Customer Reviews

Welcome to Porter Hall Tennessee

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

In contrast to the crossover product of Nashville and studied irony of alt.country, this wonderfully ragged album of country and rockabilly is a breath of fresh air. Although the bands vocalist/songwriters are recent converts (Molly Conley and Gary Roadarmel previously led a punk rock band), they take their country seriously and sing at a remove from current Nashville trends that belies the 35 mile distance to their Murfreesboro studio.

The albums rough edges arent the product of sloppiness or lack of ability, theyre a choice to make music free of the finishing polish required for country radio success. The drums shuffle rather than boom, the rhythms move with the organic give-and-take of a band, and the vocals show the emotional cracks and crevices puttied flat by Nashvilles punch-in overdubs.

Roadarmels opening run at Randy Jones "Screwed Blue," is a terrific piece of rockabilly heartbreak. Played live, Ruth Griffins walking bassline and Roadarmels electric guitar surely pull dancers to the floor. Conleys singing balances strength and vulnerability, with more than a hint of Lucinda Williams warble, and an extra helping of hillbilly twang. Both singers (along with mandolin player Jason Sligh) provide harmonies, as well.

In addition to a trio of covers (including Gene Wilcoxs "Golden Chain of Hate," with its memorable opening, "Whiskey, whores, and overtime have taken her place now that shes gone"), Roadarmel and Conley contribute eight originals. Its to their credit that these tales of broken, lost and discarded loves appeal as classic themes rather than hackneyed subjects. Highlights include Roadarmels tortured last-call, "Drunkard and the Angel," and Conleys ballad of disaffection, "Halfway There (Im Gone)."

Potential fans shouldnt waste their time searching a map of Tennessee for Porter Hall - its a state-of-mind (or, really, a state-of-music), and this CD is the only road in.

As of late people are coming in droves to the throne of alt country with the success of Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, Wilco, and Ryan Adams. And we have a fine addition to the "land in between country and rock" with the stripped down whiskey bar rawness of Porter Hall Tennessee.

Molly Conley and Gary Roadarmel are the heart and soul of the band trading off vocal leads and harmonies. The music sounds as if its fairly steeped in Jack Daniels with that loose drawl (or should I say slur) and each track comes off as if your are enjoying shots in a bar with broken chairs, concrete floors, and one of the best bands in town smack dab in the middle of Porter Hall Tennessee. By the looks of the back of the CD, Porter Hall lies somewhere close to the geographical center of the eponymous state, but don't book your greyhound ticket just yet, cuz I'm specting you won't find the place on a map. But thanks to Conley and Roadarmel you can enjoy their music.

The song's lyrics are harsh and fierce and belie a stripped down life encountered with cheap alcohol and brazen emotion. There is a sense of the Southern gothic as people sleep on the couch and get themselves knee-deep in cheap wine. Others go to sleep with a bottle of whiskey so they don't wake up alone and yet others build hedges around them so they won't feel the tempting fires of temptation.

So Porter Hall Tennessee was born again from punk roots but it sure sounds like they brought the best together of two genres and came up with something authentic. I'll be looking out for what this group does next and checking the greyhound station for when they open up that stop in Porter Hall. Saaaaa-looooot!

The only thing better than this CD is hearing the band live in concert. If you like great lyrics or are a country music fan, you will appreciate this CD. I should also mention that it does NOT sound as if it were "recorded in a tool shed" and the drums sound just fine to me. Get this CD and see the band live if you have the chance, you won't regret it.

This is a classic album about life in the American South, both the good parts and the bad. "Middle Tennessee" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

I have been a fan of Porter Hall Tennessee since they started playing in Murfreesboro. I've been listening to this CD for over 5 yrs now and it's the kinda CD with songs that you just need to hear occassionally. It doesn't get old. But I am very excited because they have a new CD soon to be released-ALL SINNERS WELCOME HERE. You can find out about it on Myspace.

This album is fantastic in the right setting. It taps the soul of broken-heartedness that most people regret having experienced at some point, yet it does more that pound the 'lost love' idea found in most musical heartbreak. They hit on somewhat unexplored aspects of relationship failures, the slowly building resentment of being 'stuck' in a relationship and the resigned self-recrimination after a good love goes bad amongst others. It's not all sorrow and heartache, and it balances in a very comfortable, country-esque way. Hurry up and grab it before it's out of reach, as I haven't been able to find the band or the record label's websites anymore.

I love the sound: classic honkey-tonk, a little revved up. Why aren't there a thousand bands playing music like this? The songwriting is a little weak, though.