Andy Hawk » froglix radio

autoKratz :: Becoming the Wraith

electronica, England, London, United Kingdom, videos No Responses »

Oct 312011

I feel like we’ve been on a bit of a New Order theme here in the last few months. Back in June we had a Joy Division flashback. Then two Friday’s ago we featured New Order’s “Blue Monday” for our Friday flashback. And then just last week we mentioned Andy Hawk’s cover of “Temptation” making use of the mandolin (which is awesome by the way).

autoKratz

Well, today we pay a bit of homage to New Order yet again. Peter Hook features in autoKratz‘s latest single “Becoming the Wraith”; and, the bass line melody contributed by Hooky is absolutely unmistakable. Combine that signature bass with the hookalicious chorus and you have a recipe for an electronica anthem. And for those of you better-versed electronica aficionados, check out the entire Becoming the Wraith EP. I’m sure you will more greatly appreciate the remixes, especially the Night and Day mixes by French producer Alex Gopher.

- DMitch

The Train Keeps Rolling

americana, Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings, blues, featured artists, folk, new release, news, reviews, rock, roots, singer/songwriter, Virginia, Washington DC 1 Response »

Oct 272011

“It’s Americana-ish!” is how Andy Hawk describes his latest studio effort with the Train Wreck Endings and if you’ve heard any of their previous work you’d find it hard to put them into one specific category or genre too. This, my friends, is a talented group of musicians that effortlessly blends folk, blues and rock into their own special brand of truly American music.

In addition to a new set of original tunes, the soon to be released disc entitled Another Storyline also includes a rocking cover of New Order‘s “Temptation” that features a mandolin as a stand in for the synths….very nice. “Sunshine Street,” my favourite original track, starts with a punchy little bass line paired with the perfect drum cadence…add in some excellent vocal harmonies and, of course, more mandolin and you’ve got a cool little ditty.

Froglix greatly appreciates Andy and company for allowing us a “sneak peek” at Another Storyline and would be remiss if we didn’t do a little pimpin’on their behalf by promoting their upcoming CD release party.

When: Friday, November 11 @ 8pm
Where: Franklin Park Arts Center in Purcellville, VA.

Be sure to check out www.andyhawk.com for details, tickets, etc.

- Drago

New Release from Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings

Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings, blues, featured artists, folk, Hamilton, new release, reviews, rock, unsigned, Virginia No Responses »

Jul 012010

artist: Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings
album: Another Roadside Attraction
genre: rock | blues | folk

listen now…
My, My
Wheel Like the Wind

I’ve listened to all of Andy Hawk’s albums including his latest release entitled Another Roadside Attraction, which, if you’re counting is his 6th studio effort overall and his 2nd with the Train Wreck Endings. All that music and I still can’t quite pin a genre on him. Above I mention (3) possibilities but even they don’t quite capture the essence that is Andy Hawk. Is “honest” a genre? Because if it is, that’s the word I choose as it best describes not only this latest release but the entire Hawk discography.

All songs tell stories and while some artists can rely solely on their music to tell their tale, others need to marry lyrics with melodies in order to effectively convey their message. Andy Hawk uses both…but he doesn’t have to…and that, my friends, is what separates good song-writing from great song-writing.

“My, My” blends contemporary rock with an upbeat alt-country feel and does so with a delivery that is fluid not forced while “Lipstick & Dynamite” has more of a Texas-blues/honky-tonk flava that makes for a very interesting contrast. The piano accompaniment that starts off and carries through “Wheel Like the Wind” would bring a tear to Jerry Lee Lewis’ eye. In fact I’m pretty sure that Steve Devries was channeling the Killer when he recorded that one! As I listen to the righteous 60′s guitar riff paired with the steady rhythmic timbre of the drums in “Ghosts of Summer Sun” I can’t help but get the feeling that I should be chilling out on a beach somewhere right around sunset. This is my point. When you pop in this disc, each track will elicit a unique feeling/response that can only come from honest music performed by a gifted story-teller.

Andy Hawk and Train Wreck Endings deliver another winner with Another Roadside Attraction.

- Drago

West Coast and the Hawk

Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings, blues, California, featured artists, folk, Hamilton, jazz, reviews, rock, San Francisco, The Autonomous Region, unsigned, Virginia No Responses »

Aug 142009

The Autonomous Region from San Francisco, CA makes their Froglix debut with tracks from their 2008 release Forbidden City. Rock, blues and jazz all coalesce to create an eclectic sound with an unmistakable West Coast vibe. We’ve selected a couple of tracks that shine a light on the band’s soulful side for the broadcast. Make no mistake, they can lay down the dirt and rock out with the best of them but for our money “Took My Breath Away” and “What Can I Do for You” are the jazziest grooves on the album and have quickly become our faves. We think you’ll dig ‘em too!

From the West Coast we travel back east on the wings of a hawk…Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings to be exact. I was recently introduced to this talented songwriter and musician just a few short weeks ago via a mutual friend who had been bugging me incessantly to check out his music. Apparently, Andy had sent Froglix a bevy of mp3’s for us to listen to back in July…unbeknownst to us as we had a slight problem with our email and didn’t receive them until just recently (sorry ‘bout that Andy!). Our email challenges remedied, we quickly began combing through and listening to all of the great music that Andy had sent us. Thinning the herd to select a few songs for the broadcast was indeed a chore but we have pulled out some gems that we think will give our listeners a true sense of what the Hawk is all about–great song writing, excellent music and meaningful lyrics. We are jacked to be featuring songs from of some Andy’s (2) most recent albums Tin Can Town and Here It Is. With a style that is reminiscent of Petty and Dylan, Hawk delivers an original sound that is a true American classic.