One Liner: Weirdo, formerly anonymous dude making country curious tunes
Wikipedia Genre: country, alternative rockHome: Canada
Poster Position: 5
Both Weekends.
Sunday at 4:25
Honda Stage.
Thoughts: Well now, that's a whole thing, isn't it? An anonymous Canadian singer who wears a weird cowboy hat with long fringe mask thing to cover his face and hide his identity. And he sounds like a cross between Morissey and Roy Orbison, singing semi-country tunes. You can tell he is white and has blue eyes, but otherwise he looks to be a 20-something dude who makes music. Oh, and he's gay, which seems to be mentioned in every article about him.
For a long time, he refused to reveal his real name, or where he's actually from, but he claims to have played in multiple punk bands prior to this thing. Now we know that his name is Daniel Pitout, and that while he is from South Africa originally he has been based in Canada and now USA. He lived in Johannesburg until he was 15, teaching himself guitar and keyboards as he did voice over work for cartoons and other media. He moved to London to receive a degree in acting and was Peter Pan in something called Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
His first album, 2019's Pony, was self-produced but released by SubPop, and features him in his mask and hat on the cover. "Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)" has this amazingly kitschy cowboy sound, and yet I kind of love it anyway. The top track is "Dead of Night," a track about two gay hustlers in the desert, that somehow still sounds like a it could be a Johnny Cash cover by Lana Del Rey sung by a guy wearing a classic lampshade. 62.9 million streams.
I honestly should have moved on from this guy a while ago, but I really am enjoying it. I'll give you one more track to taste test from that first disc, but you should just go listen to the album. This is "Turn to Hate," with 12 million streams.
Sadly, I'll probably be at David Shaw during this, but maybe I can find a night show with him and go check it out.
He was last here in 2019 - I feel like there are a lot of groups who were last here in 2019. I wonder if there is a five year cycle the agents shoot for to keep things fresh?
For a long time, he refused to reveal his real name, or where he's actually from, but he claims to have played in multiple punk bands prior to this thing. Now we know that his name is Daniel Pitout, and that while he is from South Africa originally he has been based in Canada and now USA. He lived in Johannesburg until he was 15, teaching himself guitar and keyboards as he did voice over work for cartoons and other media. He moved to London to receive a degree in acting and was Peter Pan in something called Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
His first album, 2019's Pony, was self-produced but released by SubPop, and features him in his mask and hat on the cover. "Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)" has this amazingly kitschy cowboy sound, and yet I kind of love it anyway. The top track is "Dead of Night," a track about two gay hustlers in the desert, that somehow still sounds like a it could be a Johnny Cash cover by Lana Del Rey sung by a guy wearing a classic lampshade. 62.9 million streams.
Pretty good - the guy's voice is legit. "Buffalo Run" sounds like an old R.E.M. song and I'm here for it. Seriously, queue up that song and just imagine the band is REM, sounds totally like something they would have done in the Document era. "Hope to Die" sounds kind of like a Broadway showtune - like if Dear Evan Hansen had a portion based in the Old West.
I honestly should have moved on from this guy a while ago, but I really am enjoying it. I'll give you one more track to taste test from that first disc, but you should just go listen to the album. This is "Turn to Hate," with 12 million streams.
Another one that has a good college radio rock feel, even though there are definite country tinges to it as well, but you could easily pass this off as REM or Sonic Youth or The Decemberists, all just trying on a little Western flavor.
Next is 2022's Bronco, which sticks to the same formula - country-tinged indie radio rock. It is also good. And then the 2024 album is fascinating - Stampede features duets with Willie, Elton, Beck, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, Noah Cyrus, and many others. Impressive. "Mickey Guyton" sounds like Ke$ha to me. Allison Russell sounds like Norah Jones. The Margo Price song is hilarious, as is the Willie one called "Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other." Definitely schmaltzy at time, but I actually fully love it. The duet partnerships are fun to hear, but just the songs are bombastic and huge and fun and over-the-top and it just feels like a good time to be listening to them. Let's do the Willie one - 3 million streams.
Without the face fringe, he has a young Tom Hardy face vibe. Willie looks old as balls man. Damn.
Sadly, I'll probably be at David Shaw during this, but maybe I can find a night show with him and go check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment