Pulling Upon the Strap (2014)
MODERN ROCK REVIEW
RIC ALBANO
AUGUST 13, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks is a group with a unique fusion sound built on folk instrumentation. Their full-length album, Pulling Upon the Strap, released early this year, masterfully displays their range of influences and compositional originality. The album follows an earlier release by the group called Live at the Sound Gallery. While the group’s base sound is solidly Americana based, there is an improvisational element which brings in elements of Latin, jazz, creole, European folk, and even some psychedelic and progressive rock. Beyond the music itself, the sound quality on this album is pristine in showcasing the unique mixtures of instrumentation and lead sections. The album was recorded at Sugar Sound Studios with engineer Jared Rush and mixed by Wes Schuck at Two Fish Studios in Mankato, Minnesota. The result is a beautifully captured collection of nine diverse songs.
Gypsy Lumberjacks consists of the core trio of Leif Magnuson on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Peter Verdin on bass, and percussionist Ben Karon, who primarily plays the Cajon, a box-shaped Instrument that originated in Peru. While Magnuson composed all the songs on Pulling Upon the Strap, they were forged through many live renditions over the years, which were rarely played the same way twice.
The album opens with “Chicha Fria”, commencing with a Latin-flavored beat and rhythm over much cross-talking in the background with band members doing oratory of sayings for a minute and a half while Magnuson’s acoustic meanders through some crisp riffs – almost like an inside joke, When the song proper finally arrives, it is quite pleasant with good vocal melodies and tight harmonies over the consistent, groove-ridden passages. “Ploughman’s Blues” is even better, starting with an interesting mix of percussion by Karon and second percussionist Doug Christiansen. The verses contain very good vocal harmonies while the choruses take it to an even higher level with the vivid and emotional vocals of Magnuson coupled with the pristine beauty of the ascending violin progression of James Berget. “Waltz of Bones” is a true waltz, led by deadened guitar notes, violin and accordion by Cliff Smyrl. Compared to the first two tracks, this is a whole different dynamic sonically as the mix is very up close and personal.
We then move through a two-song instrumental section, starting with the utterly un-pronounceable “Blaenau Ffestinog”. Verdin’s potent bass holds the rhythm in this country-flavored, multi-part, polka jam with each lead instrument eventually taking its turn up front. By contrast, “Caspian’s March” is very psychedelic and dramatic and seems to be much more improvised than its predecessor. With a haunting vibe throughout (in part due to the subtle “oohs” of a distant vocal), the song varies from loose to tight and Karon provides some fantastic Cajon fills during the tighter sections.
The true genius of Pulling Upon the Strap comes in the album’s final four tracks, starting with “Miner’s Dross”. The picked acoustic-led folk song with subtle and pleasant accordion is a true workingman’s anthem that is masterful in its subtlety and every bit as good as some of Springsteen’s finer tracks. “Elephant’s Underwear” is probably the best overall song on the album, as it contains everything style, instrument, and performance-wise, not mention the top-notch vocals from Magnuson. Starting as a choppy, upbeat acoustic track, soon joined in by a chorus of rustic instrumentation, the track goes through a repeated rotation odf styles. Preceding some oddly-timed interludes, the song’s chorus is the real payoff here;
But the weight of the world was too much for me, I let it go, had to set it free…
come down and rescue me…”
“Riversong”, at first feels like a native folk song, built on a simple beat and melody. However, this slow and dark vibe eventually builds in tempo and intensity as it goes through a celebratory mid-section before relinquishing back to the original melody to close the song. “What You Wanted Here” is Caribbean sounding with picked notes mimicking steel drums and a percussive-infused beat. Aside from this chorus of percussion, Verdin’s bass really carries the track musically and concludes the album on a high note. We look forward to seeing what Gypsy Lumberjacks do next with their unique fusion of styles and songwriting virtuosity.
GRATEFUL WEB
RICHARD MORGENSTERN
APRIL 24, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. Their latest work entitled “Pulling Upon the Strap” was released in 2014 and I was blown away with what I heard. This is such a complex, amazing and dramatic CD what else can I say in the end? Pulling Upon the Strap is more than amazing and dramatic, it’s also extremely suspenseful and somewhat Jazzy. I like to call this genera Bluegrass Jazz because and only a handful of bands have ever really played it. It has a very melodic Folkish-bluegrass quality to it as well. The intro track ‘Chicha Fria” gives you the impression as if you were Rickshaw Riding though the heartland with its pulsating vibe. The really vivid, yet emotional charged vocals from Leif Magnuson evolves into a great opener reminiscent of acts such as Batmobile, The Meteors, The Quakes, Mad Sin, Long Tall Texans and The Hillbilly Moon Explosion. Magnuson has a really strong tonal foundation coupled with heavy rhythms, hypnotic fretwork, amazing writing, with spaced out goodness. The vocals from Magnuson is well executed and the lyrics are to say the least interesting. That’s how diverse Gypsy Lumberjacks are. Without a doubt, it’s impossible to deny the superiority of this band consisting of Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin). The percussion and the bass lines just help push the CD/album forward, and the vibe, if you pay attention carefully, has a really old time Americana –Country-Blues Rockabilly sort of vibe to it. As the CD evolves it showcases some dramatic combinations of high energy fretwork/violin tandems fused with worldly percussion and impressive harmonies. The violin and acoustic guitars have an especially important role on all pieces as well. I really like how well the guitars and violin merge into one melodic sound – well done. On many these tracks Magnuson is clearly in charge of giving the mood assigning to each song vocally. He’s no slouch on acoustic guitar either. The addition of the well partitioned segments gives many song “Jamboree” Bluegrass touch.
In conclusion, here’s a CD release I’ve been dying to get my hands on for a while. I was just unable to stumble across these guys until today. It’s also very subliminal, and a grand concept that’s sure to get many peoples attention. From the production level, to the musicianship involved, “Pulling Upon The Strap” by Gypsy Lumberjacks delivers in grand fashion. With the advent of this band to mainstream folk, with their superlative signature sound and trademark moniker, everything here works terrifically well. It will keep you in a state of positive wonderment from start to finish. - See more at: http://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/gypsy-lumberjacks-pulling-upon-strap-new-music-review#sthash.kWoWKfSh.dpuf
ROCK N ROLL REVIEW
JONI RAPP (edited by Janne Zawa)
APRIL 24, 2014
Most would agree most popular artists out there have something truly special to give to their fans. This goes above the typical attributes like raw talent, amazing songs, nice voice, or even a very marketable look, sound & image. There’s something truly infectious at the core of these artists that simply makes us feel good when we listen to them. Whatever “it” is – they all seem to have “it”.
Today I listened to the latest CD from Twin Cities based Folk-Rock band Gypsy Lumberjacks who just released their latest CD entitled: “Pulling Upon the Strap”, released in 2014. Venturing to their website and overall internet presence I get the impression this is one artist who is extremely determined, dedicated and passionate about the songwriting craft. From start to finish this CD from Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin) is a very entertaining musical experience all around. It has a very warm and inviting Pop-Rock-Folk quality to it, and even dabbles in Americana and Alternative Rock. It also reminds me of classic America, R.E.M, Jeff Buckley, and a bit of Paul Simon and Dave Mathews Band. Any fans of any of these musical styles or bands will enjoy this latest release from GL. It’s clearly marketed for those who like an impassioned male vocal front with amazing musicianship in the background. For the record these guys can play and as a vocalist Magnuson sings with an unfettered reckless abandon. Together these 6 make a good musical combination. I get the impression these guys are being true to themselves as artists via this compelling 9 track line up. In other words they hit the mark remarkably well by just by being who they are musically. My hats off to that attitude. Favorite tracks for me include (Chicha Fria), (Miner’s Dross) and (Riversong). The songwriting is impressive and digs a bit deeper than the next independent artist. Within each one of these pieces GL bare their soul and delivers what I would call pure musical mojo. It also offers much in the way of a compelling/thought musical landscaping – highly diverse and progressive. This music could also be heralded as Acoustic Jazz. The playing from his band is spot on and just makes the whole CD even more enjoyable. The overall vibe of the production is very mysterious and captivating (what’s around the corner) with pockets of hope shining through.
I see Gypsy Lumberjacks as a diamond in the rough, with an amazing amount of talent and potential. As time goes by we will no doubt hear more from them. Let me go on record and say Gypsy Lumberjacks are a record deal waiting to happen. I also wouldn’t be surprised to hear their music around some of the biggest folk music festivals around the nation, on Prime Time Radio and even featured in on Major Motion Pictures or even TV. In close most famous artists out there have “it” I’m not so sure what “it” is but Gypsy Lumberjacks have whatever “it” may be.
Final Rating: 8.5/10 Stars
Joni Rapp Edited by Janne Zawa. Approved by Drew Blackwell (UK)
INDIE ARTIST ALLILANCE
CARLY SMITH (edited by Markus Druery)
April 23, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks just released the latest effort entitled Pulling Upon the Strap. How would one describe their overall sound: How about World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. Band members are: Leif Magnuson (Gtr. Vocals), Benji Karon (Cajon, Pecussion), Peter Verdin (Bass), Cliffy Smyrl (Accordion, Vocals), Dougie Christianson (Percussion).
Stocked full of hooks and a jovial playing style that never lets it’s guard down, to melodies which linger long after the playing has passed, Pulling Upon the Strap provides nine buoyant and inventive tracks which play like new adventures, yet approaches them like old friends you feel you’ve known for a long time. This latest release pleasantly embraces the ears and is in a league all by itself with an elite spirit of eagerness and vibrancy. The unique melodies soak every accomplished note from the beginning of “Chichi Fria” through to climactic end of “What You Wanted Here.’ It offers many musical familiarities, wearing those inspirations proudly on its sleeve showcasing eclectic musical influences hinged on impressive musicianship and a unique signature sound. Case in point: This is one of the most original sounding bands I’ve heard in quite some time. I can hear traces of Phish, Counting Crows, Hootie and the Blowfish, Tim Reynolds, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Mostly they sound like Dave Matthews Band to me. It’s fair to say that the CD does not come down from the high of Track 1 “Chicha Fria” and hypnotic Track 2 “Ploughman’s Blues.” Though it certainly provides a consistent balance of genres listed above. As the CD slowly advances the melodies, addictive hooks return sporadically from time to time with a beckoning potency far away from the mediocre mainstream. Bottom line: there’s something much more tangible about this release compared to most of the CD’s that slide across my desk this year. All tracks emerge from a modest sonic web producing much in the way of thick bass lines, jumpy accordion, earthy Cajon and spicy fiddles. The instruments, and subsequent meticulous movements provided by this experienced band will leave their mark on you instinctually and inspire the imagination. Magnusson’s voice does not jump out but has a modest quality which defines itself and work well within the setting of each piece. His mesmerizing baritone coupled with the acoustical exuberance paints you an impressive picture upon a virulent musical canvas. My favorite track is probably “Caspian’s March” another interminably seductive piece offering waning poetic ambience and sure musical direction. Though maybe this is one song which fails to linger and return like the others, but is a riveting tidbit nonetheless. I do however wish there was more music. 9 tracks is a bit sparse when compared to the standard 13-15 format. Pulling Upon the Strap by Gypsy Lumberjacks is a good listen any way you slice it. It’s a ripe musical invitation into the world of a red hot band from Minnesota. At the least it will satisfy many, thus filling the void left by millions of band who cannot dive this deep – not even close. This outlier style of music is not only mastered by the Gypsy Lumberjacks, it also deserves a much wider and attentive audience to say the least..
Score: 8/10
ALL WHATS ROCK
MARK DAVIS (edited byJoshua Beach)
APRIL 24, 2014
(Minneapolis, MN) Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Band members include: Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin).Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. This isn’t to say that the songs fall into a set pattern. The Lumberjacks rarely play a song the exact same way twice or in the same order. Even after touring relentlessly for nearly five years now, the older songs are still evolving and finding new life any given night they are performed. Not to mention that new songs are consistently being introduced into the repertoire (which now boasts nearly four hours of original music and countless covers).
First: there are some really rocking pieces on this CD that really step outside the traditional musical boundaries on the Radio right now. Second: Magnuson and his sizzling band have a sound not to be underestimated and is compatible to a disgruntled Americana cult fanbase right now. Third: It’s nice to know good musicianship is making a com back. All of the above enhances the listening experience for me rather than limit it. I’ve watched a few of their videos and it appears as if they have a kick ass live show as well. These guys are obviously experienced at performing and writing music, but it’s the combination of all of the above them so deadly. Indeed Gyspy Lumberjacks are the type of band to take real chances with their music. When you take chances you can win big! On this CD you will hear straight up rock to R&B type rock to rockabilly on steroids and even Bluegrass. Here the true genius of this band and its many musical influences shine through via a highly diversified collection of music. BTW Magnuson is a great front man but he’s no one trick pony either. He’s also and great guitar player within his own right. Perhaps all this and more that is why Gyspy Lumberjack are on our Radar screens in the first place. Forgive me if I’m talking in circles – but some bands can deliver music that’s pretty straight forward, conservative and painfully simple. Then there are other musicians who will go down a much different path and deliver music that shines bright like a priceless diamond amongst the lackluster. In lieu of Gypsy Lumberjack’s addictive musical personality and impressive string of songs it almost feels as if these guys are really on to something special. This is a one of a kind CD that’s closely tied to classic Americana Soul Rockabilly millions here love. I hate to pigeonhole but I can hear a Cry of Love, Widespread Panic, Marc Ford, Warren Haynes and The North Mississippi All-stars meshed with their songs.
Top Track: Waltz of Bones
Criticism: Seems a bit odd to bring a Cajon to this style of music. I would recommend utilizing percussion more compatible with American Celtic Folk bluegrass style of music. there’s plenty to chose from. They should also use at a minimum a stand-up snare and kick drum like the Stray Cats do.
It’s true that many bands start off sounding like another act in some way, shape of form only to develop a trademark sound later in order to get their career moving. Additionally some bands need future releases to demonstrate more in the way of musical molding or identity developing as all artists have to start somewhere. Having said that Gyspy Lumberjacks don’t require any of the above! Their sound is already there!
Score: 4/5
Indie Music Digest
Cyrus Rhodes
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. This isn’t to say that the songs fall into a set pattern. The Lumberjacks rarely play a song the exact same way twice or in the same order. Even after touring relentlessly for nearly five years now, the older songs are still evolving and finding new life any given night they are performed. Not to mention that new songs are consistently being introduced into the repertoire (which now boasts nearly four hours of original music and countless covers). Their latest CD is called “Pulling Upon the Strap” )2014. Band members include: Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin).
