Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings

The familiar and likable sound of Andy Hawk and his Train Wreck Endings makes a welcome return in the form of this, the band’s third studio album. Managing to combine rockabilly, folk and blues in equal measure, all the ingredients that made their previous releases such a success are all here in abundance. Hawk’s ever so slightly flawed vocals are more than complemented by a band that sounds like it could have been plucked straight from Bourbon Street. The somewhat slow and thoughtful "Baltimore" opens proceedings before the heavy blues sound of "Down So Long" provides a chipper interlude, despite the dark theme. "Another Storyline" has a summary feel to it with its to-tapping chords and pleasant harmonies thanks to the backing vocals of Emma Rowley and the marching beat of "Sunshine Street" reaches a crescendo of guitar and banjo as the song lives up to its positively named title. Like most of Hawk’s work to date It’s not all stomping anthems and sing-along lyrics, "Icicle in the Sun" mourns the passing of a good friend and is a fitting tribute.
With many bands that put themselves in the folk-rock and blues category the music can become samey and repetitive. This release, like the previous two does a great job of stepping aside from the rest and illustrates what can be achieved thanks to some great song writing and top class musicianship. - Hubbub UK

Six albums down the line and you get the feeling that Andy Hawk felt he needed a different angle on the straight down the line Americana that he does so well but was starting to stifle his creative juices. The result skips gently around a variety of styles while staying true to its roots. This is no small achievement and is achieved largely due to its subject matter - the great American road trip. To call this a concept album would be wide of the mark, what he does is take the listener on a captivating ride around the land of hope and glory.

As the opener and title track kicks in Hawks world weary, seen it all voice hints at Ray Wylie Hubbard and Ramblin' Jack Elliot before levelling out to a mere two pack habit drawl. Some of his insights into life on the road are startling, backed up by the multi talented Steve DeVries on tracks like New Orleans and Lipstick and Dynamite. Even the melodies and choice of instruments seem to emphasise every sentiment, such as the way the soaring slide guitar on 'You Could Be My Lois Lane' echoes the man of steel.

An all-American quality seeps through Hawks' production from the deep, gutsy acoustic and lead guitars that scream southern fried rawk n roll to the sax and mandolins that offer a more well travelled vibe, the honky tonk piano of 'Wheel Like The Wind' and the Latin beats and flamenco arrangements as we are invited to Cuba on 'Welcome To Havana, Mr Hemingway'.

Towards the end when Hawk arrives back in 'My Old Hometown' in sombre mood and mourns, "The saddest smile I ever saw, It cracks your wanderlust to pocketfuls of dust", he has a brief identity crisis, before the irresistible 'Blue Rendezvous' gets feet tapping mountain style with DeVries dobro taking centre stage.

This album is a road trip taken on a roller coaster and every twist and turn is a thrill. The listener is invited to embark and arrive wherever they choose and on their own terms, but is left in no doubt that 'Another Roadside Attraction' is all about the journey.



Date review added: Saturday, July 17, 2010
Reviewer: Tim Merricks
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link: andyhawk
- AmericanaUK

By Andy Belt
With the proliferation of home recording computer programs, recorded artistic expression is no longer limited to musicians who can afford pricey studio time. Singer-song writer, Andy Hawk is an artist whose home recordings have enabled him to document his fourth CD of homegrown musical creativity. Hawk, a former writer, turned teacher, turned part-time musician, now perfects his musical craft in Hamilton, Virginia, after squatting in towns like Frederick, Federal Hill, Columbus, Ohio, and originally Kittanning, Pennsylvania.

Hawk’s latest CD, "Here It Is" features Hawk with a variety of musical guests. Hawk’s vocal style is raw and expressive and reflects hints of the Replacements with the heavy presence of the Beatles. His song writing mixes simple melody with well-crafted lyrical expression. His lyrics are simplistic in that no dictionary or classical literary training is required to enjoy them, but the message is multi-layered and worth the effort in peeling down the layers.

