Matt King is one intense cat. He could be the life size embodiment of a leprechaun, one with an array of tats, or maybe he could be a stylized character from Clockwork Orange. Either way, there is some magic going on here. After years in the belly of the music biz beast, he emerges somehow with his sense of self intact. And with something to say, with his new band, The Cutters, with which to say it. He writes stone cold sober looks at America. He delivers them with a Texas-centric bent. Yes, in essence, you could dance to it, even though the subject matter is anything but danceable. As he says, "So, here I am, with this rock record called “Rube” that has all the trappings of rural life trying to keep the margins of society glued together, lacking songs that make people want to screw but will likely cause a fist fight or religious debate and I wouldn’t change a thing." He has been toggling between Nashville and Austin, but his yo-yo days may be through, as he looks to anchor amongst the like-minded free spirits in the Austin area.
There are two new Matt King CDs out, Matt King and The Cutters, and Raw, both released last month. As was my cowbell wrap up post from SXSW, if you will remember, where I mentioned someone took the stage with a cowbell during Matt's set. Here comes the video of it! You will find the song "Silvertone" on the CD Rube.
-Jessie Scott
