Wooden Wand: Briarwood (Not necessarily a review, just a recommendation)

    

     Tonight I stumbled upon this band, and album.  I was reading a Phish message board, and it was recommended to fans of lo-fi rock.  Briarwood absolutely blew me away.   Wooden Wand is the pseudonym for James Jackson Toth, an American songwriter who loves life on the road. He has released several self recorded, and self promoted, albums, and by all critical accounts, is an extremely prolific artist.
      Briarwood, released in 2011,  shows Jackson going off on a freak/psych folk tangent, but sheeted with traditional Americana. Each of his beautifully written songs are wrapped in heavy distortion, and acid tinged reverb.  Jackson delicately walks the line between the brains and balls of rock, as he combines tactful production with gritty songwriting and playing.   If I would've heard this album when it came out last year, it would have been on my best of list.  Find this album, and enjoy it.

   You can also listen to his demos here!