Stereo Jam UK "Worth a Listen"
Worth a Listen:
"...it has that feel good, chilled out aura...the album showcases an experimental side to the quartet..."(link to full article)
"...it has that feel good, chilled out aura...the album showcases an experimental side to the quartet..."(link to full article)
Here Comes the Flood: Take You to Stay album review - 10/19/17
On HCTF's best albums of 2017 list
Las Vegas isn't known as city that is associated with cutting edge music. It's a place for over the hill acts making a killing catering to audiences who are taking a break between gambling sessions. But as per usual in any major city there is a small but vibrant underground scene where good things happen. Psychedelic rock quartet Trevor and The Joneses boasts not one, but two multi-instrumentalists and a swinging rhythm section. Their second album Take You to Stay is colourful trip to memory lane, signposted by acts like Love, Nazz, Jefferson Airplane and The Velvet Underground.
They love to experiment - Breaking Bones is a clash of the East and West Coast guitar - and bring in a sitar played by Barnaby Gallagher to add an extra layer to the title track. Meteors is an improvised tracks that could have been produced by Joe Meek had he lived long enough to produce the early Pink Floyd. Jones' nasal vocals take center stage in Found, a melancholic, mostly acoustic, pop song.
Trevor and The Joneses are long way from The Strip, but it's worth tracking them down in Sin City. Take You to Stay is the perfect antidote for the racket of the slot machines, the elevator muzak and Céline Dion.
(link to full article)
Las Vegas isn't known as city that is associated with cutting edge music. It's a place for over the hill acts making a killing catering to audiences who are taking a break between gambling sessions. But as per usual in any major city there is a small but vibrant underground scene where good things happen. Psychedelic rock quartet Trevor and The Joneses boasts not one, but two multi-instrumentalists and a swinging rhythm section. Their second album Take You to Stay is colourful trip to memory lane, signposted by acts like Love, Nazz, Jefferson Airplane and The Velvet Underground.
They love to experiment - Breaking Bones is a clash of the East and West Coast guitar - and bring in a sitar played by Barnaby Gallagher to add an extra layer to the title track. Meteors is an improvised tracks that could have been produced by Joe Meek had he lived long enough to produce the early Pink Floyd. Jones' nasal vocals take center stage in Found, a melancholic, mostly acoustic, pop song.
Trevor and The Joneses are long way from The Strip, but it's worth tracking them down in Sin City. Take You to Stay is the perfect antidote for the racket of the slot machines, the elevator muzak and Céline Dion.
(link to full article)
Real Gone Rocks Review: There Was Lightning - 9/8/15
Las Vegas based quartet Trevor and The Joneses care not for fashion. Parts of ‘There Was Lightning’ – their debut LP from 2012 – could have been recorded at the same time as The Stooges’ ‘Fun House’, while also showcasing material that’s clearly channelling a lo-fi equivalent of Neil Young’s ‘Zuma’ with occasional nods to the underground of the late 80s. In theory, this sounds like a disjointed mess…and true enough, it doesn’t sound so special the first time you hear it. After allowing the tunes time to mature and to properly sink in, however, you’ll discover an album celebrates retro rock styles in a huge fashion. …And although the material is varied – drawing influence as it does from over three decades of rock – the band have developed a surprisingly confident style.
‘Dig This!’ shows off the full-tilt end of the band via two minutes’ worth of high octane garage rock. The drums underpin a careening riff and some top-notch fuzz bass, while Trevor wails and yelps through each line in a particularly unrestrained manner. Those not partial to a bit of garage-based rawk aren’t likely to gain much from listening, but in terms of energy, the band are bang on, taking things up a notch with some unrefined guitar leads piercing the air between verses. Slowing down, ‘Sneak’ is far more coherent – sort of like the bastard son of Lou Reed replayed through the hazy eyes and ears of the short-lived Paisley Underground movement in the late 80s. It’s very grown up, but at the same time never dispenses with the trashiness. By the end of these two numbers, you’ll have a sense of whether this album is worth persevering with or not, but this is a record that never sounds formulaic, every track seems to present a musical shift from the one before.
Stylistically falling somewhere between those two opening tracks, ‘It’s Exhausting (Alright, Alright)’ brings one of the best vocal takes, with Jones barking each line like he’s fronting a sassy Detroit garage rock combo, the energy in his performance going toe to toe with the great, guitar driven musical backdrop. Between the main hook – the stupidly infectious call in parentheses – and a scorching lead guitar, this really cooks. Another instant highlight, ‘Grooving at The Speed of Light’ sounds like a mash up between a jangly Britpop tune and a demo from R.E.M.’s ‘Document’ years. A cleanly strummed acoustic and a ringing electric guitar ensure a strong tune – one of the album’s most accessible – while Jones, in turn, goes for something more melodic in the vocal depot. While that vocal is still an acquired taste, everything comes together nicely. Also in an upbeat mood, ‘It’s Getting Early’ brings very accessible jangy alt-rock with a crisp blend of electric and acoustic guitars, an unexpected female harmony and the kind of wayward lead guitar fills that would make Black Francis proud. On this track, especially, there’s a very pleasing tight but loose feel that very much acts as instigator for those cool guitar parts which, when counterbalanced by a repetitive hook, add up to make one of the band’s most satisfying numbers. Very little of this bares any relation to the alt-rock enthused ‘Other Things’, which on first listen somehow ends up sounding like Thurston Moore fronting Pavement, even though it’s constructed from similar ideas to ‘It’s Exhausting’… By this point it’s clear enough that although Trevor’s vocal style and chosen guitar tone are a constant centre point for T&TJ’s music, the song writing and arrangements are prone to taking an odd turn, and clearly nothing is off limits. On subsequent listens, it begins to sound more like Trevor and The Joneses, but as has already been suggested, what they actually sounds like can change on a whim. It all makes more sense when you actually hear it.
