Larry Hooper
Rust
© 2005 Background Music (094922548153)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
Folk. Bluegrass. Its somwhere in the middle of those 2. Its great song-writing with some incredible musicians backing him up.
tracks
try this
genres you will love
By Location
Recommended if you like ...
notes
Larry Hooper’s musical roots run deep; the Elkhart, TX native’s childhood was greatly influenced by his cousins’ professional bluegrass band The Coleman Brothers, whose traditional sound contributed to his early preference for solid, timeless folk music over various pop music trends. He got his first guitar at 17 and soon began writing and performing,finding that there was an outlet for humorous, literate, heartfelt original music not only in College Station, Texas (where he attended Texas A&M University) but also in the talent-rich Texas hill country where some of his family had relocated. Hooper found opportunities to play at open-mike showcases and book weekday gigs at some of the state’s best venues, performing on stages frequented by some of his musical heroes (and sometimes joining them when impressed bookers hired him for festival gigs or opening slots). He has often been joined by his brother Jeromy (as a co-vocalist and lead guitarist) or fellow songwriters in song-swap showcases. If you ask him what kind of music he plays, he’ll shrug and smile and tell you its a folk-rock-bluegrassy country type of thing. In 2004, Larry moved to Austin to be closer to his beloved music scene. He continues to gain fans every time he plays a show, and promises to be a favorite for the serious music fan, and for those who just like to hear a good story.
reviews
Please log in to review this album.
Gold don't rust
author: Mike Ethan MessickThis is a rootsy, wise, and funny collection of songs that always pleases but never panders. It'd be nice to see more Texas music go in this direction, but until it does feel free to bask in Hoop's uniqueness.
Good stuff!
author: Matthew CaudleWell I'm like everyone else I thought that background music was probley the best track, but I think seawall was a good opener..... I also really enjoyed Bloodlines, Your Disguise, Corsicana ..... not to say I didn't like them all. This has got to be the only cd I own I'll put in and listen to front to back.....
Simply a great CD!
author: Vince CooperThis album brought me back to a simpler time, much like when I was growing up. The music envoked in me memories and emotions I thought were long gone, and for a while carried me back to the hill country. I loved the irony in "Wild side", but the tragedy of "Background Music" made this a must have. Things like love, pain, regret - they're all really simple after all. I love how Hooper can convey those feelings without turning the effort into a psychological warp cruise. Sometimes you just hurt, and there's no explaining it away. This is really a slice right out of the heart, and I recommend it highly!
A taste of the Texas Tradition of great song writing
author: Ray WeaverIt must be the water. Larry Hooper continues that great Texas tradition of scary-good songwriting that gave us folks like Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell and countless others. From the seawalls to the backroads to the cities, Larry knows his stories, and performs them honestly and well. This is real music, written and performed by a guy that is one Tim McGraw cover away from being thought of like his fellow Texan Bruce Robison...a writer that goes his way, and still manages to top the charts.
amazing!
author: mackenziei think what mr hooper has done here is just amazing! i loved the cd from beginning to end!! background music was my favorite..it gave me chills!
A notch above the rest
author: Scott MatthewsHoop's album impressed me because the music scene in this area is starting to all sound the same in this new "Texas Country." I was excited for the album to come out because I have always viewed Hoop as doing the music his way, all the time. I would definitely suggest buying this album, in fact I'd by two of them in case I lost or scratched one. I love the the country feel with the heavy bluegrassy and folky overtones. He'll have to come up with something great on his sophomore effort to out-do his "rookie year." Sogwriting galore.
Larry Hooper finds a home among a great lineage of Texas songwriters
author: e.rhameNear as anyone can tell, there are three different types of songwriters: Those that don’t got "it" and never will. Those that might have “it”, but it will take time to tell, and the few songwriters that just plain got “it”- the knack for spinning a story into tune with a turn of a phrase deft enough to catch the listeners attention, yet clear enough to convey the heart of the song. Larry Hooper’s debut “Rust” will be mentioned with the latter and undoubtedly draw favorable comparisons to a long line of acoustic based Americana songwriters. The opening track, “Seawall” takes a page from the on-the-road metaphor, and serves as an excellent setup to a journey through days of labor “Outwork the Sun”, family struggle “Bloodlines”, relationships gone good “Be My Wild Side”, performing life “Background Music”. It’s readily apparent that Larry doesn’t have to mine deep for a story, rather, lyrics tend to rise and spark like cinders from a well stoked bonfire. It’s a unique gift at a young age, the ability to marry the grit of Steve Earle with the sharp wit of John Prine and deliver a set of songs unique enough to be unmistakably his own, culminating in a release which fires on all 12 cylinders, topped with a cast of supporting musicians that would make Doc Watson grin. Highly recommended. 4-1/2 stars