Jeff Tweedy once sang that great music, “You can’t hear it on the radio/You can’t hear it anywhere you go,” which one could take to mean that there is great music being made that most will never hear. Whether it be due to record labels or corporate radio, many talented bands get passed over for what will sell to the masses. tone.deaf.rambler is dedicated to trying to get the word out on those great bands that get overlooked (seriously it’s in the Mission Statement).
Ribbonpigeon is one such band.
Straight out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, (also home to TDR favorite Glossary) Ribbonpigeon break on to the Alt-Country/Americana scene with Young Lungs, their debut album on Sophomore Lounge Records. Ribbonpigeon, it’s an unusual name for a band, and there’s got to be a story behind that name right? TDR asked front man Kent Goolsby where the band’s name came from. “It’s kinda strange.” Goolsby replied, “I guess it was 3 years ago I had this dream that I was being held in a Nazi prison camp. I got in some trouble for something and was hauled off to the head mistresses office. Did they even have head mistresses? I don’t think so. Anyway – I got drug into the room and sat in a chair in front of her desk. Right in front of me on the desk was one of those small name plates people keep on their office desks. It said “Ribbonpigeon” and in my mind (in the dream that is) I thought, ‘Oh yeah, of course, that’s the name of my band.’”
Throughout Young Lungs, Goolsby’s worn, warm voice and acoustic guitar is backed by intertwined, sad cries of lap steel (Mike Burgess) and fiddle (Rebecca Ryan) all while the rhythm section (Blake Loftis, drums; Jonathan Merritt, bass) holds down a solid back beat. This fusion of sounds produce familiar, yet vibrant Americana music with country undertones. When Burgess moves from lap steel over to the electric guitar, such as on the closing track, “Lowlands,” the band takes on an almost Crazy Horse persona. And while Ribbonpigeon can rock out, they can also slow it down just as effectively, such as on “Signal Fire” or “Slowdown Georgia.” Perhaps the most striking song is the sparse and bare “Devil Wind”; just a guitar backs Goolsby’s heartfelt and haunting cries of “You better run for your life/’cause they’re coming for you, and me too.” This mix of faster and slower paced songs create a coherent and effective flow for the album.
With “Young Lungs,” Ribbonpigeon have made what may be the Alt-Country/Americana album of the year. The only thing is, you won’t hear it on the radio.
Standout Tracks: Devil Wind & Lowlands
+++Highly Recommended+++
Modern Men
Lowlands (live)
Signal Fire (live)
Do You Wrong (live)