If those shorter tunes occasionally hint at a loose jam band trying to fight their way to freedom, the album’s two lengthy tunes really capitalise on that promise. With a distorted echoing guitar, ‘Show Yourself’ often sounds like a low budget recording of Band of Horses ambling through Neil Young’s ‘Cortez The Killer’. The reverbed guitar tone – a huge feature within these ten and a half sprawling minutes – is classic, while the slow and measured backbeat occasionally gives the feeling of a drug-induced trip into the desert. By the time the first solo kicks in at three and a half minutes, you’ve been firmly dragged into this sparse journey; a couple of minutes later still, there’s a feeling you might not make it back alive. By the second instrumental break, three minutes later, the soaring and warbling guitars sound like they’re inviting an impromptu jam structured around ‘Like a Hurricane’. Arguably the disc’s best number –and worth the price of admission – this really suggests that T&TJ are a great live act…and while the relatively lo-fi production of this studio record ought to enhance that, this is actually an example of a tune that probably deserved a far better send off. Slow and woozy, the appropriately named ‘Superslow’ crawls across an unwavering nine minutes, building to a closing guitar and keyboard jam. In theory, this is good, with an unfussy lead guitar once again more than hinting at a love for Crazy Horse, but it doesn’t quite live up to the promise: the guitar tones appear a little muddy, while the keyboards are almost lost in a genuine fug. This makes it somewhat more marginal a listen, almost hammering the listener into submission with a repetitive chord structure, but in lots of ways this piece – nearing drones in places – could have only been a closing statement – and it’s so, so different to the garage rock energies which began this musical journey barely fifty minutes earlier.
What have we learnt here? Certainly that this is a record best heard first hand; possibly that Trevor and The Joneses have a reasonable amount of talent, but haven’t fully worked out the best ways to harness it; or maybe that this is one of those records best summed up by the word “cult”. However, in terms of song writing and musical performance, despite feeling a little scrappy in places, there’s a great deal to enjoy here, with the echoing production style often – though not always – giving an extra sense of life within the material. Trevor’s vocal style, as flat and naturalistic as it is, might be a stumbling block for some, but the love for the sixties and the seventies within the tunes really comes across. ‘There Was Lightning’ is not an instantly likeable album in many ways, but if you like Band of Horses, a little Son Volt and The Naked Sun, chances are, with a little time and patience invested, you’ll soon dig these hazy throwbacks.
‘Dig This!’ shows off the full-tilt end of the band via two minutes’ worth of high octane garage rock. The drums underpin a careening riff and some top-notch fuzz bass, while Trevor wails and yelps through each line in a particularly unrestrained manner. Those not partial to a bit of garage-based rawk aren’t likely to gain much from listening, but in terms of energy, the band are bang on, taking things up a notch with some unrefined guitar leads piercing the air between verses. Slowing down, ‘Sneak’ is far more coherent – sort of like the bastard son of Lou Reed replayed through the hazy eyes and ears of the short-lived Paisley Underground movement in the late 80s. It’s very grown up, but at the same time never dispenses with the trashiness. By the end of these two numbers, you’ll have a sense of whether this album is worth persevering with or not, but this is a record that never sounds formulaic, every track seems to present a musical shift from the one before.
Stylistically falling somewhere between those two opening tracks, ‘It’s Exhausting (Alright, Alright)’ brings one of the best vocal takes, with Jones barking each line like he’s fronting a sassy Detroit garage rock combo, the energy in his performance going toe to toe with the great, guitar driven musical backdrop. Between the main hook – the stupidly infectious call in parentheses – and a scorching lead guitar, this really cooks. Another instant highlight, ‘Grooving at The Speed of Light’ sounds like a mash up between a jangly Britpop tune and a demo from R.E.M.’s ‘Document’ years. A cleanly strummed acoustic and a ringing electric guitar ensure a strong tune – one of the album’s most accessible – while Jones, in turn, goes for something more melodic in the vocal depot. While that vocal is still an acquired taste, everything comes together nicely. Also in an upbeat mood, ‘It’s Getting Early’ brings very accessible jangy alt-rock with a crisp blend of electric and acoustic guitars, an unexpected female harmony and the kind of wayward lead guitar fills that would make Black Francis proud. On this track, especially, there’s a very pleasing tight but loose feel that very much acts as instigator for those cool guitar parts which, when counterbalanced by a repetitive hook, add up to make one of the band’s most satisfying numbers. Very little of this bares any relation to the alt-rock enthused ‘Other Things’, which on first listen somehow ends up sounding like Thurston Moore fronting Pavement, even though it’s constructed from similar ideas to ‘It’s Exhausting’… By this point it’s clear enough that although Trevor’s vocal style and chosen guitar tone are a constant centre point for T&TJ’s music, the song writing and arrangements are prone to taking an odd turn, and clearly nothing is off limits. On subsequent listens, it begins to sound more like Trevor and The Joneses, but as has already been suggested, what they actually sounds like can change on a whim. It all makes more sense when you actually hear it.
If those shorter tunes occasionally hint at a loose jam band trying to fight their way to freedom, the album’s two lengthy tunes really capitalise on that promise. With a distorted echoing guitar, ‘Show Yourself’ often sounds like a low budget recording of Band of Horses ambling through Neil Young’s ‘Cortez The Killer’. The reverbed guitar tone – a huge feature within these ten and a half sprawling minutes – is classic, while the slow and measured backbeat occasionally gives the feeling of a drug-induced trip into the desert. By the time the first solo kicks in at three and a half minutes, you’ve been firmly dragged into this sparse journey; a couple of minutes later still, there’s a feeling you might not make it back alive. By the second instrumental break, three minutes later, the soaring and warbling guitars sound like they’re inviting an impromptu jam structured around ‘Like a Hurricane’. Arguably the disc’s best number –and worth the price of admission – this really suggests that T&TJ are a great live act…and while the relatively lo-fi production of this studio record ought to enhance that, this is actually an example of a tune that probably deserved a far better send off. Slow and woozy, the appropriately named ‘Superslow’ crawls across an unwavering nine minutes, building to a closing guitar and keyboard jam. In theory, this is good, with an unfussy lead guitar once again more than hinting at a love for Crazy Horse, but it doesn’t quite live up to the promise: the guitar tones appear a little muddy, while the keyboards are almost lost in a genuine fug. This makes it somewhat more marginal a listen, almost hammering the listener into submission with a repetitive chord structure, but in lots of ways this piece – nearing drones in places – could have only been a closing statement – and it’s so, so different to the garage rock energies which began this musical journey barely fifty minutes earlier.