"Here It Is" presents stripped down instrumentation with acoustic guitar being the primary instrument. On a few tracks Hawk is joined by a full accompaniment of musicians that compliments his vocals well. Tracks such as “Tomorrow Is Today”, “Sorrow Floats”, and “Water Song” illustrate Hawk’s ability to mesh with a full band and reveals an avenue he might want to explore further. The blues track “Visit From Love” is a toe-tapping hoot that has a “Dylanesque”- Highway 61 feel that rocks like nothing else on the CD.

"Here It Is" is a creative musical pleasure that we don’t have to wait to be discovered by a big label for us to enjoy. If Andy Hawk’s Hamilton, Virginia, studio keeps cranking out the music, I’ll keep listening. Andy Hawk can be seen live in and around the Leesburg, Virginia, area. "Here It Is", along with Hawk’s previously released CDs "moth crazy", "Something Farther Away", and "Chasing the Sun" can be found on iTunes, and at cdbaby.com.
(June 24, 2008)
- The Baltimore Examiner

Andy Hawk is very hard to classify. There are definite elements of Van Morrison, Joe Cocker and Blue Rodeo in there, all rolled up into a sweeping Americana sound. Here It Is is a very mature and thoughtful collection of songs that make great listening for the coming quiet summer evenings.

The title track is one of the true highlights here, sounding like something right out of Blue Rodeo's catalog. Awkwardly At Easy is a lilting little rocker that will get your feet moving. I also enjoyed Visit From Love, Sunshine Water Dance and The Hours and The Days.

All in all, Here It Is is a very solid effort. The musicianship here is top-notch, and the songwriting is informed by thoughtful lyrics and catchy melodies. Depending on your mood and likes, Here It Is may be just a bit on the mellow side for some, but I thought the overall effect was outstanding

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

Posted by Wildy at 10:41 PM
(June 16, 2008) - Wildy's World

When Virginia’s Andy Hawk released his fourth solo album (Here It Is) last year, he’d begun a shift from pure pop to a Dylanesque Americana sound. With his new album, called Tin Can Town – and the first with his band The Train Wreck Endings – Hawk and Co. find themselves fully transitioned and better for it.

Imagine mid-‘60s Bob Dylan fronting the Old 97s and you get the idea.

Hawk’s songwriting has never been stronger as he takes us on a journey through neighborhood bars and late-night diners and we come out the other side intact and glad for the trip.

The album opens with “Think Too Much”, a mandolin-driven piece of barstool philosophy where the protagonist is “misty eyed and true and tried, alone with all I fear / I can’t go back or forward while I’m here.” This uptempo track belies its serious content, like someone hiding their pain behind a joke.

This leads right into the title track, one that speaks to anyone who’s felt stuck in a hometown rut (most of us?), and the striking “Break Free” a yearning ballad driven by guest guitarist Anthony Schneck’s acoustic slide guitar that would have made George Harrison proud.

The rest of the CD features some straight blues right out of Blonde on Blonde-era Dylan (“Pitchy & Time-Erratic Blues), a Sun Studio and Jack Kerouac homage called “Real Gone Girl” that sounds like a road trip in progress, a ghost-town saloon of a song called “Tombstone” that’ll make you swear you just saw a tumbleweed, and a quick return to Hawk’s old pop roots with “I Never Thought to Ask”. He also digs into his back catalog to update a few older gems, using the strengths of the band to give the songs fresh legs (“Ferris Wheel”, “Maybe Someday”, and “Symphony of 2 a.m.).

Closing the album is the loosey goosy “The Last Two in the Bar”. It sounds like it was recorded at last call – and it brings the project full circle, from the first mandolin strums of “Think Too Much” to the boozy rationalization of “Maybe it’s not perfect love, but for now it might just be enough…’cause we’re the last two in the bar.”

Tin Can Town brings all these elements together into a tight romp of a record. Hawk has assembled quite a band, and the individual talents of its members bring many positives to Hawk’s sharp lyrics and accessible melodies.

Chuck Bordelon provides inventive bass, and Branden Hickman is solid on drums. On lead guitar, Hawk picked up Gary Rudinsky, an old-time rocker who was an original member of the long-ago Ohio band The Human Beinz, who scored a minor hit in the 1968 with “Nobody But Me”. Steve DeVries, a multi-instrumentalist, filled the CD with mandolin, banjo, harmonica, and piano.

