Troy Campbell

















Troy Campbell
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TROY CAMPBELL BIOGRAPHY Those who've followed Troy Campbell through his evolution over the years, from the punk-wired Highwaymen, to Americana-drenched Loose Diamonds, and now three albums into a stellar solo career, have always known he's a restless soul. It's written in his songs, which flit between a jumpy, let's-blow-this-town urgency, and more sorrowful expressions of longing, hope, idealism. And it's there in his remarkable voice, a uniquely expressive instrument comfortable with everything from jagged murder ballads to four-on-the-floor Chuck Berry rockers to candlelit love songs. But now that restlessness finds new harmony in Campbell's life: Rather than sit on his hands as the new century dawned, Campbell reinvented himself, emerging as one of Austin's most promising filmmakers, a sharp mind delving into the spot where music, culture and film converge, a mover and shaker with a passion for his subjects. Campbell first produced A Place to Dance, a documentary short about New Orleans big-band maestro Pat Barberot, which won the audience award for best documentary at the 2004 Austin Film Festival. Meanwhile, with his partner/animator Dano Johnson, he launched Collection Agency Films, exploring his love for storytelling in great clips covering Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman, songwriter du jour Ray Wylie Hubbard, and others. More recently, Campbell's put his camera to good use filming something near and dear to the heart of any Texas rock 'n' roller--the astonishing return to live performance of psychedelic legend Roky Erickson. None of which really preps us for Long in the Sun, Campbell's extraordinary new album. With roots maven Gurf Morlix (producer of a veritable who's who of American music, from Lucinda Williams to Butch Hancock) at the helm again, Long in the Sun is easily Campbell's most assured and most invitingly intimate effort yet, a panoramic collection with an intent eye on human interconnections, motivations, emotions. Perhaps the most immediately striking element of Long in the Sun is Campbell's gorgeous, magisterial way with a melody. From the beguiling chorus of the opening cut, "Famous," to "Lovers," which, with its sparkling guitar lines and sunny tune, is nothing if not an update of the classic Buddy Holly & the Crickets' sound, the songs are a bedrock merging of country, folk, and pop with the simple elegance of early rock 'n' roll. The shimmering "I'll Let You Know" positively glows, Campbell cradling the song like a newborn baby, and Morlix unspooling gorgeous guitar texture in the best David Lindley tradition. "Over and over, I find new hope . . . ," Campbell sings. Which is not to say Long in the Sun doesn't have its share of darkness. Campbell leans into a bluesy cover of Woody Guthrie's "Along in the Sun & the Rain" with knowing gusto, letting the painful yowls and between-the-lines nuances tell the story. The foreboding march "Killing Time in Texas," co-written with Morlix, is the kind of harrowing ballad that could've been penned by Townes Van Zandt, and with its backdrop--meth-addicted mid-America--it's likely to resonate more than most folks care to admit. "The Oklahoma speedway will only make you mean," Campbell intones. Campbell’s been defining his own element, and writing eloquently from that experience, from the time his international genetics blessed him with what he jokingly calls “that un-American Indian look, exotic white trash from Ohio.” Despite the cultural strains of his parents’ marriage (“he brought her from Korea to Kentucky to show what really poor people looked like,” Troy says with a laugh), both of them instilled the love of music from his earliest memories. When he’d take road trips in his dad’s coal truck, they’d listen to Elvis and George Jones on the radio and play Red Sovine on the truckstop jukebox. Back home, he’d sing with his mother, who favored the likes of Sam Cooke, Freddy Fender, even Bobby Darin, the sort of distinctive crooners who inspired Campbell to develop a voice all his own. Like so many among his generation, Campbell responded to the alarm of the ‘70s punk-rock revolution, embracing the emotional urgency of the Ramones and the Clash, seeing every touring band that passed through nearby Dayton. Among them were the True Believers from Austin, Texas, fronted by Alejandro Escovedo and his brother, Javier. Flying the do-it-yourself flag of inspired amateurism, Alejandro encouraged Troy and his brother Mike to form a band and said he’d let them open for his band, even though they had no musical experience. Playing with enough passion to offset their lack of instrumental proficiency, the Campbells quickly developed the Highwaymen into one of the most promising bands from the Dayton area. From the start, Troy found it easier to write material than try to play someone else’s. Winning a radio station’s battle of the bands gave them studio time to record their 1986 debut EP. The four-song, self-titled release served as a calling card for the touring band, who quickly lived up to their name, opening for the likes of the True Believers and Green on Red. In 1989, the brothers Campbell followed Alejandro all the way back to Austin, a creative hothouse filled with kindred musical spirits. Fusing rootsy heartland strains with punk energy, the band found it’s spark renewed through Austin guitarist Scrappy Jud Newcomb, who played like Keith Richards to Troy’s Gram Parsons. After changing their name to Loose Diamonds (from a song by Jo Carol Pierce, whose acclaimed Austin tribute album Troy co-produced). the band became a national favorite. They conquered clubs one by one, with the intensity of their live performances recalling Austin hero Joe Ely or even Bruce Springsteen (who proclaimed himself a fan of the band’s “wide-open sound,” while calling Troy “a rare voice”). Though 1993’s Burning Daylight debut won NAIRD’s award as the year’s best indie rock CD, and 1996’s Fresco Fiasco was listed among that year’s 10 undiscovered gems by the New York Times, deals with financially-plagued Austin labels and years of hard touring eventually ground Loose Diamonds down. Campbell and Newcomb retained a creative friendship (co-writing the title track to 2002's American Breakdown) that keeps the possibility alive for a band reunion, while both continue to pursue separate musical paths. While American Breakdown represented a kind of traumatic reconnection (with himself, with history, etc.) following the Diamonds' late-90s breakup and the willful experimentalism of 1999's Man vs. Beast--resulting in songs both harrowing (the title track) and elegiac ("World Without Tears")--Long in the Sun is the work of one of America's best songwriters operating from a place of strength, open to all that comes his way, and pushing himself and his songs to new heights. Amen. -Luke Torn
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Average Rating : 5              Total Reviews: 10


Troy Campbell  04/08/2008            
Anne S.
