DEER TICK
''NEGATIVITY
SEPTEMBER 24 2013
48:12
1 The Rock
John J. McCauley III 4:14
2 The Curtain
John J. McCauley III 3:35
3 Just Friends
John J. McCauley III 3:02
4 The Dream's in the Ditch
Ian Patrick O'Neil 3:11
5 Mirror Walls
John J. McCauley III 4:51
6 Mr. Sticks
John J. McCauley III 4:45
7 Trash
John J. McCauley III 4:25
8 Thyme
Dennis Michael Ryan 3:39
9 In Our Time feat. Vanessa Carlton
John J. McCauley III 4:18
10 Hey Doll
John J. McCauley III 3:08
11 Pot of Gold
John J. McCauley III 5:39
12 Big House
John J. McCauley III 3:25
Steve Berlin /Horn Arrangements, Producer
Vanessa Carlton /Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Vocals
Zach Casebolt /Strings
Rob Crowell /Group Member
Robbie Crowell /String Arrangements
Eleonore Denig /Strings
Gilbert Elorreaga /Trumpet
Mark "Speedy" Gonzalez /Horn Arrangements, Trombone
Katherine Holmgren /Strings
Emily Kohavi /Strings
Josh Levy /Sax (Baritone)
Larissa Maestro /Strings
John J. McCauley III /Composer, Group Member
Ian Patrick O'Neil /Composer, Group Member
Laura Petrin /Guest Artist, Vocals
Rose Rodgers /Strings
Jimmy Russell /Guitar, Soloist
Christopher Dale Ryan /Group Member
Dennis Michael Ryan /Composer, Group Member
REVIEW
by Fred Thomas
Deer Tick's 2011 album Divine Providence was a raucous, drunken affair, with songs of barroom debauchery that seemed more like exaggerated character sketches than autobiographical snippets from main songwriter John J. McCauley's life experience. While the band's life on the road has probably resulted in some legitimate hard-living, hard-drinking times, the presentation was just a little too emphatic. It was endless stories of drinking and starting trouble, hazy and overblown lyrics tucked into raw Stones/Stooges-influenced bar rock. Its follow-up, Negativity, has a similarly larger-than-life approach, but drops the drunken antics for more dark, depressive material, presented in a way that's hard to ignore. Though influenced by McCauley's engagement being unceremoniously called off, Negativity isn't a typical breakup record. Opening with the multi-part suite "The Rock," McCauley navigates through an eerie intro into a howling rave-up of bawdy minor-key rock laced with melancholic harmonies and unexpected bursts of horns. The song builds into a lively roll, though there's a palpable darkness always at the core, "the rock" in this song possibly meaning a returned or rejected ring. "Mirror Walls" embodies the weariness of life on the road, with lyrics that sound written on motel stationery moments after getting a breakup call from thousands of miles away. The sad-hearted Americana moments of Negativity find the midway point between Springsteen's darkest hours and a drunken late-night jam session with Goats Head Soup-era Stones and the Replacements at their most sad-hearted and melodic. The sounds aren't all dark, and shift gears frequently. Songs like "Trash" and "Hey Doll" offer a big-band reading of jaunty pop not unlike mid-'80s Saturday Night Live band interlude jams and "In Our Time" is a lighthearted honky tonk duet between McCauley and Vanessa Carlton. The piano pop of "Just Friends" has a remarkable early Billy Joel feel to it, with a chorus that would fit as a theme song to an early-'80s sitcom. Though Negativity bounces around a little, its tormented core and multifaceted musical approach make it one of Deer Tick's most consistent and enjoyable albums. Its exaggerated, larger-than-life expressions serve to either keep McCauley's demons at bay or drag them out into the light, with both scenarios resulting in some of his stronger songs.
BIOGRAPHY
by J. Poet
John McCauley, the songwriter behind the Deer Tick moniker, grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, where he began his career by teaching himself to play drums, guitar, piano, and pedal steel. McCauley started recording his own compositions and touring the area while still in high school, and he widened his circle after graduation by touring the entire country. Although he'd often perform solo, the young musician also began piecing together a proper band, occasionally playing as a duo with drummer Dennis Ryan or with a small group. His music fit loosely into the alt-country category, but his vocals -- rough, raw, and ragged -- brought a wealth of rock and grunge influences to the sound.
Following the September 2007 release of his first album, War Elephant, McCauley's Deer Tick project began earning comparisons to Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, and Uncle Tupelo. Although originally released via FEOW! Records, War Elephant was reissued in late 2008 by Partisan Records. Deer Tick remained with that label during the course of two follow-up albums, 2009's Born on Flag Day and 2010's The Black Dirt Sessions. The band's fourth studio outing, Divine Providence, arrived the following year, and featured 12 rowdy and raucous originals drawing inspiration from the raw power of the Stones and the Stooges. 2013's Negativity followed a similar path, leaning more toward dark lyrical themes and blue-collar rock songwriting.
