Album Notes

The My Blue Jeans album by The Porch Pistols is a natural progression to their amazing self-titled debut album. As with the first album, the listener can hear songs being worked out with occasional comments and background noises. Such “distractions” that would never be allowed to remain on highly polished (perhaps pretentious) albums are not only welcome here, but are important elements of the Porch Pistol experience. It’s very important to catch the song in its original state when it’s in its most raw and sincere form. The Porch Pistols are seasoned enough to make the songs sound arranged, so much so, that with many songs, the concept of improvisation can easily be lost on the some listeners. But if you enjoy a song enough to get lost in it, it doesn't matter how the song came to be.

The My Blue Jeans album could easily become more than an album of great individual pieces. It could become a textbook study in real folk music. As society passes through various trends, there will always be undercurrents and an allure to heartfelt music. My Blue Jeans is an album that gives us the comparable comfort to a warm fireplace on a blustery day.

The Porch Pistols have started a new ideal in music by creating spontaneous art in the form of Improvised Acoustic Americana™. This form of music is comprised of heart, soul, and the willingness to take lyrical risks. The Porch Pistols blend various styles of acoustic guitar with vocal melodies that cross the borders of mediocrity and ride into new territories.

Tommy Chaffee: Melodically, the vocals often move in and out of the traditional safe areas and venture into the areas where notes hover and create drama and interest for the listener. Lyrically, the songs provide visions and stories that challenge the imagination and provide the listener with a depth that is rarely found in music. Hand in Hand is an example of an improvised song with beautiful meaning, yet some of the imagery shows the uncomfortable side of love.

Tommy Chaffee has used the harmonica as a great instrument for solo demonstrations, but he has also found creative ways to blend the harmonica into short phrases of songs to add textures and colors where as he feels the songs unfold. His playing is a great asset to the My Blue Jeans album.

CJ Torrise: The guitar of The Porch Pistols is subdued enough to allow the vocals room to express the visions of the singer, yet the guitar changes dynamically (soft vs. loud) and technically (strums, picking styles, and percussively) to add essence to the music. The chord progressions are usually folk-based and uncomplicated, yet hints of advanced playing can be heard if one knows what to look for.

It’s fair to say that music like this is rare in its depth, range of color, and lyrical beauty. Listen to the Porch Pistols, and find the songs that speak to you.