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Philadelphia-based Hoots & Hellmouth have been touring non-stop since two months before the April release of their self-titled debut album, produced by Brian McTear (Matt Pond PA, Bigger Lovers, The Capitol Years), on MAD Dragon Records/Ryko/WEA and have never stopped going since. Besides touring in their own right they also opened dates for fellow Philadelphians, Dr. Dog. Along the way they’ve recorded an episode of NPR’s “World Café,” been featured in national publications like Relix and Paste as well as in daily papers and alternative newsweeklies throughout the MidAtlantic region – especially in their home turf of Delaware and the Phildelphia area. Hoots & Hellmouth embodies a feisty, independent spirit churning out new music for old souls. Their shows are like traveling tent revivals; their audiences are like congregations. I'm hoping you'd consider advancing their show with a feature, CD review or advance blurb.
Hoots & Hellmouth gives powerful evidence that the band has concocted a musical blend of roots/revival sensibility with a healthy dose of rock n’ roll energy that is all their own. Starting with the core instrumentation of two guitars (Hoots and Hellmouth), mandolin (Rob Berliner), upright bass (Tim Celfo), three-part harmony vocals and foot stomps, the band worked in conjunction with McTear to flesh out each song, adding drums, organ, additional voices and the occasional accordion flourish.
From the gospel fury of the opening track, "Want On Nothing," to the subtle understated beauty of "Backwoods Don't Lie," Hoots & Hellmouth's eponymous debut presents a startling range of musical depth. Dedication to the craft of songwriting is the common thread that connects songs such as the folk-inflected “Forks & Knives,” which leans heavily on the more traditional aspects of Americana, to the modern soulfulness of “West Of Where The Sun Goes Down” as it incorporates a swirling mélange of psychedelic organ and walls of vocals that leave the listener enraptured, enveloped, enamored. Hoots feels that “working with Brian really helped us to hone in on what each song demanded of us…we became mere channels for the greater power of the music.” The resulting record speaks for itself in exuberant tones. The album has already garnered some impressive critical praise:
The quartet managed to make a righteous, old-timey racket with two acoustic guitars, mandolin, upright bass, and ragged harmonies. The Hoots' blend of alt-country, rock, and gospel was amplified only by their own considerable joy and the physical way they threw themselves into singing. Sarah Rodman/Boston Globe 4/30/07
Their eponymous debut blends gospel and soul with old-time Americana influences, and their shows are not to be missed. Rachel Maddux/Relix
We first got turned on to Philadelphia roots-pop outfit Hoots & Hellmouth last year, when the band played a stompingly good show in the basement of Chinese restaurant (long story); the mesmerizing "Home In A Boxcar" has been stuck in our heads ever sice, and so we were glad to find it on the group's sef-titled debut, due out next month: Brian Raftery/Idolator.com 3/16/07
Hoots & Hellmouth believe in the washboard. The tambourine, woodblock and cowbell too. Sure, the eponymous debut EP from these West Chester-based folkies has your standard guitar and singing too, but it's the shouting and frenetic percussion that really elevates them from sleepy acoustic strummers to crazed psycho-billy punk-out. Their harmonies are of the everybody-sing-along variety (as opposed to overly precious note-perfect precision), making the whole affair hot and hopped-up, even when tempos are slowed to a crawl. Come ready to dance-if you're really nice, they might even let you play the spoons. Jeffrey Barg - Philadelphia Weekly
Often fleshing out their arrangements with organ, upright bass, drums and mandolin, Hoots and Gray saw their star begin to rise after appearances at the 2006 Philadelphia Folk Festival and last year's WXPN All About the Music festival. Blending soul, folk, country, gospel and rock with the sounds of classic Americana, Hoots & Hellmouth has, on record, lived up to the promise of its revival-like live shows — which is saying a lot. NPR.org, May 25, 2007 •
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