2005

The Daily Times 3/25/05

Ferrelle, Tin Foil Stars explore dark side of relationships on `The Murder of Love'
by Steve Wildsmith

Just because he's titled his new album ``The Murder of Love,'' don't mistake Dodd Ferrelle for a pessimist when it comes to relationships.

It's simply a concept album, with darker themes and lyrics packaged in shining pop chords, catchy melodies and killer hooks. The Americana sound that marked ``Always Almost There,'' the previous release from Dodd Ferrelle and the Tin Foil Stars, has been muted. The emphasis on ``The Murder of Love'' is a tighter focus, Ferrelle told The Daily Times in a recent interview.

``This being a thematic album, we were able to focus a lot easier,'' Ferrelle said. ``Having done one record together, we had that under our belt, and with this one, I think we got what we went after. We had the name before we went into the studio, and we kept the theme running throughout it.

``The title came from the chorus to the song `Lightning Strikes,' and it came to me after writing that song and playing it on the road for a while. It was a real strong title, and I threw it out to the band, and they liked it. I think a title like that puts you out there with a lot of writers and people who are looking at you more seriously, so we wanted to live up to it.''

Ferrelle and his bandmates succeed admirably. Ferrelle has long compared the Tin Foil Stars to Crazy Horse, Neil Young's smoking backup band, and on ``The Murder of Love,'' the band fulfills that reputation in spades. The guitars turn on a dime, and the dissonance in Ferrelle's nasal-sounding vocals make a warm contrast to music that's all dirty diamonds and rough beauty.

Given the pedigree of Ferrelle, that beauty of ``The Murder of Love'' isn't surprising. Ferrelle had been fronting rock bands since he was 16, when he formed his first one in Savannah, Ga. Me'An Mills, a group with Ferrelle and Jon Mills, released three recordings before the pair moved to Athens, where the two started the band Rags. Ferrelle left that group in 1998, releasing ``A Carriage on the Hill'' in early 2001, and the Tin Foil Stars came together when Tim Adams (formerly of Snail) added his guitar to the mix.

Other members include bass player Michelle McClure and Dan Orchik on drums, and together, the quartet went into the studio in 2002 to work on ``Always Almost There.''

Although proud of that record, Ferrelle is looking forward to the reactions of critics and fans to ``The Murder of Love.'' He's already confused some rock writers who don't get the album's theme, but that's OK, he said.

``There are darker themes, but they glide through the record,'' he said. ``They're songs that move, and that's intentional. But so far I've got some pretty strange reactions. Somebody mentioned that this should have been an album Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen should have written, and then in the review, they seemed to compare us to Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen!

``Only one person has dwelled on the relationship aspect of it. All I can say is that it's out of me. It's nice to have it out there, and it came from just a ton of different relationships, whether they were mine or the guys in the band or friends I've seen go in and out of them. It was just kind of a spectrum of everybody I know and have come into contact with.''

Currently, Ferrelle and recording a more acoustic, organic solo album with Adam, which he hopes to release by the end of the year. It'll have more of a folk feel, he said -- acoustic guitar, bass, fiddle and light percussion -- which will mark a departure from his work with the Tin Foil Stars. But that's down the road.

Right now, he's content to turn up the knobs and knock down the crowd with feedback and reverb.

``We're just having a blast playing this album live,'' he said. ``The last few shows have been great -- we've been playing a couple of new tunes, reaching back for two or three old ones and playing a lot off of `Murder of Love.'

``I haven't had more fun playing in my entire life than I have this year. There will be a few softer treats thrown in here and there for a break, but it's a pretty hard-driving rock show.''
"The twinge in Dodd Ferrelle's voice spreads a shroud of sadness over the Athens, Ga.-based band's new disc, The Murder of Love. Ferrelle's mournful croon haunts these Americana rock tunes like the ghost of Roy Orbison. He's cryin' over all things lost-love, home, youth, faith. In the wake of his blues, a flood of rock guitars and crashing symbols washes over the songs, providing redemption and catharsis. Recorded with producer Dave Barbe, former Sugar bassist and producer for Son Volt and Drive-By Truckers, The Murder of Love resurrects Ferrelle's rock spirit after his foray into personal acoustic territory on 2003's Sweet Lowland. A good signal that heartache hasn't ruined Dodd's sense of adventure: the disc includes a 100-percent irony-free cover of ABBA's "S.O.S.," with tambourine and handclaps. Ferrelle's plea of "What happened to our love? It used to be so good" sums up the disc's theme and exemplifies just how much heartache can rock."

