RYAN BINGHAM
''TOMORROWLAND''
AUGUST 21 2012
62:35
1. Beg for Broken Legs/4:24
2. Western Shore/6:02
3. Flower Bomb/4:07
4. Guess Who's Knockin'/4:03
5. Heart of Rhythm/3:35
6. I Heard 'Em Say/4:01
7. Rising of the Ghetto/8:07
8. No Help From God/6:41
9. Keep It Together/4:31
10. Never Far Behind/6:11
11. The Road I'm On/2:19
12. Never Ending Show/4:59
13. Too Deep to Fill/3:45
All Tracks By Bingham
Ryan Bingham /Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Richard Bowden /Fiddle
Keith Ciancia /Keyboards
Shawn Davis /Bass
Greg Leisz /Guitar, Mandolin
Matt Sherrod /Drums
Justin Stanley /Bass, Drums,Guitar, Mellotron, Piano, Producer
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
Ryan Bingham's stellar 2010 album Junky Star felt like a record he'd been striving to make since he began recording. By contrast, Tomorrowland feels like one he had to make. Bingham ditched his label and the Dead Horses, his longtime backing band. This set appears on his own Axster Bingham label; it was co-produced by the artist and Justin Stanley. Its 13 songs run the gamut, from well-written, acoustically driven Americana tunes to loud, shambolic rockers. Given the socio-political themes here, it’s clear that Bingham is pissed off as an artist and a citizen. That doesn’t always work to his advantage, however, and therein lies part of this album’s charm. Opener “Beg for Broken Legs” balances acoustic and electric guitars with a fat bassline and natural-sounding drums. Its lyrics, while reportorial in the verses, become militant in the refrain: “I ain’t gonna stand in line/Beg for bread from up off the floor….” This is what Woody Guthrie may have sounded like as a young man in the 21st century. Additional production includes layered violins, keyboards, and Mellotron, which add essential drama. The six-minute “Western Shore,” with its strummed 12-strings, mandolin, and muted electrics, eventually becomes a swirling tempest of sonic textures that work because they never succumb to the deliberate excess in the track's production and create a necessary tension -- it's one of the finest tracks here. Bingham blows it on “Guess Who’s Knocking,” a clumsy barroom hellraiser that just falls flat. “Heart of Rhythm,” with its appropriation of rockabilly and country tropes, works despite somewhat clumsy lyrics. “Rising from the Ghetto” speaks from a heart of righteousness, but its hackneyed musical structure strives too hard to convince when a simple presentation would have sufficed -- it sounds pretentious. “Flower Bomb” and “No Help from God” are quiet songs given subtle, yet unmistakable cinematic presentations -- they're beautiful in their desolation. The midtempo rocker “Never Far Behind,” with its weave of feedback, guitars, and keyboards, allows a simple melody and textural architecture to paint the protagonist’s (completely lost) voice authentically. The countrified rockabilly on “The Road I’m On,” captures Bingham at his roadhouse best and sets up a strong finish with the roots shuffle of “Never Ending Show,” and the stripped-down acoustic closer, “Too Deep to Fill.” Tomorrowland stumbles to be sure, especially in contrast with the surefootedness of Junky Star. Yet it's this record that is the sound of a songwriter exploring his limits in a restless, reckless fashion. Bingham has taken inspiration from generations of topical songwriters, combined them with the lessons learned from his other musical influences and what he’s kenned from experience, and begun to knock down the genre box that has contained him up until now -- all while speaking his mind about larger concerns than himself. Tomorrowland is the disruptive, chaotic, creative process of the artist revealed; it’s full of frustration, anger, conviction, and excitement, all worn plainly on its tattered sleeve.
BIOGRAPHY
by Andrew Leahey
Americana singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham was raised in rural Texas, where years of hardscrabble ranch work and rodeo competitions would later lend a sense of authenticity to his music. Living alone since his mid-teens, Bingham shuttled back and forth between Southwestern border towns and relatives' homes, often sleeping in his truck after rodeo shows. It was during those treks that he began entertaining friends with the guitar, an instrument he'd learned at the age of 17 from a mariachi neighbor. Drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan, Marshall Tucker, and Bob Wills -- all of whom populated the jukebox of The Halfway Bar, a roadhouse owned by Bingham's uncle (whose musical tastes influenced those of his nephew) -- Bingham fashioned a road-weary sound that piqued the interest of a barroom proprietor in Stephenville, TX. Bingham was offered a weekly residency at the bar; soon after, he began issuing self-released albums like Lost Bound Rails and Wishbone Saloon. The material was brought to the attention of Nashville heavyweights Lost Highway Records, who signed Bingham and issued his major-label debut, Mescalito (featuring production by Marc Ford, former guitarist for the Black Crowes), in October 2007.
Mescalito was well received by critics, with Rolling Stone aptly comparing Bingham's raw, scratchy voice to that of "Steve Earle's dad." After supporting the album with ample tour dates, the songwriter reprised his relationship with Marc Ford, who produced 2009's Roadhouse Sun. Later that year, he joined another music veteran -- producer/songwriter T-Bone Burnett -- in contributing music to the film Crazy Heart. Revolving around the the attempted comeback of a down-and-out country singer, Crazy Heart became one of the year's highest-praised films and won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for "The Weary Kind," one of Bingham's original compositions written with T-Bone Burnett, the soundtrack's musical director and producer. Bingham and his band the Dead Horses followed it with the album Junky Star in September of 2010, produced by Burnett. Bingham left Lost Highway after three albums and released 2012's Tomorrowland, recorded in Malibu, CA and co-produced by Bingham and Justin Stanley, on Bingham's own newly created Axster Bingham Records imprint.
