The Prairie Dogs
Brand New Heart
© 2003 The Prairie Dogs (829757521121)
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A fresh look at an old style- rootsy, folky Americana
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Old friends and fellow musicians Evan Purcell and Michael Shinn formed the Prairie Dogs in the winter of 2002. Evan and Michael had known each other and played together in bands for over a decade when they decided to combine forces to record and perform their new original material. The initial idea was to create an intimate setting with acoustic instruments and simple arrangements in order to highlight the music and lyrics of their songs. The format also created space for vocal harmonies and melodies that had been difficult to create in the rock bands they had played in the past.
Later that year a friend and colleague of Mike's, Bass player Dave Stolier, joined the band and the core of the group was formed. They spent the next months working on arrangements and performing in small coffee shops in Tacoma creating new music and developing the band's distinctive sound. Feeling the need for percussion another old friend and fellow musician, Drummer Doug Mackey, joined the Prairie Dogs and the band was complete.
After many months of creative work, recording and performing, the Prairie Dogs release their first full length CD: Brand New Heart.
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First rate !
author: Laura T Lynch of Kweevak.comA fresh combination of roots rock-American style with edgy shades of bluegrass and folk. This twelve-track collection has a down home flavor with songs focusing on relationships. The CD has a good flow from start to finish with fine vocal blends, steady soft rhythms, gracious guitars and the harmonica. 'Give My Best' is the strong starting point showcasing harmonies, up-tempo grooves and crafty guitar leads. 'Kelly' features deep lyrics leading to a catchy hook and multi-faceted instrumentation including some soaring guitar leads. 'Poison Apples' is a dark tale with ominous textures and tones. Brand New Heart is a creative blend of old and new styles by four first-rate musicians!
Awesome!
author: TerrolynnAwesome CD !! I love it -- and highly recommend it!! Great tunes.
- author: Don Grant
On this CD, the Prairie Dogs, out of Tacoma, demonstrate that electricity is not an essential ingredient, particularly if one's band is blessed with two composers of the caliber of Evan Purcell and Michael Shinn. These guys write thoughtful music primarily for acoustic interpretation, with an occasional and judicious insertion of electric licks, for just that right amount of spice. Of particular note is "Soon As You Are Able", a poignant tale of another dancer, of which we all know too many, lost in that losing waltz with the White Lady. A beautiful harp line imparts just the right degree of melancholia here, and, for me, this song alone is worth the price of admission. In a time when 'mainstream' country artists use the acoustic guitar more as a symbol of their 'country' roots, much like their hats, it is a nice treat to encounter a band that is confident enough in the range of the instrument to build their entire show around it.
- author: Steve Morris
Formed in the winter of 2002 to feature the songs of Evan Purcell and Michael Shinn, The Prairie Dogs are a largely acoustic aggregation, shunning electric guitars to let vocals shine. That said there are electrics on Brand New Heart largely offering tasteful melodic lead embroidery and the featured vocal harmonies are far more natural than orchestrated. Think Jayhawks not Thorns. At the (brand new) heart of the album are the songs. Purcell and Shinn write separately and assuming that they sing their own songs, the latter has a more rootsy feel balancing Shinn's more mainstream tendency. Both, however, are skilled melody men which, as you might deduce at this point, means neither is a particularly insightful lyricist. And yet that just don't matter as the album simply feels fine. The Prairie Dogs are never going to rewrite musical history, not for them the call to the hall of fame, but they will create more than a few good moments whilst they pass amongst us. And if that sounds like feint praise, it's not really. This is the sort of CD that'll turn the local ring road into the freeway for a while; think America without the CSN hang up ... and Muskrat Love!
In all modesty it is a great CD
author: Jim and Gail ShinnIt would be unfair for us to rate since we are Michael's parents but putting that aside we really enjoyed the CD. It is very refreshing to have groups do only songs they have written. The group blends well and the poetry is great!