BIO: T.V. Mike is a song and dance man that was born in the 70’s. That makes a lot of sense when you listen to the cosmic twang stylings of T.V. Mike & the Scarecrowes. These modern day minstrels have been whittling their way through the American landscape for over 10 years, capturing hearts with their original sound. T.V. Mike’s voice brings a weird comfort to the listener with its reedy tone similar to Jerry Garcia or Gram Parsons. Musical influences are aplenty within this record-collecting bunch; their eclectic campfire sound takes you swimming deep in the woods, with their 3rd full length album, Manzanita.
Manzanita is the first release since 2014’s Out at Sea EP. The band decided to return into the studio a third time with Mike Walti (Big Freedia, Latryx) and also bring in Andy Cabic (Vetiver, Devendra Barnhart) in as producer. Manzanita finds the band with some new members and a batch of songs crafted after several years of touring. The core group consists of Andrea De la Rosa, Anna Cucciardo, Ben Reisdorph(Good Luck Thriftstore Outfit), Matt Lundquist, Austin Reimers, and Jacob Heule. Aaron Deer (Extra Classic) and Bryjean Murphy (Toro y Moi) add keys and auxiliary percussion.
The group blends familiar sounds from the past into a modern soul. Furry woodland creatures, as well as whispers of Tom Petty are in the background, but not upstaging the artfully crafted lyrics. Reisdorph’s swirling guitars on the title track “Manzanita” invoke David Gilmour, while Lundquist’s slide work on other tracks like “Wet & Wreckless” tip the hat to Duane Allman and Little Feat. T.V. Mike’s voice is truly original and will warm up to you like a lost pup in the woods. De la rosa and T.V. Mike’s voices blend together and become one similar to the 70’s sounds of Carole King/James Taylor.
Manzanita MP3 ZIP