OFFICIAL SITE
''NEGATIVITY
SEPTEMBER 24 2013
48:12
1 The Rock
John J. McCauley III 4:14
2 The Curtain
John J. McCauley III 3:35
3 Just Friends
John J. McCauley III 3:02
4 The Dream's in the Ditch
Ian Patrick O'Neil 3:11
5 Mirror Walls
John J. McCauley III 4:51
6 Mr. Sticks
John J. McCauley III 4:45
7 Trash
John J. McCauley III 4:25
8 Thyme
Dennis Michael Ryan 3:39
9 In Our Time feat. Vanessa Carlton
John J. McCauley III 4:18
10 Hey Doll
John J. McCauley III 3:08
11 Pot of Gold
John J. McCauley III 5:39
12 Big House
John J. McCauley III 3:25
Steve Berlin /Horn Arrangements, Producer
Vanessa Carlton /Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Vocals
Zach Casebolt /Strings
Rob Crowell /Group Member
Robbie Crowell /String Arrangements
Eleonore Denig /Strings
Gilbert Elorreaga /Trumpet
Mark "Speedy" Gonzalez /Horn Arrangements, Trombone
Katherine Holmgren /Strings
Emily Kohavi /Strings
Josh Levy /Sax (Baritone)
Larissa Maestro /Strings
John J. McCauley III /Composer, Group Member
Ian Patrick O'Neil /Composer, Group Member
Laura Petrin /Guest Artist, Vocals
Rose Rodgers /Strings
Jimmy Russell /Guitar, Soloist
Christopher Dale Ryan /Group Member
Dennis Michael Ryan /Composer, Group Member
REVIEW
by Fred Thomas
Deer Tick's 2011 album Divine Providence was a raucous, drunken affair, with songs of barroom debauchery that seemed more like exaggerated character sketches than autobiographical snippets from main songwriter John J. McCauley's life experience. While the band's life on the road has probably resulted in some legitimate hard-living, hard-drinking times, the presentation was just a little too emphatic. It was endless stories of drinking and starting trouble, hazy and overblown lyrics tucked into raw Stones/Stooges-influenced bar rock. Its follow-up, Negativity, has a similarly larger-than-life approach, but drops the drunken antics for more dark, depressive material, presented in a way that's hard to ignore. Though influenced by McCauley's engagement being unceremoniously called off, Negativity isn't a typical breakup record. Opening with the multi-part suite "The Rock," McCauley navigates through an eerie intro into a howling rave-up of bawdy minor-key rock laced with melancholic harmonies and unexpected bursts of horns. The song builds into a lively roll, though there's a palpable darkness always at the core, "the rock" in this song possibly meaning a returned or rejected ring. "Mirror Walls" embodies the weariness of life on the road, with lyrics that sound written on motel stationery moments after getting a breakup call from thousands of miles away. The sad-hearted Americana moments of Negativity find the midway point between Springsteen's darkest hours and a drunken late-night jam session with Goats Head Soup-era Stones and the Replacements at their most sad-hearted and melodic. The sounds aren't all dark, and shift gears frequently. Songs like "Trash" and "Hey Doll" offer a big-band reading of jaunty pop not unlike mid-'80s Saturday Night Live band interlude jams and "In Our Time" is a lighthearted honky tonk duet between McCauley and Vanessa Carlton. The piano pop of "Just Friends" has a remarkable early Billy Joel feel to it, with a chorus that would fit as a theme song to an early-'80s sitcom. Though Negativity bounces around a little, its tormented core and multifaceted musical approach make it one of Deer Tick's most consistent and enjoyable albums. Its exaggerated, larger-than-life expressions serve to either keep McCauley's demons at bay or drag them out into the light, with both scenarios resulting in some of his stronger songs.
BIOGRAPHY
by J. Poet
John McCauley, the songwriter behind the Deer Tick moniker, grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, where he began his career by teaching himself to play drums, guitar, piano, and pedal steel. McCauley started recording his own compositions and touring the area while still in high school, and he widened his circle after graduation by touring the entire country. Although he'd often perform solo, the young musician also began piecing together a proper band, occasionally playing as a duo with drummer Dennis Ryan or with a small group. His music fit loosely into the alt-country category, but his vocals -- rough, raw, and ragged -- brought a wealth of rock and grunge influences to the sound.
Following the September 2007 release of his first album, War Elephant, McCauley's Deer Tick project began earning comparisons to Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, and Uncle Tupelo. Although originally released via FEOW! Records, War Elephant was reissued in late 2008 by Partisan Records. Deer Tick remained with that label during the course of two follow-up albums, 2009's Born on Flag Day and 2010's The Black Dirt Sessions. The band's fourth studio outing, Divine Providence, arrived the following year, and featured 12 rowdy and raucous originals drawing inspiration from the raw power of the Stones and the Stooges. 2013's Negativity followed a similar path, leaning more toward dark lyrical themes and blue-collar rock songwriting.
OFFICIAL SITE