Gawker Slowdown delivers a nice comfortable disc with their fifth album, “Sturdy Branches”. A collection of melancholy tunes with the occasional upbeat alt-country rocker thrown in there for good measure. The flavor of the disc is a nice mix between early Wilco and Big Star, with a few of the tracks coming close to matching a smooth Alex Chilton melody. Songwriter Eric Kalenze writes on Gawker Slowdown’s CD Baby page: “Like previous Gawker Slowdown releases, ‘Sturdy Branches’ features honest, personal lyrics and strong melodies. It departs a bit from previous work, though, by leaning a little heavier on the “rock” half of “folk rock”. That comes through on tracks like “The Space” which slowly creeps in, heavy on the cymbals pounding out the mid-tempo beat, and “Yesterday’s Guy” which has a nice Westerberg-esqe riff.

The disc also features a lot orchestration; helping build the dramatic effect in songs like “Dream Small” and “Never Ceases to Amaze Me” that help separate the straight ahead rockers from the more musically complex arrangements. It is definitely a much fuller disc than Gawker’s previous album. “Sturdy Branches” is a compact ten song collection of tunes that is easy to listen too, with enough pick-me-up to keep your toe tapping.

Disco precioso, que canciones, que sensibilidad, pelos como escarpias.

Las canciones estan de lal eche pero ¡OJO!, escuchad la cancion "Follow", es una MARAVILLA.

Pero aqui podeis escuchar las canciones enteras y hay 63,p ero escuchad "Follow", y luego me contais.

Think of Eric Kalenze as a Midwestern Joe Pernice, with all of the similarity in sound and difference in sensibility that that implies*. Or just check out the samples.

An accomplished guitarist is much like, for lack of a better simile, a superhero. With great power comes great responsibility and when guitar chops are used for evil, the results can be tedious, pretentious or just plain bad.

It is to Eric Kalenze's great credit, then, that his alter ego Gawker Slowdown keeps his fingers in check on Self Defense. The record is primarily a blues and folk record, but that description downplays its sharpness. Self Defense opens with the instrumental "Radiator," which dreamily sets up the breezy "Don't Be The One." Then comes the shuffle "Fossil History," easily the record's highlight. Kalenze shines here because his playing is not only fresh, but tightly wound. Despite a couple lyrical missteps – namely the trite "Nothing It Can't Do" – Kalenze writes succinct words for his equally succinct music.

How Kalenze gets away without sounding like a White Guy Playing The Blues will likely remain his secret, but it probably has something to do with simply being himself. There's no affected Southern accent, no 12-bar lament about his middle-class lifestyle, just these well-mannered, well-written songs recorded in his basement.

Self Defense will be released exclusively online in digital form ("except by extra special request," according to the Gawker Slowdown Web site), which is kind of a shame. An old, crackly record would serve these songs well, but what can you do? Some artists are before their time, and some are after. There's something to be said for the latter.

Gawker Slowdown is Eric Kalenze's home-recording project. The former Third Wheel member wrote, performed and recorded all the songs on his new CD, 'Asterisk,' a compilation of praiseworthy tracks with smooth harmonies and fluid music that complement each other like hot fudge and ice cream, rich and delicious. Kalenze's influences intersect on 'Asterisk' to create a sweet--daresay, almost fresh--sound. The first track, 'Asterisk Pt 1' is jazzy with an underlying retro groove. 'Even the Strongest Steel' is reminiscent of the Jayhawks. And Kalenze draws on Bob Dylan's storytelling quality in 'Behind the Glass.' A twangy blend of country and pop, 'Red-Haired Girl' is a charming tale of butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling of love. The most notable, and beautiful, track is 'Kiss In Black & White.' The combination of acoustic guitar and keyboard feels dreamy and nostalgic, and when Kalenze sings, 'I'll be Monty Clift/You can be Liz Taylor and tell me everything's all right,' it's evocative of old Hollywood glamour. The CD's last track, 'Asterisk Pt 2,' picks up where 'Asterisk Pt 1' left off. But like the first track, it--and all of 'Asterisk,' for that matter--ends far too soon.

Not a person, nor a band for that matter, Gawker Slowdown is more a vision of sorts for Eric Kalenze (former front man for Minneapolis band Third Wheel). The end result is a culmination of styles that when blended offer a unique brand of Americana music. Flavors of 1970's pop, rock, country and folk abound in this adventurous project. Fans of artists such as Gus Black, Jason Mraz, Ryan Adams and other such artists will find Gawker Slowdown a memorable and pleasant experience. Melodic music with substance and inventive lyrics that showcase the Eric Kalenze's talent.