The CD kicks takes off with methodical “Chicha Fria” a smooth flowing intro piece that serves up slamming Americana fretwork, well placed percussion, meshed against thought provoking lyrical content and effective harmonies from Magnuson and company. Track 2 “Ploughman’s Blues” keeps things moving in the right direction with smooth Creole-type vibe served up against steady flowing rhythm, well placed accordion painted against a hooky chorus making for an impressive follow-up statement. Track 3 “Waltz of Bones” is another jumpy groove that dishes out dynamic rhythm, impressive vocal feel and impressive musical syncopation that flows and ebbs its way through to motional fruition. The CD makes a great first impression dashing out 3 amazing songs in a row. The musicianship of everyone involved is clearly above the bar. I would classify this music as Americana, Jam Band, Folk, Alternative Rock with brief touches of Progressive Folk and Fusion Gypsy Jazz, R&B to Psychedelic Bluegrass. Music is not easy to pigeonhole but is reminiscent of classic Dave Matthews Band, Paul McCartney, John Mayer, and Deep Blue Something. Besides the four piece standard one can also appreciate much in the way of lush instrumentation with things like Accordion, Percussive Accents, impressive rhythm guitar, Americana fretwork, strings, fiddles, solid guitar solos, lush harmonies layered everywhere all built upon a thick as a brick rhythm section. What I like the most about this band is how well they seem to groove together, testament to hundreds of hours of writing and rehearsal time no doubt. Now turning our attention over to Magnuson - as for his vocal abilities well he’s a great advent. His voice goes down smooth and fills the space peacefully and unobtrusively with a timber that is simply infectious. At times he really reminds me of Gregg Allman and even Joe Cocker behind the mic. I might add he takes some impressive vocal risks indicating to me a confident vocal ability. I like his power. All songs are extremely well crafted and consistent across the board - world class songwriting and instrumentation. This CD from Gypsy Lumberjacks delivers 9 solid tracks all providing musical enjoyment filled with strong musical variety and diversity. All production aspects (Mixing, Mastering) check out extremely well. CD has crystal clear high end punch and thick low end frequency. The music of The Gypsy Lumberjacks has everything you would expect from a world class musical production. From dynamic “Caspian’s March” to heartfelt “Miner’s Dross” to hypnotic “Elephant’s Underwear” to striking “Riversong” this CD has something for just about everyone. The CD ends with Track 9 “What You Wanted Here” the perfect finale statement for a CD like this
All songs over 3.5 minutes drag you to the finish line. A few tracks have excessive intros and outros, and a bit of musical meandering in them. Perhaps they should be trimmed up by 10%. Another interesting aspect to this band is there is no drummer present – just a percussionist. As a result some of the tracks lack a thick low end rhythmic foundation base. My recommendation – have your percussionist or guitarist play a kick drum like Mumford and Sons on all tracks. The occasional crash cymbal accent sounds real cheesy. CD title misses the mark for me and is not compatible with the cover art. Despite the Jam Band format I wish there were more in the way of solos throughout the CD.
From start to finish Pulling Upon the Strap by Gypsy Lumberjacks is an amazing collection of music. The songwriting – the gold standard, all consistent musical experiences, each one possessing a unique personality, flair, and signature groove. Note for note, song for song there isn’t really weak piece on this entire catalog. The writing and playing abilities of Leif Magnuson and company are rock solid. The melodies and harmonies are well crafted, and the lyrical content is packed to the hilt with good old fashioned no holds barred R&B-Pop-Rock swagger. At the end of the day Gypsy Lumberjacks bring the mojo and is clearly a marquee talent based out of Minneapolis. One would be wise to keep a watchful eye on him as this Summer unfolds.-----------------------------------
SKOPE MAGAZINE
RICHARD CLAY
April 24, 2014
(Minneapolis, Minn.) Gypsy Lumberjacks are a hot up and coming band based primary in the North –but tour all around Midwest. Their music is steeped in Rock, Blues and Celtic Bluegrass Folk. Their latest CD “Pulling Upon the Strap†(2014) embraces the rich heritage of all of the above genres, while holding his own within their deep and versatile musical voice and exuberant writing style. All of this and more tie the album together nicely, even as the music skips around and delves into unsuspected territory. This is more than just Blues folks, I can even hear a Bluegrass-Folk- Rock- Saloon Jazz woven within the musical fabric. All of the above is a tripped out combination of musical styles no doubt – making for and equal parts musical experience. Gypsy Lumberjacks start with a solid core structure of the studied and fluid acoustic guitar stylings of Leif Magnuson, the solid and exploratory bass guitar of Peter Verdin, and the articulate rhythms of Ben Karon on Cajon. Add Leif’s voice as the cherry on top and you have what Conrad Magalis of the University Chronicle called “the best sound of the season.†From this core structure there is a revolving door of musicians that frequent the Lumberjack stage. Most commonly Doug Christiansen adding rhythmic support on a variety of world percussion instruments, Cliff Smyrl on accordion, James Berget on fiddle, and if you arelucky enough to catch these guys in the mountains around Colorado, you might just see chessmaster Jacques Delguerre fill in on Concertina. To sum it up, this show is a ‘can’t miss’ for any lover of live music looking to broaden their musical horizons with a fresh energetic take on what defines Americana today. The album starts off with the track 1 Chicha Fria an intoxicating yet jazzy-pop ballad which is comparable to a welcome mat giving the listener a positive premonition of things to come. All 9 tracks have everything the tile implies heavy with Rockabilly, Americana, Blues. Music is cut from the same cloth as O.A.R., Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M, Blues Traveler and Rusted Root. Next up is my favorite track on the set: “Ploughman’s Blues†an up tempo bass driven piece with an Accordion driven flair. Just when you think you got this band pegged the next few tracks prove you wrong. “Waltz of Bones†, “Bleneau Ffestiniog†and Caspian;s March†will blow you away. By track 5 this CD hits solid stride and keeps coming at you one track after the next. Many tracks are mixed with some lighter rock and pop while a few notables are a total riot. Some songs even have a sad but true overtone with a ring of truth to them . Finally †What You wanted Here†waves you in for a safe landing thus ending the CD on hopeful, impassioned note. After listening to “Pulling Upon the Strap†by Gypsy Lumberjacks it’s evident to me their talent goes far beyond what I imagined or even expected. Leif Magnuson is a great singer and this band has the voice and the Folkish flair many people across this nation will gravitate towards no doubt. This band is to the same level of his singing and the combination of vocals, rhythm section and music really brings it all together.
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a force to be reckoned with live or in the studio.
4/5
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MUSIC NEWS NASHVILLE
TAMMY KLEIN
May 6, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. This isn’t to say that the songs fall into a set pattern.
Who doesn’t like Folk Rock? I’d all hands go up in the air. This style of music tended to be at times earthy, melodic, loud, a bit chaotic and filled with musical ruckus. Recently we’ve seen this style of music Moe, Widespread Panic, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, The String Cheese Incident, and Dave Mathews. Many feel this style of music has lost its way evolving into overly commercialized, highly corporate songs that do a better job at getting under your skin rather than getting under your heart. So having said bands that play this style of music are dying breeds.
It’s true many have felt we have lost out way. Despite this rather depressing introduction most music fans can’t deny getting into a good poppy groove every now and then and really enjoy well written music within this style from time to time. The latest release by Gypsy Lumberjacks entitled interestingly enough “Pulling Upon the Strap” came to my attention a few weeks back. I must admit I yawned expecting the typical poppy music conventions – trying to be folksy. Boy did I get what I deserved. I get the impression this band writes and records in a unique style that fuses the rhythms of Blues and gold old fashioned Folk/Americana and yes even Southern Style Rock.
This unique style meshes rhythms and sounds with short, humorous stories – still-life if you will for an increasingly busy age. Lead vocalist Magnuson asks us to examine the world in a fresh light. I hate to pigeonhole but if you like all the aforementioned band in addition to Robbie Williams, Rusted Root, Mark Knopfler, Tindersticks, Tim Buckley and Marc Cohen you will like Gypsy Lumberjacks. “Pulling Upon the Straps” is exceptional music and multi-dimensional to say the least.
The music itself is uplifting, thought provoking, and interesting. It also however possesses an undeniable Americana/Blues/Folk core kind of breaking the traditional mold for Southern Rock style of music from way up North of all places. Does all of this sound a bit over the top to you? Just listen to marquee tracks like “Chicha Fria”, “Ploughman’s Blues” and “Elephants’ Underwear” and you’ll begin to see my perspective. The main focus of this genre of music is generally the personality of the artist, here these cats win you over without even trying.
The amazing lyrical content never feels like an afterthought. What’s more the vocal work and impeccable songwriting and playing from this entire band a few other contributors really brings this CD all together. This band is hitting the pavement hard. All in all it’s a powerful combination that puts a band like Gypsy Lumberjacks on the map for 2014.
They should go a long way towards proving that real music is still alive and well – even here in the US.
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VENTS MAGAZINE
BRIAN LOCKE
April 23, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks is a folk-blues- almost bluegrassy band based artists located in Minnesota who just released their 9 track CD entitled “Pulling Upon the Strap” (2014). Their sound is an entertaining hybrid of contemporary classic rock n’, worldly folk, bluegrass, with a dash of modern day acoustical blues. I could be wrong but with the Accordion I cancan even hear Creole Soul and Zydeco which is extremely popular in many arts of this country, mainly Louisiana. The songwriting here aims to promote more positive messages than what we hear on the radio these days.
The overall vibe I get is this band is holding nothing back, thus steering clear of reducing songs to sanitized versions of themselves. The first few songs (Chicha Fri), (Ploufhman’s Blues) and (waltz of Bones) hit the deck running as this bursts to life via well-appointed movements, soulful-rock vibe and a strong vocal presence up front from vocalist Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar). Other members are: Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin). Also present are tight harmonies and consistent groove-ridden fiddle and rhythm section. In my opinion this project features 3 main ingredients: Magnuson on vocals and as primary, his acoustic guitar and the accordion/percussion combination. The impressive strings and fiddles are not to far behind. To me these 3 personify the core sound of Gyspy Lumberjacks. This may sound stupid – but it’s amazing to me how valuable these 3 are to this kind of sound. Magnuson is the key ingredient that makes all of this work oh so well. The primaries here are Vocals, Accordion and Percussion. All 3 finely balanced within the mix. The vocal range of Magnuson especially appealing to the higher registry are artfully defined while still layered quite nicely within the pocket. He has much to offer insofar as passion, grit and power without falling into the vocalist-with-supporting-arrangement trap. With marquee tracks like “Ploughman’s Blues”,“Caspian’s March” And Miner’s Dross” they stimulate the senses. One can’t help but admire how all the instruments and musical styles are distributed masterfully within this 9 track set.
This is a true to form old school psychedelic-rock-blues-folk that successfully captures the vintage songwriting virtuoso. Like I had mentioned there’s sprinkle of Bluegrass, Creole Soul and Zydeco in there as well – though I could be wrong. Bring in some wine, a good crowd a some soul food – yeah you get it to. Throughout all piece one will notice a tragic-sweetness and blooming hooks all the while maintaining an intimate “conservative” bluesy-groovy feel. “Pulling Upon the Strap” by Gypsy Lumberjacks is undeniably Alternative Folk based with an almost Americana feel to it courtesy of this band and it’s Northern midwest demographic. Many songs on this album are more than ripe for all the old blues school rockers out there but this album could easily be liked by all music fans out there. Her expect no overdubbing or disappointingly amateurish mixing with a disingenuous attempt in making a hit record. These are high-quality, clean recordings that balances out both natural and midi sounds flawlessly. The music though effective is not up to the level of some of the more hookier styles of music I’ve heard like The Dave Mathews Band, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and the John Mayer Trio.
Regardless of any of that Gypsy Lumberjacks are the real deal. This is an impressive CD. This music may not be for the sonic pop crowd but “Pulling Upon The Strap” proves that with continued dedication via a powerful slew of songs great music can be achieved regardless of how modern it does, or does not sound.
10
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GIG BAND
ZACHARY REYNOLDS
April 24, 2014
Deep from the heart of Minnesota emerges a cool band that goes by the name of Gypsy Lumberjacks. Band members include: Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin).
The band has just released a new 9 song CD entitled “Pulling Upon the Strap in 2014. As a music fans aficionado who’s strictly a voyeur, a writer who’s never played a lick or tried to fit different musical components together into a cohesive whole, I’m intrigued by the idea of a centerpiece band member like Magnuson playing guitar in a band which consists of a Bass, Cajon, Accordion, Violin and bass players respectively. This surging 6 member band is somewhat of a musical force. As if releasing many CD’s over the last few years isn’t enough. Gypsy Lumberjacks are proving yet again persistence pays off. This latest CD is a barnburner proving yet again that good Alternative Rock need not be taken too seriously – but never to be taken too lightly. Gypsy Lumberjacks achieve their own distinctive voice in significant part by featuring the unique rockabilly guitar/voice combination at the core of all these songs. At the same time with all of the expanded tonal ranges and expressiveness that 5 instruments can dish out – making for a unique sonic experience altogether. The ultimate beauty of this collection, though, is in the way Magnuson so weaves his ever eccentric-lamenting battle cry in and out of the foreground of these tracks, playing a mostly supporting role on numbers like the opening track “Chicha Fria” and “Ploughman’s Blues” to the brilliant Miner’s Dross.” Then taking it up a few notches with “Blaunau Ffestiniog” and “What You Wanted.”Also present are the more straight forward “Caspian’s March” to more epic “Riversong.” Gypsy Lumberjacks clearly fees equally as comfortable powering through the modern alt-rock grooves of the former as tiptoeing through the more contemplative, country-esque rockabilly contrails of the latter.
On this CD they find the seam between the two approaches, delivering a steady interlude of music in the midst of musical chaos making for a boiling CD. Much of the songs unfold in similar fashion as watts and crew alternate solo/duo meditative moments with deftly executed, often-challenging rocked out syncopation. They are all quite the writers and players. After some thinking I really wouldn’t compare this band to anyone. A few similar acts are Sister Hazel, Barenaked Ladies, David Gray and Zac Brown Band. Gypsy Lumberjacks are so unique I can’t even begin to describe his sound accurately. Vocally Magnuson’s tonality and off the charts intensity. All in it’s a unique sounding musical projects.
The common thread throughout all of these pieces is these 5 grooving as one cohesive whole showcasing adventurous playing and open microphone musical vision. Via this angle “Pulling Upon The Strap: is powerful, explosive, eccentric, danceable CD that at times and yet courageously explores the boundaries between modern alt-rock and clever high energy folk with and uncommon subtlety and fumbled grace.
Score 8/10 Stars
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ROOTSTIME
DANI HEYVAERT
Dutch
Here we go again ... How am I supposed to stick a label on the music of Gypsy Lumberjacks? For there are seven or eight genres intertwined. Pffft ... what is the life of a reviewer yet tricky ....
Fortunately, now also makes a lot of good music again. Gypsy Lumberjacks is a quintet from Minneapolis, Minnesota. As far as we could ascertain, this is the second album of the band, which immediately stands out very thorough vakmùanschap of musicians. Somewhere I read that the young people are proud that they never use a set list for a concert and they just follow. Together That's so jazz influence, I suspect, though dare bluegrass and folk bands wanted their fate in the hands of the lay improvisation.
