East Cameron Folkcore don’t waste any time making their message plain on their newest release For Sale (out today). The picture that graces the record’s cover is the state capitol set against a deep azure sky with a “for sale” sign in the foreground. The album begins, not with music, but with audio of Mario Savio’s famous “Bodies Upon the Gears” speech. It’s an honest, un-ironic lob across the political bow from the 11-piece folk-rock collective, and a welcome one in a time in which a lot of bands are more willing to give you a wink and a smirk than a stiff belt to the jaw.
This isn’t the band’s first song of the day. Just over a year ago, we featured the song “Hollow Men” from their 2011 debut full-length Sound and Fury, and chronicled East Cameron Folkcore’s birth out of the tragic dissolution of frontman Jesse Moore’s previous band Bankrupt And The Borrowers following the 2009 death of founding member John Pettis. The band’s been in perpetual motion since last January. They released an EP called The Sun Also Rises last May that showcased a bit more of the band’s punkier approach to folk-rock. The band’s live show continues to be one of the best ones in Austin. Their heartfelt performances never fail to make you feel like you’re one of the band.
East Cameron Folkcore recently brought a little bit of that live energy to Studio 1A. They also gave us a preview of a few tunes off For Sale, including today’s song of the day “Salinger Is Dead.” There’s a looseness to their performance that only amplifies the smoldering intensity of the minor-key ballad. It feels less like a band running through a tune by rote, and more like a group of friends playing together. They give every note their all. That’s what makes East Cameron Folkcore so special, they’re unafraid to give you every ounce of feeling.
East Cameron Folkcore (along with The Mockingbird Loyals and Possessed By Paul James) plays the Scottish Rite Theater this Friday (Feb. 8) to celebrate For Sale‘s release.
