| |
|
|
Recipient
Of A San Diego Music Award for Best Alt Country Band
2005
Nominated by The San Diego Music Awards Academy for Best Americana
record 2006
Nominated by The San Diego Music Awards Academy for Best Americana
Band 2007
The
Hideaways - The Whiskey Tango Sessions
By Chip Withrow - 10/22/06 - 08:49 PM EST
Music like the Hideaways’ is my version of the country
my father listened to when I was growing up. Dad had Waylon,
Cash, Freddy Fender and Hank Sr. I’ve had Tom Petty,
Lone Justice, the Jayhawks and Wilco.
The common thread is a sound that is deeply American. The
Whiskey Tango Sessions is filled with songs that – like
Petty’s “Listen to Her Heart” and
the Jayhawks’ “Clouds” –
are richly textured and anthemic yet smoky-tavern twangy.
The first two tracks, “Don’t Try and Love
Me” and “Stranger’s Heart,”
hooked me right away. Both boast guitar interplay between
chiming rhythm and cut-to-the-quick lead. “Don't
Try & Love Me” is also textured with organ
and piano, and “Stranger’s Heart”
has an instrument I never get sick of hearing, a well-played
pedal steel.
“Long Dark Road” might be my favorite
cut: heartbreaking almost-falsetto vocals, find-my-way-to-the-light-or-be-damned
lyrics, poignant harmonica … it gives me the lump in
my throat that sweetly sad songs often do. “Picture
of Lonely” a few songs later does the same, and
brings to mind my long, emotional obsession with Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band.
This is the kind of album I would have brought along for late-night
road trips along winding Ohio backroads back in college. Twenty
years later, I still find music like the Hideaways' timeless
and authentic.
Here’s what
Miles Of Music has to say about the new record:
IT'S A CRACKER! 100% Guaranteed!!
This El Cajon, California band`s meat-and-potatoes harmony-filled
country rock celebrates the blue collar way. These are small
town tales of lovin`, cheatin` and drinkin` played by guys
who have been there.
Taproot
Radio Review: The Whiskey Tango Sessions by The Hideaways
The Hideaways release, _The Whiskey Tango Sessions_ launches
the band into their new incarnation with smooth Americana
tinged with just the right amount of twangy, pedal steel and
rock angst. The 12 songs on _The Whiskey Tango_ sessions are
wide open songs, you can just about imagine The Hideaways
playing these tunes in the middle of the California desert
under a wide open night sky while dozens of friends hang around
drinking beer by the light of car headlamps.
The disc opens with "Don't Try To Love Me",
a smooth Americana heart-breaker with at least one obscure
reference to the blues. "El Centro County Line"
veers more toward pure honky tonk pulling in just about every
country lyric cliche' you can name, and yet by the end of
the song you not only forgive them, you feel like thanking
them. "Stranger's Heart" features Jay Farrar
inspired nasal twang and guitar riffs that pull the band back
more into alt.country territory. "No One In The World"
is a traveling song which has guitar riffs that interweave
nicely with the vocals. "Picture of Lonely"
is a roots rock number tha seems to pay homage to Roy Orbison
here and there. "The Way You Control The Lines"
is probably my favorite track on the CD, setting the stage
with an alt.country angsty ballad feel which proceeds to explode
into a wall of sound.
The
San Diego Reader Writes
"Americana country rock isn't for everyone, but this
CD belongs in any truck that has primer-gray fenders, a dog
in the back, and duct tape peeling off the seat."
The
Union Tribune Quips: Local Boys The Hideaways "All
Most Famous!!!"
Gentlemen
& Outlaws
(the Hideaways formely know as Whiskey Tango)
Whiskey Tango is an amazing band... It is so rare these days
to hear 5 accomplished musicians who are not worried about
displaying their individual talents but who are all willing
to do what is best for the song....I want real people singing
real songs and that is what you get with Whiskey.... No tricks
no gimmicks. I'll take Whiskey!!! All the time, every
time!!! Thank you for being the gate keepers of a dieing art
form.... Your musicianship and song writing are SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!!
trageser.com
-Jim Trageser
While the name "The Hideaways" may not be familiar
on San Diego's music scene, the band itself is. A recent legal
tangle left longtime roots rockers Whiskey Tango in search
of a new handle. Hideaways it is.
