Tumbledown| Empty Bottle

Dec132014December 13, 2014December 14, 2014No Commentby Bake

Posted in Music

Bake here. I’m all about having fun. You know, get a couple cocktails in me, start a fire in someone’s kitchen. Maybe go to Seaworld, take my pants off. So on that note let’s talk about Tumbledown’s fun album Empty Bottle. Disclaimer: I will be doing all of the talking. This is band is an example of the genre known as pop-punktry. Is this a real thing? I’m not actually sure, Cam doesn’t pay me enough to do research. I do know that Tumbledown is fronted by Mike Herrera, singer and guitarist of the pop-punk band MxPx. While this band sounds different, if you hate MxPX you will still hate this band. If you’ve never heard of them, then don’t be a dick, give this band a chance. And if you like(d) MxPX then it’s about time for a party at Empty Bottle Evenings and it wouldn’t be the same without you, no, not at all, as I recall, you’ve got what I need. Just kidding, I’m writing this whether you show up or not.

The first and most important thing about Tumbledown’s 2^nd full-length release is that it has an awesome name that recalls the best unknown, unreliably updated music and (possibly tech?) website on the internet. The second most important thing is that its fun! Didn’t we already discuss this? It sounds as if Herrera realized holy shit country is a fucking blast to play, let’s go make some records. He still sounds like a youthful pop-punk singer instead of the more gruff old cowboys you would expect, but most of the other elements are still there: songs about drinking, classic country instrumentation, corny ballads, and my favorite, strong rockabilly influences. Or maybe it’s punkabilly? Psychobilly? These goddamn names are ridiculous, just listen to “Empty Bottle”, “Great Big World” and “Places in This Town” for further proof.

Tumbledown probably won’t blow your dick off. It’s not a completely novel project by any means, but its not something that you would hear everyday either. It combines a pop based sound you hear maybe too often but includes the upright bass, the understated swing style of drums, and old school western licks that only get play on the fringes of modern music. When I was a kid I would have been more interested in the songs that are closer to straight pop-punk (“Meet the Devil”, “Bad News”, although even the later does include pedal steel) but as I become an old drunk I want to take it back to the roots. Not my roots, I’m only 30, but the roots of country and rock n roll. Empty Bottle is a good album (with a great name, cement it in your brain), but if they continue to make music I think this band could put out something much better that sounds nothing like you hear today. Well, except all those various “___-billy” bands that are out there. Actually just ignore everything I just wrote and go listen to Reverend Horton Heat.