Jam Band: The Antiques' Nicknames and Natives

They’re the Country Jam Band. The Antiques take the elements of Jam Band groove and layer than with a Country barroom rock.

As Nicknames and Natives opens with “Down to No. County,” you can hear Wilco’s swaggering approach to AltCountry where the slide guitar twangs but there’s a soul/funk thing going on. You can almost picture the Antiques’ lead singer, Joey Barro, doing the head nod of a rapper with his hoodie pulled up. I always heard that in Shannon Hoon’s (Blind Melon) singing, too.

When Barro goes into a rap-sing cadence on the stanzas of “Pigless,” that’s where I hear Thomas Cunningham. Cunningham is another artist that I’ve called Jam Band—even if he doesn’t quite meet the usual definition—because of that groove. The Antiques definitely kick out the jam on “Pigless,” with Barro blazing the way on the harmonica while the rest of the guys bounce, jump down rhythm slides, and lead up to a Doors-like guitar break.

The album slags at times, especially toward the end, but tracks like the 70’s Valley tune “Dawn,” the snare-propelled (almost Better Than Ezra guitar) of “Gun Shy,” and the folk singer dreaming of being a rock singer on “Dead Ringer” give promise of greater things to come from whatever estate sale that turned up these Antiques.

Thanks to the Antiques and Banter Records for the review CD.