Another striking fact: the unusual voice of singer Leif Magnuson. That voice is incredibly versatile and can be either pure bluegrass as more Latin tinged melodies or rooted in English folk song. This is, in other words, a penalty singer, who, as it turns out after a few spins of the record, also on acoustic guitar is not a sissy.
Then we come to the violin / fiddle, which is an equally essential part of the sound of the Lumberjacks: James Berget is the fiddler on duty and he jumps effortlessly from one to another genre: sometimes almost Irish or nearly Norwegian , then ultra-American or Mexican complaining ... he gets it all played and I can not hear a note that is not in place.
The rhythms are provided by the cajon Ben Karon and bass Peter Verdin (that boy could have roots in the Low Countries?) And thereby lost what I need, is that they seem to hate classical patterns. It skips and jumps back and forth in a way that you often do not expect, but time and again to serve the number. In this they are joined by the accordion Cliff Smyrl, which in turn is a whole range of skills in the fingers appear to have.
The cocktail is brewed from these ingredients, sounds particularly tasty and bonding. As I said: very clearly played a lot and live together. The songs are actually or more workpieces, thereby sounding as if they were invented on the spot and if they can be. Played only once in the same way This is quite surprising, but it's a cold bath too. This record is much more: you want to hear them again and again. I would really like to see. These guys live to work Do you remember the Dutch group Flairck yet? Otherwise, disable Google only briefly. In any case, the music of the Lumberjacks made me even think it's tit.
They call it Americana, I can understand: at least that is a term that covers many loads and essentially covers everything to do with the life of the American has. Americana so, but in highly unusual and very catchy music, which is best consumed live is. I think so. Doing something on the great merit of this studioalbum? Not at all. Just, you know, just looking at the website of the band and listen to "Elephants Underwear" or opener "Chicha Fria" or better yet, what for me the highlight of the album is "Caspian's March". If such a number can run, who can call himself a musician together. And now I must urgently behind the live album of the guests ...
RIC ALBANO
AUGUST 13, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks is a group with a unique fusion sound built on folk instrumentation. Their full-length album, Pulling Upon the Strap, released early this year, masterfully displays their range of influences and compositional originality. The album follows an earlier release by the group called Live at the Sound Gallery. While the group’s base sound is solidly Americana based, there is an improvisational element which brings in elements of Latin, jazz, creole, European folk, and even some psychedelic and progressive rock. Beyond the music itself, the sound quality on this album is pristine in showcasing the unique mixtures of instrumentation and lead sections. The album was recorded at Sugar Sound Studios with engineer Jared Rush and mixed by Wes Schuck at Two Fish Studios in Mankato, Minnesota. The result is a beautifully captured collection of nine diverse songs.
Gypsy Lumberjacks consists of the core trio of Leif Magnuson on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Peter Verdin on bass, and percussionist Ben Karon, who primarily plays the Cajon, a box-shaped Instrument that originated in Peru. While Magnuson composed all the songs on Pulling Upon the Strap, they were forged through many live renditions over the years, which were rarely played the same way twice.
The album opens with “Chicha Fria”, commencing with a Latin-flavored beat and rhythm over much cross-talking in the background with band members doing oratory of sayings for a minute and a half while Magnuson’s acoustic meanders through some crisp riffs – almost like an inside joke, When the song proper finally arrives, it is quite pleasant with good vocal melodies and tight harmonies over the consistent, groove-ridden passages. “Ploughman’s Blues” is even better, starting with an interesting mix of percussion by Karon and second percussionist Doug Christiansen. The verses contain very good vocal harmonies while the choruses take it to an even higher level with the vivid and emotional vocals of Magnuson coupled with the pristine beauty of the ascending violin progression of James Berget. “Waltz of Bones” is a true waltz, led by deadened guitar notes, violin and accordion by Cliff Smyrl. Compared to the first two tracks, this is a whole different dynamic sonically as the mix is very up close and personal.
We then move through a two-song instrumental section, starting with the utterly un-pronounceable “Blaenau Ffestinog”. Verdin’s potent bass holds the rhythm in this country-flavored, multi-part, polka jam with each lead instrument eventually taking its turn up front. By contrast, “Caspian’s March” is very psychedelic and dramatic and seems to be much more improvised than its predecessor. With a haunting vibe throughout (in part due to the subtle “oohs” of a distant vocal), the song varies from loose to tight and Karon provides some fantastic Cajon fills during the tighter sections.
The true genius of Pulling Upon the Strap comes in the album’s final four tracks, starting with “Miner’s Dross”. The picked acoustic-led folk song with subtle and pleasant accordion is a true workingman’s anthem that is masterful in its subtlety and every bit as good as some of Springsteen’s finer tracks. “Elephant’s Underwear” is probably the best overall song on the album, as it contains everything style, instrument, and performance-wise, not mention the top-notch vocals from Magnuson. Starting as a choppy, upbeat acoustic track, soon joined in by a chorus of rustic instrumentation, the track goes through a repeated rotation odf styles. Preceding some oddly-timed interludes, the song’s chorus is the real payoff here;
But the weight of the world was too much for me, I let it go, had to set it free…
come down and rescue me…”
“Riversong”, at first feels like a native folk song, built on a simple beat and melody. However, this slow and dark vibe eventually builds in tempo and intensity as it goes through a celebratory mid-section before relinquishing back to the original melody to close the song. “What You Wanted Here” is Caribbean sounding with picked notes mimicking steel drums and a percussive-infused beat. Aside from this chorus of percussion, Verdin’s bass really carries the track musically and concludes the album on a high note. We look forward to seeing what Gypsy Lumberjacks do next with their unique fusion of styles and songwriting virtuosity.
GRATEFUL WEB
RICHARD MORGENSTERN
APRIL 24, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. Their latest work entitled “Pulling Upon the Strap” was released in 2014 and I was blown away with what I heard. This is such a complex, amazing and dramatic CD what else can I say in the end? Pulling Upon the Strap is more than amazing and dramatic, it’s also extremely suspenseful and somewhat Jazzy. I like to call this genera Bluegrass Jazz because and only a handful of bands have ever really played it. It has a very melodic Folkish-bluegrass quality to it as well. The intro track ‘Chicha Fria” gives you the impression as if you were Rickshaw Riding though the heartland with its pulsating vibe. The really vivid, yet emotional charged vocals from Leif Magnuson evolves into a great opener reminiscent of acts such as Batmobile, The Meteors, The Quakes, Mad Sin, Long Tall Texans and The Hillbilly Moon Explosion. Magnuson has a really strong tonal foundation coupled with heavy rhythms, hypnotic fretwork, amazing writing, with spaced out goodness. The vocals from Magnuson is well executed and the lyrics are to say the least interesting. That’s how diverse Gypsy Lumberjacks are. Without a doubt, it’s impossible to deny the superiority of this band consisting of Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin). The percussion and the bass lines just help push the CD/album forward, and the vibe, if you pay attention carefully, has a really old time Americana –Country-Blues Rockabilly sort of vibe to it. As the CD evolves it showcases some dramatic combinations of high energy fretwork/violin tandems fused with worldly percussion and impressive harmonies. The violin and acoustic guitars have an especially important role on all pieces as well. I really like how well the guitars and violin merge into one melodic sound – well done. On many these tracks Magnuson is clearly in charge of giving the mood assigning to each song vocally. He’s no slouch on acoustic guitar either. The addition of the well partitioned segments gives many song “Jamboree” Bluegrass touch.
In conclusion, here’s a CD release I’ve been dying to get my hands on for a while. I was just unable to stumble across these guys until today. It’s also very subliminal, and a grand concept that’s sure to get many peoples attention. From the production level, to the musicianship involved, “Pulling Upon The Strap” by Gypsy Lumberjacks delivers in grand fashion. With the advent of this band to mainstream folk, with their superlative signature sound and trademark moniker, everything here works terrifically well. It will keep you in a state of positive wonderment from start to finish. - See more at: http://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/gypsy-lumberjacks-pulling-upon-strap-new-music-review#sthash.kWoWKfSh.dpuf
ROCK N ROLL REVIEW
JONI RAPP (edited by Janne Zawa)
APRIL 24, 2014
Most would agree most popular artists out there have something truly special to give to their fans. This goes above the typical attributes like raw talent, amazing songs, nice voice, or even a very marketable look, sound & image. There’s something truly infectious at the core of these artists that simply makes us feel good when we listen to them. Whatever “it” is – they all seem to have “it”.
Today I listened to the latest CD from Twin Cities based Folk-Rock band Gypsy Lumberjacks who just released their latest CD entitled: “Pulling Upon the Strap”, released in 2014. Venturing to their website and overall internet presence I get the impression this is one artist who is extremely determined, dedicated and passionate about the songwriting craft. From start to finish this CD from Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin) is a very entertaining musical experience all around. It has a very warm and inviting Pop-Rock-Folk quality to it, and even dabbles in Americana and Alternative Rock. It also reminds me of classic America, R.E.M, Jeff Buckley, and a bit of Paul Simon and Dave Mathews Band. Any fans of any of these musical styles or bands will enjoy this latest release from GL. It’s clearly marketed for those who like an impassioned male vocal front with amazing musicianship in the background. For the record these guys can play and as a vocalist Magnuson sings with an unfettered reckless abandon. Together these 6 make a good musical combination. I get the impression these guys are being true to themselves as artists via this compelling 9 track line up. In other words they hit the mark remarkably well by just by being who they are musically. My hats off to that attitude. Favorite tracks for me include (Chicha Fria), (Miner’s Dross) and (Riversong). The songwriting is impressive and digs a bit deeper than the next independent artist. Within each one of these pieces GL bare their soul and delivers what I would call pure musical mojo. It also offers much in the way of a compelling/thought musical landscaping – highly diverse and progressive. This music could also be heralded as Acoustic Jazz. The playing from his band is spot on and just makes the whole CD even more enjoyable. The overall vibe of the production is very mysterious and captivating (what’s around the corner) with pockets of hope shining through.
I see Gypsy Lumberjacks as a diamond in the rough, with an amazing amount of talent and potential. As time goes by we will no doubt hear more from them. Let me go on record and say Gypsy Lumberjacks are a record deal waiting to happen. I also wouldn’t be surprised to hear their music around some of the biggest folk music festivals around the nation, on Prime Time Radio and even featured in on Major Motion Pictures or even TV. In close most famous artists out there have “it” I’m not so sure what “it” is but Gypsy Lumberjacks have whatever “it” may be.
Final Rating: 8.5/10 Stars
Joni Rapp Edited by Janne Zawa. Approved by Drew Blackwell (UK)
INDIE ARTIST ALLILANCE
CARLY SMITH (edited by Markus Druery)
April 23, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks just released the latest effort entitled Pulling Upon the Strap. How would one describe their overall sound: How about World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. Band members are: Leif Magnuson (Gtr. Vocals), Benji Karon (Cajon, Pecussion), Peter Verdin (Bass), Cliffy Smyrl (Accordion, Vocals), Dougie Christianson (Percussion).
Stocked full of hooks and a jovial playing style that never lets it’s guard down, to melodies which linger long after the playing has passed, Pulling Upon the Strap provides nine buoyant and inventive tracks which play like new adventures, yet approaches them like old friends you feel you’ve known for a long time. This latest release pleasantly embraces the ears and is in a league all by itself with an elite spirit of eagerness and vibrancy. The unique melodies soak every accomplished note from the beginning of “Chichi Fria” through to climactic end of “What You Wanted Here.’ It offers many musical familiarities, wearing those inspirations proudly on its sleeve showcasing eclectic musical influences hinged on impressive musicianship and a unique signature sound. Case in point: This is one of the most original sounding bands I’ve heard in quite some time. I can hear traces of Phish, Counting Crows, Hootie and the Blowfish, Tim Reynolds, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Mostly they sound like Dave Matthews Band to me. It’s fair to say that the CD does not come down from the high of Track 1 “Chicha Fria” and hypnotic Track 2 “Ploughman’s Blues.” Though it certainly provides a consistent balance of genres listed above. As the CD slowly advances the melodies, addictive hooks return sporadically from time to time with a beckoning potency far away from the mediocre mainstream. Bottom line: there’s something much more tangible about this release compared to most of the CD’s that slide across my desk this year. All tracks emerge from a modest sonic web producing much in the way of thick bass lines, jumpy accordion, earthy Cajon and spicy fiddles. The instruments, and subsequent meticulous movements provided by this experienced band will leave their mark on you instinctually and inspire the imagination. Magnusson’s voice does not jump out but has a modest quality which defines itself and work well within the setting of each piece. His mesmerizing baritone coupled with the acoustical exuberance paints you an impressive picture upon a virulent musical canvas. My favorite track is probably “Caspian’s March” another interminably seductive piece offering waning poetic ambience and sure musical direction. Though maybe this is one song which fails to linger and return like the others, but is a riveting tidbit nonetheless. I do however wish there was more music. 9 tracks is a bit sparse when compared to the standard 13-15 format. Pulling Upon the Strap by Gypsy Lumberjacks is a good listen any way you slice it. It’s a ripe musical invitation into the world of a red hot band from Minnesota. At the least it will satisfy many, thus filling the void left by millions of band who cannot dive this deep – not even close. This outlier style of music is not only mastered by the Gypsy Lumberjacks, it also deserves a much wider and attentive audience to say the least..
Score: 8/10
ALL WHATS ROCK
MARK DAVIS (edited byJoshua Beach)
APRIL 24, 2014
(Minneapolis, MN) Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Band members include: Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin).Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. This isn’t to say that the songs fall into a set pattern. The Lumberjacks rarely play a song the exact same way twice or in the same order. Even after touring relentlessly for nearly five years now, the older songs are still evolving and finding new life any given night they are performed. Not to mention that new songs are consistently being introduced into the repertoire (which now boasts nearly four hours of original music and countless covers).
First: there are some really rocking pieces on this CD that really step outside the traditional musical boundaries on the Radio right now. Second: Magnuson and his sizzling band have a sound not to be underestimated and is compatible to a disgruntled Americana cult fanbase right now. Third: It’s nice to know good musicianship is making a com back. All of the above enhances the listening experience for me rather than limit it. I’ve watched a few of their videos and it appears as if they have a kick ass live show as well. These guys are obviously experienced at performing and writing music, but it’s the combination of all of the above them so deadly. Indeed Gyspy Lumberjacks are the type of band to take real chances with their music. When you take chances you can win big! On this CD you will hear straight up rock to R&B type rock to rockabilly on steroids and even Bluegrass. Here the true genius of this band and its many musical influences shine through via a highly diversified collection of music. BTW Magnuson is a great front man but he’s no one trick pony either. He’s also and great guitar player within his own right. Perhaps all this and more that is why Gyspy Lumberjack are on our Radar screens in the first place. Forgive me if I’m talking in circles – but some bands can deliver music that’s pretty straight forward, conservative and painfully simple. Then there are other musicians who will go down a much different path and deliver music that shines bright like a priceless diamond amongst the lackluster. In lieu of Gypsy Lumberjack’s addictive musical personality and impressive string of songs it almost feels as if these guys are really on to something special. This is a one of a kind CD that’s closely tied to classic Americana Soul Rockabilly millions here love. I hate to pigeonhole but I can hear a Cry of Love, Widespread Panic, Marc Ford, Warren Haynes and The North Mississippi All-stars meshed with their songs.