Guests included Schneck on guitar, Shawn Heming of Black Friday on backing vocals and mandolin, and Kurt Deemer and Steve Rose of Vulgaria on guitar and drums, respectively.

Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings play all over the Baltimore/Washington area, and they now have a CD to plug that should gain them many more fans in the coming months.

This album and Hawk’s four others – Moth Crazy (2004), Something Farther Away… (2005), Chasing the Sun (2007), and Here It Is (2008) are available on iTunes and most music download services, at www.cdbaby.com, and on his website at www.andyhawk.com.

- The Baltimore Examiner

Tin Can Town by: Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings
By Author and Vice President: Ben Cokeley Thu, Apr 01, 2010


Euphonious Americana with ease and purpose...

In anticipation of Andy Hawk’s newest release next month, revisiting last year’s Tin Can Town seems appropriate. Here, Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings revive their euphonious Americana with ease and purpose, both characteristics often taken for granted in popular music today. With the classic no-nonsense approach sometimes referred to as, “Don’t bore us – get to the chorus,” Hawk and his boys always keep you at arm's length, stapling themselves to your attention span with a collection of songs that average around three minutes in length.

Commonly compared to Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, Hawk’s songs come catchy and melodious in classic songwriter style. There’s no flash or glamour to this record, just carefree Americana. In fact, the music is much like the man himself. Ask anyone who knows Andy and they’ll tell you he’s an easy-going, come as you are type fellow, and his tunes follow suit. Tracks like the jaunty “Think Too Much,” “Tin Can Town,” and “Real Gone Girl” provide easy rhythms to illustrate uneasy times. Hawk is clearly attracted to themes of longing, lost hope, and alcohol-induced therapy with this record. Many of his songs could easily become Raymond Carver stories.

“Break Free,” a ditty of lost love, slows the tempo with a melody reminiscent of one of those popular Eric Clapton ballads (think “Wonderful Tonight”). And speaking of white guys that play the blues, “Pitchy & Time-erratic Blues” shows that Andy and the Train Wreck Endings can pull their weight in that department as well. A highlight of the album, this flavorful track not only showcases the bold craftsmanship of Gary Rudinsky on lead guitar and Chuck Bordelon on bass, but it’s finely balanced with a humorous tale that’s worth a good listen. Other entertaining tales include “Tombstone,” a western ragtime inspired tune that begins, “Here lies Jimmy Parker, hanged by mistake in 1882.” Oh, that Mr. Parker, he had it coming! And of course, “The Last Two in the Bar,” another well-received account of last call love.

Steve DeVries is another Train Wrecker worth mentioning. The handyman of the group, DeVries picks up the slack wherever needed with his expertise on a variety of instruments including mandolin, banjo, and harmonica. Rudinsky’s romantic guitar work in harmony with DeVries’ banjo riff on “Music From Another Room” makes for a subtle serenity that adds another dimension to the album.

What makes a songwriter popular these days? Not usually his lyrics as much as his band. Tin Can Town becomes a marriage between the two; one consistently supplementing the other without ever feeling contrived or irrelevant. One of the greatest thrills of Bob Dylan’s live performance is that he always has an amazing band behind him. Well, like Dylan’s band, the Train Wreck Endings accentuate Hawk’s lyrics and allow him to shine. Check out Tin Can Town, available on Itunes and CDBaby, and keep your eyes open for his upcoming release.
- Magazine 33

I’ve listened to all of Andy Hawk’s albums including his latest release entitled Another Roadside Attraction, which, if you’re counting is his 6th studio effort overall and his 2nd with the Train Wreck Endings. All that music and I still can’t quite pin a genre on him. Above I mention (3) possibilities but even they don’t quite capture the essence that is Andy Hawk. Is “honest” a genre? Because if it is, that’s the word I choose as it best describes not only this latest release but the entire Hawk discography.

All songs tell stories and while some artists can rely solely on their music to tell their tale, others need to marry lyrics with melodies in order to effectively convey their message. Andy Hawk uses both…but he doesn’t have to…and that, my friends, is what separates good song-writing from great song-writing.