But in a nod to their own past, the band has titled what is
apparently its debut CD "The Whiskey Tango Sessions."
It's a tight, focused set, with its dozen tracks taking in
country, country-rock and folk-rock. With arrangements that
provide plush-pile harmonies yet leave plenty of room for
solos, The Hideaways and producer Tyler Macy have created
a warm, clean sound. Each instrument, every singer comes through
crystal clear.
The songwriting credits are split pretty evenly between bassist/singer
Phil Bensimon, guitarist/singer Rian Greene and guitarist/singer
Keith Haman. Each apparently sings his own songs, and with
all three being strong vocalists the contrast in voices provides
a nice change of pace over the course of the album.
The songs themselves are attractive, melodic country and pop
tunes. The musicianship is top-flight; combine it all, and
you've got one of the better countrified albums to come out
of San Diego in recent years.
www.aidabet.com
-Jon Worley
A little Byrds, a little Jay Farrar, a little Jayhawks, a
little bit of everything that folks call alt. country. Played
with loose hand that lets the sound roam just far enough.
I will admit, right up front, that I find this kinda stuff
rather appealing. Comes from a late 80s Missouri college education,
I suppose. But the Hideaways do this sound very well, and
they add a few nice touches of their own.
Such as authentic (as opposed to ironic) twang. And clanging
guitars within a two-step. I don't know why people refuse
to call this "real" country music, but it is to
me.
Whatever. Labels are stupid. Good music is the key (I've typed
that line a few thousand times in my life), and the Hideaways
are exceptional. Pull up a rocker and some Jim Beam and set
a while.
sandiegotroubadour.com
-Craig Yerkes
You know those kinds of quirky, somewhat obtuse albums that
have to grow on you over time, their appeal sneaking up on
you only after quite a few listens? Okay, so this is not one
of those albums. If you don't like this music immediately,
you never will. This music aims squarely at our inner Peter
Fonda and hits a serious bulls eye. Most of us, from time
to time, like to picture ourselves driving alone on a desert
highway, tobacco and alcoholic products of choice near at
hand (maybe even an open container), wind in our hair (or
what's left of our hair), no responsibilities (no Blackberry
or cell phone), lookin' for love on the run (maybe even unprotected),
and every day is a wild adventure. The Whiskey Tango Sessions
from the Hideaways is ready to take you headlong into that
territory.
If what I've said so far hasn't given you enough of a hint
as to the musical style of this disc, think the Jayhawks meet
Tom Petty. The crew consists of the Whiskey Tango boys, plus
an all-star cast of supporting players, including 'Cactus'
Jim Soldi (is there anyone who can turn every guitar solo
into an event like this guy can??!!), Sharon Whyte, Doug Meyer,
and Tyler Macy (who produces the project and slings a mean
baritone guitar). Lead vocal duties are shared among the Whiskey
Tango guys, nicely mixing things up. I loved the light-hearted,
tongue-in-cheek approach that the Hideaways employ on this
recording. For instance, 'El Centro County Line'
throws in just about every musical and lyrical cliché
associated with this genre (ridiculously twangy lead vocals
and lines about Chevy trucks, whiskey, cigarettes even a dog
and a shotgun) and somehow spits out a perfect mix of respect
for the musical roots represented and a playful wink at the
listener. Good times good times. In the midst of the sly fun,
the boys manage to sneak in some serious subject matter
('Society of Fear') plus some downright touching, lovey-dovey
stuff ('No One in the World'). Music like this is
best served up with a good dose of gritty, raw, 'live' energy,
and this disc doesn't disappoint on that score (you can almost
hear the beer bottles clinking). The downright 'purty' opening
track, 'Don't Try and Love Me'; the groovin', country
shuffle, 'Since You Said Goodbye'; and the moody,
Wallflowers-esque 'Picture of Lonely' are also solid
tracks, but there ain't any stinkers to be found here. This
is a raucous, alt country party for your ears. BYOB and the
Hideaways will supply the rest.
Freight
Train Boogie
-Don Grant
Considering their Southern California roots, it's not too
surprising that this quartet tends to sound a lot like the
Eagles in their early days, when they were going up the musical
gears instead of cruising along on four cylinders, as of late.