What have we learnt here? Certainly that this is a record best heard first hand; possibly that Trevor and The Joneses have a reasonable amount of talent, but haven’t fully worked out the best ways to harness it; or maybe that this is one of those records best summed up by the word “cult”. However, in terms of song writing and musical performance, despite feeling a little scrappy in places, there’s a great deal to enjoy here, with the echoing production style often – though not always – giving an extra sense of life within the material. Trevor’s vocal style, as flat and naturalistic as it is, might be a stumbling block for some, but the love for the sixties and the seventies within the tunes really comes across. ‘There Was Lightning’ is not an instantly likeable album in many ways, but if you like Band of Horses, a little Son Volt and The Naked Sun, chances are, with a little time and patience invested, you’ll soon dig these hazy throwbacks.
This is Fresh Indie Seven Songs for Seven Days 7-2015 (translated below)
Trevor y The Joneses es una banda de rock prometedor desde Las Vegas. Fundada en 2012 por Trevor Jones, la banda combina el clásico sonido de las guitarras de rock con una inmersión impecable a los paisajes más subterráneos. La banda tiene un increíble álbum de larga duración "No estaba encendiendo" con un montón de grandes canciones, el "Se está haciendo temprana", "ranurado a la velocidad de la luz", "otras cosas" o el sorprendente "Muéstrate". Este rollo cuarteto de rock n es una pequeña joya que seguir de cerca. Durante el otoño de 2011, Trevor y Chris se conocieron en La Blind Tiger en Las Vegas y empezaron a tocar conciertos acústicos, con Chris jugando en el cajón. Con la incorporación de Joe Lawless (guitarra) y Dale Gilbert (bajo) en febrero de 2012, el grupo tocó su primer show con sólo alrededor de una hora por un valor de la práctica del día.
La banda atrapó la atención de Las Vegas semanal y comenzaron a grabar su primer trabajo "There Was Lightning" en Chrome hombre lobo, que se publica el 22 de enero, 2012. Apenas un mes después de este lanzamiento, Trevor y la canción The Joneses '"ranurado a la velocidad de la luz" fue interpretado por Donald Hickey en el programa radial de neón de reverberación y la banda tuvo su primera actuación en televisión en vivo en el programa de mezcla de la mañana en enero de 2014. Trevor y The Joneses formación actual proviene de la incorporación de Jorge Elias a la banda, en sustitución de Dale Gilber en el bajo y tener su debut con la banda en febrero 2014. Desde que empezaron en 2012, Trevor y The Joneses han jugado alrededor de 100 espectáculos, incluyendo ranuras de apertura notables para bandas Ellos aman el Joel Gion & The Colours Primaria, los brujos, Spindrift o Blonde on Blonde. El primer álbum de la banda "La iluminación de Washington" han sido recientemente lanzado en edición limitada de vinilo de color púrpura a través de Plano Groovy.
translated, kinda:
Trevor and The Joneses is a promising rock band from Las Vegas. Founded in 2012 by Trevor Jones, the band combines the classic sound of rock guitars with an impeccable immersion into the most suburban landscapes. The band has an incredible full-length album "It Was Not Lighting Up" with a bunch of great songs, "It's Getting Old", "Slotted at the Speed of Light", "Other Stuff" or the Surprising "Show Up". This rock n 'quartet roll is a little gem to follow closely. During the fall of 2011, Trevor and Chris met at La Blind Tiger in Las Vegas and began playing acoustic concerts, with Chris playing in the drawer. With the addition of Joe Lawless (guitar) and Dale Gilbert (bass) in February 2012, the group played their first show with only about an hour worth of practice day. The band caught the attention of Las Vegas weekly and began recording their first work "There Was Lightning" on Chrome Wolf Man, which is released on January 22, 2012. Just a month after this release, Trevor and The Song Joneses' "slotted at the speed of light" was played by Donald Hickey on the Neon Reverb radio show and the band had their first live television performance on the morning mix show in January 2014. Trevor and The current Joneses formation comes from joining Jorge Elias to the band, replacing Dale Gilber on bass and having his debut with the band in February 2014. Since they started in 2012, Trevor and The Joneses have played around 100 shows , including notable opening slots for bands They love Joel Gion & The Primary Colors, The Sorcerers, Spindrift or Blonde on Blonde. The band's first album "The Lighting of Washington" have recently been released in limited edition purple vinyl through Groovy Plano.
La banda atrapó la atención de Las Vegas semanal y comenzaron a grabar su primer trabajo "There Was Lightning" en Chrome hombre lobo, que se publica el 22 de enero, 2012. Apenas un mes después de este lanzamiento, Trevor y la canción The Joneses '"ranurado a la velocidad de la luz" fue interpretado por Donald Hickey en el programa radial de neón de reverberación y la banda tuvo su primera actuación en televisión en vivo en el programa de mezcla de la mañana en enero de 2014. Trevor y The Joneses formación actual proviene de la incorporación de Jorge Elias a la banda, en sustitución de Dale Gilber en el bajo y tener su debut con la banda en febrero 2014. Desde que empezaron en 2012, Trevor y The Joneses han jugado alrededor de 100 espectáculos, incluyendo ranuras de apertura notables para bandas Ellos aman el Joel Gion & The Colours Primaria, los brujos, Spindrift o Blonde on Blonde. El primer álbum de la banda "La iluminación de Washington" han sido recientemente lanzado en edición limitada de vinilo de color púrpura a través de Plano Groovy.
translated, kinda:
Trevor and The Joneses is a promising rock band from Las Vegas. Founded in 2012 by Trevor Jones, the band combines the classic sound of rock guitars with an impeccable immersion into the most suburban landscapes. The band has an incredible full-length album "It Was Not Lighting Up" with a bunch of great songs, "It's Getting Old", "Slotted at the Speed of Light", "Other Stuff" or the Surprising "Show Up". This rock n 'quartet roll is a little gem to follow closely. During the fall of 2011, Trevor and Chris met at La Blind Tiger in Las Vegas and began playing acoustic concerts, with Chris playing in the drawer. With the addition of Joe Lawless (guitar) and Dale Gilbert (bass) in February 2012, the group played their first show with only about an hour worth of practice day. The band caught the attention of Las Vegas weekly and began recording their first work "There Was Lightning" on Chrome Wolf Man, which is released on January 22, 2012. Just a month after this release, Trevor and The Song Joneses' "slotted at the speed of light" was played by Donald Hickey on the Neon Reverb radio show and the band had their first live television performance on the morning mix show in January 2014. Trevor and The current Joneses formation comes from joining Jorge Elias to the band, replacing Dale Gilber on bass and having his debut with the band in February 2014. Since they started in 2012, Trevor and The Joneses have played around 100 shows , including notable opening slots for bands They love Joel Gion & The Primary Colors, The Sorcerers, Spindrift or Blonde on Blonde. The band's first album "The Lighting of Washington" have recently been released in limited edition purple vinyl through Groovy Plano.