Paige M. Travis, Metropulse, 3/24/05
Dodd Ferrelle & The Tinfoil Stars’ “Murder of Love” is an alternative direction for the alt. country-classified Ferrelle. Gone are the fiddles and mandolins, extra twang and folk-like-rhythms. Left in their places are hard-hitting guitar, bass and drum lines extra growl and rapid pop-rock-rhythms. With the Tinfoil Stars driving melodies in line with Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, Ferrelle stays loyal to his southern-style but dives across the pond and surfaces somewhere between Van Morrison and Joe Cocker. Delivering each song with sincere passion, he reveals the good, the band and the ugly of a relationship underlining the CD’s theme. “Hiding Out” will resurface in your memory’s jukebox for a tune or two, while the haunting “Turn It All Around” conveys the voice in the head replayed during a breakup. The cover of “S.O.S’ is the lucky number seven (track). If you want to hear the best version of the hand-clapping classic, forget “Mamma Mia!” on Broadway and head out to your own backyard. Dying love never sounded so good.

The Eleventh Hour
Feb. 9 – 22, 2005, Vol. 2 issue 24
"We have been a little chameleonic," laughs Dodd Ferrelle, as he discusses the route to his new album The Murder of Love. On this release, the Athens-based singer/songwriter, backed by his band the Tinfoil Stars, takes a detour from the usual jangly alt-country and acoustic freeway he normally travels. "Yeah, it's a more straightforward pop / rock record than before," he says. "There is a whole lot of information on this one that isn't necessarily spelled out for the listener. It takes a little digging."

"We have traversed many genres over the few records," he continues. "So I think we are dedicated to finding all the best aspects of music." The title was on Ferrelle's mind during the entire process of the song cycle. "From the songwriting to the emotion of the recording and on through to the songs that made the cut, even the CD cover, the songs all deal with love and loss, with changing backgrounds and scenery," he says.

Still, the inclusion of Ferrelle's cover of ABBA's shimmering pop ditty "S.O.S," is a little unusual. "I have always loved that song and wanted to record it since I was just starting out," he says proudly. "I finally have the band that can - and will - play the song and I think we put our own sound to it. The words are great and it just fits perfectly into the theme of The Murder of Love."

Ferrelle has plenty of leftover songs on the same subject and he's already working on the follow-up to this record. "Those songs are all acoustic," he adds. "We should have that record ready in a month or two. That one could be considered part two of this album, just more folksy."

Lee Valentine Smith, Creative Loafing, Feb. 17 2005
"Almost Always There" was the noteworthy accomplishment of 2002 for Dodd Ferrelle. The record, full of heartache and melancholy and a smidge of Irish brogue, reinforced his claim to being the top purveyor of Americana in Athens. That continues this year with "The Murder of Love." But this time, the Savannah native leaves behind the fiddles, mandolins and other rootsy accoutrements. Instead, he goes for the gut on "The Murder of Love." Things are rawer, sparer, starker and more vivid -- just drums, amped up guitars and his ragged vocals. Each song will have your attention or will have nothing to do with you. Oh, and check out Dodd's version of "S.O.S." It can't be easy to make ABBA sound down-home. With Patty Hurst Shifter.

Savannah Morning News, John Stoehr, February 17, 2005
Ever since his earliest professional gigs around Savannah as the frontman for Me ‘an Mills ( a mid-’80s cowpunk outfit that at times seemed a little too respectful of then ascendant regional heroes Drivin-N-Cryin), Dodd Ferrelle has shown a knack for penning a strong rock hook.

Throughout a handful of other twangy musical projects (including Rags, with Superhorse keyboardist Jason Anderson and Dreams So Real drummer Drew Worsham), this Athens transplant has honed that skill to a razor’s edge. His brand-new CD, The Murder of Love is being pitched as his best effort yet, the one that could and just might take his career to that oft-mentioned “next level,” and that’s more accurate now than it’s ever been.

Once more produced by veteran David Barbe (Sugar, Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt), it sounds much like his last few records, but there are subtle differences. This time out, there’s more pop and less roots in the mix, and though Dodd’s voice is an acquired taste for some, the tracks which find it high up in the mix are by far the most effective.

Whenever this band comes to town, it’s a reunion of sorts for old friends and extended family. It’s also a great show by someone who’s dedicated their lives to that thing we call rock.