Formerly known as Whiskey Tango, their debut CD features some
good writing, as in the opening track, “Don't Try
& Love Me”, blended with an ear for a tune
with a hook. Having four vocalists is a bonus when it comes
to versatility, from a wistful “Long Dark Road”,
to a whiskey cruise down the “El Centro County Line”
or the “Badlands”-ish “Picture Of Lonely”.
For a first kick at the cat, this is a pretty good boot.
"The
album "The Whiskey Tango Sessions" by The Hideaways
is a breath of fresh air to Americana music."
-Alan Potter
I
really enjoy "The Whiskey Tango Sessions", it is
an excellent album of great country-rock, with a very
classic sound indeed, and in fact I immediately started playing
it in my radio show.
-Massimo Ferro
I
want to thank you for the good music you sent me and that
perfectly fits my format. This Cd is a real pleasure both
vocally and instrumentally and for sure one of the best thing
I have heard.
-Mike Penard
ISA France
I
love the Hideaways! This is great music, and I'll be playing
a lot of the CD..."The Whiskey Tango Sessions" on
my shows on Sat. nights. This is perfect Sat. night kick your
ass music.
-Mary Lou
WDVX 102.9
“What
an added value for the Americana music that the Hideaways
are no longer hidden.”
El Centro County Line is a masterpiece.
-George Backer
Radio Beverwijk - Country Special
If
country rock is still alive. here's proof from The Hideaways
new record “The Whiskey Tango Sessions”.
-Hans Hangar
American Music Radio Shows
DJ.
George Backer from Country Special places "El Centro
County Line" from "The Whiskey Tango Sessions"
in his top 50 best songs of 2006 .... Read
Theo
Oldenberg & Alt Country Cooking place "The Whiskey
Tango Sessions" in their top 10 best records of 2006
.... Read
Americana
Music Belgium lists The Hideaways "The Whiskey Tango
Sessions" record in their top 100 albums of 2006 ....
Read
"....
sticks in your head like a piece of gristle lodged in your
teeth ...." Read
"With
a rare, triple-songwriting approach, the band explores the
unique talents ...." Read
"We
got some dope-smoking white trash ...." Read
"Like
many bands, alt-country rockers Whiskey Tango mistakenly thought
life would get a little easier when they signed with a record
label ...." Read
International
Press
www.altcountry.nl
-Peter Pleyte
Whiskey Tango is de oorspronkelijke naam van the Hideaways,
een band uit La Mesa, Californië. De heren hebben een
verleden bij acts als Lucinda Williams, Rosie Flores en de
bands van Johnny Cash en Dwight Yoakam. Geen kleine jongens
dus, deze Rian Green (zang mondharmonica en gitaar), Keith
Haman (zang en gitaar), Phil Bensimon (zang en bas) en Clint
Osborn (drums). Zij zijn o.a. te zien in de voorprogramma’s
van de Derailers, Damnations TX, Flatlanders, Slobberbone
en Dave Alvin. En dat maakt dat u al een indicatie hebt voor
de soort muziek die u op deze cd kan verwachten. Inderdaad
rock ’n roll, pop en country, plus hier en daar wat
blues, met enthousiasme en bezieling geserveerd bovendien.
De debuut-cd heet The Whiskey Tango Sessions (Dren Records/Big
Bender) en wordt opgenomen in The Ranch in El Cajon, CA. Met
drie songwriters in de ploeg zit er genoeg variatie in de
songs, waarvan de bijsluiter aangeeft dat ze vooral gaan over
‘drinking, cheating, loving and leaving’. Fraaie
samenzang, strakke baslijnen, een heerlijke steelgitaar, het
zit er allemaal in. Het is inmiddels een beetje beladen term
geworden, maar hier is sprake van degelijke en ouderwetse
(in de goede betekenis van het woord) countryrock. En die
whiskey neemt ik straks ook.