National Album Reviews: There Was Lightning - Nick Kuzmack, SLUG Magazine 4/3/14
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Trevor and the Joneses bring back 1960s garage rock combined with the product of over 40 years of evolution in psychedelic rock n’ roll. Trevor Jones delivers the right amount of pop and snot with his vocals in “Dig This,” which invokes nostalgia for the late Reg Presley’s (The Troggs) “Wild Thing.” Other numbers, like “Sneak” and “It’s Getting Early,” sound fast and edgy. My only complaint is the songs like “Show Yourself” and “Super Slow” are indeed super slow and seem to drag forever, making them better background sounds than full-focused jams. The slower songs might bore listeners not in states of expanded consciousness. Otherwise, this album invokes memories of the glory days of rock n’ roll—very engaging, with the right amount of grit. If you haven’t picked this up, you are missing out.
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There Was Lightning album review - Tim Whale, Emerging Indie Bands 1/28/14
Hammering tongs announce the arrival of Trevor And The Joneses. High energy soft drinks seem more like sleeping draughts on taking a listen to the quartet who deliver their sharply defined music, which, even on down-tempo kick the shins with the deep registers of bass and percussion forming the precursor to their sound.
Blending in a variety of influences there is a slightly psychedelic feel to the material, which seems somewhat at odds to the comments of infusions of energy that the band inject into the audience, but the echoing guitars in these instances form a focus for attention rather than a backdrop for hallucination as Trevor And The Joneses keep the moments driving forward, even in more acoustic led tracks which extend as far as 9 and a half minutes.
To my mind their abilities are best showcased when they turn up the pace and stack the notes more densely as it is here that they sound the most coherent and impressive.
With a couple of years behind them and one LP – the ten track There Was Lightning – which came out just over a year ago, I look forward to Trevor And The Joneses releasing some new sounds during 2014.
Blending in a variety of influences there is a slightly psychedelic feel to the material, which seems somewhat at odds to the comments of infusions of energy that the band inject into the audience, but the echoing guitars in these instances form a focus for attention rather than a backdrop for hallucination as Trevor And The Joneses keep the moments driving forward, even in more acoustic led tracks which extend as far as 9 and a half minutes.
To my mind their abilities are best showcased when they turn up the pace and stack the notes more densely as it is here that they sound the most coherent and impressive.
With a couple of years behind them and one LP – the ten track There Was Lightning – which came out just over a year ago, I look forward to Trevor And The Joneses releasing some new sounds during 2014.
There Was Lightning album review - Jeff Penczak, It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine 12/13/13
Sometimes spending too much time in the sun can be a good thing. Even Bruce Springsteen claimed “that’s where the fun is”, and Trevor Jones and his namesakes have been baking in the Las Vegas desert for about a year and now they’ve unleashed their debut album and you can be sure that “lightning” they speak of is probably white and of the liquid variety! The quintet rip through ten tracks with the reckless abandon of an untamed stallion in heat. Screaming guitar solos, spoken/shouted vocals, and a wicked sense of humor drip from every tune, with influences ranging from fellow desert-dwellers Green On Red to Camper Van Beethoven and the devil-may-care-but-I-don’t rowdiness of Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre), Paul Westerberg (the ‘Mats), and Iggy & The Stooges.
Then just when we’re ready to put a serious hurt on our mojo, something starts happening and we don’t know what it is: Mr. Jones & his Joneses get all sentimental on us with the tender ballad “A Familiar Way”. It’s a nice intermezzo, somewhat reminiscent of Chocolate Watch Band’s Stonesy swagger or Sky Saxon’s seminal Seeds output, particularly “A Faded Picture.” And the surprises keep on coming at us with the power poppy acoustic stunner ”Grooving At The Speed of Light” that bears a welcome resemblance to Sir Newcombe and BJM’s finest hours and ends in a blaze of six-string glory.
Elsewhere, I also dug the greasy, sleazy snarl of “It’s Exhausting” (it was) and the party hearty blast of wholesome pop goodness emerging from “It’s Getting Early.” The band also pull out all the stops and flaunt their jamming, improv chops at the end of the album, with a couple of tracks clocking in at nearly 20 minutes: the bluesy headnodder “Show Yourself” is a tasty (and tasteful) Neil and Crazy Horse-styled guitar duel between Jones, Brien Thompson, and Joe Lawless that kicks asses and takes names, and then epic closer “Superslow” ups the guitar army attack on all your senses, frying brain cells, hair follicles, and the odd pacemaker along the way. Boy howdy, what a way to wrap up a debut album. A definite scorcher and a very promising debut.
Then just when we’re ready to put a serious hurt on our mojo, something starts happening and we don’t know what it is: Mr. Jones & his Joneses get all sentimental on us with the tender ballad “A Familiar Way”. It’s a nice intermezzo, somewhat reminiscent of Chocolate Watch Band’s Stonesy swagger or Sky Saxon’s seminal Seeds output, particularly “A Faded Picture.” And the surprises keep on coming at us with the power poppy acoustic stunner ”Grooving At The Speed of Light” that bears a welcome resemblance to Sir Newcombe and BJM’s finest hours and ends in a blaze of six-string glory.
Elsewhere, I also dug the greasy, sleazy snarl of “It’s Exhausting” (it was) and the party hearty blast of wholesome pop goodness emerging from “It’s Getting Early.” The band also pull out all the stops and flaunt their jamming, improv chops at the end of the album, with a couple of tracks clocking in at nearly 20 minutes: the bluesy headnodder “Show Yourself” is a tasty (and tasteful) Neil and Crazy Horse-styled guitar duel between Jones, Brien Thompson, and Joe Lawless that kicks asses and takes names, and then epic closer “Superslow” ups the guitar army attack on all your senses, frying brain cells, hair follicles, and the odd pacemaker along the way. Boy howdy, what a way to wrap up a debut album. A definite scorcher and a very promising debut.
