Cashes Rivers

*published in May edition of the magazine only * - Alternative Press Magazine

Cashes Rivers- Atoms was featured in podcast Talk of Iowa as one of the Best of Music 2010 - Iowa Public Radio

Every once in awhile a song comes around with so much lyrical power, so much raw emotion, that it almost has to be hidden on the back side of an album to prevent people from being scared away. An example off the top of my head; Korn’s “Daddy” off of their self-titled debut, the emotions in that band were real for at least a few years. Another good example, would be Weezer’s “Only In Dreams” on the Blue Album.

Cashes Rivers follows in the footsteps, by releasing his own self-titled debut album in October. With a sound miles away from Korn, btw. ”Quite A Change” is a fitting end to his debut; Cashes Rivers explores all forms of emotion on this one. But the stand outs like “Quite A Change” and “As I Drift”, showcase what Cashes is capable off…like a Broken Social Scene b-side, which should have been included on the album. - Scented Vinyl

Cashes Rivers "Cashes Rivers" (41%, 1,703 Votes)
Dave Beck "Stranger Homes" (35%, 1,448 Votes)
The Superions "Destination ... Christmas!" (15%, 617 Votes)
The Sainte Catherines "Fire Works" (3%, 120 Votes)
Warpaint "The Fool" (1%, 38 Votes)
Bryan Ferry "Olympia" (1%, 32 Votes)
Sorry No Ferrari "Ternary" (1%, 30 Votes)
The War On Drugs "Future Weather" (1%, 30 Votes)
El Boy Die "Black Hawk Ladies & Tambourins" (1%, 28 Votes)
Paleo "A View Of The Sky" (1%, 26 Votes)
Avery Tare "Down There" (0%, 19 Votes)
The Octopus Project "Hexadecagon" (0%, 10 Votes)
Sun Airway "Nocturne Of Exploded Crystal Chandelier" (0%, 9 Votes)
Small Black "New Chain" (0%, 9 Votes)
Atlantic/Pacific "Meet Your New Love" (0%, 9 Votes)
Kermit Ruffins "Happy Talk" (0%, 7 Votes)
William Orbit "Pieces In A Modern Style 2" (0%, 7 Votes)
Deluka "You Are The Night" (0%, 7 Votes)
Wolf & Cub "Science & Sorcery" (0%, 7 Votes)
Parallels "Visionaries" (0%, 5 Votes)
Juliette Commagere "The Procession" (0%, 5 Votes)
Keller Williams "Kids" (0%, 5 Votes)
- Magnet Magazine

Yet another of those one-man bands with a name that is not the name of the artist. As is common with this species, the music is intricate, eccentric and often breathtaking. I don't know what it is about folks who refuse to record under their own names, but that extra level of detachment does seem to add a layer or few of quality.

Or maybe it's just that "Cashes Rivers" sounds cooler than Matthew Garcia. I dunno. In any case, Garcia plays an epochal style of jangle pop. He dumps all sorts of sounds on top of this simple core, but more extra instruments than noise or samples or such. A kick-ass riff at an unexpected moment, for example. Or simply an extra guitar when an extra bit of ringing would be nice.

I love the sound Garcia gets here. It's full, but rounded enough to provide a lush backing to his songs. The sharp edges are in the lyrics. These songs sound as fresh and tossed off as Matthew Sweet's stuff, though Garcia's songs do have a bit more polish.

Quite a remarkable album. I haven't heard anything this self-possessed in a while. Matthew Garcia can call himself anything he likes as long as he makes albums like this.
- Aidabet

aniele says: This is a Des Moines folk-rock band that I heard about through a friend. I listened to one song on Cashes Rivers' MySpace page before I even got the album in the mail, and I knew I'd love it. The band is the brainchild of Matthew Garcia, who got the band name from an unused baby name of a friend. The eponymous album was released on Oct. 26, and in Iowa the band is getting some positive reactions and has shared the staged with bands such as The Annuals and The Academy Is.... Some of the tracks reminded me of Travis, and this particular one reminded me of Conor Oberst and Rufus Wainwright, which wholeheartedly excites me. It's a quick track, clocking in at a little over two minutes, but in those glorious two minutes, you get a taste of the talent that backs and fronts this band. Now all we have to do is figure out a way to get Mr. Garcia out of Des Moines to Cincinnati to play a live show. - Cincinnati Metromix

"The album's intro track "As I Drift" carries the theme of the album's message in both style and in the song's lyrics "We can talk about it or we can shout about it" Feeling no need to conform to a certain sound, the indie rock album bounces from soft melodies, insistent vocals and noisy guitars, blending youthful angst with melancholy misery. The balance and lyrical susbstance creates an emotional, yet highly accessible album reminiscent of Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens and Neutral Milk Hotel.

