Review
Stateside
Phonograph

Action Driver (2004) Shane

Stateside – Phonograph cover artwork
Stateside – Phonograph — Action Driver, 2004

Imagine if Limbeck and My Morning Jacket got together for a jam session and you'll be close to how Stateside sounds. Hailing from Tennessee, frontman John Paul Keith has played with heart-throb Ryan Adams, played in The Nevers, and co-founded The V-Roys. Sure the latter you probably know nothing about(shit, neither do I) but you get the point.

Phonograph is 11 tracks of classic rock tinged, indie-country. The record kicks off with "Fool on a Wire" that harnesses the description from the beginning paragraph. The tempo is upbeat in a very Limbeck-ish way, the horns are swinging in a My Morning Jacket-esque tone, and everyone is having a good time. In songs such as "Time Time Time," elements of The Rolling Stones are very apparent, particularly in the vocals.

This CD has a little bit of a problem with variation. It has more balls out rocking tunes towards the beginning but the songs become more ballad-like as the record goes on and it only looks back for a split second. The last two songs are very slow numbers that might have you shutting off the CD prematurely. Not to say they are bad tunes, but it just comes off as a pretty boring, anti-climatic ending for the disc.

All in all, Phonograph isn't bad, but isn't anything to go nuts over. Good disc for the summer whilst playing a game of drunken wiffle ball or jumping through sprinklers.

6.4 / 10Shane • June 27, 2004

Stateside – Phonograph cover artwork
Stateside – Phonograph — Action Driver, 2004

Related news

Brick Gun to release Dead to Me 7-inch stateside

Posted in Labels on September 20, 2010

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025

Recently-posted album reviews

Detention

Dead Rock ‘N’ Rollers
Left For Dead Records (2024)

Life ain’t so easy in the detention home- Dead Boys. Emerging from the underbelly of Jersey, made up primarily of three brethren. Raised on rock and roll and sipping from the chalice of early punk rock stalwarts like Da Bruddahs from Queens, Hey Ho! and the Pistoleros of Sexual Nature screaming banshees from across from the large pond. Thus forging … Read more

Nightfreak

Nightfreak
Big Neck Records (2024)

Semi-feral punk outfit NightFreak are back with a self-titled LP filled with breakneck riffs and 70s metal bombast. The Chicago group haven’t slowed down since 2022’s Speed Trials but they have filled out. NightFreak the album is lousy with warm back beats and melodic guitars; although, hardcore vocals and tight drums still reign supreme. Album opener “Blackout” is dead serious … Read more

Death By Unga Bunga

Raw Muscle Power
Jansen Records (2025)

I’m pretty sure I became aware of Mike Krol when The Whiffs posted about playing some shows with him. Krol is a bit of an anomaly. Not only is he on Merge and collaborates with Mac Superchunk- a dream scenario imo- but he’s also been elusive of my fan boy attempts at cold dm’ing him about stuff even tho we … Read more