Two Cow Garage
(Shelterhouse/Suburban Home)
Two Cow Garage hails from Columbus, Ohio, (Cow Town, USA). It, like Cincinnati and Athens, has a vibrant music scene; hell, tons of great bands have come out of the Buckeye state. 2CG's genre gene-pool is a real mutt mix of classic rock meets rootsy punk, not the alt-country their name might lead one to expect, fitting on the shelf along side Drive-By Truckers, Supersuckers and the Replacements. They spawn music that shreds when it wants to and blisses out when it needs to. Songs about fighting the everyday battles that we all do with life, love and hope for the future.
A lot of pain and road dust obviously went into this, their fourth album. Following a grueling regimen of 200 shows a years, the band thrives on life on the road, a different venue every night, rather than a static life at home. The musicianship, songwriting and lyrical storytelling are excellent. Thoughtful, melodic numbers like "Not Your Friends" and the "Swallowed By The Sea", sung by low- voiced bassist Shane Sweeney, reminds of Oakley Hall. Lead singer Micah Schnabel has the rawest vocals this side of Waits and Stewart. "Swingset Assassin" tells his story of listening to mom's old Beatle albums when young, but rebelling to punk, which ultimately "left me empty and alone". "Skinny Legged Girl" jumps to a happy, upbeat, almost jangly pop.
Standout Tracks: "Your Humble Narrator", "Brass Ring" BARRY ST. VITUS
