Tumbledown - 'Friend in Texas'

Tumbledown, an indie-folk-rock band from Portland, Oregon, is a band that's easy to fall in love with. This 5-person talented group includes John Markealli on drums and slide guitar; Brian Panulla on bass, lap steel and vocals; Scott Robertson on acoustic guitar, harp, and lead vocals; Tyler South on electric guitar and lead vocals; and Dave Whipple on pianos, organ, and percussion. With a lineup that will please music lovers of all genres, the band takes classic rock n’ roll and spices it up by adding flavors of Americana, folk, alt-country and pop. With their single “Friend in Texas,” Tumbledown is going to grab your attention and keep it.

“Friend in Texas” is an up-beat song that is engaging; Tumbledown gets under your skin, gets your feet tapping, puts a smile on your face and lifts you up before you even know what they are singing about because they have a certain nostalgic vibe combined with modern sensibilities that makes you feel great the second you hear it. This is due to the band's ability to positively combine many genres for a sound that is charismatic yet down-to-earth.

"Friend in Texas" begins with a crisp guitar chord progression and a bluesy harp soon joined by bass guitar. The harp offers up tasty solos throughout the track. As the song progresses, the arrangement showcases great production and is mixed well. Scott Robertson is Tumbledown's lead vocalist on this song and he delivers a gritty, natural and live feel that goes perfectly with this genre. About 3 minutes into "Friend in Texas," there is a tasteful guitar solo played by Tyler South. Overall, Tumbledown sounds like a band that's been playing together a long time; they "gel well" and audiences will gel with them. John Markealli, Brian Panulla and Dave Whipple are the rhythmic glue that provide the groove's gel. “Friend in Texas” is about knowing someone who complains about how things are, but doesn’t do anything to change their circumstances - they want things to get better, but they don’t want to put in the hard work it takes. The lyrics are universal and easy to relate to. In “Friend in Texas” they sing, “So you say you’ve got a friend in Texas /And your blue eyes got you down /Say you’re tired of this old scene /Yeah, but you keep coming around.” They go on to emphasize the story in the chorus singing “Ain’t nobody ever told you /That it could be this hard? /Did you ever stop to wonder /Why you’re playing that same old part?” The lyrics as well as the tune are catchy.

Tumbledown is prime festival material with a vibe, a sound and songs that large audiences are craving - they seep into your soul like an old classic folk song and wake you up with contemporary chart toppers. As prolific songwriters, with over 30 songs on the radar,Tumbledown will release their first EP, 'In Between' in February, 2017. For more information of the band and to get your hands on their music, visit their Bandcamp page.

#Tumbledown #FriendinTexas #IndieSpoonful #IndependentMusicReview