-- Face magazine, November 2001
The Coming Grass (CD, Velvet Ed, 1999)
Nate Schrock of the Coming Grass recorded for Epic and Sony, during his days as a New York rocker, with the bands the Lost1 and Paleface.2 That level of experience shows throughout the Coming Grass disc, particularly in the production.3 The recorded sound has an open, live quality that is quite engaging. The music of this intriguing, guitar-driven band might best be called country-tinged left-field roots rock. First-time listeners would be well advised to heed the title of one of the songs, "Put Away Your Expectations." This album serves as an alternative to most of what is commercially available.
This listener most often hears a Rolling Stones influence, along with echoes of garage-country (as opposed to garage-rock), Mimi and Richard Farina, and lyrically maybe a little Frank Black. In the mainstream, we value harmony that features a close, smooth blend of voices. Here, though, we have singers who differ, both in terms of vocal qualities and style of phrasing, creating a tension and a crystal-sharp beauty similar to those that can be heard in certain streams of traditional folk music such as shape-note singing and Apalachian country. "Take Me Over," the opening track, is a Stones-line linear tune with a couple nifty musical hooks. All songs were written by Nate Schrock except "No Harm," which was written by Sara Cox. "No Harm" features Cox' best singing (lead and overdubbed harmony), with guest Kate Schrock sitting in on piano.4 "Evolution Detour" is one of the album's most percussive performances, with the haunting vocals of Cox5 and Schrock. A strangely enjoyable disc.
-- Alan Lewis, May 5, 2002
The Coming Grass: Ginger Cote, Sara Cox, Stephan B. Jones, Nate Schrock.
This band, the Lost, is not to be confused with the '60s Boston rock group, the Lost, which is well known here as an early Willie Alexander outfit.
The Coming Grass seems to have been conceived during Schrock's NYC period. "...Nate Schrock was playing in a New York City blues rock band called the Lost, writing songs in his spare time. The songs weren't for the band, though; the stuff he was writing had a distinct country feel, and he figured that when he finally formed his own band, these would be the songs his group would play." -- Scott Sutherland, Portland Press Herald, 12/16/1999
2. Sometimes the name of this band is given as Pale Face. Paleface "headlined CBGB's and toured with the Clash, the Ramones and Billy Idol." -- Scott Sutherland, Portland Press Herald, 12/16/1999
"I can remember having guys from the label going through our material to determine which songs fit the sound they wanted." -- Nate Schrock to Ben Monaghan, Portland Phoenix, 12/10/1999
3. The CD doesn't actually name the producer, though the booklet says, "All tracking & mixing by Nate at home."
4. "When she wearily invites you to 'Come here and step into the light--no harm in trying' you'll find it hard to resist." -- John Lonergan, speaking of Sara Cox in RevolutionsUK.com, 3/2001.
As Kate Schrock rhymes with Nate Schrock, so
she is his sister. -- Ben Monaghan, Portland Phoenix,
12/10/1999
5. Cox' "husky, emotive voice adds mountains of cool to this already cool record." -- Performing Songwriter, 3/2002
Contact:
Coming Grass: www.thecominggrass.com
Sara Cox: www.thecominggrass.com/SaraCox/SC-home.html
Kate Schrock: www.kateschrock.com
Popular music, past and present,
with a New England twist.
| New England Music Scrapbook News | ||||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I-J | K | L |
| M | N | O | P-Q | R | S | T | U-V | W | XYZ | |
| Go to NEMSbook Home Page | ||||||||||
Webmaster:
Alan Lewis