Though new to the local music scene, Cashes Rivers, is the forerunner to put Iowa on the map of the national indie scene with the Cashes Rivers LP. Fresh off shows with Tim Kasher and Tokyo Police Club, the band will be headling southeast for a string of tour dates that will conclude in a show with The Love Language in North Carolina." - YellowBrick Indie Music Press

When I first heard indie folk act Cashes Rivers at 2009’s Gross Domestic Product, I mistakenly left without buying their debut EP, The Trees Will Clap For Us, and spent the next two weeks desperately searching for a way to listen to them on my iPhone while waiting for my CD with the hand-drawn cover to arrive. Their live performance was that good. The songs that catchy. In anxiously awaiting their first full-length album, Cashes Rivers, which is produced by and features members of Envy Corps, I couldn’t help but hope against hope that it would be as good as the initial effort. And it is. Hell yes it is.





Many of the tracks, including kick-off number, “As I Drift” and closer “Quite A Change,” start quiet and intimate with just singer/songwriter Matthew Garcia, often with an acoustic guitar, whisper-singing heartbreakingly honest lyrics. But just when you settle in for a slow, poignant ballad, the tracks burst into full-throttle sound, featuring soaring guitars, strings, horns, fuzzy feedback, you name it. The album’s overall feel would definitely be upbeat and sunny, but the lyrics are decidedly dark at times, which tempers the sweetness. Live crowd-pleaser, “Atoms”, which always includes enthusiastic audience participation & kazoo-playing, is given the all-star treatment, and may win the hard-fought spot of Most Catchy. Though poppy new-comer “Our Boats” is definitely battling it out.



Honestly, though, there’s really not an un-catchy one in the bunch, and they’ve taken turns rotating through my head. I started out writing down my favorites as I was listening, but quickly realized I was writing down every track. My favorite is whatever happens to be playing at the moment.



Cashes Rivers, is out October 26, and you can preview the album at www.cashesrivers.com. Better yet, check out their CD release party at Vaudeville Mews this Saturday, October 16, at 9:30 pm, also featuring The Brave Youth, La Strange and Talking Mountain. The cost is $5. Go to www.vaudevillemews.com for more info. - Des Moines MC.com

The three paradoxes that help define budding Des Moines singer-songwriter Matthew Garcia are:

When he received his first guitar from his mother at age 13, he was more concerned with using it to write songs than he was jamming with friends;

He is best known by his band’s name, Cashes Rivers, though he credits himself as its only member on its new, self-titled album;

He had only played a handful of live shows before being invited to perform at the Des Moines Music Coalition’s 2009 Gross Domestic Product, a showcase of indie-rock that served notice to local audiences of his arrival.

Such is life for the young musician, who one national music blogger described as being more reflective of Iowans than the state’s most popular band, Slipknot.

“I took that as a compliment,” said Garcia, whose first full-length album is being released by Aqui Estamos Records, a local label founded by his sister, Shannon Garcia. The album is a mix of indie- and pop-rock, but at its center is Garcia’s songwriting.

“I’ve never claimed to be good at my instrument. I’m more confident in my songwriting,” said Garcia, who credits producer and friend Brandon Darner for helping him “get the sounds out of my head on record.”

“Brandon and I have been friends for a long time, so we could be frank with one another,” he said. “It was a real learning experience, but I didn’t mind. Once you stop learning, you stop growing.”

Garcia’s musical growth started at home, listening to his sister play. As a student at Lincoln High School, he started writing songs.

“It’s ridiculous what you write when you’re a teenager,” said Garcia, who got married on Aug. 6. “But I hashed out songs the best I could.”

Though he admits that he didn’t attend very many concerts by local groups as a teenager, he did befriend The Envy Corps, forming a friendship with Darner and lead singer Luke Pettipoole, who serves as co-producer for Cashes Rivers’ new album.

“I knew their music and really liked The Envy Corps,” Garcia said.

When the DMMC heard Garcia’s underground EP, “The Trees Will Clap For Us,” they invited him to perform at its 2009 GDP concert. It was the break he needed, Garcia said.

“I didn’t really make a big deal out of the EP, but it got to the right people,” he said. “So I got together a group of friends that I convinced to play the show with me, and we practiced a ton. None of that would of happened if it wasn’t for the DMMC hearing the EP and liking it. GDP gave Cashes Rivers the buzz that it needed.”