''TOMORROWLAND''
AUGUST 21 2012
62:35
1. Beg for Broken Legs/4:24
2. Western Shore/6:02
3. Flower Bomb/4:07
4. Guess Who's Knockin'/4:03
5. Heart of Rhythm/3:35
6. I Heard 'Em Say/4:01
7. Rising of the Ghetto/8:07
8. No Help From God/6:41
9. Keep It Together/4:31
10. Never Far Behind/6:11
11. The Road I'm On/2:19
12. Never Ending Show/4:59
13. Too Deep to Fill/3:45
All Tracks By Bingham
Ryan Bingham /Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Richard Bowden /Fiddle
Keith Ciancia /Keyboards
Shawn Davis /Bass
Greg Leisz /Guitar, Mandolin
Matt Sherrod /Drums
Justin Stanley /Bass, Drums,Guitar, Mellotron, Piano, Producer
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
Ryan Bingham's stellar 2010 album Junky Star felt like a record he'd been striving to make since he began recording. By contrast, Tomorrowland feels like one he had to make. Bingham ditched his label and the Dead Horses, his longtime backing band. This set appears on his own Axster Bingham label; it was co-produced by the artist and Justin Stanley. Its 13 songs run the gamut, from well-written, acoustically driven Americana tunes to loud, shambolic rockers. Given the socio-political themes here, it’s clear that Bingham is pissed off as an artist and a citizen. That doesn’t always work to his advantage, however, and therein lies part of this album’s charm. Opener “Beg for Broken Legs” balances acoustic and electric guitars with a fat bassline and natural-sounding drums. Its lyrics, while reportorial in the verses, become militant in the refrain: “I ain’t gonna stand in line/Beg for bread from up off the floor….” This is what Woody Guthrie may have sounded like as a young man in the 21st century. Additional production includes layered violins, keyboards, and Mellotron, which add essential drama. The six-minute “Western Shore,” with its strummed 12-strings, mandolin, and muted electrics, eventually becomes a swirling tempest of sonic textures that work because they never succumb to the deliberate excess in the track's production and create a necessary tension -- it's one of the finest tracks here. Bingham blows it on “Guess Who’s Knocking,” a clumsy barroom hellraiser that just falls flat. “Heart of Rhythm,” with its appropriation of rockabilly and country tropes, works despite somewhat clumsy lyrics. “Rising from the Ghetto” speaks from a heart of righteousness, but its hackneyed musical structure strives too hard to convince when a simple presentation would have sufficed -- it sounds pretentious. “Flower Bomb” and “No Help from God” are quiet songs given subtle, yet unmistakable cinematic presentations -- they're beautiful in their desolation. The midtempo rocker “Never Far Behind,” with its weave of feedback, guitars, and keyboards, allows a simple melody and textural architecture to paint the protagonist’s (completely lost) voice authentically. The countrified rockabilly on “The Road I’m On,” captures Bingham at his roadhouse best and sets up a strong finish with the roots shuffle of “Never Ending Show,” and the stripped-down acoustic closer, “Too Deep to Fill.” Tomorrowland stumbles to be sure, especially in contrast with the surefootedness of Junky Star. Yet it's this record that is the sound of a songwriter exploring his limits in a restless, reckless fashion. Bingham has taken inspiration from generations of topical songwriters, combined them with the lessons learned from his other musical influences and what he’s kenned from experience, and begun to knock down the genre box that has contained him up until now -- all while speaking his mind about larger concerns than himself. Tomorrowland is the disruptive, chaotic, creative process of the artist revealed; it’s full of frustration, anger, conviction, and excitement, all worn plainly on its tattered sleeve.
BIOGRAPHY
by Andrew Leahey
Americana singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham was raised in rural Texas, where years of hardscrabble ranch work and rodeo competitions would later lend a sense of authenticity to his music. Living alone since his mid-teens, Bingham shuttled back and forth between Southwestern border towns and relatives' homes, often sleeping in his truck after rodeo shows. It was during those treks that he began entertaining friends with the guitar, an instrument he'd learned at the age of 17 from a mariachi neighbor. Drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan, Marshall Tucker, and Bob Wills -- all of whom populated the jukebox of The Halfway Bar, a roadhouse owned by Bingham's uncle (whose musical tastes influenced those of his nephew) -- Bingham fashioned a road-weary sound that piqued the interest of a barroom proprietor in Stephenville, TX. Bingham was offered a weekly residency at the bar; soon after, he began issuing self-released albums like Lost Bound Rails and Wishbone Saloon. The material was brought to the attention of Nashville heavyweights Lost Highway Records, who signed Bingham and issued his major-label debut, Mescalito (featuring production by Marc Ford, former guitarist for the Black Crowes), in October 2007.
Mescalito was well received by critics, with Rolling Stone aptly comparing Bingham's raw, scratchy voice to that of "Steve Earle's dad." After supporting the album with ample tour dates, the songwriter reprised his relationship with Marc Ford, who produced 2009's Roadhouse Sun. Later that year, he joined another music veteran -- producer/songwriter T-Bone Burnett -- in contributing music to the film Crazy Heart. Revolving around the the attempted comeback of a down-and-out country singer, Crazy Heart became one of the year's highest-praised films and won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for "The Weary Kind," one of Bingham's original compositions written with T-Bone Burnett, the soundtrack's musical director and producer. Bingham and his band the Dead Horses followed it with the album Junky Star in September of 2010, produced by Burnett. Bingham left Lost Highway after three albums and released 2012's Tomorrowland, recorded in Malibu, CA and co-produced by Bingham and Justin Stanley, on Bingham's own newly created Axster Bingham Records imprint.
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