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Pimping HJ
January 15th, 2009I want to brag about a local band, not because they are good great musicians, but because they write honest songs.
The outfit is called Houston Jones, and their music is as they bill it “high-octane Americana.” Fitting description as they rather seamlessly weave together sounds from blues, folk, country, gospel and their own cosmic connections. The sound is unique while sounding oddly familiar.
The band’s moniker was hijacked from the last names of their lead singer (Travis Jones) and their most talented and digitally bizarre lead guitarist Glenn Houston (Glenn plays left handed, but with the guitar strung for right handed players. I can only assume he got bored trying find left handed axes and learned to play them upside down as well as backwards).
Chris Kee, the band’s bass and cello player has been accused of writing most of their songs. Bassist songwriters are not unknown, but are slightly rarer than virgin girls in a brothel. Much is explained by the fact that Chris is degreed in ethnomusicology and has so many frequent player miles that new tunes are likely sprouting out of his ears.
I won’t go into any more detail on their songwriting, aside from saying that it ranges from sweet, to driving, to outright silly (Sleepy Armadillo is a song about road kill). Listen and experience and see how music can be simple and simultaneously masterful.
