At 17 years old I was confused and angry. Very angry. At what, who knows, but that's the reality of many a teenager. It was also around this time that I discovered "punk rock". I feel funny about that term these days, but back then I was obsessed with what was or wasn't punk. I sold most of my albums that were put out on a major label and pretended that I never watched MTV or liked Pearl Jam. For many, punk or any aggressive music feeds off of this type of confusion and anger. As we grow up, we tend to change. Maybe we're still just as angry, or even as confused as we were back then, but we express ourselves differently. Time changes even the most hardcore and if it doesn't then hardcore gets boring.
Avail was a band from Richmond, VA. I first discovered them in April of 1998 when they played Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC. I was with a friend and my attendance to the show was more of a social obligation rather than a musical one. Shortly after we arrived Avail took the stage. I was hooked. I bought their live cd at the show and the next day purchased "Over the James", (which is still my favorite from their catalog). The band was fronted by Tim Barry. They just played music. Musically they stuck out, I mean they played punk, but it was definitely played by dudes that grew up listening to just as much AC/DC as they did the Ramones. They even covered Billy Joel and John Mellencamp tunes. Unfortunately, Avail hasn't released a record in almost a decade and it doesn't look like they'll be playing music any time soon either. Fortunately, Tim's kept it going and released some really great records over the last few years.
A few years ago I was perusing cd's at my local record shop and came across Tim's first solo record, "Rivanna Junction". The photograph on the cover of the album sold it perfectly: trains, distance, reflection. The music is much more stripped down than anything he did with Avail and is primarily just Tim and a guitar. The tunes are really good and span from upbeat barn burners to heartfelt reflections and musings on life. But, perhaps the most impressive aspect of this album is that you get to hear Tim grow as an artist and move on from the past while not entirely leaving it behind. His voice is still rough around the edges, but confident and focused. Emotion rings out on every song, especially standouts like, "Avoiding Catatonic Surrender", "Cardinal In Red Bed", and "Wait At Milano". These songs are structured and layered differently than anything he'd done previously and that's the exciting part of this record and his subsequent releases, being able to hear the growth of Tim as an artist.
Since "Rivanna Junction" Tim has released "Manchester" and "28th & Stonewall". Each record explores similar territory, but stands on it's own merits. He's continued to tour at a sometimes insane pace, both on his own and playing with bands like Gaslight Anthem. He seems perfectly content strumming his guitar and singing, alone, onstage, (or in the crowd), and maybe that's what it's all about: growing, becoming comfortable in your own skin, and just living.
Look, we grow as listeners and people. It's refreshing to hear artists do the same. Sometime they catch lightening in a bottle twice, sometimes it's crap, but that can be said about everyone's work, music related or otherwise. Artists from bands like the Clash, Oingo Boingo, Catharsis, etc. have started at one end of the spectrum and ended up at another. It's an exciting ride to follow and I can't wait to explore some of the other musical journeys other artists have embarked on. Most of the time the journey is the important part, not the destination.
Tim Barry has released three solo records and will be touring parts of Europe in September, check the Tim Barry website for dates.
A few years ago I was perusing cd's at my local record shop and came across Tim's first solo record, "Rivanna Junction". The photograph on the cover of the album sold it perfectly: trains, distance, reflection. The music is much more stripped down than anything he did with Avail and is primarily just Tim and a guitar. The tunes are really good and span from upbeat barn burners to heartfelt reflections and musings on life. But, perhaps the most impressive aspect of this album is that you get to hear Tim grow as an artist and move on from the past while not entirely leaving it behind. His voice is still rough around the edges, but confident and focused. Emotion rings out on every song, especially standouts like, "Avoiding Catatonic Surrender", "Cardinal In Red Bed", and "Wait At Milano". These songs are structured and layered differently than anything he'd done previously and that's the exciting part of this record and his subsequent releases, being able to hear the growth of Tim as an artist.
Since "Rivanna Junction" Tim has released "Manchester" and "28th & Stonewall". Each record explores similar territory, but stands on it's own merits. He's continued to tour at a sometimes insane pace, both on his own and playing with bands like Gaslight Anthem. He seems perfectly content strumming his guitar and singing, alone, onstage, (or in the crowd), and maybe that's what it's all about: growing, becoming comfortable in your own skin, and just living.
Look, we grow as listeners and people. It's refreshing to hear artists do the same. Sometime they catch lightening in a bottle twice, sometimes it's crap, but that can be said about everyone's work, music related or otherwise. Artists from bands like the Clash, Oingo Boingo, Catharsis, etc. have started at one end of the spectrum and ended up at another. It's an exciting ride to follow and I can't wait to explore some of the other musical journeys other artists have embarked on. Most of the time the journey is the important part, not the destination.
Tim Barry has released three solo records and will be touring parts of Europe in September, check the Tim Barry website for dates.
