midweek madness - tin hat trio

I've never really been into country. The occasional hit of bluegrass, maybe, when I'm in the mood for it. Sometimes I really wish I could like country music - real country music, the kind played by the crazy guys in flannel shirts who have fingers like lightning. It's almost a shame that something in my blood seems to revolt whenever I hear copious amounts of twang.¹

Fortunately, what I'm about to share with you isn't country. Why is the above relevant, then? Because every single music website I've visited in order to find a label that corrects this grievous error apparently has these guys listed as country, and I don't get it. If anything, Tin Hat Trio (now simply Tin Hat with the rotation of a few musicians since The Rodeo Eroded's release in 2002) projects a style that's teeming with early jazz influences sidled keenly next to a sound that recalls more of a genre identity crisis than any adherence to something as specific as "country."

The highlighted track today is "Holiday Joel," which is a light little instrumental number that sounds like a jam session in the elevator of an empty Italian restaurant. Surprise drums! Sounds like jazz to me. Excellent jazz at that. Another high point of this album is "Fear of the South" (does it hold as much irony for you as it does for me, dear reader?), which is avant-garde and artsy enough to knock any uptight indie snob off their feet. (Never mind that a more effective method of doing so would be to apply a dobro viciously to the midsection. But hey. No twang, remember?)

Tin Hat Trio - "Holiday Joel" (mp3|4.10MB)

So, what have we learned today? That's right. ID3 tags lie. Don't worry. The shock and betrayal wears off after a few minutes.


¹ I think Colin Meloy gets away with it occasionally only because I love him, and love is apparently deaf as well.