“My, My” blends contemporary rock with an upbeat alt-country feel and does so with a delivery that is fluid not forced while “Lipstick & Dynamite” has more of a Texas-blues/honky-tonk flava that makes for a very interesting contrast. The piano accompaniment that starts off and carries through “Wheel Like the Wind” would bring a tear to Jerry Lee Lewis’ eye. In fact I’m pretty sure that Steve Devries was channeling the Killer when he recorded that one! As I listen to the righteous 60's guitar riff paired with the steady rhythmic timbre of the drums in “Ghosts of Summer Sun” I can’t help but get the feeling that I should be chilling out on a beach somewhere right around sunset. This is my point. When you pop in this disc, each track will elicit a unique feeling/response that can only come from honest music performed by a gifted story-teller.

Andy Hawk and Train Wreck Endings deliver another winner with Another Roadside Attraction.

- Drago
- Froglix Radio

Following the bar room tales of Tin Can Town, Virginia’s Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings hit the road for their new release, embarking on something of a road trip for the senses. “Another Road Side Attraction”, is described by Hawk as “a 12 song collection that feels like a car trip around The USA with stops along the way at some of the country's quirkiest freak shows”. Hawk doesn’t describe his vehicle of choice but just listening to the music it would have to be a slightly ageing Chevy with a throaty exhaust and more than the odd story to tell. As with his previous work Hawk’s songs reflect the highs and lows of everyday life and this offering is no different with the mood rising up then dipping down before going up again, like a well worn axel on a road riddled with pot holes. The record gets off to a flying start with the energetic sound of the album’s title track “Another Road Side Attraction”, with references to Strippers on Highway 51, coolers and meeting Elvis the monkey. Songs such as “My My” and “New Orleans” allow the journey to mosey gently round corners whilst the passengers recharge their batteries before the pedal hits the metal once more with “Lipstick and Dynamite”. Despite the quirkiness of the songs there is meaning behind each of them all sung with a superb razor blade like voice and the jazz, blues, folk sound only benefiting and being enhanced by the use of saxophone, electric guitar, piano and keyboards. If you are planning a road trip anytime soon this album should be on the list of essentials, along with the cooler and just ahead of the strippers. - Hubbub UK

By Eileen M. Carlton
Source: Loudoun Times-Mirror
TUESDAY, APRIL 29 2008
Loudoun groups striking chords in music circles: Those who are paying attention know that Loudoun County has become a magnet for the best and the brightest of metropolitan Washington's art world -- whether they be painters, photographers, actors, writers, dancers or musicians.
The secret may be in the very artistic topography of the county itself: a mix of the rolling countryside in the west, the powerful energy of the multitudes in the east, the haunting profiles of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance and the tranquility of the creeks and rivers as they meander through it all.
Regardless, the talent is here and has created a collage of patterns encompassing the far-flung magic of each of these disciplines.
Certainly among the most prominent are the musicians making their mark on the contemporary scene, playing for crowds large and small, at home and far away from home; playing in studios for the sound engineers and producers of CDs; and playing for each other simply because music is an extension of their souls and a reflection of their talent.
Three of these groups are The Woodshedders, Andy Hawk and his band, and Andrew McKnight and his loosely knit group of collaborators and musicians.