Connect Savannah, Jim Reed, February 17, 2005
Athens rocker returns to his roots - Dodd Farrelle and the Tinfoil Stars take the stage for post-Wilco CD release party

Some bands think they must overpower the competition to rise above obscurity. Athens-based Dodd Farrelle, however, delights in mingling with the crowd — and it’s not a small crowd, either. In fact, by Farrelle’s account, he and his band, The Tinfoil Stars, make up one group of 350 in Athens. Furthermore, Farrelle actually chose to join the musical mob 10 years ago when he moved from Savannah to the city that birthed rock success-stories R.E.M. and the B-52s.

“Savannah was so touristy, it was easier for us to just travel home and play and live in Athens and get to all other points — Atlanta, North Carolina, even up to New York. It’s much easier,” said Farrelle, a prolific artist who has released both solo and band-backed records.

Perhaps it’s Farrelle’s performing experience that allows him to sound at ease when describing a gig that would have most bands biting their fingernails: a Feb. 18 CD release party at the Jinx, touted by the venue as the primo post-Wilco show.

The performance will include all the tracks from “The Murder of Love,” Farrelle’s second release with the Stars. The album marks a deliberate attempt by the band to create a jangly roots record missing a great deal of the country overtones of their previous effort, “Almost Always There.”

“We definitely wanted to make a pop-rock record, and dramatically and musically all the songs that we wanted to put out for this record just happen to all sound a little more pop or a little more straightforward rock than country,” Farrelle said. “We didn’t really move away from it; we just made an album that we thought makes sense for us right now. And we’d been playing this stuff live, so I guess we just started rocking a little harder.”

Exactly how they rock is a tough question to answer, usually involving references that span the space-time-music continuum. If one hears a bit of a Neil Young-Peter Buck collaboration, that’s not far off. If others swear they hear the southern sonicism of fellow Athenians Drive By Truckers, there’s truth in that, too. And with Farrelle’s regular use of fiddle and mandolin, the Tinfoil Stars have been lumped in with an increasing number of bands slapped with the foggy “alt-country” label.

Farrelle said the term applies for a lot of his previous work, but it sidesteps much of his inspiration, especially for “The Murder of Love.”

“A lot of this music is influenced a lot by anybody from Minutemen to The Beatles to CCR to The Waterboys, so it’s kind of got punk, Celtic, roots and pop all mixed together,” he said. “So however you would define that is what I would consider this music to be.”

Assembling a genre on the spot, Farrelle said “sonic Americana” might be a good description of what he and his band play, since the second word has been used and skewed beyond recognition.

“It’s hard because we used to just say we’re Americana, but now Americana just means so much. It’s such a broad brush,” he said, adding that the term “‘roots rock’ is fine — it’s just kind of simple and dull.”

Escaping the pigeonholing is something the band shares with their unofficial “opener,” Wilco, also often dubbed a “country-rock” sort of act. Yet Farrelle said the booking of the release party immediately after Saturday night’s sold-out concert is purely coincidental.

Such great anticipation for good live music is something Farrelle believes indicates a starving population of concertgoers, something he said he rarely experiences in Athens, despite the barrage of acts sharing the stage light.

“Original, live music helped put [Athens] on the map a long, long time ago. And the city embraced that and continues to support it year in and year out,” said Farrelle. “And Savannah just hasn’t grasped onto that yet. They get started a little bit, and I know just from being back [to the Jinx] a couple of months ago that the venue is awesome. … But it just seems that Savannah, maybe being touristy, just hasn’t really been able to embrace original, live music.”

Between rare appearances like Wilco’s and frequent visits by Dodd Farrelle and the Tinfoil Stars, Savannah may be able to escape such a rap for a little bit longer.

Marc Femenella, District, February 11, 2004, Issue: 189
2004

“Always a nice surprise these days when the alt. country movement is on the ropes, is when a band bears the influence of the golden age of post-punk-pop a la Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello. Straight outta Athens, GA, the Tinfoil Stars are one such band. Take the beautifully jangly ‘Falling Apart’ for example - there's a power pop title if ever there was one. And the song doesn't disappoint, simply in refusing to live up it its name. Its bedfellows are all similarly tight, each of them more or less country influenced, but generally on the pop side of the fence. An authentic-sounding cover of the Waterboys' ‘Fisherman's Blues’ is a neat touch. The production is clean too, thanks to ex-Sugar man David Barbe, but it's also strangely muscular, a not unwelcome quality seldom found in a recording of either this musical genre or budget. It there is a minus point to this, it's that Ferrelle's back-of-the-throat singing occasionally calls to mind Dylan on Self Portrait, but obviously no one is that bad.”

