Bucktown Kickback

“Founded three years ago in Columbus, BTKB slide easily from Bluegrass to Country to a rootsy Americana at the drop of a wide-brimmed hat...The quintet received great regional notice for their recently released debut full-length, SPEAKEASY. The Country palette of the Grateful Dead, the Roots Pop spark of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.” - CityBeat

"I can imagine Bucktown Kickback (BTKB to their friends) playing the in the corner of your local indie coffee house while all the beatnik posers tap their feet to the music, secretly diggng it. BTKB brings all the old time bluegrass and roots music elements like banjos, mandolins, upright bass, lap steel, into the 21st century. Like good alt.country, the songs sound like something written last week instead of two centrueis ago. Unlike most alt.country which tends to sound angsty and gritty, BTKB, is fundamentally upbeat, happy, and light without seeming too sweet and sappy. The simple song arrangements bring out the best of every instrument in the band and showcase the band's good-natured-yet-world-wise lyrics..." - TapRootRadio.com

"Formed in the summer of 2002, the group has been a steady presence on the local and regional club circuit, honing already impressive skills. The album is an excellent collection of 15 down-home originals that blur the line between bluegrass, folk, pop and boozy country-blues. Echoes of the Grateful Dead's Workingman's Dead, John Prine and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band run throughout Speakeasy, but the group is smart enough to take those as starting points." - The Columbus Distpatch

"...Drawing from a wellspring of inspirational sources ranging from bluegrass to Dixieland, the five-piece outfit has been churning out pleasantly eclectic rustic sounds for about three years..." - The Alive

"This is an alt-bluegrass band from central Ohio. We have seen them live, and enjoyed them very much (and the show was free, yet better than most $50-per-ticket acts floating around). As we heard them play, many bands came to mind, such as the Flying Burrito Brothers, Dillard and Clark, Railroad Earth, and of course the Byrds. David swore that about three of their songs had similar chords to "Train Leaves Here This Morning," by Dillard and Clark (and the Eagles). Either way, check them out, since they play creative original Americana tunes." - byrdsnet.com

"Bucktown Kickback is een bandje dat je moet beleven in een volle dorpskroeg. Ja, het complete clich?beeld met verschraald bier en sigarettendamp. Want uiteindelijk is dat wat na een avond feestmuziek resteert, wanneer de band de instrumenten inlaadt in een oude bestelbus en de laatste klant zijn hoofd te ruste heeft gelegd op de bar. De bandleden van Bucktown Kickback hebben die avond pakweg vijftien cd?s verkocht, een record. Het is dan ook het favoriete kroegbandje in Columbus, Ohio, en omgeving. Na de talrijke optredens vonden ze de tijd rijp voor de opnamen van een cd, getiteld Speakeasy (eigen beheer). Het vijftal doet op een rootsliedje als Meta denken aan een band als Frog Holler, maar neigt vaker naar bluegrass, mede door de samenzang. Rootsinstrumenten als gitaren, mandoline, banjo en plukbas vormen dan ook de ingredi?nten voor de vijftien, gevarieerde levensliedjes qua tempo en muzikale invulling. Wat is er mooier dan vissen met je meisje, zingt de band. Ik heb het nooit gedaan, maar geloof ze meteen. Niet dat het altijd goed afloopt. Want als je lief je dropt voelt dat als een Punch In The Nose of kun je alleen nog maar treuren en terugverlangen (Since You Been Gone). En voel je je slecht, dan kun je altijd nog dromen (Meta). Zo bezingt Bucktown Kickback op aardige wijze het wereldje van jou en mij."
- Bart Ebisch
- altcountry.nl

“The 15-track album is characterized by subtle variations on the standard alternative-country template – all warm melodies, sparsely arranged, and gentle harmonies dressing the plaintive lyrics…Notable flourishes abound on SPEAKEASY which is innovative without sacrificing cohesion. Bluegrass creeps in on 'Since You Been Gone' and the instrumental stomp 'Big Sand Furnace', and jazzy bass work under-girds 'Punch In The Nose,' a languid, swampy triumph.” - The Sentinel-Tribune

“The landscape of Speakeasy is a rich, open countryside, ambitious with the troubadourian spirit of old-country…Bucktown Kickback tread familiar ground with their signature footprint. From the nostalgic yearn of “A Girl Like You” to the swift gallop of “Meta” this repertoire of American folklore is flawless.” - Ryan Hoffer, A&R / Shut Eye Records and Agency