Top Track: Waltz of Bones
Criticism: Seems a bit odd to bring a Cajon to this style of music. I would recommend utilizing percussion more compatible with American Celtic Folk bluegrass style of music. there’s plenty to chose from. They should also use at a minimum a stand-up snare and kick drum like the Stray Cats do.
It’s true that many bands start off sounding like another act in some way, shape of form only to develop a trademark sound later in order to get their career moving. Additionally some bands need future releases to demonstrate more in the way of musical molding or identity developing as all artists have to start somewhere. Having said that Gyspy Lumberjacks don’t require any of the above! Their sound is already there!
Score: 4/5
Indie Music Digest
Cyrus Rhodes
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. This isn’t to say that the songs fall into a set pattern. The Lumberjacks rarely play a song the exact same way twice or in the same order. Even after touring relentlessly for nearly five years now, the older songs are still evolving and finding new life any given night they are performed. Not to mention that new songs are consistently being introduced into the repertoire (which now boasts nearly four hours of original music and countless covers). Their latest CD is called “Pulling Upon the Strap” )2014. Band members include: Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin).
The CD kicks takes off with methodical “Chicha Fria” a smooth flowing intro piece that serves up slamming Americana fretwork, well placed percussion, meshed against thought provoking lyrical content and effective harmonies from Magnuson and company. Track 2 “Ploughman’s Blues” keeps things moving in the right direction with smooth Creole-type vibe served up against steady flowing rhythm, well placed accordion painted against a hooky chorus making for an impressive follow-up statement. Track 3 “Waltz of Bones” is another jumpy groove that dishes out dynamic rhythm, impressive vocal feel and impressive musical syncopation that flows and ebbs its way through to motional fruition. The CD makes a great first impression dashing out 3 amazing songs in a row. The musicianship of everyone involved is clearly above the bar. I would classify this music as Americana, Jam Band, Folk, Alternative Rock with brief touches of Progressive Folk and Fusion Gypsy Jazz, R&B to Psychedelic Bluegrass. Music is not easy to pigeonhole but is reminiscent of classic Dave Matthews Band, Paul McCartney, John Mayer, and Deep Blue Something. Besides the four piece standard one can also appreciate much in the way of lush instrumentation with things like Accordion, Percussive Accents, impressive rhythm guitar, Americana fretwork, strings, fiddles, solid guitar solos, lush harmonies layered everywhere all built upon a thick as a brick rhythm section. What I like the most about this band is how well they seem to groove together, testament to hundreds of hours of writing and rehearsal time no doubt. Now turning our attention over to Magnuson - as for his vocal abilities well he’s a great advent. His voice goes down smooth and fills the space peacefully and unobtrusively with a timber that is simply infectious. At times he really reminds me of Gregg Allman and even Joe Cocker behind the mic. I might add he takes some impressive vocal risks indicating to me a confident vocal ability. I like his power. All songs are extremely well crafted and consistent across the board - world class songwriting and instrumentation. This CD from Gypsy Lumberjacks delivers 9 solid tracks all providing musical enjoyment filled with strong musical variety and diversity. All production aspects (Mixing, Mastering) check out extremely well. CD has crystal clear high end punch and thick low end frequency. The music of The Gypsy Lumberjacks has everything you would expect from a world class musical production. From dynamic “Caspian’s March” to heartfelt “Miner’s Dross” to hypnotic “Elephant’s Underwear” to striking “Riversong” this CD has something for just about everyone. The CD ends with Track 9 “What You Wanted Here” the perfect finale statement for a CD like this
All songs over 3.5 minutes drag you to the finish line. A few tracks have excessive intros and outros, and a bit of musical meandering in them. Perhaps they should be trimmed up by 10%. Another interesting aspect to this band is there is no drummer present – just a percussionist. As a result some of the tracks lack a thick low end rhythmic foundation base. My recommendation – have your percussionist or guitarist play a kick drum like Mumford and Sons on all tracks. The occasional crash cymbal accent sounds real cheesy. CD title misses the mark for me and is not compatible with the cover art. Despite the Jam Band format I wish there were more in the way of solos throughout the CD.
From start to finish Pulling Upon the Strap by Gypsy Lumberjacks is an amazing collection of music. The songwriting – the gold standard, all consistent musical experiences, each one possessing a unique personality, flair, and signature groove. Note for note, song for song there isn’t really weak piece on this entire catalog. The writing and playing abilities of Leif Magnuson and company are rock solid. The melodies and harmonies are well crafted, and the lyrical content is packed to the hilt with good old fashioned no holds barred R&B-Pop-Rock swagger. At the end of the day Gypsy Lumberjacks bring the mojo and is clearly a marquee talent based out of Minneapolis. One would be wise to keep a watchful eye on him as this Summer unfolds.-----------------------------------
SKOPE MAGAZINE
RICHARD CLAY
April 24, 2014
(Minneapolis, Minn.) Gypsy Lumberjacks are a hot up and coming band based primary in the North –but tour all around Midwest. Their music is steeped in Rock, Blues and Celtic Bluegrass Folk. Their latest CD “Pulling Upon the Strap†(2014) embraces the rich heritage of all of the above genres, while holding his own within their deep and versatile musical voice and exuberant writing style. All of this and more tie the album together nicely, even as the music skips around and delves into unsuspected territory. This is more than just Blues folks, I can even hear a Bluegrass-Folk- Rock- Saloon Jazz woven within the musical fabric. All of the above is a tripped out combination of musical styles no doubt – making for and equal parts musical experience. Gypsy Lumberjacks start with a solid core structure of the studied and fluid acoustic guitar stylings of Leif Magnuson, the solid and exploratory bass guitar of Peter Verdin, and the articulate rhythms of Ben Karon on Cajon. Add Leif’s voice as the cherry on top and you have what Conrad Magalis of the University Chronicle called “the best sound of the season.†From this core structure there is a revolving door of musicians that frequent the Lumberjack stage. Most commonly Doug Christiansen adding rhythmic support on a variety of world percussion instruments, Cliff Smyrl on accordion, James Berget on fiddle, and if you arelucky enough to catch these guys in the mountains around Colorado, you might just see chessmaster Jacques Delguerre fill in on Concertina. To sum it up, this show is a ‘can’t miss’ for any lover of live music looking to broaden their musical horizons with a fresh energetic take on what defines Americana today. The album starts off with the track 1 Chicha Fria an intoxicating yet jazzy-pop ballad which is comparable to a welcome mat giving the listener a positive premonition of things to come. All 9 tracks have everything the tile implies heavy with Rockabilly, Americana, Blues. Music is cut from the same cloth as O.A.R., Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M, Blues Traveler and Rusted Root. Next up is my favorite track on the set: “Ploughman’s Blues†an up tempo bass driven piece with an Accordion driven flair. Just when you think you got this band pegged the next few tracks prove you wrong. “Waltz of Bones†, “Bleneau Ffestiniog†and Caspian;s March†will blow you away. By track 5 this CD hits solid stride and keeps coming at you one track after the next. Many tracks are mixed with some lighter rock and pop while a few notables are a total riot. Some songs even have a sad but true overtone with a ring of truth to them . Finally †What You wanted Here†waves you in for a safe landing thus ending the CD on hopeful, impassioned note. After listening to “Pulling Upon the Strap†by Gypsy Lumberjacks it’s evident to me their talent goes far beyond what I imagined or even expected. Leif Magnuson is a great singer and this band has the voice and the Folkish flair many people across this nation will gravitate towards no doubt. This band is to the same level of his singing and the combination of vocals, rhythm section and music really brings it all together.
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a force to be reckoned with live or in the studio.
4/5
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MUSIC NEWS NASHVILLE
TAMMY KLEIN
May 6, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks are a Minneapolis based Americana band with a sound consisting of a mix of World Beat, Flamenco, Caribbean, Gypsy Jazz and Bluegrass. With such a range of influences, there is something for everyone to latch on to in the music. Known for never performing with a set list, Gypsy Lumberjacks prefer to rely on each other’s leads and changes. This isn’t to say that the songs fall into a set pattern.
Who doesn’t like Folk Rock? I’d all hands go up in the air. This style of music tended to be at times earthy, melodic, loud, a bit chaotic and filled with musical ruckus. Recently we’ve seen this style of music Moe, Widespread Panic, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, The String Cheese Incident, and Dave Mathews. Many feel this style of music has lost its way evolving into overly commercialized, highly corporate songs that do a better job at getting under your skin rather than getting under your heart. So having said bands that play this style of music are dying breeds.
It’s true many have felt we have lost out way. Despite this rather depressing introduction most music fans can’t deny getting into a good poppy groove every now and then and really enjoy well written music within this style from time to time. The latest release by Gypsy Lumberjacks entitled interestingly enough “Pulling Upon the Strap” came to my attention a few weeks back. I must admit I yawned expecting the typical poppy music conventions – trying to be folksy. Boy did I get what I deserved. I get the impression this band writes and records in a unique style that fuses the rhythms of Blues and gold old fashioned Folk/Americana and yes even Southern Style Rock.
This unique style meshes rhythms and sounds with short, humorous stories – still-life if you will for an increasingly busy age. Lead vocalist Magnuson asks us to examine the world in a fresh light. I hate to pigeonhole but if you like all the aforementioned band in addition to Robbie Williams, Rusted Root, Mark Knopfler, Tindersticks, Tim Buckley and Marc Cohen you will like Gypsy Lumberjacks. “Pulling Upon the Straps” is exceptional music and multi-dimensional to say the least.
The music itself is uplifting, thought provoking, and interesting. It also however possesses an undeniable Americana/Blues/Folk core kind of breaking the traditional mold for Southern Rock style of music from way up North of all places. Does all of this sound a bit over the top to you? Just listen to marquee tracks like “Chicha Fria”, “Ploughman’s Blues” and “Elephants’ Underwear” and you’ll begin to see my perspective. The main focus of this genre of music is generally the personality of the artist, here these cats win you over without even trying.
The amazing lyrical content never feels like an afterthought. What’s more the vocal work and impeccable songwriting and playing from this entire band a few other contributors really brings this CD all together. This band is hitting the pavement hard. All in all it’s a powerful combination that puts a band like Gypsy Lumberjacks on the map for 2014.
They should go a long way towards proving that real music is still alive and well – even here in the US.
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VENTS MAGAZINE
BRIAN LOCKE
April 23, 2014
Gypsy Lumberjacks is a folk-blues- almost bluegrassy band based artists located in Minnesota who just released their 9 track CD entitled “Pulling Upon the Strap” (2014). Their sound is an entertaining hybrid of contemporary classic rock n’, worldly folk, bluegrass, with a dash of modern day acoustical blues. I could be wrong but with the Accordion I cancan even hear Creole Soul and Zydeco which is extremely popular in many arts of this country, mainly Louisiana. The songwriting here aims to promote more positive messages than what we hear on the radio these days.
The overall vibe I get is this band is holding nothing back, thus steering clear of reducing songs to sanitized versions of themselves. The first few songs (Chicha Fri), (Ploufhman’s Blues) and (waltz of Bones) hit the deck running as this bursts to life via well-appointed movements, soulful-rock vibe and a strong vocal presence up front from vocalist Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar). Other members are: Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin). Also present are tight harmonies and consistent groove-ridden fiddle and rhythm section. In my opinion this project features 3 main ingredients: Magnuson on vocals and as primary, his acoustic guitar and the accordion/percussion combination. The impressive strings and fiddles are not to far behind. To me these 3 personify the core sound of Gyspy Lumberjacks. This may sound stupid – but it’s amazing to me how valuable these 3 are to this kind of sound. Magnuson is the key ingredient that makes all of this work oh so well. The primaries here are Vocals, Accordion and Percussion. All 3 finely balanced within the mix. The vocal range of Magnuson especially appealing to the higher registry are artfully defined while still layered quite nicely within the pocket. He has much to offer insofar as passion, grit and power without falling into the vocalist-with-supporting-arrangement trap. With marquee tracks like “Ploughman’s Blues”,“Caspian’s March” And Miner’s Dross” they stimulate the senses. One can’t help but admire how all the instruments and musical styles are distributed masterfully within this 9 track set.
This is a true to form old school psychedelic-rock-blues-folk that successfully captures the vintage songwriting virtuoso. Like I had mentioned there’s sprinkle of Bluegrass, Creole Soul and Zydeco in there as well – though I could be wrong. Bring in some wine, a good crowd a some soul food – yeah you get it to. Throughout all piece one will notice a tragic-sweetness and blooming hooks all the while maintaining an intimate “conservative” bluesy-groovy feel. “Pulling Upon the Strap” by Gypsy Lumberjacks is undeniably Alternative Folk based with an almost Americana feel to it courtesy of this band and it’s Northern midwest demographic. Many songs on this album are more than ripe for all the old blues school rockers out there but this album could easily be liked by all music fans out there. Her expect no overdubbing or disappointingly amateurish mixing with a disingenuous attempt in making a hit record. These are high-quality, clean recordings that balances out both natural and midi sounds flawlessly. The music though effective is not up to the level of some of the more hookier styles of music I’ve heard like The Dave Mathews Band, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and the John Mayer Trio.
Regardless of any of that Gypsy Lumberjacks are the real deal. This is an impressive CD. This music may not be for the sonic pop crowd but “Pulling Upon The Strap” proves that with continued dedication via a powerful slew of songs great music can be achieved regardless of how modern it does, or does not sound.
10
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GIG BAND
ZACHARY REYNOLDS
April 24, 2014
Deep from the heart of Minnesota emerges a cool band that goes by the name of Gypsy Lumberjacks. Band members include: Leif Magnuson (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Verdin (Electric Bass), Benn Karon, (Cajon, Percussion), Doug Christensen (Percussion), Cliff Smyrl (Accordion), James Berget (Violin).
The band has just released a new 9 song CD entitled “Pulling Upon the Strap in 2014. As a music fans aficionado who’s strictly a voyeur, a writer who’s never played a lick or tried to fit different musical components together into a cohesive whole, I’m intrigued by the idea of a centerpiece band member like Magnuson playing guitar in a band which consists of a Bass, Cajon, Accordion, Violin and bass players respectively. This surging 6 member band is somewhat of a musical force. As if releasing many CD’s over the last few years isn’t enough. Gypsy Lumberjacks are proving yet again persistence pays off. This latest CD is a barnburner proving yet again that good Alternative Rock need not be taken too seriously – but never to be taken too lightly. Gypsy Lumberjacks achieve their own distinctive voice in significant part by featuring the unique rockabilly guitar/voice combination at the core of all these songs. At the same time with all of the expanded tonal ranges and expressiveness that 5 instruments can dish out – making for a unique sonic experience altogether. The ultimate beauty of this collection, though, is in the way Magnuson so weaves his ever eccentric-lamenting battle cry in and out of the foreground of these tracks, playing a mostly supporting role on numbers like the opening track “Chicha Fria” and “Ploughman’s Blues” to the brilliant Miner’s Dross.” Then taking it up a few notches with “Blaunau Ffestiniog” and “What You Wanted.”Also present are the more straight forward “Caspian’s March” to more epic “Riversong.” Gypsy Lumberjacks clearly fees equally as comfortable powering through the modern alt-rock grooves of the former as tiptoeing through the more contemplative, country-esque rockabilly contrails of the latter.
