DBT #212 The Shandies - If You Knew Me
Ok the old adage is when you retire you eventually say, I can't believe I'm busier than when I was working. Well of course it's a matter of choice, and I've been choosing to help out people with the gifts I'm passionate about. Recently I did my annual volunteering for church to play music and creating a graduate slideshow. Then I said yes to volunteering as social media for the LaCrosse Hunger Task Force and Kane Street Community Garden. Dusting off my web development & PhotoShop skills, pay me back by liking and following their pages linked above. Add in the last session of guitar lessons at the Boys and Girls Club for the spring. Then of course I'm also sponsoring the Great River Folk Fest Songwriting contest, which blog readers do know. What you might not know, is that as part of the first round judges I've listened to nearly 8 hours of music at least once. So many new voices I'm aware of and have started following in Bandcamp if they are there already. Which brings me to today's review, The Shandies were part of Week One highlights which I mentioned that none of the artists were in Bandcamp. Well they took me to heart, and put their library into Bandcamp. Boy I'm glad they did, quickly I grabbed their most recent EP of the upcoming album. The five song set made a perfect companion to my volunteer web work.
They describe themselves as:
The Shandies are a married musical duo from Springfield, Missouri. The Shandies blend their unique musical backgrounds to create a distinctive listening experience that they commonly refer to as "folky poprock." Their eclectic songwriting incorporates folk, rock, and pop influences marked by tight vocal #freshsqueezedharmony and creative guitar blends.
Now I made sure they were not offended that I would describe them as, "If you need more Indigo Girls music in your life, check them out." While their sexual orientation might be the dumb start of the comparison, it's really their harmonies and their mixing of styles from one song to another; just like the fore-mentioned famous duo. I know this EP will be my first adventure into their catalog.
Since this EP will eventually be their album, they are adding songs to it; and by July 20th it will be the full album. I'll keep updating the blog, and maybe even the picture since they released the album cover this week.
1) Hanging Around
The set starts of gentle dreamy love song, the mandolin and violin accents are perfect to the harmonies.
2) Day Trip Tuesday
Instantly the drums kick in, and you know they are going to take you along with their day trip. This song had a great little write up by the Glass Factory where you would learn "Alongside the release of the single, The Shandies and their local craft brewery, Wire Road Brewing, teamed up to release the brewery’s first non-alcoholic beer, also titled “Day Trip Tuesday.” The band has played at Wire Road Brewing multiple times since it first opened in January 2022, and so the collaboration seemed perfect to The Shandies and brewery owner Kary Walker."
Now doesn't that sound like there will be a great video someday with beer in tow? I would hope so and if it happens we'll add it to this post.
3) Intertwined
Next up to the assorted mix, how about a horn arrangement. A very 70's hip feel.
4) If You Knew Me
Added after blog post was released, soft strings and gentle acoustic guitar accent another beautiful duet to love eternal.
5) Problems
Another add, oh no problems after love eternal? In fairness in their game of "Whack A Mole" of problems, it doesn't say they give up.
This song had a great video.
6) With the Grain
This is the song that was submitted to the contest, and when I said to myself "These ladies are good." My dad being a carpenter there was always a smell of wood and sawdust in the house. It can be a deep metaphor, if they would have posted their lyrics in Bandcamp I would have shared them; they are tasteful just like that mandolin and fiddle again.
Here they are live performing the song:
7) I Won't be Back
Well I've already said I'll be back to buy more of their back catalog. This song introduces an electric guitar to the mix salad. Another pop sounding hit.
You might say that this review lacks a little depth, heck when I started it I knew one woman was named Shannon and they are based out of Springfield MO; but at least I didn't miss another Thursday Release Review, and now I'm off to weed my own garden; and I will put their album on in the background.
Since weeding Natalie (the one without glasses) gave me the skinny. It's Natalie Wlodarczyck and Shannon Stine and their name is not a direct variation of the name Shannon. The name was a friend of Natalie thought that because since she came from citrusy FL and Shannon came from grainy MO, a fresh beer with citrus is a shandy, thus The Shandies was born. Now isn't it great that Wire Road Brewing is in the middle of this post. Now they need an Orange/Raspberry shandy (you know FL/MO) and call it "Music to my Buds Shandy" Not in anyway taking Bud's side of their recent social issue... ha.
Next steps:
- Stop over to the Review page to my other most spinned and loved albums.
- Browse the rest of the blogs by stopping at this "Theme Page."
- Enjoy Tune Tuesday which brings you one song from a past blog post.
- See what other post have been most popular recently with our Stats Page.
- Find out who in the world thinks he has the authority to write this blog in the About.
- Let me answer why you won't find the playlists on Spotify here.
- Finally, the Mission page explains why there is no advertising cluttering the page.
If you use Facebook, we have a page that will help you remember to read the next post.
