Company w/ Filmstrip, Elim Bolt @ The Tin Roof
Sat., June 16
For nearly five years now local music enthusiast have watched Brian Hannon and his band Co. on a musical journey. A journey that has taken their cosmic American music from the Florence Civic Center opening for Sequoyah Prep School, to a string of dates through the midwest opening for Band of Horses. Co.’s existence as a band has seen it’s fair share of turbulence to say the least, making the steady footing they are finding now even more worthwhile.
Saturday at Tin Roof, Company will release Dear America,. An album unlike anything they’ve ever recorded. To many fans Co. is known for their jangly bedroom recordings, more like early R.E.M. and Pavement than the polished product you’ll hear on Dear America,. Truth is, Co. cleans up nicely. To those fans that have been on the long ride with Co., they love the songs. They’ll call out for “Henry” or “Next World War” and they’ll also be the same ones singing along with the new tracks like “Opening Night” and “Bound to Drop The Ball”. Because what we all really care about more than the recording quality is the songs. And this batch of songs which are new to us, is a new batch of songs to love. A batch of songs that Hannon has been sitting on since early 2010.
Dear America, is what it’s supposed to be. All along it’s been in the plans for this album to be polished. We got a taste of that with their self titled EP on Fat Possum records. Give Co. the time at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, and they’ll come out with a product that opens everyone elses eyes.
Dear Old Ko fans, It’s time to give them away. We had our time with all the songs we loved, many of which were on the Holy City record last. We had our house shows, but it’s time for these guys to find a bigger audience outside of our infinite arms. In many ways it’s come full circle. Johnnie Matthews went from playing bass in Sequoyah Prep School with Co. opening up, to today playing bass in Co. And former bassist Matthew Royse is back with his old band, but now playing guitar.
The music industry has a way of knocking bands down and picking them back up. Co.’s been knocked down by the industry and through personal tragedy, but we’re still here listening and loving the music and I have a feeling that as long as that’s happening Brian Hannon will keep making it. It’s what he does.
Great Review, but you couldn’t even name drop their string of tour dates with DEATH OF PARIS! Come on! Show them some love! ….cause no one else does.