HOLLIS BROWN
''RIDE ON THE TRAIN''
MARCH 5 2013
37:33
1. Ride On the Train/4:39
2. Down On Your Luck/3:04
3. When the Water's Warm/3:52
4. Nothing & The Famous One/3:39
5. Doghouse Blues/2:50
6. Gypsy Black Cat/3:31
7. Faith & Love/3:51
8. If it Ain't Me/4:34
9. Walk On Water/3:54
10. Nightfall/3:41
11. Hey Baby/3:21
All Tracks By Jon Bonilla, Mike Montali
Taking queues from classic pop, rock’n'roll, and Americana, Hollis Brown combines raw rock sensibilities with sweet melodies and hearfelt lyrics to create a rich, warm sound that can fill any room. Principal songwriters Mike Montali (vocals) and Jon Bonilla (lead guitar) grew up listening to the classics. These native New Yorkers were born in the late ’80's when the city was identified by its grit, passion, and authenticity. The combination of an urban upbringing and throwback musical influences of traditional blues contributed heavily to the band’s sound. However, contrary to most blues-influenced bands, Hollis Brown leans heavily toward melodic pop as well. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Beatles song these boys don’t know by heart, and you can hear it in the music. Classic rock with a New York state of mind, Hollis Brown is a throwback to an era when music felt fresh, songwriting was revered, and performances routinely inspired.
REVIEW
by Steve Leggett
New York City's Hollis Brown (a band, not a person) have a tight, sparse classic rock sound that incorporates melodic pop, slight country touches, and, underneath it all, a kind of bedrock blues sensibility, and when they're at their best, they sound like all of those things at once, a bit like hearing Steve Earle fronting a stripped-down version of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. Ride on the Train is the group's debut full-length album, and it's a gem, full of memorable songs and a sharp, taut sound that only includes what is necessary to put the song over. There's so much to like here, including the title track and opener "Ride on the Train," which lopes joyously and features a can't-miss, hooky chorus, as does the wonderful and grand "Faith & Love," while "Gypsy Black Cat" and "Down on Your Luck" sound a bit like Tom Petty gone country, only without losing a whisper of Petty's spunk and attitude. This is a band that knows rock roots and history, and knows exactly what it's doing, and the arrangements here have no unneeded embellishments: the guitars are whip sharp and appropriate, the drum sound is tight, spare, and perfect, and the harmonies don't overdo. This is a band with a bright future.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Leggett
New York City-based Hollis Brown (a band, not a person) play a tight, sparse, rocking version of classic rock, with songs full of melody, pop, country tinges, and an ever-present and slight feel of the blues, all of which gives the best of the songs a timeless feel. Led by the songwriting of Mike Montali (vocals and guitar) and Jon Bonilla (guitar), and with a taut rhythm section of Mike Wosczyk (bass) and Mike Graves (drums and percussion), the band released a debut EP, Nothing & the Famous No One, in 2012, and followed it with a full-length album, Ride on the Train, early in 2013.
''RIDE ON THE TRAIN''
MARCH 5 2013
37:33
1. Ride On the Train/4:39
2. Down On Your Luck/3:04
3. When the Water's Warm/3:52
4. Nothing & The Famous One/3:39
5. Doghouse Blues/2:50
6. Gypsy Black Cat/3:31
7. Faith & Love/3:51
8. If it Ain't Me/4:34
9. Walk On Water/3:54
10. Nightfall/3:41
11. Hey Baby/3:21
All Tracks By Jon Bonilla, Mike Montali
Taking queues from classic pop, rock’n'roll, and Americana, Hollis Brown combines raw rock sensibilities with sweet melodies and hearfelt lyrics to create a rich, warm sound that can fill any room. Principal songwriters Mike Montali (vocals) and Jon Bonilla (lead guitar) grew up listening to the classics. These native New Yorkers were born in the late ’80's when the city was identified by its grit, passion, and authenticity. The combination of an urban upbringing and throwback musical influences of traditional blues contributed heavily to the band’s sound. However, contrary to most blues-influenced bands, Hollis Brown leans heavily toward melodic pop as well. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Beatles song these boys don’t know by heart, and you can hear it in the music. Classic rock with a New York state of mind, Hollis Brown is a throwback to an era when music felt fresh, songwriting was revered, and performances routinely inspired.
REVIEW
by Steve Leggett
New York City's Hollis Brown (a band, not a person) have a tight, sparse classic rock sound that incorporates melodic pop, slight country touches, and, underneath it all, a kind of bedrock blues sensibility, and when they're at their best, they sound like all of those things at once, a bit like hearing Steve Earle fronting a stripped-down version of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. Ride on the Train is the group's debut full-length album, and it's a gem, full of memorable songs and a sharp, taut sound that only includes what is necessary to put the song over. There's so much to like here, including the title track and opener "Ride on the Train," which lopes joyously and features a can't-miss, hooky chorus, as does the wonderful and grand "Faith & Love," while "Gypsy Black Cat" and "Down on Your Luck" sound a bit like Tom Petty gone country, only without losing a whisper of Petty's spunk and attitude. This is a band that knows rock roots and history, and knows exactly what it's doing, and the arrangements here have no unneeded embellishments: the guitars are whip sharp and appropriate, the drum sound is tight, spare, and perfect, and the harmonies don't overdo. This is a band with a bright future.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Leggett
New York City-based Hollis Brown (a band, not a person) play a tight, sparse, rocking version of classic rock, with songs full of melody, pop, country tinges, and an ever-present and slight feel of the blues, all of which gives the best of the songs a timeless feel. Led by the songwriting of Mike Montali (vocals and guitar) and Jon Bonilla (guitar), and with a taut rhythm section of Mike Wosczyk (bass) and Mike Graves (drums and percussion), the band released a debut EP, Nothing & the Famous No One, in 2012, and followed it with a full-length album, Ride on the Train, early in 2013.