If there is one drawback to Asterisk it is that there are a number of songs that sound musically similar. That doesn't mean Gawker Slowdown hasn't created a memorable work, when Asterisk shines it is extraordinary, and it shines a lot. The laid back vocals suit the sound well as they add to the overall flow. Glimpses of true passion and inward energy prove that Gawker Slowdown, if continued evolution occurs, will be sure to be a cult hit and entice fans from across the musical board to join in the sound.

The eleven song trek paints a musical landscape that is utterly enjoyable, and at times thought provoking. Stylishly chic lyrics presented over a musically vast canvas, music that only goes to prove Eric Kalenze is a true artist. I welcome the prospect of more albums to follow this, I can see a pattern arising that could prove to be some of the best concept music done in the modern age. A pseudo poet that will refuse to be overshadowed by any singer-songwriters active. Asterisk from Gawker Slowdown can surely hold it's own.

There are a few immediately memorable tracks that will keep you coming back. "Even The Strongest Steel", "Kiss In Black and White" and "Behind The Glass" are three songs that could find themselves on Americana, progressive country, and adult contemporary stations alike. An impressive offering that holds you, not the best CD on the market, but certainly worth the purchase price.

( 4.5 Stars out of 6 )

Another new disc that's a sweet charmer, Gawker Slowdown's "Asterisk," is being touted Saturday at the Acadia Theater with Dan Israel and others (8 p.m.). The "band" is actually one guy, Eric Kalenze, who made the album Westerberg-style in his basement -- and not to mention with a playful riff on the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" in his song "The Saint Pauls." Kalenze's best stuff is downbeat love songs such as the Elliott Smith soundalike "Further," but the more upbeat "Red-Haired Girl" also shows he's a solid pop-rocker. Even without a real band.

Eric Kalenze is an unusual man. In a city of several million, the odds are better than decent that he’s the only person to be simultaneously acting as a high school English teacher, a football coach, and a fully self-contained one-man rock band. More unusual than that, possibly, he may be the only person in North America to own a 4-track recorder and actually do something productive with it.

I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m willing to guess that maybe one third of the people who consider themselves rock musicians own a 4-track. It’s a rite of passage—first you get a guitar and learn to play it, maybe start a band, and then you show the world you’re getting serious about the songwriting thing by plunking down a few hundred bucks for a four-track recorder. Sadly, the vast majority of them either sit around gathering dust, or are used to create hours and hours of turgid, badly-mixed crimes against music (to drop a personal example, my own 4-track has been boxed up for the past year or so, ever since I realized just how catastrophically stupid my master plan to do a keyboards-and-acoustic-guitar recreation of Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne was).

So three cheers for Eric Kalenze. While everyone else is using their home recording gear to add their own twist to “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” Kalenze is holing up in his basement and laying down, under the nom de rock Gawker Slowdown, some of the most accomplished, chilled-out rock in the Twin Cities.

I have a space in the basement that’s about as big as from here to the Heinz bottle on the next table,” Kalenze explained to me, gesturing around a booth in a south Minneapolis bar. “In the corner, I have my amp. I have just one electric amp sitting on a chair ... The 4-track sits right next to that, and then there are assorted guitars and a table with all kinds of shit on it. I’m a very messy worker.”

Some shockingly well-put-together music comes out of this claustrophobic space. Kalenze’s newest Gawker Slowdown record, Asterisk, is polished and confident, full of chilled-out songs with an uncanny sense of space. The songs flow wonderfully, with a delicate interweave of light guitar and keyboard parts. The overall feel is just a bit like the Jayhawks’ most recent album, Rainy Day Music; augmenting this, Kalenze’s singing voice is somewhat reminiscent of that of Jayhawks co-singer Tim O’Reagan.

The songs come together slowly, built up in snatches when Kalenze can squeeze out a few hours for musical work. As he explained, “everything that I’m doing, I do it on weekend nights, mostly. And whenever I have significant breaks from school, like a four-day weekend or more. After all the kids are asleep and my wife ... I’ll reserve nights where it’s like I’m going down, and I have no idea when I’m coming up. So midnight to four might be one session, and I’ll get one guitar part done. So every song might come together over the course of a month, working for a few hours at a time. And obsessing like crazy in between.”.

Kalenze hasn’t always been such a lone wolf. During the mid nineties, he was the primary songwriter for the band Third Wheel. The group made quite a bit of headway, edging into the upper strata of Twin Cities bar bands. But, while he loved working with the other members of Third Wheel, the grind of moving a band forward in the scene grated on Kalenze.