Gerry Ranson, Bucketful of Brains, issue #66 Summer 2004

“It’s not so much the influences that come through as much as the band’s ability to play in a myriad of styles, bolstering Ferrelle’s songs with unpredicted flourishes that enliven the standard rock formula. There are plenty of catchy melodies and smart hooks to go along with the straight forward surge of the band.”

James Cassara, Rapid River Magazine, Vol 7, No. 12, Aug. 2004

“Dodd Ferrelle, with or without his Tinfoil Stars, mixes Beatlesque pop with a raw delivery of heartfelt lyrics and inescapably catchy melodies.”

Lee Smith, Creative Loafing, June 10 – June 16, 2004

“Lazybone Athens, Georgia alt-country jangle, way too locked into’80’s college radio murmurs, though with occasional Southern rock power chords and a mandolin tapestry or two.”

Chuck Eddy, Village Voice, June 2 – 8, 2004

“’Alternative country’ seems to be a popular term these days, and it’s especially overused in promoting indie rock with either a hint of slide guitar or a banjo overdub on a novelty track. Athens-based Dodd Ferrelle and his band, The Tin Foil Stars, don’t just borrow from the genre as a gimmick...Listening to some tracks from his web site, you may conjure up the image of an R.E.M.-backed Bruce Springsteen — and it actually works.”

District, April 8, 2004

“Dodd Ferrelle’s Tinfoil Stars roll out a rockin’ country-fried sound that suggests Tom Petty and the Drive-By Truckers richly colored with Ferrelle’s distinctly dusty voice and sensibility.”

Lee Smith, Creative Loafing, February, 12 – 18, 2004

“To get an idea of what Dodd Ferrelle's voice sounds like, think Chris Isaak -- only in place of the Elvis Presley inflection, give it a Neil Young-like nasal twang. And if you're having trouble imagining that, then you have a good idea of just how hard it is to pin down the sound of Dodd Ferrelle and the Tinfoil Stars. For lack of a better classification, it falls under the category of Americana, but when the band takes the stage, there's a decidedly Crazy Horse-esque vibe to the raw roar of the guitars and the driving backbeat of the drums.”

Steve Wildsmith, The Maryville Daily Times, February 13, 2004

“Always Almost There is truly a superb album showcasing the Savannah native’s smoking sense of rhythm, lyrical melodies, charming vocal harmonies and a quirky instrumental mixture that brings rock balladry to rest on the airs of Old Celtic Ireland. While Always Almost There was a critical and commercial venture, its follow-up is altogether personal. Titled Sweet Lowland, the album is Ferrelle’s labor of love. Devoted to and inspired by Savannah and Tybee Island, the record is yet another example of his expansive and daring songcraft – not to mention his wonderfully warbling gravel – filed voice. And it’s all about us, who we are and Ferrelle’s vision of the Lowcountry.”

John Stoehr, Savannah Morning News, January 30, 2004

“Dodd Ferrelle and The Tinfoil Stars are one of those feel good bands you want to see with your friends at the local club or pub. They have that catchy sound that makes them hard not to listen to. Dodd Ferrelle has a songwriting style that grabs a listener and makes them listen the lyrics of the songs while enjoying the rocking music.”

Beth Gossett, Rapid River Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 5, January, 2004

2003
“

Athens’ top purveyor of Americana.”
Hal Horowitz, Creative Loafing, December 4 – 10, 2003

“With a voice that resembles a cross between Steve Earle at 7:30 in the morning and Drivin’ ‘N Cryin’ leader Kevn Kinney’s at 2:30 am, he delivers plaintive laments and mournful ruminations over a hard-rocking wail that recalls a less polished Tunnel of Love-era Springsteen.”
Jim Reed, Connect Savannah, November, 26 2003

“Georgia Boy Ferrelle has a well-put together band to back him and his Americana tunes, often tinged with nice electric flourishes. They’ll be at the Baggot Inn to promote his new CD, an enjoyable slice of life somewhere in the U.S.A.”
Andrew Aber, Village Voice, November 5 – 11, 2003