On this CD they find the seam between the two approaches, delivering a steady interlude of music in the midst of musical chaos making for a boiling CD. Much of the songs unfold in similar fashion as watts and crew alternate solo/duo meditative moments with deftly executed, often-challenging rocked out syncopation. They are all quite the writers and players. After some thinking I really wouldn’t compare this band to anyone. A few similar acts are Sister Hazel, Barenaked Ladies, David Gray and Zac Brown Band. Gypsy Lumberjacks are so unique I can’t even begin to describe his sound accurately. Vocally Magnuson’s tonality and off the charts intensity. All in it’s a unique sounding musical projects.
The common thread throughout all of these pieces is these 5 grooving as one cohesive whole showcasing adventurous playing and open microphone musical vision. Via this angle “Pulling Upon The Strap: is powerful, explosive, eccentric, danceable CD that at times and yet courageously explores the boundaries between modern alt-rock and clever high energy folk with and uncommon subtlety and fumbled grace.
Score 8/10 Stars
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ROOTSTIME
DANI HEYVAERT
Dutch
Here we go again ... How am I supposed to stick a label on the music of Gypsy Lumberjacks? For there are seven or eight genres intertwined. Pffft ... what is the life of a reviewer yet tricky ....
Fortunately, now also makes a lot of good music again. Gypsy Lumberjacks is a quintet from Minneapolis, Minnesota. As far as we could ascertain, this is the second album of the band, which immediately stands out very thorough vakmùanschap of musicians. Somewhere I read that the young people are proud that they never use a set list for a concert and they just follow. Together That's so jazz influence, I suspect, though dare bluegrass and folk bands wanted their fate in the hands of the lay improvisation.
Another striking fact: the unusual voice of singer Leif Magnuson. That voice is incredibly versatile and can be either pure bluegrass as more Latin tinged melodies or rooted in English folk song. This is, in other words, a penalty singer, who, as it turns out after a few spins of the record, also on acoustic guitar is not a sissy.
Then we come to the violin / fiddle, which is an equally essential part of the sound of the Lumberjacks: James Berget is the fiddler on duty and he jumps effortlessly from one to another genre: sometimes almost Irish or nearly Norwegian , then ultra-American or Mexican complaining ... he gets it all played and I can not hear a note that is not in place.
The rhythms are provided by the cajon Ben Karon and bass Peter Verdin (that boy could have roots in the Low Countries?) And thereby lost what I need, is that they seem to hate classical patterns. It skips and jumps back and forth in a way that you often do not expect, but time and again to serve the number. In this they are joined by the accordion Cliff Smyrl, which in turn is a whole range of skills in the fingers appear to have.
The cocktail is brewed from these ingredients, sounds particularly tasty and bonding. As I said: very clearly played a lot and live together. The songs are actually or more workpieces, thereby sounding as if they were invented on the spot and if they can be. Played only once in the same way This is quite surprising, but it's a cold bath too. This record is much more: you want to hear them again and again. I would really like to see. These guys live to work Do you remember the Dutch group Flairck yet? Otherwise, disable Google only briefly. In any case, the music of the Lumberjacks made me even think it's tit.
They call it Americana, I can understand: at least that is a term that covers many loads and essentially covers everything to do with the life of the American has. Americana so, but in highly unusual and very catchy music, which is best consumed live is. I think so. Doing something on the great merit of this studioalbum? Not at all. Just, you know, just looking at the website of the band and listen to "Elephants Underwear" or opener "Chicha Fria" or better yet, what for me the highlight of the album is "Caspian's March". If such a number can run, who can call himself a musician together. And now I must urgently behind the live album of the guests ...
GIANTS OF AMERICA (2015)
Gashouse Radio
By William Elgin III
http://gashouseradio.com/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-release-giants-of-america/
Roots music never charts or captures the zeitgeist much, but despite revolutionary changes in our world over the last half century, new generations of musicians from every walk of life have gravitated to folk music from a wide variety of sources. The Gypsy Lumberjacks, a Minneapolis based musical collective ranging from four to six members, have established a solid reputation as one of the most adventurous live acts plying their wares today, but their second album Giants of America solidifies any claim they might make to being songwriting and musical leaders in their area. The album’s eight tracks accomplish this not through slavish devotion to the past, but by bringing a modern perspective to bear on traditional musical elements, history, and songwriting conventions often established centuries before.
They prove themselves skilled at refurbishing hoary imagery in the first song, “Raise Your Dram”. Instead of taking the Flogging Molly route and combing the lyric with some stomping backing track, the song moves at a brisk pace but keeps the bulk of its focus on details. There’s a dark undercurrent laced through the track, but the music has such relentless energy that it counters any dispiriting effects. “Battles of the Frontiers” has a wonderfully western aura that may or may not match the lyric entirely, but like many great songwriters, nothing is ever so defined in a Lumberjacks’ song that the listener isn’t free to arrive at his or her own interpretations of its meaning. “Chasing the Sun” reveals more of these dark undercurrents percolating through the opening track and has another strong, even poetic lyric.
Despite sporting a lyric about excess and longing for redemption, “Bad Boy” introduces listeners to a lighter side of the band’s musical talent. The relatively upbeat musical backing here gives the song the feeling that it’s winking at you throughout, nudging you to see if you get the joke about how ridiculous the narrator sounds. “Elevators” is a sudden detour into purely instrumental territory and showcases a band capable of stunning stylistic turns that never sound forced. Magnuson’s guitar playing is frequently eye-popping, but never unnecessarily gaudy.
“Migration” carries a more somber air than many of the album’s earlier tracks and keeps its musical sophistication relatively muted to help better support the album’s best lyric.
Giants of America is an impressive statement that stays on point, entertains, and engages the listener’s imagination. It challenges the listener with a complete approach emphasizing musical skill and strong storytelling. This is a band in likely constant artistic evolution and this phase in their development is a rewarding experience.
Score: 9 out of 10 stars
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Music Existence
By Scott Wigley
musicexistence.com/blog/2015/06/23/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks are a four piece band from Minneapolis, Minnesota which consists of guitarist and vocalist Leif Magnuson, bassist Peter Verdin, Ben Karon who plays Cajon and various percussion, and finally Cliff Smyrl on accordion and vocals. On their Facebook page, they classify themselves at “Non-traditional bluegrass, world, Americana”.
I think most people would define Gypsy Lumberjacks as Americana, and that’s not necessarily incorrect, however they are far more than just your average folk meets Americana band. Additionally, I would go as far as to categorize them as a world band. Leif, Peter, Ben and Cliff just released “Giants of America”, an eight track record rich of sounds reminiscent from home and far away. While music is very subjective, if you are even slightly interested in genres like folk, Americana, World, bluegrass – then this record is for you. As an added bonus, there are suggestions of jazz, even reggae. Leif Magnuson really knows not just how to play guitar well, but also how to do so in such a warm way that invites people in. He’s entertaining and rather lively. His guitar playing style is soaked in good ole Americana, which is very rhythmic in style. Peter Verdin on bass compliments this effortlessly with a low end walking bass line that never seems to end. This very fashion is how they begin this record with the first song, “Raise Your Dram”. The following track, “Battles of the Frontiers” is a classic folk sing along, just as the title may suggest. Leif swoons with his smooth and at times breathy vocals, which somehow seem familiar. Want to hear some of that jazz I mentioned? Skip ahead to “Elevators”. A definite highlight of “Giants of America” this track features some of the absolute most flawless guitar playing you’ll hear on this record. Leif displays his mastery of technical jazz and flamenco guitar. However, this song is so much more than Leif, as he is just one unit. I’ve already mentioned Peter’s contribution on bass, which is very evident in this track as well. One final thing about this track that I love so much is the expert use of percussion. When most people think about world bands, they most likely envision professionally trained percussionists. Ben is a gold standard what it means to be a percussionist of a world band as he utilizes a large number of sounds to support the rest of the band.
The real question is this: Are Gypsy Lumberjack really giants of America? That’s what this album cover suggests. The answer is….not quite, but perhaps soon. However, they should remain very pleased with what they’ve created. There is some rather remarkable and worthwhile musicianship to be found in these eight tracks. While some songs may feel like just fun light hearted tunes, to someone else they may be very significant – and that’s the very beauty of music. It can mean a million different things to a million different people and “Giants of America” is no exception to that rule.
ALLMUSIC: http://www.allmusic.com/album/giants-of-america-mw0002842095
Scott Wigley, edited by Mindy McCall.
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Indie Music Reviews
By Robert E Fulford
http://www.indiemusicreviews.net/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks -Giants of America
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
It’s a fine thing to hear a Gypsy Lumberjacks album. Few bands combine versatility with substantive songwriting in such a satisfying way. While the band proclaims themselves to be non-traditional and, instead, an almost fusion-esque melding of disparate forms into an unified whole, labels aren’t necessary. There’s traditional elements their new album, Giants of America, but there’s always a forward-looking feeling. It suggests, in their own small way, that the songwriting and musical brain trust guiding this band fully realize that for roots or folk music to escape the fate of butterflies pinned in museum display cases, new artists must step forward to revitalize its conventions with modern sonics and a fearlessness to stretch out.
“Raise a Dram” is a good example of this process in action. The band’s songwriting rifles through traditional tropes for its imagery and phrases familiar themes in invigorating ways. Leif Magnuson’s emotive vocal never raises the bar too high and pushes the lyric into the crass, but instead highlights the genuine literary merit in the band’s writing. “Battles of the Frontiers” shows off the band’s storytelling strengths and the fitting musical accompaniment remains understated and serves the song. “Bad Boy” takes the band into lighter territory, but the musical sophistication never slackens. Instead, there’s tremendous pleasure in hearing such a talented group of players free enough from pretension that they can gently chide the dissolute behavior described in the lyric without ever sounding ham-fisted, put-on, or overly judgmental.
“Elevators” gives The Gypsy Lumberjacks a chance to let their chops fly free and they don’t hesitate. The real star here is Leif Magnuson’s guitar playing, but its Flamenco strained flourishes never obscure the other stellar performances completely. The rhythm section keeps things fluid, yet consistent, in this sparkling instrumental. The song’s last big screen track, “Migration”, is final weighty track that empathizes the band’s lyrical depth. Few songwriters in the genre today can match Magnuson’s command of traditional language.
Giants of America seems, at first glance and pass, rather limited. The eight songs are all relatively modest in length and, excepting the album’s lone instrumental, share equal billing with their lyrical inventiveness. While the album is quite fun and an ultimately satisfying listen, it’s hard not to wish the band reached a little further in the studio and challenged themselves even more. It’s clear, however, that this is a band that will have much more to say and offer in coming years.
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Band Blurb
By Lance Wright
http://www.bandblurb.com/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks – Giants of America
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks, a widely praised four (and sometimes six) piece live act, have been wowing crowds for a few years from their Minneapolis base. Their latest album, Giants of America, is an eight song collection that highlights their considerable songwriting talents alongside their lights-out instrumental prowess. This is a band free from imitation – they aren’t pursuing a commercial sound, but like true artists will, chase after a far more intimate vision that finds expression in their colorful stew of musical influences. As well, main songwriter Leif Magnunson emerges from this album as a powerful lyricist of growing importance.
His poetic skills are in full evidence on the opening track, “Raise Your Dram”. Some listeners might squirm a little with his appropriation of imagery that verges on cliché, but he frames the song’s subject in fresh language that devotees of this musical genre will likely admire. The musical backing is precise without ever squeezing all of the air out of the piece. “Battles of the Frontiers” has an evocative, almost film-like feel only strengthened by another strong narrative-based lyric. Magnunson’s songwriting sensibility has certainly served a long apprenticeship acquainting itself with the classic imagery of such songs, but it never sounds like pastiche musically or lyrically. “Chasing the Sun” indulges itself with some familiar imagery, but the band plays with such clear assurance that it wraps itself up in a nicely realized composition. Nothing is out of place here. The music, vocal, and text have an ideal balance that sounds easy to achieve.
“Kill a Man” takes a darker turn than previous efforts, but the band’s songwriting never devolves into melodrama. Instead, there’s the steady voice of a clearly drawn character that comes out of Magnunson’s vocal and lyric. The light feel of the music juxtaposed with the grimmer subject matter makes the track additionally memorable. “Migration” is reminiscent, in some ways, of the earlier song “Battles of the Frontiers” in how it creates a memorably vivid musical landscape for an equally vivid lyric. It’s a great penultimate song for Giants of America that serves to remind listeners one last time that this outfit has talent and ambition in equal measure. “Love Her in the Morning”, on the other hand, reminds listeners that this band can manifest an equally playful side.
The Gypsy Lumberjacks have a diverse, lively musical thrust that embraces convention without ever becoming beholden to it. This is an album for purists and novices alike because the band always keeps things accessible. There are moments when the album seems to lose its focus, but they are scattered and of brief duration.
YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84FBbZESrDk
8 out of 10 stars
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Indie Munity
By Shannon Cowden
http://newsroom.indiemunity.com/2015/06/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks – Giants of America
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
The profusion of post-modern roots artists and bands in recent years has produced few talents with an obvious eye turned towards posterity. Often times, the albums from such performers feel perfunctory or else like stagy sonic recreations of what young men and women in the 21st century think this music sounded like in its original incarnation. The bands and artists shuffle out with scruffy beards, traditional instruments, and a light, aw-shucks charm that disguises the fact there’s not a drop of blood or sweat in their songs. The Gypsy Lumberjacks, however, stand heads and shoulders above such contemporaries and their latest full-length effort, Giants of America, makes engaging art out of pouring new wine into old bottles.
“Battles of the Frontiers” is the first clear signal of their ingenuity. Rather than rehashing a series of cookie-cutter struggles cribbed from movies and other songs, the writing here focuses on rendering a convincing voice and succeeds. The band certainly exercises sufficient mastery over their instruments to approximate the lyrical drama with appropriately dramatic musical backing. “Chasing the Sun” succeeds for similar reasons. This portrayal of a wide-eyed, but curiously fatalistic dreamer gains a lot from the band’s outstanding musical skill and their ability to write sympathetic parts for the larger whole.