There Was Lightning album review - MW, Music Morsels 6/18/13
Psychedelic can be a word associated with Las Vegas, if nothing else for colorful neon lights of the Strip. Local fivesome Trevor and the Joneses found some of the psychedelia, threw it into a garage somewhere, cranked up the tube-amps and let loose. The result is something that weaves retro touches from the 60’s through the 90’s into a mean machine of seething, V-12 fueled rock that not only does not pull punches, it hits with the force of a Bowery brawl on a simmering summer evening. Guitars that provide not only wicked licks but harken to a time when solos were really SOLOS. Vocals like 60’s California, 70‘s London and 80’s Minneapolis thrown in a blender with the top open while the blades are still whirring. Rhythms like a herd of buffalo stampeding through a 4 inch drainage pipe. That is the sort of power these guys unleash here, and they are top-notch songwriters as well. The lyrics are simple but thoughtful, and the songs catch your ear not just for the musical intensity, but the craft that went into creating them. The production is intentionally rough and echo-y but well balanced, and it works to great affect here. While there is not much that can be considered a sure bet in Las Vegas, I would be willing to lay odds that Trevor and the Joneses will open more than a few ears with this effort.
Concert Review - Ashley Gates, Vegas Seven Magazine 3/5/13
A group of boyish faces took the stage, but their performance proved them to be seasoned musicians, not amateurs. They’re a self-described garage band, but that label doesn’t do the savvy quintet justice. Trevor and the Joneses are an up-and-coming psychedelic rock group with a knack for grunge-laden guitar chords and explosive punk beats. Trevor’s modest demeanor juxtaposed his bold and pronounced vocals. “I wanna sneak ya around, in and out of sleazy bars downtown … crawl inside your brain and turn it inside, inside out,” are some lyrics to “Sneak,” a song that got the crowd going. Other treasures included “Grooving at the Speed of Light,” a repetitive chant, and their last song, “Superslow,” a longer climactic piece. Although their set was short, lasting about 35 minutes, their performance didn’t seem rushed. Trevor writes the songs, but each member of the five-man band contributes to their elemental sound. The songs played were off their debut album, There Was Lightning. Although the Vegas natives formed the band just more than a year ago, the group already has the potential to be the next wave to hit the shores of obscure and respected indie rockers. Catch them again March 10, when they open for the Warlocks at Backstage Bar & Billiards on 601 Fremont Street. ★★★★
There Was Lightning album review - Benjamin Ray, The Daily Vault 2/22/13
In the era of ProTools, American Idol, and Autotune, it’s inspiring to know that garage rock continues to inspire. That is, a group of friends gathers in a back room, a garage, a dimly lit cavern and simply plays music. Not necessarily for fame (although that would be nice) and not necessarily for girls (although they will show up eventually), but for the love of music, the cathartic release of emotion and exuberance that rock and roll has always been about.
There have been countless garage bands over the last 30 years alone; the genre started up again in the ‘80s with L.A.’s Paisley Underground and a number of left-of-the-dial bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. The grunge movement carried this forward into the ‘90s along with bands like Pavement, and then it seemingly died out as hip-hop culture, nu-metal, and boy bands took over.
But the music never left. It simply went back to the garage, the clubs, the basements, where devoted fans and passionate musicians played their hearts out. And there are times where this no-bullshit approach is welcome, which is why we turn our attention to Trevor Jones and his band on this Friday.
The five-piece throws a couple of curveballs into the garage rock mix, namely a) a tambourine player and b) two 12-string guitars, which are played more for fullness of sound than any sort of Byrds folk-rock revival. The music is garage rock with a healthy dose of Britpop and psychedelia; think Pavement with a combination Liam Gallagher/ Iggy Pop singing, and you’ll get the general idea.
Jones wrote the songs on his own while living in California and, like many first-time artists, doesn’t quite succeed in finding a cohesive voice, for those who care about such things. But the music is free of pretension. It’s fun, introspective, and always engaging. Witness the ‘60s throwback “It’s Getting Early” and the blues-rock stomp of “It’s Exhausting,” which sounds like a modern take on the Stooges’ classic Fun Housealbum.
“A Familiar Way” and “Other Things” have that Oasis influence and sound like the work of journeymen rockers, not a kid just starting out in the business (as of this writing, the band has played about 60 shows and is starting work on the second album, which will reportedly be more of a group effort). “Show Yourself” is a 10 minute slow burner, trading undersung psychedelic verses with liquid guitar solos and retaining a hypnotic power that proves Jones’ depth.
“Superslow” is a lesser effort along the same lines as “Show Yourself;” on another album, it would provide a good set piece, but no garage rock album needs two 10 minute guitar epics. Only Led Zeppelin could get away with that. “Reality’s Mine” and “Dig This!” are fine, if unremarkable, and “Sneak” is notable only for the Lou Reed/Iggy Pop-esque spoken vocals. A couple of points deducted for whoever mixed the album and decided to wash out Jones’ voice with echo, especially on “A Familiar Way,” where the cavernous sound on his words undercuts the personal nature of the lyrics.
But these are minor quibbles. Download or stream the highlights and, if you like what you hear, get the rest of the album. There Was Lightning is the work of a nascent songwriter (and a band) who deserves to go places, especially in a fabricated musical landscape, and it’s definitely worth exploring for the garage rocker in you.
There have been countless garage bands over the last 30 years alone; the genre started up again in the ‘80s with L.A.’s Paisley Underground and a number of left-of-the-dial bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. The grunge movement carried this forward into the ‘90s along with bands like Pavement, and then it seemingly died out as hip-hop culture, nu-metal, and boy bands took over.
But the music never left. It simply went back to the garage, the clubs, the basements, where devoted fans and passionate musicians played their hearts out. And there are times where this no-bullshit approach is welcome, which is why we turn our attention to Trevor Jones and his band on this Friday.
The five-piece throws a couple of curveballs into the garage rock mix, namely a) a tambourine player and b) two 12-string guitars, which are played more for fullness of sound than any sort of Byrds folk-rock revival. The music is garage rock with a healthy dose of Britpop and psychedelia; think Pavement with a combination Liam Gallagher/ Iggy Pop singing, and you’ll get the general idea.
Jones wrote the songs on his own while living in California and, like many first-time artists, doesn’t quite succeed in finding a cohesive voice, for those who care about such things. But the music is free of pretension. It’s fun, introspective, and always engaging. Witness the ‘60s throwback “It’s Getting Early” and the blues-rock stomp of “It’s Exhausting,” which sounds like a modern take on the Stooges’ classic Fun Housealbum.