“Weaned on the Beatles, the Replacements and the Waterboys, Athens' Dodd Ferrelle may not yet have the resume of his musical heroes, but he has the passion and the talent to make even the most accomplished musician take notice. The follow-up to Ferrelle's 2001 solo album, A Carriage On The Hill, Always Almost There is a searing platter of ragged and rootsy rock. Produced by former Sugar bassist David Barbe with a murky brilliance, this is a heartfelt, 16-track album; the guitars flare and the vocals rise in passionate burst then gracefully glide into quiet longing. What makes the album strong is that it's so emotionally direct. For example, the blistering ‘I Wanna Know’ isn't meant as a rhetorical exercise - it's an insistent, almost desperate need for answers. The Dylanesque ‘Too Bad You’ rocks with raw beauty and the muddy grind of ‘Our Bridge Is Burning’ is irresistible. The lone cover is the Waterboys' ‘Fisherman's Blues,’ and instead of trying to kick it into the stratosphere like Mike Scott, Ferrelle interprets it with a woozy charm. Stirring work.”
Alex Green, Amplifier Magazine, Issue 38, Sept-Oct 2003

“Even after exhausting every adjective or adverb in the language, it’s still hard to put a finger on what Ferrelle does and wheat he does so well. There are Celtic influences, Beatle-influenced melodies and Indian tribal rhythms slapped into songs like sauce on a barbecue sandwich.”
Greg Fields, Out & About - The Macon Telegraph, October 24, 2003

“It’s usually a pretty good sign when you start bobbing your head with the first notes of the first tune of a CD. Ferrelle’s disc, Always Almost There, is sort of a Celtic laced folk-rock collection leaning heavier on the rock side while eschewing the pitfalls of folk pretension. Ferrelle and his Athens, GA based band round out the basic two guitars, bass and drums progression that works its way up and down the scales of Irish rock and American roots music. Hey, anyone who covers The Waterboys’ ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ with a passion is worth a listen.”
Samir Shukla, Creative Loafing Charlotte, August 6 – 12. 2003
“Though his current sound is slightly more rootsy, Ferrelle’s past as a part of the indie rock world is a definite asset. You can take an indie rocker out of the garage, but you can’t take the garage out of his music. Abetted by his full-time band, The Tinfoil Stars, Ferrelle has surely hit stride as a songwriter while retaining more than enough grit and fury to shake any dive to it’s foundation. Their most recent opus, Always Almost There recalls Rolling Thunder-era Dylan, early Springsteen and maybe even a hint of Clash.”
John Sewell, Metro Pulse, June, 5, 2003

“Raunchy, raw and rocking, Ferrelle and band deliver twangy hooks and vintage pop melodies along the line of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ but way cooler.”
The Nashville Rage, April 17, 2003, Vol. 3, No. 26

“Georgia boy Ferrelle’s been gaining something of a reputation recently for his rave-up take on gothic country-rock music. Ferrelle’s newest album, Always Almost There, was produced by Athenian legend David Barbe, who helped add a loose, pub like feel to the proceedings somewhat missing on Ferrelle’s last one, Carriage On The Hill. Not really country, nor rockabilly, nor alt. anything, but well done, and what Southern Rock might sound like were VH-1 to play it (once again, I meant that as a compliment, I think).
Tim C. Davis, Creative Loafing Charlotte, April 2 – 8, 2003

“As pop music continues to break into an endless stream of subgenres, it’s refreshing to hear a band like Dodd Ferrelle & The Tinfoil Stars. The Athens, GA based outfit flat out rocks. We’re talking no-frills rock n’ roll with just enough twang to stir it in the Americana direction. Oops, there we go with the subgenres again. Just think Steve Earle doing some of his more poppy material such as ‘Somewhere Out There’ and you’ve got an idea of the type of roots-pop delivered by these guys.
Dan Armonaitis, MetroBEAT, April 1 – 7, 2003
2002

*

01/11/02: Southeast Performer Magazine
*

01/10/02: Connect Savannah
*

01/08/02: Mountain Express
*

11/20/02: A Genuine Band A Genuine Album
*

11/20/02: Record Review: Always Almost There
* 11/20/02: ...'Always Almost' Here
*

11/21/02: Timelessness in Tin Foil
*

10/03/02: Play a Birthday Tune for Nuçi's
*

03/20/02: ...Keep On Ticking

* 12/26/01: 25 Best of 2002: A Carriage on the Hill
* 6/20/01: Flagpole - Dodd Ferrelle nominated for Flagpole Music Award for Songwriter/Singer/Solo Performer Of The Year, Americana/Roots Rock/Rockabilly and Album of The Year
* 02/28/01: From Rags to Tinfoil Stars
* 01/11/01: Ferrelle Tale

* 06/28/00: Band Speak
* 01/12/00: Band Speak