“Bad Boy” is much lighter fare, but the musicianship never falls off. The regrettable aspect of this song, however, is that the band frankly doesn’t have enough ideas to sustain its length and succumbs to repetition. “Kill a Man” suffers a similar fate, but a much stronger lyric will distract many listeners from any deficiencies. None of the album’s first five songs will prepare listeners for the whirlwind creativity of the work’s sole instrumental, “Elevators”. Their shared chemistry fully flowers here and it’s one of the most impressive performances on this release.
“Migration” is, arguably, the album’s most complete achievement. The outstanding lyric is set inside a deceptively simple, but steady musical framework that elevates to a short story in song. The band’s songwriting brings listeners close-up with its subjects and the effect comes through consistently strong vocals attentive to each word and image. “Love Her in the Morning” finds the band relaxing for the album’s finish and offering up a loose, fun musical romp.
Giants of America lapses into cliché at a few points, but never so deeply that it undermines the album as a whole. The largest portion of the album, however, is as solid as such efforts come and free from the contrivances dragging down similar bands.
Score: 8/10
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Rock N’ Roll View
By Montey Zike
http://www.rocknrollview.com/blog/2015/06/23/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks – Giants of America
Minneapolis-based musical polymaths The Gypsy Lumberjacks have impressive fluency in a number of stylistic tongues. Their second release, Giants of America, deftly mingles World, blues, and bluegrass with a potpourri of smaller influences into a truly unique stew that embraces the past as a vehicle while riding it straight into the future. The band’s guitarist and chief songwriter Leif Magnuson is the undoubted artistic leader of the band, but as musicians, the Gypsy Lumberjacks are certainly a band of equals and each track demonstrates their considerable talents.
The restless, pointed attack of “Raise Your Dram” never rises to the level of cliché, but this is certainly a subject that lends itself to that. Instead, Magnuson takes a fresh stab at the subject with distinctive and lively language that helps this track stand apart from similar efforts listeners have heard before. “Battles of the Frontiers” slows things down, but the song never lacks for musical flair. Magnuson’s guitar playing colors the track with a number of inventive, but never obtrusive fills. The storytelling aspects of the song are quite apparent and a major factor in its artistic success. “Chasing the Sun” has one of Magnuson’s best vocals and lyrics, but its virtues don’t stop there. It has a truly rousing quality that ennobles its inherent fatalism, but there’s enough of a romantic in many of us to fall in love with this track.
The light reggae touch of “Bad Boy” is playful and inviting despite the somewhat dark subject matter. Another sweeter comes in the form of the strong harmony vocals and the band’s seamless transitions from one section to the next. “Elevators” buzzes with graceful, jazzy inflections and Magnuson’s simmering guitar work is unleashed a number of times to astounding effect. The bass playing has an appealing, almost contrapuntal air that never gets too flashy or attempts to steal the spotlight from the surrounding players. “Migration” is another ambitious lyrical effort from Magnuson’s pen and one of the album’s longest songs. His language finds fullest expression here and makes use of a number of biblical motifs and memorable colloquialisms. It maintains an intense clip from start to finish.
The inclusion of songs like this near the album’s end helps balance Giants of America into a work encompassing many moods and taking real chances. The gambles pay off with a song cycle that shows off their diversity without ever losing a grip on their disciplined approach. Great careers and lasting legacies are seldom created in one or two swaths, but the second release from The Gypsy Lumberjacks is another important piece in this band’s march towards future greatness.
8/10 Stars
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All Whats Rock
By Stephen Bailey
http://allwhatsrock.com/blog/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america
The new album from Minneapolis’ The Gypsy Lumberjacks, Giants of America, is a relatively short collection, but the songwriting and playing proves adept at packing galaxies of experience and feeling into tightly constructed compositions. Despite any jam band moniker one might want to slap on them following a listen to Giants of America, it’s clear that their songwriting and playing philosophies reject much self-indulgence. The eight songs compromising their latest release have varying lengths, but two abiding truths link them – these are focused efforts where individual parts inform the overall song and the recording reproduce them with startling, almost live intimacy.
Background sounds enhance this feeling on the opener. “Raise Your Dram” opens with the sounds of a tinkling, bustling bar deep in the mix and, while the song is fine enough to stand on its own, helps deepen the atmospherics. Less tasteful bands might have beefed up the chorus into a bloated chance for audience participation, but Leif Magnuson’s songwriting ignores the phony theatrics and, instead, delivers an infinitely more credible song. “Chasing the Sun” is an eloquent and beautiful depiction of doomed or foolish passions. Magnuson, once again, demonstrates his literary skill with a memorable lyric that rings with unabashed, naked honesty. The midtempo shuffle that drives the song is another highlight for how carefully the band orchestrates it for maximum possible effect.
Giants of America takes a darker turn with its lyric on “Kill a Man”, but the irrepressible accordion playing and Magnuson’s soaring vocal clash with the sinister subject matter in dramatic ways. It isn’t hard to appreciate how streamlined the Gypsy Lumberjacks keep things musically – each song on the album zips along in a straight line without losing itself in sideshows and theatricality that sinks lesser material. “Elevators” is a powerful and welcome instrumental that gives the spotlight over to the Lumberjacks’ remarkable cohesion as an unit. You won’t find a sliver of daylight in their playing anywhere – their playing falls in lockstep with each other through discipline, but intangibles leave their mark here as well.
“Migration” is the album’s final major song and probably the most lyrically ambitious effort on the album. While all of the specifics are readily discernible, the Lumberjacks tackle narrative songs like this with often spectacular results and never once sound like some tribute band attempting to ape long-standing traditional songs. That’s crucial to the band’s success overall. The Gypsy Lumberjacks never play like starry-eyed scholars afraid to offer anything less than note-perfect recreations of the past. This is living music for them, elastic and responsive to creative minds, and the eight songs here are a testament to their love for its traditions and potential.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gypsygrass
- Stephen Bailey
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Skope
By Jason Hillenburg
http://skopemag.com/2015/06/24/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america
The new album from this Minneapolis-based six piece, Giants of America, shimmers with crisp musical textures and an airy, inviting sound full of intimacy that never overwhelms listeners. The production perfectly frames the band’s eight songs spanning across every imaginable genre line. These are deceptively modest compositions that conceal enormous ambitions behind an astonishingly unpretentious façade. This is music intended to truly reach every open ear rather than a narrowly tailored offering for exclusive audiences. They’ve adopted the arcane language and symbols of earlier times without ever pandering to stereotypes and it distinguishes from a host of similarly themed bands that hit all their marks with bloodless regularity.
There are moments, however, when the band exerts too much effort when they should relax. Including ambient barroom noise in the album’s opener, “Raise Your Dram”, doesn’t sabotage the song’s quality, but its relative prominence in the mix ensures it is a little distraction from an otherwise fine tune. There’s an intensely human quality in the less than-note perfect vocals that isn’t forced, however, and imbues the song with an added layer of feeling. The muted guitar starting “Battles of the Frontiers” moves from a near-whisper into beautiful two part harmonies that accentuate the band’s superb storytelling. The acoustic guitars have a jaunty bounce belying the song’s somber overtones.
“Bad Boy” is a semi-humorous outlaw song about a grudgingly repentant carouser and the marriage of music and lyrics give the song an unexpected jovial edge. Unfortunately, there’s not enough variety here to sustain the song’s relatively modest length and the song falls into a bit of a rut as it nears its end. The band’s incongruous marriages of lyric and music continue with “Kill A Man”. It’s a bit odd to hear such a dark lyric framed against the accordion and song’s percussive swing. The lyrical content, however, has real fire and impressive eloquence. “Elevators” is a memorable instrumental interlude, but it’s clear this isn’t filler. It’s a substantive musical statement with appealing jazzy inflections and great clarity. While The Gypsy Lumberjacks might favor traditional instrumentation and a stripped back approach, songs like this clearly show their virtuosity.
The same ambient barroom sounds accompanying the opener return for the rousing finale, “Love Her In The Morning”. The band’s chief songwriter and vocalist on this track, Leif Magnunson, carries the track with his fleet-fingered guitar work and clear, impassioned voice. It’s a finish in keeping with the album’s previous seven tracks that lowers a final, imminently tasteful curtain on Giants of America. However, it carries some of the same flaws that hamper the album’s overall impact. While immense technical skill distinguishes the performances, there’s a curious monotony that sets in less than half way through and the aforementioned contrasts between lyric and music in songs like “Kill a Man” will, undoubtedly, leave some listeners unimpressed.
REVERBANTION: https://www.reverbnation.com/gypsylumberjacks
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
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PenWeb
By Melissa Grubbs
http://blog.penweb.org/the-gypsy-lumberjacks/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks released a new record back in May, titled “Giants of America”. This bluegrass-meets-folk band from Minneapolis, Minnesota embraces their inner jam band in an attempt to impress. I use the word “attempt” because, while they are a very fun band, I find their music far from ground breaking. That’s just fine with me, not every band needs to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes we just need a band to keep the wheel going – and Gypsy Lumberjacks do just that. Giants of America bring a plethora of world elements to compliment the traditional Americana and folk guitar; however this is an album you can expect to go places. You like jazz? Maybe a bit of reggae? Yeah, you can find that here, within these eight adventurous tracks.
I could sit here and try to categorize Gypsy Lumberjacks all day, but the truth is – at their core, the correct term would be jam band. Their bandcamp page explains that while these songs are written and recorded a certain way, they tend to play them differently each time – almost like each live performance is an improvisation. While some people may not like this, I think it’s admirable and shows that truly let the music flow from their bodies. That is the spirit of being in a jam band, an aspect I really respect.
“Chasing the Sun” is a nice balance between blues rock and folk. That world influence bleeds through as you’ll notice tribal influence coming from the rhythm section. This track is very upbeat and is one any interested listener is sure to enjoy.
If you looking for some of that aforementioned reggae element, “Bad Boy” is for you. A mournful song about falling victim to drugs and alcohol stays upbeat the accented reggae styled guitar and the occasional vocal harmonies. I’ll admit the lyrics are mediocre when you think about how many songs there are about these kinds of failures, but the catchiness more than makes up for that. I highly recommend this track, especially to fans of Sting and U2, as that kind of easy listening rock vibe can be found here as well.
While many might roll their eyes over yet another traditional band, ala The Decembrists or otherwise of that ilk, plundering folk music from a variety of cultures and peddling it to the hipster masses, it’s hard to deny that The Gypsy Lumberjacks, at their best, prove themselves capable of more. Anyone can pick up an instrument and play notes, it takes a real musician to put their own spin on it and truly make it their own, and that’s exactly what they’ve tried to do here. I imagine that Gypsy Lumberjacks have quite a live performance, as they seem to do a fair amount of touring. Plus, they have an accordion thrown in the mix, which is something that definitely peaks my interest. However, I feel that these guys have not quite met their potential, so perhaps the best has yet to come.
Primary URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
MTV: http://www.mtv.com/artists/gypsy-lumberjacks/
7 out of 10 stars.
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Music Street Journal
G.W. Hill
March 28, 2015
This is such a cool set. It has an extremely wide range of sound. Everything is here from Spanish guitar to jazz, folk, rock and even reggae. There is definitely a jam band element to it all. Whatever you call it, though, it’s entertaining.
Raise Your Dram
Folk, rock and jam band sounds merge on this old world inspired cut. It’s energetic and classy.
Chasing the Sun
A bluesy rock vibe is paired with old school ethnic music on this number. The vocal lines on this are very captivating and the song has a lot of energy. There is some Spanish guitar built into this beast.
Hurry Up (Copeland arr. by Gypsy Lumberjacks)
This instrumental is energized and very folk oriented. It feels like traveling music. It has an intricate melody. I love the bass solo section. World music, jazz and more are included on this.
Battles of the Frontiers
I like the modern sound meets roots approach on this. It’s folky, but it’s also energetic and fun.
Bad Boy
With a definite infusion of reggae, this is cool. While it’s still obviously related to what’s come for, it also reminds me a bit of early Police.
Kill a Man
This rocker is a real scorcher. The lyrics and impassioned vocal performance are what really sell it, though. Musically, it’s very much roots music with a Latin edge. It’s one of the best tunes here.
Elevators
Based on gypsy type music, this instrumental is a lot of fun. It’s got plenty of energy and some great melodies.
Friend of the Devil (Garcia arr. by Gypsy Lumberjacks)
I love this arrangement on the Grateful Dead tune. It’s kind of a jazzy little romp as performed here. This is fun. Of course, when the source material is this good, it’s not hard. That said, this is a very different piece. The jam later takes it through some great musical territory.
Migration
A pretty straightforward folk rocker, the vocals really sell this one.
Love Her in the Morning
With a real bluegrass hoedown energy and vibe, this is fun.
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Rootstime
April 2015
(Translated) "Gypsy Lumberjacks' one in 2008 the name was established bluegrass and Americana music playing trio from Minneapolis, Minnesota with Leif Magnuson as a songwriter and singer, Pete Verdin on bass and Benj Karon on cajon and other percussion. Also, world music, carribean music, gypsy jazz and Spanish flamenco can be dealt with in the songs composed Leif Magnuson for his group. Something for everyone so the performances of this formation.
In follow-up of last year's album "Pulling Upon The Strap" appears early June their new album "Giants Of America" with ten new songs. 'Gypsy Lumberjacks' wants to support the release of this album with an extensive international tour, and as many live performances in many countries as possible.
At our favorite tracks from the new album, we classify it with flamenco guitar draped "Chasing The Sun", in perfect harmony sung ballad "Battles Of The Frontiers", the catchy "Bad Boy", "Kill A Man" with guest musician Cliff Smyrl on accordion, final song "Love Her In The Morning" and the cover version of the written by Jerry Garcia Grateful Dead' classic "Friend Of The Devil".
Fans of the music of 'Rusted Root, "Bela Fleck and Al Di Meola will certainly find their liking in the music that bring the gentlemen of' Gypsy Lumberjacks 'on' Giants Of America". This third album of the band might be the way to an international career for the trio can pave.
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Vents
By RJ Frometa
http://ventsmagazine.com/cd-review-giants-of-america-by-the-gypsy-lumberjacks/
This Minneapolis-based collective plays a musical style they call “non-traditional bluegrass, World, and Americana” on their Facebook page. However, except for a handful of scattered flourishes never critical to their respective song, their new release Giants of America plays as the work of arch-traditionalists. It’s difficult to reconcile a mildly maverick stance with song titles like “Raise the Dram” or “Love Her in the Morning” and their instruments rarely push past traditional boundaries. Despite any disagreements with the band’s self-assessment in relationship to the new release, Giants of America is an impressive full-length release largely free from pretension and memorable for the band’s superior musicianship and songwriting talents.
The aforementioned “Raise the Dram” opens the album, but it’s overly familiar subject matter and imagery will strike some as clichéd. The musical performance, however, is nothing less than top notch. Acoustic instrumentation is no barrier for The Gypsy Lumberjacks’ generating rock and roll level sparks with their sharp interplay. “Chasing the Sun” is probably one of the album’s best moments with its well-constructed lyric and sympathetic musical accompaniment. Leif Magnuson’s singing is a key piece in the band’s artistic puzzle and helps vividly dramatize the band’s strong songwriting.