Garcia said the “buzz” has grown since Cashes Rivers performed at this year’s 80/35 fest (he rejected the DMMC’s offer to play it in 2009 so he could work on his new record), thanks largely to his signing with the Atlanta-based publicity company Team Clermont and the formation of Aqui Estamos (Spanish for “we are here”).

“Signing with Team Clermont was a turning point,” said Garcia. “It’s good to know that your hometown likes your music, but you know what you’re made of when everyone else likes it.”

Garcia will get a taste of what those outside Des Moines feel about his music when he plays three shows next week in Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. Unlike most musicians, Garcia doesn’t frequently play live.

“They say you have to play over and over and over to get good, but I only needed to play one good show,” said Garcia, referring to his 2009 GDP performance.

Still, Garcia said that he would like to see new fans attend his show this weekend. Garcia said he is working with the DMMC to increase awareness of Midwest music.

“I want to see new faces and people who will support local music and have a good time and pick up a copy of the record and go home and listen to it,” he said. - Cityview

With nine shows in October, this is a busy month for Matt Garcia, aka Cashes Rivers.

The 19-year-old local artist releases his long-in-the-works self-titled debut this week, as well as opening for Tokyo Police Club Wednesday at People's Court. Then he heads out on the road for a tour of the South, including opening for The Love Language in North Carolina.

I sat down with Garcia at Mars Cafe earlier this month to listen to his new CD and talk about what went into writing the songs. I'm focusing here on a few songs, but will include his commentary on all tracks on my blog at desmoines.metromix.com. The self-titled album is full of catchy songs with darker, underlying themes that reveal Garcia to be an old soul, more mature than his 19 years.

"The whole album is up and down," Garcia said. "There are happy things I talk about in there, but my lyrics have always been serious. I've always written about serious things; I've never been able to write about a sunshiny day. I hate to be a downer, but music is very therapeutic for me. I spent a lot of time thinking about the lyrics and what I wanted to talk about. It's kind of hidden, but I think people listen to lyrics sometimes without really thinking about them."

"As I Drift" - "I came up with this on my wife's porch back when we dated. I was going to name the record 'As I Drift,' but then I didn't because I didn't feel like I wanted to name it anything. The album has, to me, the thought of drifting. Questioning feelings as genuine, drifting through life and figuring out things."

"Our Boats" - "I have a T-shirt with seaweed people on it drawn by Ethan Gaps, who did my album cover. I was looking at that shirt and listening to a lot of ELO and the Beatles 'Revolver,' like 'And Your Bird Can Sing.' The song became how that couple got down there and why they are made out of seaweed. They got stuck down there so long that they've started growing seaweed. 'You still tease me with your blue lips and your algae dresses.' I thought they would try to talk, but the bubbles would just go up and they would never know what the other was saying. It's about the frustration of never being able to talk to each other, but she still teases and bats her eyes."

"Beep, Beep" - "I wrote this song about my mom, who was an alcoholic. There's a line, 'The dial tone hums a tune that reminds you of home.' Dial tones are in the key of A, and that's what the song is in. I wrote it when I was about 16. We don't even talk. My aunt and uncle adopted me. The little ending, 'Everyone says we gotta dream real big, but when we get home we gotta go to bed,' came when we were practicing for the first (Gross Domestic Product). The song ended and I kept on strumming and started singing that. I really do feel that sometimes I write these lyrics subconsciously. When it needs to come out, it comes out. People always say if you stay in school you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. But you can't, you're still a child. You can dream big, but there are restrictions."

"Quite a Change" - "As I wrote it, I wasn't sure what it was about. It was very quiet, and then I started strumming really hard on my guitar. I knew I wanted the ending to be big and loud like the beginning of the record. It's about a man who loses his wife and is questioning his beliefs because of it. I think it goes along with 'As I Drift,' dealing with having to change through life because of circumstances. That when you lose someone, eventually you'll forget the person. It will start with little things, and eventually you'll go a day, two days, three days without thinking about them. So I wrote a song about it." - Metromix

Cashes Rivers is an indie-rock outfit from Des Moines, Iowa. They are powered by singer songwriter Matthew Garcia, who has a knack for writing affecting songs about the power of love and of simply living life. They have shared the stage with acts like The Morning Benders, The Academy Is…, The Annuals and Miniature Tigers in roughly two years’ existence.

“As I Drift” is an interesting introduction to the band, as it’s the first single and the first song on its self-titled debut full-length. It begins as a gently strummed tune about learning to trust another’s affection as genuine. And then just more than a minute in, the song turns into an gritty electric guitar-fest, perhaps to symbolize that emotional boiling point that Garcia’s lyrics point to. From there, it’s a pretty fun rock-and-roll ride.

