As a place, Palatine Hill is a musical refuge in the territory that separates rock and country. From there you can hear rock's thunder coming from one side and country's melancholy lament from the other. Streams also pass through, tributaries of great rivers like blues and Americana, lending the song their rumble and flow.
As a band, Palatine Hill are refugees from Portland that set up camp in this territory in 2002. Some fled rock when, somewhere along the way, it quit being about craft and great songwriting. Others ran from country when the despair and rough edges were glossed over by record industry producers.
But like true refugees, they brought the most essential and enduring traces of their culture with them. Palatine Hill is rock's blues-based soul, passion and energy colored by the outlook of country and Americana. As Zach Dundas wrote in the 2002 MusicFest NW Guide, Palatine Hill...
"...combines Midwestern rock gutsiness with hard honky-tonk twang and slicing pedal steel."
Zach Dundas notes in Portland's Willamette Week that Palatine Hill...
"...play ambling, bitter-sweet booze-sloshing music colored with steel guitar and occasional plunges into heavy country-rock."
There's a palpable sophistication and education coursing the veins of these songs. Mandolin, harmonica, steel and fiddle interplay with rock's traditional staples-bass, guitar, drums--in a poetic American synchronicity, an almost Guthrie-esque vision of the power of larger ideas spoken in a plain way.
Dave Clifford of Willamette Week writes:
"...Palatine Hill...kicks its spurs into the more familiar despair and grit of Americana. But, despite its penchant for normally soft-spoken instruments like banjo, fiddle and mandolin, the local five-piece also brings a rock sensibility to its roughhousing roots."
Palatine Hill welcomes all who ramble through. But bring your own gear -- This hill ain't no resort.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.palatinehill.net
Track List:
1. Stirred
2. Dial Tone
3. The Kind
4. Fall Away Down
5. Juneau
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
As a band, Palatine Hill are refugees from Portland that set up camp in this territory in 2002. Some fled rock when, somewhere along the way, it quit being about craft and great songwriting. Others ran from country when the despair and rough edges were glossed over by record industry producers.
But like true refugees, they brought the most essential and enduring traces of their culture with them. Palatine Hill is rock's blues-based soul, passion and energy colored by the outlook of country and Americana. As Zach Dundas wrote in the 2002 MusicFest NW Guide, Palatine Hill...
"...combines Midwestern rock gutsiness with hard honky-tonk twang and slicing pedal steel."
Zach Dundas notes in Portland's Willamette Week that Palatine Hill...
"...play ambling, bitter-sweet booze-sloshing music colored with steel guitar and occasional plunges into heavy country-rock."
There's a palpable sophistication and education coursing the veins of these songs. Mandolin, harmonica, steel and fiddle interplay with rock's traditional staples-bass, guitar, drums--in a poetic American synchronicity, an almost Guthrie-esque vision of the power of larger ideas spoken in a plain way.
Dave Clifford of Willamette Week writes:
"...Palatine Hill...kicks its spurs into the more familiar despair and grit of Americana. But, despite its penchant for normally soft-spoken instruments like banjo, fiddle and mandolin, the local five-piece also brings a rock sensibility to its roughhousing roots."
Palatine Hill welcomes all who ramble through. But bring your own gear -- This hill ain't no resort.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.palatinehill.net
Track List:
1. Stirred
2. Dial Tone
3. The Kind
4. Fall Away Down
5. Juneau
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
- ROCK: Americana
- ROCK: Roots Rock
- MOOD: BROODING