Travis Linville
Norman, Oklahoma, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
By Patrick Crain
While we anxiously await the Burtschi Brothers new live album that is due out in the next four weeks or so, we can ready ourselves by giving their 2001 disc “Ain’t Being Treated Right” another, well-deserved spin.
A follow up to the lo-fi home job that was the stunning “Uncertain Texas,” Travis Linville and the Burtschi Brothers run through a country music encyclopedia
that is not only musically superior but reveals Linville and ex-bassist Jamie Kelley to be one of the best songwriting teams in their field. I’ll hasten to guess that Kelly’s departure has been aptly compensated for.
While nothing on the CD can match the stark, beautiful title track from their debut CD (although “Half a Mind,” “Wishing Well,” and Kevin Webb’s goofily fun “Soft Way” come awfully close), the entire CD is a sonic improvement over
“Uncertain Texas.” It sounds much more polished yet doesn’t lose the rough-hewed quality that makes the Burtschi Brothers one of the greatest local bands around.
- Loud Magazine
On his sophomore album Linville opts to ditch the band and go it alone on his first solo attempt. While the talented and very pleasing accompaniment of Linville’s backing band has served him well, it’s his songwriting and lyricism that has always been the heart of what attracts people to his music. And luckily for his fans Linville has a lot to write about, with See You Around comprising of 20 songs. Stories of hope, longing, Oklahoma storms, the beauty of nature, and the highs and lows of life embrace Linville’s soft, acoustic guitar and spin some very tangible and comforting yarns. When listening to the songs it’s easy to imagine Linville holed up in his cabin-esque studio, tucked away in the woods that surround the lake with his guitar and harmonica. Don’t let this image misguide you though. A solo acoustic album might conjure up images of soft, folksy tunes that progress from a C chord to a G and little else. You have to remember this is Travis Linville we’re talking about. Yes, the songs can be soft and they can be folksy, but they’re always filled with the dancing of Linville’s quick fingers, plucking and hammering intricate guitar melodies that would make Charlie Christian blush. From Honky-Tonk to Folk, Old-Timey to the Blues, Linville once again shows us why he is one of Oklahoma’s fondest sons, and leaves me pondering which ancient guitar god resides in the rich wood of his acoustic guitar.
Graham Lee Brewer
- NONzine
Discography
LP - Uncertain Texas
2000 - Roadamp Records
LP - Aint Being Treated Right
2002 - Roadamp Records
LP - Live in Oklahoma
2003 - Roadamp Records
LP - Hometown Blues
2006 - Sweetworth
LP - See You Around
2007 - TravisLinvilleMusic
Photos
Bio
the backstory:
(abreviated)
Travis Linville was born in Chickasha, OK in Feb 1978. After hearing him sing and play a few notes, you will not be suprised to find out Linville comes from a musical family. His father was the youngest member of the Linville Family Band in the 1950's, performing at dances, parties, and live on KWCO radio in Chickasha. It was his dad's guitar that Travis found in the closet as a child, and it was the songs of the family gatherings and home-made recordings that inspired Travis to pursue music. After showing an exceptional talent for learning to strum and sing songs from Hank Williams to Fats Waller, at age 15 Linville submersed himself in the guitar. Through his music mentor Joe Settlemires (ella fitzgerald-texas playboys), Travis learned to master the art of classic guitar improvisation. Moveing to Norman, OK in 1996 to study music at the University of Oklahoma, Linville spent more time on the road making money playing a unique and gritty telecaster style in country music dancehalls. In 1999 Travis and longtime friend bassist Jamie Kelley recorded a homespun album titled "Travis Linville and the Burtschi Brothers - Uncertain Texas". the popularity of this underground release led to the formation of a band.
The Burtschi Brothers became the hottest alt/americana/folkrock/jamband to arrive on the regional college scene. The Burtschi's (not really brothers) went on to release two more albums and performed live all over the central and southern US for the next five years. The 2001 release "Ain't Being Treated Right" is considered by many, the ultimate Burtschi album, featuring 17 well crafted original songs, the core band of Kelley, Webb, and Foreman, plus, the slick steel guitar of Cindy Cashdollar. Other fans would argue the 2003 "Live in Oklahoma", with "over the top" guitar duo of Linville and Kevin Webb, and rhythm section of Chris Foreman and Mike Phenix, blasting away in the local bars is the album that defines the band. The Burtschi Brothers played their last show December 31, 2005 and split just before the release of "Hometown Blues". This album marks Travis' transition from band leader to solo artist, showcasing ten Linville songs, with a stellar band. Webb, Foreman, Fogarty, Roach, and the cool harmonica of Mickey Raphael back linville as only they could. In 2006 Travis continued to tour as a solo artist, as well as sitting in and popping up as a lead guitarist for many successful groups in the "texas music" scene. Also in 06, Linville bought a house in the woods near Norman and opened the newly infamous DirtyBird Recording with Okie rocker Mike McClure. When not on the road, Linville is often in the studio engeneering and producing albums for other artists. In 2007 Travis became a regular lead guitar player with singer/songwriter, Hayes Carll(Lost Highway), touring the US, Canada, and Europe. Recnetly, Linville released his first truely solo record, "See You Around". Recorded at the Dirtybird, in live "demo" fashion, "See You around" offers Travis at his most fundamental...an extraordinary guitar picker and songwriter. 2008 finds the 30 year old okie revitalized and returning to his own work. You can find Travis on the road promoting his new record at festivals and original music venues across the states and beyond.
the sound:
Heady songwriting sung effortlessly over a clever bed of guitar mastery.
mississippi delta train ridin flying fingers composer from 1880 in the future.
whitewashing half of a 24 inch computer moniter, barefoot in overalls
the sound of the eightball hitting four rails then the rack, jumping over three balls into the pocket
richard thompson on a pint of bob dylan.
true stories:
travis linville...
plays music, lives in the woods, sleeps in hotels, slams coffee, writes songs, see's the world, talks to his dogs, runs a recording studio, eats like a horse, thunks the banjo, slides the dobro, mashes the keys, charms stray cats, shoots pool and basketballs for money, has a van for sale, drinks pale ale, has a myspace page, takes heather out to eat mexican food, watches meet the press, has johnny cash's autograph, draws fake beards and armpit hair in people magazine, has performed onstage with willie nelson in luchenbach, tx, walks the lineage, is not the perfect country and western song, eats turtle necks for lunch, knows over 4000 highway songs, once said yes sir to a female cop, plays guitar on two "live at billy bob's albums", went broke in nashville.
name dropping (the short list)
Travis Linville has opened for, wandered onstage with, or played the same stage hours before (at some festival where his name wasn't even mentioned) with all of the following:
tommy allsup
willie nelson
merle haggard
nazareth
ray price
dwight yokam
asleep at the wheel
jefferson starship
loving spoonfull
lloyd mains
terry hendrix
jimmy lafave
junior brown
vanilla ice
billy joe shaver
big smith
kris kristofferso
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