Long in the Sun is another great collaboration between Troy Campbell and studio master Gurf Morlix. I can see why Troy is hailed as one of Austin's finest songwriters.
Troy Campbell  04/08/2008            
JC
Filmmaker, animator, songwriter, Troy Campbell has made one of the brightest sounding albums of his career.
Troy Campbell  01/16/2008            
Highwaymen Fan
This great, historic recording from KUT radio's 'Live Set' captures the Highwaymen at their rockin' best. The chemistry between songwriters Troy Campbell & Scrappy Jud Newcomb makes for groundbreaking magic. "Wearin' Away," "Kentucky Eyes" and "Buttons of Your Skin" are among the classics from the album. "Highway 61" harkens back to the days when they first moved to Austin, and it was regularly belted out on the jukebox at Blue Bayou. Before selling the name to the old country guys and becoming Loose Diamonds, the Highwaymen pioneered what we now know as 'Americana.' You should own this CD!!
Troy Campbell  01/16/2008            
Troy Fan
Having been a Loose Diamonds fan for years, I was anxious to see what Troy Campbell could do as a solo artist. I am blown away with his first solo release. All new, original songs like 'Sleeping Man," "Hazel" and "just Who's Drivin'" show how much Troy has matured as a songwriter since his days with Loose Diamonds. "Nobody," the co-write with Chris Feinstein (iodine) stands out, and backing vocals by Patty Griffin on "Somewhere" take this record over the top. Great record, Troy; keep up the great work!
Troy Campbell  12/10/2007            
T-Would
'American Breakdown,' what a great album by Troy Campbell. He keeps getting better and better. One of these days, maybe his name will be known outside of Austin, and a handful of cities around the globe. I actually saw a quick write-up in USA Today by Ken Barnes (May 2007,) that said 'Austin filmmaker/singer/songwriter songs about hard-won wisdom simply and elegantly (kind of like Buddy Holly might have.'
Troy Campbell  07/02/2006            
knute
great new cd,I have ordered some extras
Troy Campbell  02/09/2006            
sup
hi
Troy Campbell  02/05/2006            
Mr Django
FEB 06 Kut Live set with band was great sounded like neil young crazy horse!!!
Troy Campbell  09/05/2005            
A Fan
Troy Campbell effortlessly combines gritty, heartfelt lyrics with a sense of tunefulness, and the result is a unique splinter of Americana that has won high praise throughout North American, Europe and Japan. While Campbell's fans are certainly dedicated and numerous, what is perhaps more telling is the number - and quality - of musicians who count themselves as fans of Troy's catalog. A musician's musician whose work is easily accessible to the wider public, Campbell unveiled his latest release, American Breakdown, which easily picks up where his Loose Diamonds left off. This is artist not yet close to peaking, yet levels ahead of others in the Americana genre.
Troy Campbell  09/13/2002            
Lee Zimmerman (Miami Herald)
Troy Campbell's sultry, seductive songs were originally introduced to me by my friend Barnes who lives up in Boston. Always an arbiter of good taste, he never steered me wrong before, having brought me to countless albums and artists I might never have heard of before were it not for his tasteful tips. Still, I had no idea what to expect from 'American Breakdown', the second solo set from former leader of Austin alt-country combo Loose Diamonds. In a word, it's simply superb. While Campbell remains faithful to the roots rock formula, it's the emotion that he imparts that sets him apart. 'The World Keeps on Ending' is a heartbreaking tale of hardship and heartbreak that's both convincing and compelling. The traditional sounding 'Rosabelle' tells a dual tale of a man going off to the dreariness of the mines and his lover who lives with the uncertainty of the fate that awaits him. 'World of Tears' and 'Sorrytown' are filled with reflection and contemplation, soaked in the sadness conveyed in their titles. Still, Campbell's not the type to be beaten down by circumstances. 'Sad Truth', 'Blind' and 'Home After Dark' are rousing, resolute anthems buffered with riveting arrangements that build to anthem-like proportions. The sinewy rhythms surrounding Campbell's whispered vocals in 'Sleeping Without You' and the brooding atmospheric ambiance flowing through 'Pacific' further attest to Campbell's skills and ability. For those reasons and many more, 'American Breakdown' is one of the better efforts to come along this year. (www.troycampbell.com)
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