in its 12-06 issue and The Nashville Scene which picked Madison as the Best Local Release in its Best Of Nashville 2006 issue:

SOUTHEAST PERFORMER MAGAZINE:

It's possible that the new Nashville sound personified by this band -- still a little bit country, but a lot more rock `n' roll -- might have been a motivating factor for the sound of The Raconteurs. In fact, Madison is very reminiscent of The Raconteurs' sound, which, as with Hands Down Eugene, sounds heavily influenced by both country artists of long ago and stoner/psychedelic rock bands like Pink Floyd.

All the longing and loneliness that remind most people of when country music was actually good are present on this record, complete with heartbreaking guitar solos, which have been absent from all genres of music for way too long.

The album's lyrics are what one would expect from a band that has seen its share of bars and small towns while working hard to play music for anyone who'll listen. And with this album's unique sound, it is assured that people are going to listen.

The band has already caught the ear of other famous musicians including Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket, Nathan Vasquez of Be Your Own PET and Jared Reynolds of Ben Folds, all of whom make appearances on Madison.

It's easy to picture these songs droning out of a jukebox in any bar south of the Mason-Dixon line that's decorated with neon signs and a pool table. But to dismiss the sound of this band as just alt-country would be way too simplistic. As the album opens with a fuzzy female voice declaring "These are events in a dream," the mood is set for a psychedelic record that rolls along at a steady pace.

Although the album showcases over 20 different musicians, the stylistic and beautiful lyrics by singer/songwriter Matt Moody give the album a clear focus -- the listener feels like a voyeur in a way, listening to events in a dream that are all too real. As Moody sings in "Denise," "I'm not one to be honest," he reveals a fragile framework of sifting ideas, when even the narrator admits that he may not be the best person to be trusted. But as the songs continue to describe lost loves and failures in life, as all the great country songs used to do, it is evident that Moody's inherent honesty may not be something he can escape -- even when he's performing his heart out for anyone who'll hear him sing. (XOXO Records)

-Natalie Higdon, SOUTHEAST PERFORMER MAGAZINE

THE NASHVILLE SCENE:

Best Local Release: Hands Down Eugene, Madison

Hands Down Eugene's Madison opens with a woman's voice stating plainly, "These are events in a dream." That is followed by the buzz of distortion, then, suddenly, a pretty harmony and lackadaisical winding rhythm. Many things about this record from Matt Moody and company feel dreamy--ethereal, layered (what do you expect from a band with 8 million members?) and melancholy. But there is also some wonderfully executed rock 'n' roll, like the rollicking bridge on "Miss Madison" or "Full Blast," a rich tapestry of guitars and late-afternoon malaise that is one of the best tracks released by any Nashville band this year--The Raconteurs included. Honorable mentions: How I Became the Bomb's Lets Go!, Eef Barzelay's Bitter Honey, Glossary's For What I Don't Become, JEFF's Castle Storm. --LEE STABERT, THE NASHVILLE SCENE