The contrast of the band’s bouncy musical performance and the sinister lyrical content of “Kill a Man” create an interesting contrast. It helps make this track another memorable moment and, while the subject matter isn’t blazingly original, the writing has an individualistic slant that saves it from claims of imitation. It’s so obvious that The Gypsy Lumberjacks relish the power of music to enhance storytelling, so the inclusion of an instrumental, “Elevators”, comes as a mild surprise. Despite any shock, the track makes quite an impact with the band’s dazzling musicianship.
“Migration” is another first class narrative backed by evocative and musically rich backing. Few bands can take such a low-fi approach and, through the strength of their songwriting alone, weave such a strongly cinematic spell. The dusty, weathered vocal adds to the tracks’ powerful atmosphere. Giants of America concludes with a much lighter number, “Love Her in the Morning”, a joyous and lightly rollicking song that echoes the opener and helps further balance the light and shade of this collection.
It’s a solid, if unspectacular, album. There’s no question that The Gypsy Lumberjacks are capable songwriters and peerless musicians, but they need to broaden their sound further and embrace their muse, wherever she may lead them. There isn’t any outright weakness here however and the album is certain to entertain many.
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RELIX
MATT INMAN
JULY/AUGUST 2015
Gypsy Lumberjacks may describe themselves as an Americana act, but the moniker only really hints at what this Minneapolis-based band is all about. With a world-spanning variety of influences - from bluegrass to flamenco - Leif Magnuson and his Lumberjacks bring a palpable live energy to their records. Pulling together the disparate genres of their sophomore album, Giants of America features the ever present rhythm of Magnuson's acoustic guitar, coupled with the interplay of a thumping bass and a snappy Cajon drum. With his earnest, earthy vocals above it all, Magnuson leads the band through a mostly Latin influenced album with stopovers in the land of bluegrass, including the lengthy energetic jam "Hurry Up" - and shows considerable songwriting chops in songs like the catchy "Bad Boy." Also thrown into the eclectic mix is an epic, lilting, almost unrecognizable cover of the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil."
By William Elgin III
http://gashouseradio.com/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-release-giants-of-america/
Roots music never charts or captures the zeitgeist much, but despite revolutionary changes in our world over the last half century, new generations of musicians from every walk of life have gravitated to folk music from a wide variety of sources. The Gypsy Lumberjacks, a Minneapolis based musical collective ranging from four to six members, have established a solid reputation as one of the most adventurous live acts plying their wares today, but their second album Giants of America solidifies any claim they might make to being songwriting and musical leaders in their area. The album’s eight tracks accomplish this not through slavish devotion to the past, but by bringing a modern perspective to bear on traditional musical elements, history, and songwriting conventions often established centuries before.
They prove themselves skilled at refurbishing hoary imagery in the first song, “Raise Your Dram”. Instead of taking the Flogging Molly route and combing the lyric with some stomping backing track, the song moves at a brisk pace but keeps the bulk of its focus on details. There’s a dark undercurrent laced through the track, but the music has such relentless energy that it counters any dispiriting effects. “Battles of the Frontiers” has a wonderfully western aura that may or may not match the lyric entirely, but like many great songwriters, nothing is ever so defined in a Lumberjacks’ song that the listener isn’t free to arrive at his or her own interpretations of its meaning. “Chasing the Sun” reveals more of these dark undercurrents percolating through the opening track and has another strong, even poetic lyric.
Despite sporting a lyric about excess and longing for redemption, “Bad Boy” introduces listeners to a lighter side of the band’s musical talent. The relatively upbeat musical backing here gives the song the feeling that it’s winking at you throughout, nudging you to see if you get the joke about how ridiculous the narrator sounds. “Elevators” is a sudden detour into purely instrumental territory and showcases a band capable of stunning stylistic turns that never sound forced. Magnuson’s guitar playing is frequently eye-popping, but never unnecessarily gaudy.
“Migration” carries a more somber air than many of the album’s earlier tracks and keeps its musical sophistication relatively muted to help better support the album’s best lyric.
Giants of America is an impressive statement that stays on point, entertains, and engages the listener’s imagination. It challenges the listener with a complete approach emphasizing musical skill and strong storytelling. This is a band in likely constant artistic evolution and this phase in their development is a rewarding experience.
Score: 9 out of 10 stars
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Music Existence
By Scott Wigley
musicexistence.com/blog/2015/06/23/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks are a four piece band from Minneapolis, Minnesota which consists of guitarist and vocalist Leif Magnuson, bassist Peter Verdin, Ben Karon who plays Cajon and various percussion, and finally Cliff Smyrl on accordion and vocals. On their Facebook page, they classify themselves at “Non-traditional bluegrass, world, Americana”.
I think most people would define Gypsy Lumberjacks as Americana, and that’s not necessarily incorrect, however they are far more than just your average folk meets Americana band. Additionally, I would go as far as to categorize them as a world band. Leif, Peter, Ben and Cliff just released “Giants of America”, an eight track record rich of sounds reminiscent from home and far away. While music is very subjective, if you are even slightly interested in genres like folk, Americana, World, bluegrass – then this record is for you. As an added bonus, there are suggestions of jazz, even reggae. Leif Magnuson really knows not just how to play guitar well, but also how to do so in such a warm way that invites people in. He’s entertaining and rather lively. His guitar playing style is soaked in good ole Americana, which is very rhythmic in style. Peter Verdin on bass compliments this effortlessly with a low end walking bass line that never seems to end. This very fashion is how they begin this record with the first song, “Raise Your Dram”. The following track, “Battles of the Frontiers” is a classic folk sing along, just as the title may suggest. Leif swoons with his smooth and at times breathy vocals, which somehow seem familiar. Want to hear some of that jazz I mentioned? Skip ahead to “Elevators”. A definite highlight of “Giants of America” this track features some of the absolute most flawless guitar playing you’ll hear on this record. Leif displays his mastery of technical jazz and flamenco guitar. However, this song is so much more than Leif, as he is just one unit. I’ve already mentioned Peter’s contribution on bass, which is very evident in this track as well. One final thing about this track that I love so much is the expert use of percussion. When most people think about world bands, they most likely envision professionally trained percussionists. Ben is a gold standard what it means to be a percussionist of a world band as he utilizes a large number of sounds to support the rest of the band.
The real question is this: Are Gypsy Lumberjack really giants of America? That’s what this album cover suggests. The answer is….not quite, but perhaps soon. However, they should remain very pleased with what they’ve created. There is some rather remarkable and worthwhile musicianship to be found in these eight tracks. While some songs may feel like just fun light hearted tunes, to someone else they may be very significant – and that’s the very beauty of music. It can mean a million different things to a million different people and “Giants of America” is no exception to that rule.
ALLMUSIC: http://www.allmusic.com/album/giants-of-america-mw0002842095
Scott Wigley, edited by Mindy McCall.
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Indie Music Reviews
By Robert E Fulford
http://www.indiemusicreviews.net/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks -Giants of America
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
It’s a fine thing to hear a Gypsy Lumberjacks album. Few bands combine versatility with substantive songwriting in such a satisfying way. While the band proclaims themselves to be non-traditional and, instead, an almost fusion-esque melding of disparate forms into an unified whole, labels aren’t necessary. There’s traditional elements their new album, Giants of America, but there’s always a forward-looking feeling. It suggests, in their own small way, that the songwriting and musical brain trust guiding this band fully realize that for roots or folk music to escape the fate of butterflies pinned in museum display cases, new artists must step forward to revitalize its conventions with modern sonics and a fearlessness to stretch out.
“Raise a Dram” is a good example of this process in action. The band’s songwriting rifles through traditional tropes for its imagery and phrases familiar themes in invigorating ways. Leif Magnuson’s emotive vocal never raises the bar too high and pushes the lyric into the crass, but instead highlights the genuine literary merit in the band’s writing. “Battles of the Frontiers” shows off the band’s storytelling strengths and the fitting musical accompaniment remains understated and serves the song. “Bad Boy” takes the band into lighter territory, but the musical sophistication never slackens. Instead, there’s tremendous pleasure in hearing such a talented group of players free enough from pretension that they can gently chide the dissolute behavior described in the lyric without ever sounding ham-fisted, put-on, or overly judgmental.
“Elevators” gives The Gypsy Lumberjacks a chance to let their chops fly free and they don’t hesitate. The real star here is Leif Magnuson’s guitar playing, but its Flamenco strained flourishes never obscure the other stellar performances completely. The rhythm section keeps things fluid, yet consistent, in this sparkling instrumental. The song’s last big screen track, “Migration”, is final weighty track that empathizes the band’s lyrical depth. Few songwriters in the genre today can match Magnuson’s command of traditional language.
Giants of America seems, at first glance and pass, rather limited. The eight songs are all relatively modest in length and, excepting the album’s lone instrumental, share equal billing with their lyrical inventiveness. While the album is quite fun and an ultimately satisfying listen, it’s hard not to wish the band reached a little further in the studio and challenged themselves even more. It’s clear, however, that this is a band that will have much more to say and offer in coming years.
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Band Blurb
By Lance Wright
http://www.bandblurb.com/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks – Giants of America
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks, a widely praised four (and sometimes six) piece live act, have been wowing crowds for a few years from their Minneapolis base. Their latest album, Giants of America, is an eight song collection that highlights their considerable songwriting talents alongside their lights-out instrumental prowess. This is a band free from imitation – they aren’t pursuing a commercial sound, but like true artists will, chase after a far more intimate vision that finds expression in their colorful stew of musical influences. As well, main songwriter Leif Magnunson emerges from this album as a powerful lyricist of growing importance.
His poetic skills are in full evidence on the opening track, “Raise Your Dram”. Some listeners might squirm a little with his appropriation of imagery that verges on cliché, but he frames the song’s subject in fresh language that devotees of this musical genre will likely admire. The musical backing is precise without ever squeezing all of the air out of the piece. “Battles of the Frontiers” has an evocative, almost film-like feel only strengthened by another strong narrative-based lyric. Magnunson’s songwriting sensibility has certainly served a long apprenticeship acquainting itself with the classic imagery of such songs, but it never sounds like pastiche musically or lyrically. “Chasing the Sun” indulges itself with some familiar imagery, but the band plays with such clear assurance that it wraps itself up in a nicely realized composition. Nothing is out of place here. The music, vocal, and text have an ideal balance that sounds easy to achieve.
“Kill a Man” takes a darker turn than previous efforts, but the band’s songwriting never devolves into melodrama. Instead, there’s the steady voice of a clearly drawn character that comes out of Magnunson’s vocal and lyric. The light feel of the music juxtaposed with the grimmer subject matter makes the track additionally memorable. “Migration” is reminiscent, in some ways, of the earlier song “Battles of the Frontiers” in how it creates a memorably vivid musical landscape for an equally vivid lyric. It’s a great penultimate song for Giants of America that serves to remind listeners one last time that this outfit has talent and ambition in equal measure. “Love Her in the Morning”, on the other hand, reminds listeners that this band can manifest an equally playful side.
The Gypsy Lumberjacks have a diverse, lively musical thrust that embraces convention without ever becoming beholden to it. This is an album for purists and novices alike because the band always keeps things accessible. There are moments when the album seems to lose its focus, but they are scattered and of brief duration.
YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84FBbZESrDk
8 out of 10 stars
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Indie Munity
By Shannon Cowden
http://newsroom.indiemunity.com/2015/06/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks – Giants of America
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
The profusion of post-modern roots artists and bands in recent years has produced few talents with an obvious eye turned towards posterity. Often times, the albums from such performers feel perfunctory or else like stagy sonic recreations of what young men and women in the 21st century think this music sounded like in its original incarnation. The bands and artists shuffle out with scruffy beards, traditional instruments, and a light, aw-shucks charm that disguises the fact there’s not a drop of blood or sweat in their songs. The Gypsy Lumberjacks, however, stand heads and shoulders above such contemporaries and their latest full-length effort, Giants of America, makes engaging art out of pouring new wine into old bottles.
“Battles of the Frontiers” is the first clear signal of their ingenuity. Rather than rehashing a series of cookie-cutter struggles cribbed from movies and other songs, the writing here focuses on rendering a convincing voice and succeeds. The band certainly exercises sufficient mastery over their instruments to approximate the lyrical drama with appropriately dramatic musical backing. “Chasing the Sun” succeeds for similar reasons. This portrayal of a wide-eyed, but curiously fatalistic dreamer gains a lot from the band’s outstanding musical skill and their ability to write sympathetic parts for the larger whole.
“Bad Boy” is much lighter fare, but the musicianship never falls off. The regrettable aspect of this song, however, is that the band frankly doesn’t have enough ideas to sustain its length and succumbs to repetition. “Kill a Man” suffers a similar fate, but a much stronger lyric will distract many listeners from any deficiencies. None of the album’s first five songs will prepare listeners for the whirlwind creativity of the work’s sole instrumental, “Elevators”. Their shared chemistry fully flowers here and it’s one of the most impressive performances on this release.
“Migration” is, arguably, the album’s most complete achievement. The outstanding lyric is set inside a deceptively simple, but steady musical framework that elevates to a short story in song. The band’s songwriting brings listeners close-up with its subjects and the effect comes through consistently strong vocals attentive to each word and image. “Love Her in the Morning” finds the band relaxing for the album’s finish and offering up a loose, fun musical romp.
Giants of America lapses into cliché at a few points, but never so deeply that it undermines the album as a whole. The largest portion of the album, however, is as solid as such efforts come and free from the contrivances dragging down similar bands.
Score: 8/10
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Rock N’ Roll View
By Montey Zike
http://www.rocknrollview.com/blog/2015/06/23/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks – Giants of America
Minneapolis-based musical polymaths The Gypsy Lumberjacks have impressive fluency in a number of stylistic tongues. Their second release, Giants of America, deftly mingles World, blues, and bluegrass with a potpourri of smaller influences into a truly unique stew that embraces the past as a vehicle while riding it straight into the future. The band’s guitarist and chief songwriter Leif Magnuson is the undoubted artistic leader of the band, but as musicians, the Gypsy Lumberjacks are certainly a band of equals and each track demonstrates their considerable talents.
The restless, pointed attack of “Raise Your Dram” never rises to the level of cliché, but this is certainly a subject that lends itself to that. Instead, Magnuson takes a fresh stab at the subject with distinctive and lively language that helps this track stand apart from similar efforts listeners have heard before. “Battles of the Frontiers” slows things down, but the song never lacks for musical flair. Magnuson’s guitar playing colors the track with a number of inventive, but never obtrusive fills. The storytelling aspects of the song are quite apparent and a major factor in its artistic success. “Chasing the Sun” has one of Magnuson’s best vocals and lyrics, but its virtues don’t stop there. It has a truly rousing quality that ennobles its inherent fatalism, but there’s enough of a romantic in many of us to fall in love with this track.