Andy Hawk
"Here It Is"
www.andyhawk.com
For those who are of a certain age, Andy Hawk's music might be compared to a gravelly voiced James Taylor, a pensive Arlo Guthrie. What is difficult to imagine until one has listened to Hawk's music is the mellow, complex sounds and thoughts that are uniquely Andy Hawk of Hamilton.
The song titles on "Here It Is" are a dead giveaway that Hawk is charting familiar territory but taking a fresh new path. "Sunshine Waterdance," "Awkwardly at Ease," and "A Moment in a Bar in Nashville (Linsday's Eyes)" evoke both the universal and the surreal. The music does not disappoint.
Those performing on this CD are Hawk on vocals, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, bass, percussion, harmonica, mandolin and water sounds; Marnie Hawk, backing vocals, piano; Gary Rudinsky on electric guitar; Anthony Schneck, electric guitar; Patrick Holbrook, electric guitar, bass, drums; Chuck Bordelon, bass; Sean Cunningham, piano; Kelly Gaitten, backing vocals; Jake Robey, acoustic guitar, vocals, Andy Belt, backing vocals, acoustic guitars, keyboards; and Jon Russo, classical guitar.
Hawk predicted that he would be 80 years old, strumming away in the rocker.
"Writing is something I've done for almost 30 years," he said. "It started as the dark and desperate poetry of a 16-year-old -- I couldn't play a note until my early 20s -- and ultimately led to songwriting. It started off as an almost therapy-like activity. I needed to do it. As I've aged, I've been able to write more for the sake of the song. 'Sunshine Waterdance' is a good example of that."
Hawk indicated he, like the members of The Woodshedders, does not let ego get in the way of the music. When he began putting this CD -- his fourth -- together, he decided to bring in people he believed could play much better than he could.
"I played what I had to, but I knew certain songs needed something I couldn't provide," he explained.
Hawk is not, however, immune to praise, he just prefers it subtle and sincere.
"I am always blown away -- and surprised for some reason -- when someone mentions liking a certain song," he said. "It's hard for me, because I'm so close to it, to see how my stuff and 'real' stuff are the same. It always means a lot when I'm playing out if someone requests an original."
His ultimate goal, surprisingly, is to write songs for other people to sing.
"I think my voice is passable for rock and roll, but it's not great," he said. "I'd love to hear someone with a great voice sing my stuff."
The next CD, Hawk said, will definitely have blue overtones.
"I like that old '50s-sounding stuff like Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry. Great feel to it. Of course, I still feel that the Beatles cannot be touched. They, by far, are my biggest influences."
- The Loudoun Times-Mirror

By Joe Szczechowski - The Wilmington (Del.) Music Examiner (May 24, 2009)
Hawk accurately describes his sound as mid-'60s Bob Dylan singing with the Old '97s. "Tin Can Town" serves up 13 whiskey-soaked slices of folk/blues Americana that recall a night spent with friends at a favorite watering hole. Some of the tunes lend themselves to spontaneous sing-alongs, others will have your toes tapping, and some will cause both.

This is Hamilton, Virginia-based Andy Hawk’s fifth album since 2004, and his second with his band, The Train Wreck Endings. Hawk might look like the high school English teacher he is by day, but judging by the quality of his singing and songwriting, music is much more than a part-time hobby. The Train Wreck Endings - Chuck Bordelon (bass), Steve DeVries (mandolin, banjo, harmonica, backing vocals) Branden Hickman (drums) and Gary Rudinsky (lead guitar, backing vocals) provide strong support throughout.

The album kicks off with “Think Too Much,” a bright, catchy tune driven by DeVries’ mandolin playing. Hawk pairs introspective lyrics about a lost relationship to a bouncy melody:

“It's 3 a.m. and I can't help but wonder what went wrong/
Though I fill my glass, it looks half-empty to me/
I'm misty eyed and true and tried, alone with all I fear/
I can't go back or forward while I'm here”

The title track is one of the album’s most “Dylan-esque” tracks, with Hawk relating a tale of small town life in a rough-around-the-edges vocal.

“Maybe Someday” is a contagious piece of pop perfection, with a hint of Rubber Soul Beatles added for good measure, while the equally catchy “Real Gone Girl” amps up the country flavor. Hawk again acknowledges his Beatles/Dylan influences on mid-tempo acoustic tracks like “Music From Another Room,” “I Never Thought To Ask,” and “Ferris Wheel” – the latter featuring a tasty guitar solo from Rudinsky. The album comes full circle thematically and returns to the bar for the closing track, the lighthearted “The Last Two In The Bar.”

There a few minor missteps on Tin Can Town – weak lyrics spoil “Good Night,” and “Pitchy & Time-Erratic Blues,” and the latter tune seems out-of-place stylistically on the album. But overall, Tin Can Town is a remarkably strong independent effort that compares favorably to major label releases in the genre. You can purchase a copy, as well as Andy Hawk’s other albums through iTunes, or at CD Baby.

For complete up-to-date information, visit Hawk’s website: www.andyhawk.com
- Wilmington (Del.) Music Examiner