Album Notes

TheHIDERSvalentine


This is the first independently released album by ex-Ass Ponys
lead guitarist Bill Alletzhauser. Recorded and produced by Brad Jones at Alex the Great studios in Nashville. Brad Jones has worked with many artists including Josh Rouse, Jill Sobule, Ron Sexsmith, Bobby Bare Jr., and Steve Earle.
::Hiders Reviews::

" A truely remarkable band, a great live experience, tons of great songs...The Hiders are real contenders. They bridge the musical gap as well as any band I've heard in a long, long time..."
Dan Reed WXPN/WorldCafe'

.... very musically robust Americana ...that reminds me of Sparklehorse, Emmylou Harris, The Band, Kathleen Edwards, Detroyer, and folkie psychedelia of early VU.
....Anchored with Beth Harris's sweet yet aching harmonies, the album balances slow-burning love songs and full on rockers. Mesmerizing stuff.
Bruce Warren - WXPN

...Hovering in the Americana-sphere around artists from Neil Young and The Band to newer acts like Sparklehorse and The Thrills, Valentine is, in a word, mesmerizing. On opener "Everything I Wanted," Toby Ellis offers pedal steel swells that illuminate like a sunrise, wrapping around Alletzhauser's organic, melancholic melodies and Harris' perfect harmonies (she is Emmylou to Alletzhauser's Neil). There is a natural hypnotic glaze to most of tracks, as the acoustic and electric guitars and the sweeping rhythms combine to create a billow of irresistible ethereality.
...Other highlights on the album include the Greek mythology-referencing "Persephone," which rattles the cage a little more than most tracks with its distorted, lost-in-the-woods-at-night guitar stomp; the trembling, gently-rolling lullaby for a departing lover "Magic Show"; the twilight-twinkling "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore"; and "Bury Me," which recalls the earlier roots-rockin' days of Wilco. But highlights, shmilights there isn't a dud in the bunch here. The songs are full of drama and soul, possessing an imposing majesty and a vibe of sober sorrow that makes Valentine a perfect "shoulder to cry on" CD for anyone going through a soul-crushing breakup.
Mike Breen CITYBEAT

...The CD is a tremendous collection of brooding electric folk, alt country and slow-burn rock tunes that feature Alletzhauser's Neil Young-esque pleading nasal vocals, full of innocence and passion.
Rick Bird CINCINNATI POST