The light reggae touch of “Bad Boy” is playful and inviting despite the somewhat dark subject matter. Another sweeter comes in the form of the strong harmony vocals and the band’s seamless transitions from one section to the next. “Elevators” buzzes with graceful, jazzy inflections and Magnuson’s simmering guitar work is unleashed a number of times to astounding effect. The bass playing has an appealing, almost contrapuntal air that never gets too flashy or attempts to steal the spotlight from the surrounding players. “Migration” is another ambitious lyrical effort from Magnuson’s pen and one of the album’s longest songs. His language finds fullest expression here and makes use of a number of biblical motifs and memorable colloquialisms. It maintains an intense clip from start to finish.
The inclusion of songs like this near the album’s end helps balance Giants of America into a work encompassing many moods and taking real chances. The gambles pay off with a song cycle that shows off their diversity without ever losing a grip on their disciplined approach. Great careers and lasting legacies are seldom created in one or two swaths, but the second release from The Gypsy Lumberjacks is another important piece in this band’s march towards future greatness.
8/10 Stars
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All Whats Rock
By Stephen Bailey
http://allwhatsrock.com/blog/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america
The new album from Minneapolis’ The Gypsy Lumberjacks, Giants of America, is a relatively short collection, but the songwriting and playing proves adept at packing galaxies of experience and feeling into tightly constructed compositions. Despite any jam band moniker one might want to slap on them following a listen to Giants of America, it’s clear that their songwriting and playing philosophies reject much self-indulgence. The eight songs compromising their latest release have varying lengths, but two abiding truths link them – these are focused efforts where individual parts inform the overall song and the recording reproduce them with startling, almost live intimacy.
Background sounds enhance this feeling on the opener. “Raise Your Dram” opens with the sounds of a tinkling, bustling bar deep in the mix and, while the song is fine enough to stand on its own, helps deepen the atmospherics. Less tasteful bands might have beefed up the chorus into a bloated chance for audience participation, but Leif Magnuson’s songwriting ignores the phony theatrics and, instead, delivers an infinitely more credible song. “Chasing the Sun” is an eloquent and beautiful depiction of doomed or foolish passions. Magnuson, once again, demonstrates his literary skill with a memorable lyric that rings with unabashed, naked honesty. The midtempo shuffle that drives the song is another highlight for how carefully the band orchestrates it for maximum possible effect.
Giants of America takes a darker turn with its lyric on “Kill a Man”, but the irrepressible accordion playing and Magnuson’s soaring vocal clash with the sinister subject matter in dramatic ways. It isn’t hard to appreciate how streamlined the Gypsy Lumberjacks keep things musically – each song on the album zips along in a straight line without losing itself in sideshows and theatricality that sinks lesser material. “Elevators” is a powerful and welcome instrumental that gives the spotlight over to the Lumberjacks’ remarkable cohesion as an unit. You won’t find a sliver of daylight in their playing anywhere – their playing falls in lockstep with each other through discipline, but intangibles leave their mark here as well.
“Migration” is the album’s final major song and probably the most lyrically ambitious effort on the album. While all of the specifics are readily discernible, the Lumberjacks tackle narrative songs like this with often spectacular results and never once sound like some tribute band attempting to ape long-standing traditional songs. That’s crucial to the band’s success overall. The Gypsy Lumberjacks never play like starry-eyed scholars afraid to offer anything less than note-perfect recreations of the past. This is living music for them, elastic and responsive to creative minds, and the eight songs here are a testament to their love for its traditions and potential.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gypsygrass
- Stephen Bailey
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Skope
By Jason Hillenburg
http://skopemag.com/2015/06/24/the-gypsy-lumberjacks-giants-of-america
The new album from this Minneapolis-based six piece, Giants of America, shimmers with crisp musical textures and an airy, inviting sound full of intimacy that never overwhelms listeners. The production perfectly frames the band’s eight songs spanning across every imaginable genre line. These are deceptively modest compositions that conceal enormous ambitions behind an astonishingly unpretentious façade. This is music intended to truly reach every open ear rather than a narrowly tailored offering for exclusive audiences. They’ve adopted the arcane language and symbols of earlier times without ever pandering to stereotypes and it distinguishes from a host of similarly themed bands that hit all their marks with bloodless regularity.
There are moments, however, when the band exerts too much effort when they should relax. Including ambient barroom noise in the album’s opener, “Raise Your Dram”, doesn’t sabotage the song’s quality, but its relative prominence in the mix ensures it is a little distraction from an otherwise fine tune. There’s an intensely human quality in the less than-note perfect vocals that isn’t forced, however, and imbues the song with an added layer of feeling. The muted guitar starting “Battles of the Frontiers” moves from a near-whisper into beautiful two part harmonies that accentuate the band’s superb storytelling. The acoustic guitars have a jaunty bounce belying the song’s somber overtones.
“Bad Boy” is a semi-humorous outlaw song about a grudgingly repentant carouser and the marriage of music and lyrics give the song an unexpected jovial edge. Unfortunately, there’s not enough variety here to sustain the song’s relatively modest length and the song falls into a bit of a rut as it nears its end. The band’s incongruous marriages of lyric and music continue with “Kill A Man”. It’s a bit odd to hear such a dark lyric framed against the accordion and song’s percussive swing. The lyrical content, however, has real fire and impressive eloquence. “Elevators” is a memorable instrumental interlude, but it’s clear this isn’t filler. It’s a substantive musical statement with appealing jazzy inflections and great clarity. While The Gypsy Lumberjacks might favor traditional instrumentation and a stripped back approach, songs like this clearly show their virtuosity.
The same ambient barroom sounds accompanying the opener return for the rousing finale, “Love Her In The Morning”. The band’s chief songwriter and vocalist on this track, Leif Magnunson, carries the track with his fleet-fingered guitar work and clear, impassioned voice. It’s a finish in keeping with the album’s previous seven tracks that lowers a final, imminently tasteful curtain on Giants of America. However, it carries some of the same flaws that hamper the album’s overall impact. While immense technical skill distinguishes the performances, there’s a curious monotony that sets in less than half way through and the aforementioned contrasts between lyric and music in songs like “Kill a Man” will, undoubtedly, leave some listeners unimpressed.
REVERBANTION: https://www.reverbnation.com/gypsylumberjacks
URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
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PenWeb
By Melissa Grubbs
http://blog.penweb.org/the-gypsy-lumberjacks/
The Gypsy Lumberjacks released a new record back in May, titled “Giants of America”. This bluegrass-meets-folk band from Minneapolis, Minnesota embraces their inner jam band in an attempt to impress. I use the word “attempt” because, while they are a very fun band, I find their music far from ground breaking. That’s just fine with me, not every band needs to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes we just need a band to keep the wheel going – and Gypsy Lumberjacks do just that. Giants of America bring a plethora of world elements to compliment the traditional Americana and folk guitar; however this is an album you can expect to go places. You like jazz? Maybe a bit of reggae? Yeah, you can find that here, within these eight adventurous tracks.
I could sit here and try to categorize Gypsy Lumberjacks all day, but the truth is – at their core, the correct term would be jam band. Their bandcamp page explains that while these songs are written and recorded a certain way, they tend to play them differently each time – almost like each live performance is an improvisation. While some people may not like this, I think it’s admirable and shows that truly let the music flow from their bodies. That is the spirit of being in a jam band, an aspect I really respect.
“Chasing the Sun” is a nice balance between blues rock and folk. That world influence bleeds through as you’ll notice tribal influence coming from the rhythm section. This track is very upbeat and is one any interested listener is sure to enjoy.
If you looking for some of that aforementioned reggae element, “Bad Boy” is for you. A mournful song about falling victim to drugs and alcohol stays upbeat the accented reggae styled guitar and the occasional vocal harmonies. I’ll admit the lyrics are mediocre when you think about how many songs there are about these kinds of failures, but the catchiness more than makes up for that. I highly recommend this track, especially to fans of Sting and U2, as that kind of easy listening rock vibe can be found here as well.
While many might roll their eyes over yet another traditional band, ala The Decembrists or otherwise of that ilk, plundering folk music from a variety of cultures and peddling it to the hipster masses, it’s hard to deny that The Gypsy Lumberjacks, at their best, prove themselves capable of more. Anyone can pick up an instrument and play notes, it takes a real musician to put their own spin on it and truly make it their own, and that’s exactly what they’ve tried to do here. I imagine that Gypsy Lumberjacks have quite a live performance, as they seem to do a fair amount of touring. Plus, they have an accordion thrown in the mix, which is something that definitely peaks my interest. However, I feel that these guys have not quite met their potential, so perhaps the best has yet to come.
Primary URL: http://www.gypsylumberjacks.com/
MTV: http://www.mtv.com/artists/gypsy-lumberjacks/
7 out of 10 stars.
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Music Street Journal
G.W. Hill
March 28, 2015
This is such a cool set. It has an extremely wide range of sound. Everything is here from Spanish guitar to jazz, folk, rock and even reggae. There is definitely a jam band element to it all. Whatever you call it, though, it’s entertaining.
Raise Your Dram
Folk, rock and jam band sounds merge on this old world inspired cut. It’s energetic and classy.
Chasing the Sun
A bluesy rock vibe is paired with old school ethnic music on this number. The vocal lines on this are very captivating and the song has a lot of energy. There is some Spanish guitar built into this beast.
Hurry Up (Copeland arr. by Gypsy Lumberjacks)
This instrumental is energized and very folk oriented. It feels like traveling music. It has an intricate melody. I love the bass solo section. World music, jazz and more are included on this.
Battles of the Frontiers
I like the modern sound meets roots approach on this. It’s folky, but it’s also energetic and fun.
Bad Boy
With a definite infusion of reggae, this is cool. While it’s still obviously related to what’s come for, it also reminds me a bit of early Police.
Kill a Man
This rocker is a real scorcher. The lyrics and impassioned vocal performance are what really sell it, though. Musically, it’s very much roots music with a Latin edge. It’s one of the best tunes here.
Elevators
Based on gypsy type music, this instrumental is a lot of fun. It’s got plenty of energy and some great melodies.
Friend of the Devil (Garcia arr. by Gypsy Lumberjacks)
I love this arrangement on the Grateful Dead tune. It’s kind of a jazzy little romp as performed here. This is fun. Of course, when the source material is this good, it’s not hard. That said, this is a very different piece. The jam later takes it through some great musical territory.
Migration
A pretty straightforward folk rocker, the vocals really sell this one.
Love Her in the Morning
With a real bluegrass hoedown energy and vibe, this is fun.
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Rootstime
April 2015
(Translated) "Gypsy Lumberjacks' one in 2008 the name was established bluegrass and Americana music playing trio from Minneapolis, Minnesota with Leif Magnuson as a songwriter and singer, Pete Verdin on bass and Benj Karon on cajon and other percussion. Also, world music, carribean music, gypsy jazz and Spanish flamenco can be dealt with in the songs composed Leif Magnuson for his group. Something for everyone so the performances of this formation.
In follow-up of last year's album "Pulling Upon The Strap" appears early June their new album "Giants Of America" with ten new songs. 'Gypsy Lumberjacks' wants to support the release of this album with an extensive international tour, and as many live performances in many countries as possible.
At our favorite tracks from the new album, we classify it with flamenco guitar draped "Chasing The Sun", in perfect harmony sung ballad "Battles Of The Frontiers", the catchy "Bad Boy", "Kill A Man" with guest musician Cliff Smyrl on accordion, final song "Love Her In The Morning" and the cover version of the written by Jerry Garcia Grateful Dead' classic "Friend Of The Devil".
Fans of the music of 'Rusted Root, "Bela Fleck and Al Di Meola will certainly find their liking in the music that bring the gentlemen of' Gypsy Lumberjacks 'on' Giants Of America". This third album of the band might be the way to an international career for the trio can pave.
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Vents
By RJ Frometa
http://ventsmagazine.com/cd-review-giants-of-america-by-the-gypsy-lumberjacks/
This Minneapolis-based collective plays a musical style they call “non-traditional bluegrass, World, and Americana” on their Facebook page. However, except for a handful of scattered flourishes never critical to their respective song, their new release Giants of America plays as the work of arch-traditionalists. It’s difficult to reconcile a mildly maverick stance with song titles like “Raise the Dram” or “Love Her in the Morning” and their instruments rarely push past traditional boundaries. Despite any disagreements with the band’s self-assessment in relationship to the new release, Giants of America is an impressive full-length release largely free from pretension and memorable for the band’s superior musicianship and songwriting talents.
The aforementioned “Raise the Dram” opens the album, but it’s overly familiar subject matter and imagery will strike some as clichéd. The musical performance, however, is nothing less than top notch. Acoustic instrumentation is no barrier for The Gypsy Lumberjacks’ generating rock and roll level sparks with their sharp interplay. “Chasing the Sun” is probably one of the album’s best moments with its well-constructed lyric and sympathetic musical accompaniment. Leif Magnuson’s singing is a key piece in the band’s artistic puzzle and helps vividly dramatize the band’s strong songwriting.
The contrast of the band’s bouncy musical performance and the sinister lyrical content of “Kill a Man” create an interesting contrast. It helps make this track another memorable moment and, while the subject matter isn’t blazingly original, the writing has an individualistic slant that saves it from claims of imitation. It’s so obvious that The Gypsy Lumberjacks relish the power of music to enhance storytelling, so the inclusion of an instrumental, “Elevators”, comes as a mild surprise. Despite any shock, the track makes quite an impact with the band’s dazzling musicianship.
“Migration” is another first class narrative backed by evocative and musically rich backing. Few bands can take such a low-fi approach and, through the strength of their songwriting alone, weave such a strongly cinematic spell. The dusty, weathered vocal adds to the tracks’ powerful atmosphere. Giants of America concludes with a much lighter number, “Love Her in the Morning”, a joyous and lightly rollicking song that echoes the opener and helps further balance the light and shade of this collection.
It’s a solid, if unspectacular, album. There’s no question that The Gypsy Lumberjacks are capable songwriters and peerless musicians, but they need to broaden their sound further and embrace their muse, wherever she may lead them. There isn’t any outright weakness here however and the album is certain to entertain many.
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RELIX
MATT INMAN
JULY/AUGUST 2015
Gypsy Lumberjacks may describe themselves as an Americana act, but the moniker only really hints at what this Minneapolis-based band is all about. With a world-spanning variety of influences - from bluegrass to flamenco - Leif Magnuson and his Lumberjacks bring a palpable live energy to their records. Pulling together the disparate genres of their sophomore album, Giants of America features the ever present rhythm of Magnuson's acoustic guitar, coupled with the interplay of a thumping bass and a snappy Cajon drum. With his earnest, earthy vocals above it all, Magnuson leads the band through a mostly Latin influenced album with stopovers in the land of bluegrass, including the lengthy energetic jam "Hurry Up" - and shows considerable songwriting chops in songs like the catchy "Bad Boy." Also thrown into the eclectic mix is an epic, lilting, almost unrecognizable cover of the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil."