Honestly, as much as I love those guys, this works so much better for who I am now,” he said. “I couldn’t be in a band any more. It has nothing to do with them; it’s more the scene, you know? When you’re in a band and the four of you make a record, and pour money into it, you’ve got to get shows. And to get shows, you’ve got to be out, even when you’re not playing shows. And then you’ve got to rehearse ... and all that just would not work with who I am now. And all of those guys are married and starting families, too.”

After a band member took a job out of town, Third Wheel hung it up and Kalenze decided to record by himself, mainly for his own amusement. Bringing out songs that he’d always thought the other Third Wheelers would have found “too different, too soft, too wussy,” he put together the first Gawker Slowdown record. After getting positive feedback from friends who heard the album, he went back into the basement and worked up some more material. Wanting to play live but not wanting to go through the hassle of assembling a full band and grubbing for club shows, he started playing solo acoustic shows at coffee shops.
Doing all of this for his own gratification, instead of with the hopes of signing with a major and rocking for a living, Kalenze is free to enjoy the Gawker Slowdown ride as it happens. “I’m not shooting for anything,” he said. “I don’t get hurt if nobody shows up at the coffeehouse on Saturday night. I still have a jones to play live, but I’m not trying to amass a fan base or anything.”

In the end, we all win. Kalenze gets to satisfy his urge to create and perform music without a lot of pressure hanging over him. The rest of us get to enjoy thoughtful, melodic music. And the 4-track recorder industry gets to rest easy knowing that at least one guy in Minneapolis is using their product for something other than reinterpreting AC/DC.

I suppose pop-infused country music has its merits. Even if you find it artificial and unbelievably commercial, it still represents the mixing and mingling of different instruments, rhythms and visions, and thus another stage in the evolution of music. And that’s a good thing, right?

But whatever happened to pure country? The kind that leads your mind down hot and hazy dirt roads. That kind that makes you think about ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends you haven’t thought about in ages. The kind that makes you jump behind the wheel and take a long drive to nowhere.

The Minneapolis band Gawker Slowdown handily captures this essence of pure country. Each track on Will Work for Love is strong and sturdy, reliant on gentle guitar strumming, a subtle drum, and a lamenting harmonica. The album title is also telling of the work’s general mood – bittersweet desperation that one actually enjoys wallowing in, whether they’ll admit it or not.

I’d compare Will Work for Love to the music of country darling Kelly Willis, who portrays a similar honesty in her lyrics and musical mentality, but with a breathy twang. Gawker Slowdown’s vocals on the other hand are rawer, fresher, and just gritty enough to keep you trudging down that ol’ dirt road.

Granted there must be countless homegrown troubabors slugging it away for free in the coffeehouse leagues these days and self-releasing CD-R's, but I have a hard time imagining many are as good as Eric Kalenze (former front man for Minneapolis power poppers Third Wheel). His new project (self-described as "songs from a Minneapolis basement") has yielded two records of remarkable quality so far (with a third due in February). Despite Gawker's home-recorded origins the resultant records are surprisingly slick and polished endeavors, the kind of comfortably classic and 'adult' rock practiced by Freedy Johnston and Ron Sexsmith. This is great music and deserves a much wider audience. It's discoveries like Gawker Slowdown that remind me I've still only scratched the surface of how much talent is floating under the radar in the area.

It is easy to get confused at the start of the song, with a speech sample and keyboard sound. However, after a few seconds, what becomes clear is that this is a lovely trip into relaxing music. It could be labeled as pop, country, folk, whatever, but it is individual enough to stand up on its own.
First, the music; it is simply beautiful, with a basic acoustic rhythm driving the song. Contrasting against the rhythm, being picked on the guitar, is a reggae style chord strum in the background. Then the song builds further as nice, soft keyboards are introduced for the chorus. The bass is relatively low in the mix but is audible enough to matter.
The song becomes even better when the lead guitar comes in near the end, playing nice overlaid melodies.
Musically this song does not have any faults, and there is little or nothing required to improve it.
Vocally, the song is very well sung, suiting the music beautifully. There is only one minor comment - although I assume it is intentional, the vocals have effects, which make them high treble, low bass. Undoubtedly this was done to synthesize the phonographic sound of the Liz Taylor era; however, this could have been limited to a signature line. For if the song were sung with no or very little effects on the vocals I am sure this would be an improvement. There is no need to hide such a good voice behind effects.
Another good thing about this song is that each time you listen to it you notice another instrument/sound effect. If you are into relaxing guitar based pop it does not come much better than this.
The only thing that stops this getting an even higher score is the introduction, which did not seem to fit. I'm off to go and download some other songs by Gawker Slowdown.

“Further” by Gawker Slowdown starts with a young child’s happy squeaks juxtaposed against an acoustic melody and lyrics which reminisce about a carefree life left behind. The singer tells us that we may think he misses his former “wild” days - observing him in his new domestic role – but nothing could be “further from the truth”.