“A Familiar Way” and “Other Things” have that Oasis influence and sound like the work of journeymen rockers, not a kid just starting out in the business (as of this writing, the band has played about 60 shows and is starting work on the second album, which will reportedly be more of a group effort). “Show Yourself” is a 10 minute slow burner, trading undersung psychedelic verses with liquid guitar solos and retaining a hypnotic power that proves Jones’ depth.
“Superslow” is a lesser effort along the same lines as “Show Yourself;” on another album, it would provide a good set piece, but no garage rock album needs two 10 minute guitar epics. Only Led Zeppelin could get away with that. “Reality’s Mine” and “Dig This!” are fine, if unremarkable, and “Sneak” is notable only for the Lou Reed/Iggy Pop-esque spoken vocals. A couple of points deducted for whoever mixed the album and decided to wash out Jones’ voice with echo, especially on “A Familiar Way,” where the cavernous sound on his words undercuts the personal nature of the lyrics.
But these are minor quibbles. Download or stream the highlights and, if you like what you hear, get the rest of the album. There Was Lightning is the work of a nascent songwriter (and a band) who deserves to go places, especially in a fabricated musical landscape, and it’s definitely worth exploring for the garage rocker in you.
TREVOR AND THE JONESES END CHROME WEREWOLF STUDIO’S RUN ON A HIGH NOTE - Leslie Ventura, Las Vegas Weekly 2/6/13
When Trevor and the Joneses set out to record their first full-length, they didn’t know they’d be the last band to set foot inside Chrome Werewolf.
In less than two years, that Downtown studio—owned and operated by sound engineer and local musician Brian Garth—tracked more than 50 bands, including The Big Friendly Corporation, Close to Modern and his own Black Camaro, before closing its doors late last year. Garth, a political science major at UNLV, says the studio began to consume his time, and that he’s now refocusing on school and his health. It kind of blew up on me,” he says, “Like, holy sh*t, this is bigger than it really should be. I’m really honored and humbled by that, but … I had to put it aside for the time being.
“I’ll always be a musician, I’ll always be the guy from Black Camaro,” he continues. “But I also want to be the guy that can get you off of your drug charges or the guy that can help you out with your immigration status.”
Trevor and the Joneses ended the studio’s run on a high note with first LP There Was Lightning. The record is loaded with psychedelic grit and visceral guitars, exploding from its opener, “Dig This!,” to its final track, “Superslow.” If you’re new to the local scene or if you haven’t heard what Chrome Werewolf helped put out, There Was Lightning is a fine place to start. Give it a spin at trevorjones.bandcamp.com or on iTunes or Spotify.
In less than two years, that Downtown studio—owned and operated by sound engineer and local musician Brian Garth—tracked more than 50 bands, including The Big Friendly Corporation, Close to Modern and his own Black Camaro, before closing its doors late last year. Garth, a political science major at UNLV, says the studio began to consume his time, and that he’s now refocusing on school and his health. It kind of blew up on me,” he says, “Like, holy sh*t, this is bigger than it really should be. I’m really honored and humbled by that, but … I had to put it aside for the time being.
“I’ll always be a musician, I’ll always be the guy from Black Camaro,” he continues. “But I also want to be the guy that can get you off of your drug charges or the guy that can help you out with your immigration status.”
Trevor and the Joneses ended the studio’s run on a high note with first LP There Was Lightning. The record is loaded with psychedelic grit and visceral guitars, exploding from its opener, “Dig This!,” to its final track, “Superslow.” If you’re new to the local scene or if you haven’t heard what Chrome Werewolf helped put out, There Was Lightning is a fine place to start. Give it a spin at trevorjones.bandcamp.com or on iTunes or Spotify.
There Was Lightning album review - Jarret Keene, Vegas Seven 1/31/13
★★★★ Most bands working in the psychedelic tradition sound alike, as if cribbing the same records. However, this Vegas group sonically acknowledges owning a Flaming Lips disc. In opener “Dig This,” frontman Trevor Jones boasts about being odd rocker out: If that’s what passes for music/Well, then dig this. Recorded at Brian Garth’s now-defunct Chrome Werewolf studio, Lightning strikes hard, fast, delivering 10 loose, melodic tracks. “Grooving at the Speed of Light” will reaffirm your love of music.
From beach to garage: Trevor and The Joneses will blow your brains out - Max Plenke, Las Vegas Citylife 1/31/13
Praise Jesus 12-String Christ for the fury and temerity of nasty, grimy, paisley-printed rock ’n’ roll. The kind of garage rock that Trevor and The Joneses play unabashedly, unpoetically, almost rudely if it weren’t so goddamn inspiring, the kind of rock ’n’ roll that makes you feel jacked up, not offended on the sonic level, when you hear 24 guitar strings played simultaneously.
And what’s more, it has a tambourine. A goddamn tambourine. Played by a kid who looks like a character in a ’90s film about the Lower East Side of Manhattan, who joined the band to play nothing but tambourine and in turn plays the living shit out of it. I could write this entire page about him alone. But that would miss the point: Trevor and The Joneses has released an album. And it’s awesome.
There Was Lightning, the first full-length by Trevor and The Joneses — Trevor Jones, guitar/vox; Chris Montijo, drums; Dale Gilbert, bass; Joe Lawless, guitar; Kendall Franklin Jr., tambourine — comes almost a year after the band formed. Since then, Jones estimates the act has played about 50 shows, sometimes performing three times in a weekend, indiscriminately tackling everything with a stage and a microphone. “We’ve said no to nothing,” Jones says. “I love playing music. If I could do it every night I would, but playing in the same city makes it weird. There are all kinds of nooks and crannies all over the place. [Some people] only go to their bar. Some people think it’s weird, but we want to reach everyone we can.”
And they filled one of those crannies on a recent Saturday night, for free, to few more than friends, in the lo-fi cavern of Motor City Cafe. The titular member and nearly sole writer of all things Joneses, looking less like an exuberant ringleader and more like a GameStop employee, played from the darkest, only unlit corner of the stage, barely more than a fuzzy silhouette, hardly more a part of the overall stage presence than the glare of an overhead lamp. But by the second, maybe third, song, it’s hard to give a flying fuck about how Jones looks onstage. Everything coming off of his fingers sounds like Andre the Giant and a triceratops beating the hell out of each other, thundering and vicious and Ritalin-focused wee-dlyee-dlyee-wee-dees, precision-cut chaos from a harbinger of squeal.