Having listened to the album, set for an October 26 release date on Aqui Estamos Records, I can say that Garcia’s talents really are impressive, and the record is a really solid debut. Check out “As I Drift” here. - The Wounded Jukebox

It’s still fairly early on a Monday night as Cashes Rivers and his backing band take the stage. The dreary weekday crowd cautiously shuffles toward the stage as the openers prepare for their brief set before Tim Kasher finishes out the night. Despite his short time onstage, Cashes has no qualms about taking a moment to thank Mr. Kasher for coming and the audience for making it possible for national acts to include Des Moines on their schedules. This man does love his city after all. It doesn’t take long before Cashes’ stage antics win over the crowd, and by the last song even the most dismal townies slink away from the bar to join the band for the cathartic closer, “As I Drift.” With a confident sound and a solid live show, it’s easy to see why people are drawn to Cashes.

Mathew Garcia, who plays and writes music under the name Cashes Rivers, got his start as many musicians do. At 14, his parents bought him a guitar, and at 16 he started a band that played small time gigs in friends’ houses or at graduation parties. When that band failed to turn into anything substantial, Garcia decided to take things into his own hands and began his own project.

Still at a loss for a name, Garcia found out that the guitarist of his old band was trying to name a project of his own. “My friend was having a baby, and they were thinking about calling the baby Cashes Rivers,” Garcia recalls. “When they didn’t, I said I was going to steal that name. So I did.” This is how Cashes Rivers was born.

Cashes Rivers’ sunny brand of indie rock offers enough musical depth to invite multiple listens while still having enough raw energy to translate well live. Garcia’s vocals range from soft and vulnerable to commanding and fervent as the chief songwriter of the band takes us through the highs and lows of the human condition.

The band’s self-titled debut album was produced by Envy Corps guitarist Brandon Darner, who also brought in some of his band mates to help with the record. The aforementioned “As I Drift” encapsulates the albums biggest lyrical theme, which Garcia describes as “drifting while trying to explore one’s existence.”

The album’s upbeat, summertime feel is often contrasted by Garcia’s dark lyrical content. “Local Drunk” finds Cashes examining a family member’s complex relationship that was torn apart by alcoholism, while “Do We Play Favorites” details the singer’s failed relationship with an older woman. This juxtaposition of cheery melodies and gloomy subject matter seems to work, however, as it allows Cashes to be an enjoyable listen without compromising any lyrical depth.
The future is looking good for Cashes Rivers, as well as the Des Moines music scene. The singer, along with the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition, is part of a movement to bring more artists to the area and to get people excited about local music.

“Its really weird,” Garcia remarks, “you go south, to somewhere like North Carolina, and it has a great music scene. Everyone can be heard talking about local shows they want to go see while they are out and about. It’s great, everyone goes to shows. I really want to get people excited about local music and more aware of its existence.”

Looking at his career so far, it seems that Cashes Rivers is doing just that. The buzz surrounding his debut and his collaboration with other local acts hints at the beginnings of a more aware music community in Des Moines, and that can only mean good things for Cashes Rivers. - Ethos Magazine

So hear is another relatively unknown band for your listening pleasure, Cashes Rivers from Iowa. I rather like the way this song just explodes about a minute in, it’s awesome. Also, it has a horn section, and horn sections are the bees knees in my humble opinion. Have a listen to ‘As I Drift’, off their debut album, which comes out in a couple of weeks. - My Favourite Accident

We can talk about it or we can shout about it,” sings vocalist Matthew Garcia of Des Moines’ Cashes Rivers. He proceeds to do both on “As I Drift,” a winning exercise in bipolar tunefulness that starts out sounding like a delicate Sufjan Stevens folk number before exploding into epic guitar noise (complete with a brass and string section) and ending with a jangly coda accompanied by discordant feedback squalls in the background.

Garcia’s vocals are the constant through the whole journey, starring in the folksy opening and providing a human anchor in the noisy chaos the song becomes. He draws obvious inspiration from the aforementioned Stevens, along with Conor Oberst, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Flaming Lips, sharing their ability to blend the intimate with the epic with effortless ease. Fortunately, though, he knows the difference between inspiration and imitation and while it’s easy to hear echoes of other bands on “As I Drift,” it’s not easy to come up with an example of anyone Cashes Rivers sounds exactly like.

Cashes Rivers is the result of Garcia’s vision and it’s a pretty impressive accomplishment for a nineteen-year-old newlywed. Des Moines’ previous claim to musical fame was the nightmarish metal lunacy of Slipknot. Cashes Rivers stands a good chance of providing the extraordinarily nice people of Iowa a musical act that might be a little more representative of themselves – friendly, unpretentious, and hardworking, and more than happy to get by on talent instead of shock and gimmicks.

