|
TNMR Contributors (Presently) | |
|---|---|
| Wes Shirley | Lead Vocals, Guitar, Accordion, Banjo |
| Geof Garner | Drums, Percussion and Schtick |
| Emily Cosgrove | Bass, Keyboards, Violin, Accordion, Trumpet, Vocals |
| Aaron MacDonald | Guitar, percussion, mandolin, banjo, vocals, production and technical know-how |
|
Former Conspirators | |
| G Tony Jacobs | Electric Bass, Vocals |
| Jana Thomas | Clarinet, Accordion |
| William Kendall | Bass |
| Travis Harrison | Standup Bass |
| Eric Philipkowski | Guitars and Harmonica |
| Greg Flynn | Standup and Electric Bass |
| Travis Wanner | Guitar |
Reminders, Tall Tales, and Alibis - Band Bio
The music of the New Mexican Revolution has its roots in the gothic Americana of performers like Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Wilco and Los Lobos. Our songs are stories of drifters, wanderers and lost souls set against a kaleidoscope of American music, with an array of instrumentation and textures.
Songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Wesley Shirley grew up in the high desert of New Mexico, listening to the country music of the 70’s and 80’s in his parents record collection. The joy and desolation of this environment informs much of the music of tNMR. Having its start in Ft. Collins, Colorado and after playing around northern Colorado for two years, the band took a hiatus as Wes dedicated his time to other musical projects. In 2004, the Revolution reformed with a new lineup, playing the old songs, along with a handful of new ones, and began to gig around their new hometown of Portland, Oregon. The first album, The Promise of Mutiny, was released in September of 2004, and they successfully toured the west coast and mountain states twice in the summer of 2005 in support. Their second album, Theories of Sun and Rain, was released in May of 2006, and has received positive reviews both at home and abroad. The Revolution has benefitted from a long list of collaborators and conspirators over the years, and continues to value the collaborative effort of music making as they record and perform new music and continue to tour.
Rumor Mongering - Reviews of the Revolution
The ramshackle Portland combo revels in all things shaky and Tom Waits-y. -San Francisco Bay Guardian.
The New Mexican Revolution is a folksy, country-ish, Tom Waits-ish band. Oh, and it has an accordion. All the songs are really well done and really beautiful. Track six though is an amazing fast-paced track (if you don't mind the train at the beginning). Anyways, all the tracks on this rock. -Zookeeper Online, KZSU, Stanford UniversityReviews of "Theories of Sun and Rain"
A revolution can happen fast, but often it is a long and painful trial. That possibly explains the inertia of the songs on "Theories of Sun and Rain" by the New Mexican Revolution. There is no tie to Mexico, they are from Portland, Oregon. On this CD/EP they do not seek clarity in a fierce fight, but rather do so philosophically. Stories are on the existence of the self, because everything really does come Tumblin' Down. "I don't suspect there's peace to be found/ There are shadows on the brightest of days" they sing on Lay My Body Down. No wonder they are in no hurry, with Age of Gas and Steel being the exception. How does it sound? Think of souled Americana. A single dissonant guitar betrays the influence of Sonic Youth and Red Red Meat. The clarinet also reminds one of Pinetop Seven. -www.Altcountry.nl, Netherlands. It's a bit old-timey and the interludes of rain falling and train whistling are better at providing severe irritation than they are at, say, setting any kind of mood. Still, the album has an unmistakable warmth and (as the record's title suggests) earthy appeal, and the rogue American genre that the band dwells in is by no means a bad one. The highlights of the EP come on tracks like 'Age of Gas and Steel' where the band shakes off the cobwebs and trades in their usual droning for a hectic, knee-slapping sing-along. -Albuquerque Weekly Alibi, June 29th, 2006 issue. Gothic Americana is the backbone of the music of The New Mexican Revolution, which is equal parts Tom Waits and Los Lobos, complete with the utter despondency of a William S. Burroughs novel. "One of these days I’m gonna lay my body down," singer Wes Shirley sings on 'Lay My Body Down,' "Give up this collection of knowns." The journey through these five songs begins with disillusionment: "It’s the easiest thing in the world to make promises in good weather," Shirley sings on “If the Creek Don’t Rise.” Then we end at a point of serenity. But it’s not a happy ending. It’s a moment of peace, of acceptance in spite of it all. "And I hope for something more," comes the final track. "When I find myself in the sun it feels so good." There’s sparse guitarwork and the occasional chime from a sitar, all of it resonating behind a few metronomic puffs of a flute. —Kevin Crowe -Knoxville Metro Pulse, Dec. 12th, 2006. This Portland, Ore. based six-piece has self-released its second record, another collection of lonely and drawling country-rock to set on the shelf alongside its predecessor, The Promise of Mutiny. The band expertly evokes wide-open prairies, drizzling gray skies and long rumbles in the pickup truck, but there's little to set the band apart from the myriad others plowing the same earth. 3 stars --CLB Creative Loafing, 1/07.