The Whiskey Tango Sessions is verkrijgbaar bij Miles of Music
http://www.rootshighway.it
-Gabriele Buvoli
Californiani di San Diego,questi ragazzi già avvezzi
al music business per aver macinato negli anni note e chilometri
con personaggi del calibro di Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams
e non solo, decidono di unire le loro forze e così
Philip Bensimon, Rian Greene, Keith Haman e Clint Osborn danno
corpo alla loro creatura, The Hideaways. The Whiskey Tango
Sessions è il loro esordio, l'ennesimo da parte di
una scena che sembra veramente inesauribile. Un album che
pur collocandosi, ahimè, nella media con quanto sentito
da non poco tempo a questa parte - in quanto nulla aggiunge
e nulla toglie - ha dalla sua una selezione di brani che la
dignità per farsi ascoltare ben più di una volta
ce l'hanno eccome. Il blend classico di Americana funziona
ancora una volta: Don't Try & Love Me viaggia sciolta
come una decappottabile su una Highway della Southern California,
deliziosa nel suo country rock melodico e solare, apripista
perfetta che lascia il campo a rockabilly "rockin'n'
twangin'" con spruzzate del Blasters sound meno acceso
(Since You Said Goodbye), discreti rock midtempo
(Society & Fear), ballate cantautorali più
dirette (Long Dark Road) od oblique (If I Could
I Find Away, dai ritmi più rallentati, percorsa
da sottili venature elettriche), pop songs perfette per l'autoradio
(Stranger's Heart) e border ballads lambite da fisa
e steel guitar (El Centro Country Line). Un disco
quindi piacevole nella sua varietà,c on gli Hideaways
che dimostrano di saper padroneggiare bene i diversi generi
musicali, senz'altro più valido di tante opere posticce
e raffazzonate da cui siamo bombardati.
www.rootstime.be
Zeker niet onaardig, deze eerste kennismaking met the Hideaways.
Met hun debuut-cd "The Whiskey Tango Sessions" levert
dit viertal met La Mesa, Californië als uitvalsbasis
een lekker, eerlijk doch bovenal energiek plaatje af. Rian
Green (vocals, mondharmonica, gitaar), Keith Haman (vocals,
gitaar), Phil Bensimon (vocals, bas) en Clint Osborn (drums)
spelen een vorm van Americana country rock die zelfs mij niet
onberoerd laat en sommige reporters van de Euro Americana
Chart zeker ook niet, want dit debuut kwam zomaar vanuit het
niets op N° 20. Reden genoeg om dit ommiddelijk te vieren
in hun plaatselijke kroeg dachten ze en met Whiskey natuurlijk
(zie foto). Als je dit debuut "The Whiskey Tango Sessions"
hebt gehoord, is het niet moeilijk andere invloeden aan te
wijzen als Johnny Cash of Dwight Yoakam, niet verwonderlijk
want in de bands van deze heren hebben sommigen in het verleden
deel uitgemaakt. De spilfiguren van de band zijn voornamelijk
Green, Haman en Bensimonur, die samen twaalf songs bijdragen
aan deze plaat, en waarvoor ze tappen uit verschillende muzikale
vaatjes zoals country rock, rock ’n roll, pop, alt.
country en blues. Door deze aanstekelijke mix is "The
Whiskey Tango Sessions" een afwisselende plaat geworden.
Zo horen we onder meer rockabilly in "Say Goodbye"
en "Under the Influence", en blues in "If
I Could Find a Way". Een meer East County getint
nummer is "El Centro County Line", een
song over whiskey drinken en cigaretten roken. Gitaarrock
horen we op op het knappe heartland "I Got a Problem".
Op vrijwel ieder nummer horen we steel gitaren, strakke baslijnen
en bovenal zeer mooie samenzang. The Hideaways lijkt een ideale
festivalband die de boel zo halverwege de avond, als de vermoeidheid
even toeslaat en de aandacht dreigt te verslappen, lekker
op kan schudden. Ons verwonderde het dan ook alvast niet om
"The Whiskey Tango Sessions" al kort na zijn release
in de Euro Americana Chart aan te treffen. Zoals de meeste
acts die ons al via het Big Bender-label bereikten voeren
ook The Hideaways authenticiteit immers hoog in het vaandel.
En zoals dat al wel vaker het geval is gebleken, loont dat
ook hier volop. 180 Proof Drinkin’ Music! Wil er iemand
dit viertal a.u.b. zo snel mogelijk naar de Lage Landen halen?
|
|
