A couple of years ago, the neo-Americana genre really took off with releases from O'Death and The Old Scratch Revival Singers. While championing a once-neglected, distinctly American/spiritual sound, the direction of the artists can become muddled- post-Squirrel Nut Zippers/Modest Mouse trappings, post-hardcore snarling, young white guys from the Midwest imitating old black guys from the South, etc. Fortunately for The Two Man Gentlemen Band, they have managed to avoid all these cliches with finesse. Dressed to the nines and kazoos in hand, professional buskers and raconteurs "Smilin'" Andy Bean and "The Councilman" Fuller Condon have crafted their finest album to date.
Released in 2008, Heavy Petting is the third album the Gentlemen have recorded for Serious Business Records. Sometimes swinging Charlestonian numbers, other times ragtime, or even a hint of Western flavor, the Gentlemen's "one style, all occasions" has found a definitive voice on this disc. Minimalist in every sense of the word (bass, banjo, kazoo, voice, and the occasional session drummer), the Gentlemen have most importantly converted an aging American form of composition to viable contemporary entertainment, complete with overt sexual innuendo. Stand out tracks include "William Howard Taft", "A Gentleman Knows How to Love", and "When Your Lips are Playing my Kazoo".
Released in 2008, Heavy Petting is the third album the Gentlemen have recorded for Serious Business Records. Sometimes swinging Charlestonian numbers, other times ragtime, or even a hint of Western flavor, the Gentlemen's "one style, all occasions" has found a definitive voice on this disc. Minimalist in every sense of the word (bass, banjo, kazoo, voice, and the occasional session drummer), the Gentlemen have most importantly converted an aging American form of composition to viable contemporary entertainment, complete with overt sexual innuendo. Stand out tracks include "William Howard Taft", "A Gentleman Knows How to Love", and "When Your Lips are Playing my Kazoo".