The live show, decidedly garage rock aurally, doesn’t match the more involved, introspective psychedelic sound Jones went for on There Was Lightning. “The album still represents our sound,” Jones says. “But I wrote all those songs at the beach while I was living in California … the next [album] will be more of a group effort in writing the songs.” Jones swings for fences in different eras and genres, rattling off bands and mostly getting it right: Oasis, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Nada Surf, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Louis XIV. “I’ve been a straight-up rock fan my whole life,” Jones says. “It so happens the songs I write lend themselves to that. I have music that’s less fun, so we don’t do those songs live. This stuff is happier. I wanted to go for a more positive message.”
Lightning is a testament to its own genre, a commentary as much as a proclamation. The album-opening “Dig This!” clack-cracks its way into a finger-scorching guitar intro, followed quickly by a shaming of pop music (“How did it come to this?/If that’s what passes for music then dig this!”), followed again by more shredding.
“’Superslow’ is probably the most fun to listen to and play, because it’s 10 minutes long, and because it’s crazy, and I’ve always wanted to make a song like that,” he says, talking about his favorite songs on the record. “Track 3 [“A Familiar Way”] might be the best one. It’s more … revealing about me, talking about personal things. The second verse talks about wanting to leave with nowhere to go, leave and come back with nothing to show. But in the last two minutes, the guy’s found his way.”
As the Jan. 26 Motor City show wears on, the first and only non-musical rock ’n’ roll thing of the night happens: A girl walks up to the stage and hangs a pair of panties on Lawless’ microphone. It doesn’t look like it belongs in front of the nearly stoic, seldom bantering musicians ripping the shit out of their instruments. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is what the band’s here for, tonight, at this eastside hole in the wall: to present an audience with a powerful piece of art. During a lull at the beginning, Jones says the only thing that matters at this moment. “We’re Trevor and The Joneses. And we just made a record.”
Goddamn right you did.
And what’s more, it has a tambourine. A goddamn tambourine. Played by a kid who looks like a character in a ’90s film about the Lower East Side of Manhattan, who joined the band to play nothing but tambourine and in turn plays the living shit out of it. I could write this entire page about him alone. But that would miss the point: Trevor and The Joneses has released an album. And it’s awesome.
There Was Lightning, the first full-length by Trevor and The Joneses — Trevor Jones, guitar/vox; Chris Montijo, drums; Dale Gilbert, bass; Joe Lawless, guitar; Kendall Franklin Jr., tambourine — comes almost a year after the band formed. Since then, Jones estimates the act has played about 50 shows, sometimes performing three times in a weekend, indiscriminately tackling everything with a stage and a microphone. “We’ve said no to nothing,” Jones says. “I love playing music. If I could do it every night I would, but playing in the same city makes it weird. There are all kinds of nooks and crannies all over the place. [Some people] only go to their bar. Some people think it’s weird, but we want to reach everyone we can.”
And they filled one of those crannies on a recent Saturday night, for free, to few more than friends, in the lo-fi cavern of Motor City Cafe. The titular member and nearly sole writer of all things Joneses, looking less like an exuberant ringleader and more like a GameStop employee, played from the darkest, only unlit corner of the stage, barely more than a fuzzy silhouette, hardly more a part of the overall stage presence than the glare of an overhead lamp. But by the second, maybe third, song, it’s hard to give a flying fuck about how Jones looks onstage. Everything coming off of his fingers sounds like Andre the Giant and a triceratops beating the hell out of each other, thundering and vicious and Ritalin-focused wee-dlyee-dlyee-wee-dees, precision-cut chaos from a harbinger of squeal.
The live show, decidedly garage rock aurally, doesn’t match the more involved, introspective psychedelic sound Jones went for on There Was Lightning. “The album still represents our sound,” Jones says. “But I wrote all those songs at the beach while I was living in California … the next [album] will be more of a group effort in writing the songs.” Jones swings for fences in different eras and genres, rattling off bands and mostly getting it right: Oasis, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Nada Surf, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Louis XIV. “I’ve been a straight-up rock fan my whole life,” Jones says. “It so happens the songs I write lend themselves to that. I have music that’s less fun, so we don’t do those songs live. This stuff is happier. I wanted to go for a more positive message.”
Lightning is a testament to its own genre, a commentary as much as a proclamation. The album-opening “Dig This!” clack-cracks its way into a finger-scorching guitar intro, followed quickly by a shaming of pop music (“How did it come to this?/If that’s what passes for music then dig this!”), followed again by more shredding.
“’Superslow’ is probably the most fun to listen to and play, because it’s 10 minutes long, and because it’s crazy, and I’ve always wanted to make a song like that,” he says, talking about his favorite songs on the record. “Track 3 [“A Familiar Way”] might be the best one. It’s more … revealing about me, talking about personal things. The second verse talks about wanting to leave with nowhere to go, leave and come back with nothing to show. But in the last two minutes, the guy’s found his way.”
As the Jan. 26 Motor City show wears on, the first and only non-musical rock ’n’ roll thing of the night happens: A girl walks up to the stage and hangs a pair of panties on Lawless’ microphone. It doesn’t look like it belongs in front of the nearly stoic, seldom bantering musicians ripping the shit out of their instruments. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is what the band’s here for, tonight, at this eastside hole in the wall: to present an audience with a powerful piece of art. During a lull at the beginning, Jones says the only thing that matters at this moment. “We’re Trevor and The Joneses. And we just made a record.”
Goddamn right you did.
Songs That Should be Mainstream: Grooving at The Speed of Light - Lilly Pavlovic, Songs That Should Be Mainstream 8/29/13
Las Vegas rock-and-rollers Trevor and the Joneses are spreading their name across the United States and beyond with their 'ton of fun' single 'Grooving at the Speed of Light' from the album There Was Lightning. Forming only one year ago as a small garage-rock band, Trevor and the Joneses began their career performing at intimate venues, such as pubs, clubs and cafes in Vegas up to three times a weekend. Inspired by a plethora of award-winning rock bands such as the Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Replacements, Oasis, The Violent Femmes, Neil Young, Talking Heads, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Nada Surf and Vicky Cryer, Trevor and the Joneses worked to incorporate a large variation of rock styles to form their own unique sound.