Look for “As I Drift” on Cashes Rivers’ self-titled debut full length, being released October 26th by Aqui Estamos Records. - One Track Mind

The music of singer songwriter Matthew Garcia shines on the self-titled debut album from the Des Moines collective Cashes Rivers.

The band stretches its wings, trying out a variety of sounds on the album. The bombastic folk sound of "Tracks" is reminiscent of Okkervil River, especially on the song "Tracks" while "Our Boats" is similar to The New Pornographers or Ted Leo.

The groovy rhythm and clavinet on "Man Made of Mud" harkens back to the British invasion. The chugging acoustic song "Local Drunk" even borders on emo (I know that's a scary word, but it's not a negative here).

The songwriting is the soul the album and the amazing arrangements bring them to life. The opening track, "As I Drift," transforms from a simple, acoustic track into a wall of beautiful noise, with thunderous drums, fuzzed out guitars and choir-like backing vocals.

Garcia's voice is strong and shines through whatever sonic landscape the band try out on each song. Cashes Rivers is an album full of hooks and charm and it's undeniably good.

Cashes Rivers is out on October 26 via Aqui Estamos Records. The band will open for The Love Language at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Saturday, October 23 along with Twelve Thousand Armies.

Cashes Rivers will also play an early show at Slim's in Raleigh on Saturday, October 23 at 2 p.m. - Kevin- Triangle Music Blog

Cashes Rivers' music can sound pretty different depending on when you catch him. On his debut EP, "The Trees Will Clap For Us ...," he played nearly all of the instruments himself, creating a full band sound. Live, sometimes it's just him and an acoustic guitar, playing sweet, sensitive and often funny tunes that reveal a seemingly older soul than his 19 years. Then there are shows like his performance this spring at Gross Domestic Product, where Cashes got around 10 friends to play with him, creating an impressive stage show that seemed more on par with indie collective Broken Social Scene than standard singer-songwriter fare.

"Sometimes when you do something as a band, then strip it to acoustic it doesn't sound right," Rivers said. "I wanted to be able to have the options to play the songs by myself and still have them sound good."

What made his big band's performance at GDP even more impressive was that it was the group's first show together, and that Rivers only had a handful of dates under his belt at that point. The Des Moines Music Coalition offered him a spot at the 80/35 Music Festival based off the performance, but Rivers ended up passing to focus on recording his debut full-length, which is due out next spring.

Was that a smart move? Maybe. Rivers spent a lot of time working on the songs from "Trees" before ever performing them live. The result was a fairly polished sound from such a young performer. He's working with Brandon Darner of The Envy Corps on the full-length, and the band seems to have taken him under their wing (Rivers ended up playing a few songs with the band at 80/35). With the new album and support from the city's most popular band, his star will only rise. Spots at GDP and next year's 80/35 are likely his if he wants them.

By that time he'll have already headlined a festival. He's closing out the revived Dogtown Fest near Drake on Sept. 26. - Joe Lawler - Juice Magazine

It has been a busy year for Cashes Rivers. With an energetic headlining show at this years Gross Domestic Product, and a 2010 Mixie Award for Breakout Artist and cover story from Juice. It is obvious he is a local artist on the rise. Look for even more from Cashes this year as he puts the finishing touches on his full-length debut, produced by Luke Pettipoole and Brandon Darner of The Envy Corps. Quickly becoming a Des Moines favorite, his July 3rd performance at 80/35 is not to be missed. - 80/35

This time last year, Cashes Rivers (real name Matt Garcia) was a music scene rookie, playing all of two concerts. After a performance at last year's Gross Domestic Product that ended with dozens of crowd members singing and dancing onstage, offers for more shows started rolling in, including a spot at 80/35. But he turned them down to work on his full-length debut, and started a record label, Aqui Estamos, run by his sister Shannon. The album, out this year, is being produced by Luke Pettipoole and Brandon Darner of The Envy Corps and looks to recreate that contagious energy of his live shows.

Cashes, just 20 years old, is humble when discussing his shows, focusing more on how his lush, folky songs are crafted. "I think what I want people to listen to, what's important, is the lyrics," he said. "I'm not that good a musician, I think of myself more as a songwriter. But I take the live shows very seriously. That's when I get to present the music personally."

Rivers has caught the ear of some impressive collaborators, and has a sound that should play well outside Des Moines. - Joe Lawler - Metromix/Des Moines Register