There are many ways to describe the sounds one would hear from listening to the Fallen Troubadours. But we prefer the following: If the most influential bands of the 1960s were liquefied and thrown into a bucket, the Fallen Troubadours would be the sponge thrown in, rung out and used to wash over modern music.
They played 41 shows in 2010. A simple web search for the band will show that they've been tagged as not only as having a 60s aura surrounding them, but also being considered blues or folk rock. While this is all true, don't let those classifications fool you into thinking you've heard bands like them before.
"Dr. Dog, Tame Impala, Delta Spirit, Cotton Jones, and The Black Angels," says lead singer Brad Stewart after being asked if any newer artists inspire his band. "We enjoy a broad spectrum of music, though. We love the new folk bands and dig the bluegrass scene for sure, but I wouldn't say it inspires our music much."
The band's most devoted fans followed them to a show at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ a few years ago. A bus trip was arranged for everyone and as Stewart puts it, "It was ridiculous. There were no restrictions on that trip. We put a case of beer on each row, so there were forty-odd cases of beer on the bus. People were doing anything they could do. Portholes on the roof were open to allow smoke to escape. The Kinks, Dylan, and the Beatles were blasting. People were surfing on the coolers and laying on the floor. By the time the bus returned to [the band's hometown of] Hamburg, conditions had deteriorated. It smelled like a bar room on a Sunday morning."
The ability to know how to party like rock stars and still maintain the status of a devoted, hardworking band is what landed them their spot on the Candy Colored Dragon record label. Tim Martinkovic, who runs Universal Warning, checked out the Fallen Troubadours at one of their Steel City gigs. Stewart says the gig was nothing special, but Martinkovic felt the band would work well with his friend Isaac Betesh, who runs the Candy Colored Dragon. The label specializes in psychedelic music, so the band arranged a meeting with Betesh at his Greenhouse Studio.
"We walked in to find this wiry character standing in front of us," says Stewart. "He was dressed to the nines in a dark suit, dark hair, dark glasses, and black pointy boots. He was like Phil Spector's ghost. Right off the bat, we had a connection with him. Isaac knows how to get the best from us, and where we would like to go."
Where they'd like to go, as any band would say, is everywhere.
"We'd like an opportunity to play the TLA, and ultimately, the Electric Factory at some point. We will do some mini tours this year in the Northeast, NYC and maybe Boston." They've also got one of those long term goals: Touring the UK and Japan.
With so many ways to describe the band, what can we expect to see next to 'genre' when purchasing the new album? There is one term used to describe the band that is a bit questionable.
"We like the term 'jangle rock,'" says Stewart. "That's how I'd describe The Byrds. It has something to do with the style of guitar playing and the way it syncs with percussion. A jangly feel to the music I guess. We like that jangly feel."