Lead singer Trevor Jones says that from a young age, the band members had been surrounded by music. The artists that they had listened to growing up then inspired the formation of the band.
'Most of us grew up on classic rock and started playing music in some form as kids in different parts of the country, [whether it was] Nevada, Idaho, Michigan, Indiana, California, or Alabama. [Personally], Dad had been recording cassette tapes of tons of FM rock radio from the 70's and onwards. I got to hear a lot of stuff that they weren't, and still aren't playing on the radio anymore,' he says.
Following in the footsteps of their idols, Trevor and the Joneses embarked on a touring spree within their hometown and surrounding areas to get their name into the public spectrum. The band successfully played over fifty shows within the year, before the release of their first studio album.
Playing live seems to be the most enjoyable way for the band to get their music across to the people, but Jones notes that it is difficult to pinpoint what is helping to spread the music the most.
'We've passed out hundreds of CDs all over the place...and we keep the various inter-web sites pretty up to date with shows, news and such [for our fans]', he says.
As of late, one of the band's most catchy tracks seems to be 'Grooving at the Speed of Light'. This catchy classic rock track derives feelings of nostalgia for the classic upbeat rock of the eighties to the early noughties - reminiscent to the feel-good tune in The Violent Femme's 'Blister in the Sun', and drawing upon unique tambourine work parallel to songs such as 'Who?' by Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Jones says the upbeat nature of the track correlated to the mood that the band we're in on a particular given day.
'I wrote all those songs at the beach while I was living in California ... I wanted to go for a more positive message.'
'It was stream of conscious, although I'm pretty sure I was "thinking happy thoughts"', he says.
The 'happy thoughts' within the track seem to have transferred to the fans of the album There Was Lightning. To large demand, Trevor and the Joneses are planning to tour across the 'left side of the slab of land' from their hometown to play to eager US fans this coming autumn.
It may be a little while before Trevor and the Joneses hit Australian shores, however the band's long term outlook is plenty more music like Grooving At The Speed of Light.
Within the coming years, the band aspires to be 'in the recording studio, several albums deep'.
Trevor and The Joneses are playing in Las Vegas for the month of August.
Lead singer Trevor Jones says that from a young age, the band members had been surrounded by music. The artists that they had listened to growing up then inspired the formation of the band.
'Most of us grew up on classic rock and started playing music in some form as kids in different parts of the country, [whether it was] Nevada, Idaho, Michigan, Indiana, California, or Alabama. [Personally], Dad had been recording cassette tapes of tons of FM rock radio from the 70's and onwards. I got to hear a lot of stuff that they weren't, and still aren't playing on the radio anymore,' he says.
Following in the footsteps of their idols, Trevor and the Joneses embarked on a touring spree within their hometown and surrounding areas to get their name into the public spectrum. The band successfully played over fifty shows within the year, before the release of their first studio album.
Playing live seems to be the most enjoyable way for the band to get their music across to the people, but Jones notes that it is difficult to pinpoint what is helping to spread the music the most.
'We've passed out hundreds of CDs all over the place...and we keep the various inter-web sites pretty up to date with shows, news and such [for our fans]', he says.
As of late, one of the band's most catchy tracks seems to be 'Grooving at the Speed of Light'. This catchy classic rock track derives feelings of nostalgia for the classic upbeat rock of the eighties to the early noughties - reminiscent to the feel-good tune in The Violent Femme's 'Blister in the Sun', and drawing upon unique tambourine work parallel to songs such as 'Who?' by Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Jones says the upbeat nature of the track correlated to the mood that the band we're in on a particular given day.
'I wrote all those songs at the beach while I was living in California ... I wanted to go for a more positive message.'
'It was stream of conscious, although I'm pretty sure I was "thinking happy thoughts"', he says.
The 'happy thoughts' within the track seem to have transferred to the fans of the album There Was Lightning. To large demand, Trevor and the Joneses are planning to tour across the 'left side of the slab of land' from their hometown to play to eager US fans this coming autumn.
It may be a little while before Trevor and the Joneses hit Australian shores, however the band's long term outlook is plenty more music like Grooving At The Speed of Light.
Within the coming years, the band aspires to be 'in the recording studio, several albums deep'.
Trevor and The Joneses are playing in Las Vegas for the month of August.
Concert Review - Carline Lew, Examiner 9/17/12
Trevor and the Joneses, is scheduled to release a new album in about two months, its all done but the final gloss over and distribution. Have to say, this was a very dynamic band, playing their original renditions during their set, with people loving them. Their playing style was probably best described by some fuck-face at a bar as "Acid Rock for right NOW. Not from the sixties or 70's, but for right now, this time...this era.". Quite a compliment, and well deserved.
Meet New Vegas Band Trevor and The Joneses - Leslie Ventura, Las Vegas Weekly 4/11/12
Your drummer has to cancel last minute, you can’t hear anything through the monitor and you smashed a finger two nights before your show. What’s a musician to do? Drink whiskey, of course.
That actually wasn’t a cure-all for Trevor—of new local band Trevor and the Joneses—at his band’s Neon Venus show this past Saturday. But liquor did help the lead singer ease into his flippant, psychedelic-punk persona. And Vegas could use some more of that. The set started out slow—the small Downtown art theater’s 50-seat venue stayed shy of 15 heads most of the night—but after a short intermission to numb the wound, Jones returned with newfound moxie. His Lou Reed-meets-Pete Shelley impression in full-force, original song “Sneak,” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “666 Conducer” and The Mighty Lemon Drops’ “Inside Out” showed off some definite potential. (link to article)
That actually wasn’t a cure-all for Trevor—of new local band Trevor and the Joneses—at his band’s Neon Venus show this past Saturday. But liquor did help the lead singer ease into his flippant, psychedelic-punk persona. And Vegas could use some more of that. The set started out slow—the small Downtown art theater’s 50-seat venue stayed shy of 15 heads most of the night—but after a short intermission to numb the wound, Jones returned with newfound moxie. His Lou Reed-meets-Pete Shelley impression in full-force, original song “Sneak,” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “666 Conducer” and The Mighty Lemon Drops’ “Inside Out” showed off some definite potential. (link to article)