I enjoyed the sparseness of this song. It has a distinct Neil Young flavor that is appealing – albeit idiosyncratic. The scat in the middle of the song reminded me of the Eagles' song “Lying Eyes”. The lyric of this song is well put together – doesn’t give too much away. You get the idea but you’re never sure exactly what “skeletons” this guy has left behind. Lines such as “Front step cigarettes don’t taste the same as they did back then” reveal a song writer with some flare.

The tune has a raw sound. The intro is too long (43 seconds). The song writing is “Dylanish”. The voice has that Neil Young inscrutable quality that you either love or hate. This song would be a nice album filler but I don’t think it has a lot of commercial potential. It’s the kind of song that you would listen to because you were already a “fan” of Gawker Slowdown.

Gawker Slowdown’s acoustic country-tinted indie-rock immediately calls to mind longtime critical favorites the Pernice Brothers in its earnest lyricism, sweet vocals and love-themed song plots. Even those who typically steer clear of these kind of tunes in favor of rougher-edged material would do well to check out Gawker Slowdown, as Will Work For Love is an undeniably enjoyable listren regardless of any incoming anti-alt. country biases. Eric Kalenze, formerly of Twin Cities’ power-pop outfit Third Wheel proves he’s got impressive singer-songwriter chops.

You know how you dread having a friend shove a CD-R in your face and saying, "This is my band, let me know what you think!" The fact that the recording is probably bad, the vocals unlistenable and the drums recorded way too crappy all contribute to that dread. You think about how you'll have to be diplomatic and somehow spin your criticisms to sound positive.
But then you listen to the recording, and you don't have to worry, because the songs are good. This is 'Will Work For Love.'
Gawker is one person sitting in his Northeast Minneapolis basement penning pretty alt country ballads, complete with nifty guitar picking and smooth vocal harmonies. Eric Kalenze's second Gawker effort is good and shows real potential. Kalenze, a mild veteran of the Twin Cities club circuit--he used to be in the band Third Wheel--decided to slow things down a bit and grab from his mellower influences for his latest effort. The album's opener, "How Good It Is When It's Good," sets the record in nice, carefree motion with Kalenze bringing the song together with a comfortable guitar, sweet harmonica and his soft voice. It's a nice short song, assuring the listener that the rest of the cuts will be just as easy on the ears.
Songs like "Gardenkeeper" keep the album floating along. The lyrics are strong, the songs are mixed well and the obvious sense of melody suggest a professional approach to songwriting which many self-released albums lack.
The best part of the record is the variety of songs. While they all revolve around common themes (namely love, marriage, love lost, etc.) the songs do not get tired or rutty. Every song on this record is about love, which is why 'Will Work for Love's very listenability is so impressive. Clearly for Kalenze, making a worthwhile album is easy work.

The liner notes to Gawker Slowdown’s self-titles release are virtually non-existent, so this review is going to operate under several assumptions. First assumption, Gawker Slowdown is actually just one guy adopting a band name. Second, this is his debut. Third, he played everything.
The first two songs on the album show Gawker as a balladeer. “Unlucky Thirteen” is in the vein of early 70s countryish songwriters like John Prine. But at the same time, some of the chord changes are reminiscent of Ben Folds. This is a surprise. Odd chords are what you’re supposed to play on the piano, but on guitar, it’s an oddity outside the world of jazz. Gawker Slowdown does a good job of blending the two. “Bruised, Better Off” continues in this vein.
Most of the songs on this release show Gawker Slowdown is well-versed in the classic sounds of Americana. “If the River Come” is a perfect example of this. It echoes recordings like Beggars Banquet by the Rolling Stones and One Foot in the Grave by Beck. He is obviously playing in an open tuning, and in addition to playing with the fingers on his left hand (see the Stones’ “Prodigal Son”), he also uses a slide which adds a lot to the recording. The subject matter of this song also is a perfect example of the style. (hint: if the name doesn’t give it away, the tune is about flooding) Coming after two of the best songs on the recording, “If the River Come” blows both of those away, and Gawker keeps the hits a-coming.
This recording is generally good. A few of the songs (especially toward the end) drag a little, but you can’t beat the first three, and throughout the album there are great songs. “Damn Sure” and “Thumb,” both from the last half of the album are two standouts. “Thumb” especially shows good folky harmonica, which doesn’t show up on most of the album.
Really the only problem with the recording is the style of some of the songs. A few of them sound like Ryan Adams’ songs with the Pinkhearts. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but they don’t really fit with the rest. I have to recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of Americana. It’s as good as anything else out there, and if you like the Pinkhearts stuff, that’s a bonus.