Backyard Tire Fire Albums (5)
'The Places We Lived'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 10
Label Hyena Records
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What The Critics Say
Backyard Tire Fire fits in with the current wave of rock & roll revivalists like the Drive-By Truckers, Marah, Dr. Dog, and Hold Steady. While the Illinois-based band hasn't yet developed DBT's strong sense of regionalism or matched Marah's or Hold Steady's character-rich story-songs, their music is full of virtues. BTF's third studio disc starts off strongly with their terrific title track. The tune places wry memories of a childhood home ("dad's cursing at the tv (while) Mom said to take a shower/gotta get ready for church") with a laid-back melody that recalls Wilco during its A.M. era. "Shoulda Shut It" -- a song about a man who's "in the business of regret" -- serves up a catchy soulful American pop groove that also ventures into Jeff Tweedy territory without overstaying its influences. Speaking of influences, BTF frontman Ed Anderson has sung about wanting to be Tom Petty and Petty-ian qualities surface in "Welcome to the Factory" and "Everybody's Down." The former, dealing with workaday dreariness, intriguingly combines big Mike Campbell-style riffs with some elements that feel almost Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon in nature. The latter song, meanwhile, offers one of Anderson's most affecting vocals, as he resignedly admits, "sometimes I don't think I can do it anymore." Another emotionally moving track is the simple but straight-from-the-heart, "Home Today." This love-song-from-the-road number along with the slacker-ish, "cold coffee (and) warm cigarettes" ballad "Rainy Day (Don't Go Away)" find Anderson settled down at the piano. These quieter tunes provide a nice respite from the disc's more rock-based tracks. "Time with You," one of Anderson's "missin' you" love tunes, motors along effortlessly on chunky guitar riffs and the rhythm section's driving beat. BTF reaches its balls-out rock peak, however, on "How in the Hell Did You Get Back Here?," a raucous Southern rock rave-up that is easy to imagine as a crowd-pleaser live. Even when a song's lyrics are a little less than inspiring (like "Legal Crime" and "One Wrong Turn"), the tunes still hold some interesting musical ideas. Exhibiting sturdy musical growth and maturity, BTF populates the impressively constructed The Places We Lived with rootsy rock & roll that is both familiar and fresh. ~ Michael Berick, All Music Guide
'Vagabonds and Hooligans'
Release Date 2/6/2007
Tracks 12
Label O.I.E.
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What The Critics Say
"I want to be Tom Petty, I want to be a star," sings Backyard Tire Fire frontman singer/songwriter Ed Anderson and it seems he's being only partially ironic. While there isn't much on his trio's fourth album that sounds Petty-ish, the band, and Anderson in particular, do more than just churn out strummy Americana. Anderson plays all the guitars and keys, and he sings, so Backyard Tire Fire almost appears to be a solo project and he makes the most of it. His songs find a common ground between dusty folk, swamp pop and Paul Westerberg-styled introspective musings. The latter is most obvious on "Undecided," a twisty mid-tempo rocker that seems to turn in on itself. It may take a few spins to appreciate, but the album creates its own rather distinctive space and Anderson's easygoing yet subtly complex songs kick in. Co-producer Tony Sanfilippo, who also recorded and mixed the disc, layers on guitars and keyboards but never clutter the sound, leaving room for Anderson's emotional vocals and words to soar. On "Apparitions," a delayed vocal echoes the main line, which along with a ghostly pedal steel guitar, brings a spacy, almost creepy ambiance to the track. While no one will mistake these tunes as Petty creations, Anderson shows he has the potential and the talent to be a formidable presence on the Americana scene on the six-minute epic "Corinne," this disc's longest and most riveting track. There are also echoes of the Band in BTF's lean, expressive approach, in particular on "Green Eyed Soul." But, as with all quality outfits, Backyard Tire Fire finds and revels in its own groove on this impressive, yet restrained release. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The first studio album by Illinois Americana trio Backyard Tire Fire (following 2003's Live at the Georgia Theatre), Bar Room Semantics is a perfectly titled album of vignettes about folks whose lives revolve around the neighborhood watering hole. Singer/songwriter Ed Anderson doesn't over-sentimentalize his subjects in songs like "The Daze," a catchy jangle rocker that coolly documents the rise and fall of a young rock & roll band, or the bluesy character study of aimlessness "31st Fall." Although the songs are built on a standard guitar-bass-drums lineup, Anderson inserts vintage synths, pedal steel, and other interesting sounds to keep the album from feeling too samey. Low-key but heartfelt, Bar Room Semantics is a refreshing throwback to the more earnest end of the post-R.E.M. '80s indie rock scene. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Backyard Tire Fire'
Release Date 10/30/2003
Tracks 12
Label Backyard Tire Fire
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