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"SEEING THE PATTI FIASCO UNDER THE LANDER SKY WAS A SIGHT TO BEHOLD. IT WAS A PLUGGED-IN HOOTENANNY UNDER THE STARS—A CURIOUS BLEND OF ROCKABILLY, ALT-COUNTRY TWANG, TRADITIONAL WESTERN MOJO AND HARD ROCK AND ROLL—BABY MAKING MUSIC, REALLY. WHILE EACH MEMBER BRINGS BUCKETS OF TALENT TO THE STAGE, TOGETHER, PATTI FIASCO IS A FORCE TO RECKON WITH. FROM “ELECTRIC SMILE“ TO “I SHOULD KNOW BY NOW,” THE LYRICS STAY WITH YOU WELL BEYOND LAST CALL, THEY SOUND GOOD THE MORNING AFTER, TOO.
JAMIE LYNN MILLER, SONIC BYWAYS. “AMAZING MUSICIANS, A LITTLE ‘ROCK AND ROLL’ ATTITUDE, AND A FRONT WOMAN SEETHING WITH TALENT AND ENERGY.”
BEANO, 99.9 THE POINT "FROM THE OPENING TRACK, IT'S EASY TO PROPHESIZE NOT ONLY THE SUCCESS OF THE PATTI FIASCO'S SECOND FULL-LENGTH ALBUM, BUT THE BAND’S CONTINUING UPWARD CLIMB IN THE FRONT RANGE MUSIC SCENE. AFTER NEARLY FOUR YEARS OF CATCHING NEW FANS OFF-GUARD WITH A UNIQUE SOUND AND A POWERFUL FRONTWOMAN, WHILE PLEASING LOYAL FANS UNFAILINGLY, IT IS DUE TIME FOR THE WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION OF THE PATTI FIASCO. SMALL TOWN LIGHTS BEGINS ITS RAUCOUS YET THOUGHTFUL JOURNEY WITH A PIECE OF NOSTALGIA, COMBINING ALYSIA KRAFT’S DRIVING, IMPRESSIVE VOCALS WITH AN INCREDIBLE SUPPORT OF HARMONIES PROVIDED BY DEE TYLER, ANSEL FOXLEY AND SCOTT CLABBY. FROM THERE, KRAFT TAKES OFF INTO AN OBLIVION OF ELECTRIC DOBRO-DRIVEN ROCK AND ROLL, HELD UP BY NILES MISCHKE’S SOLID BASS LINES THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM’S ENTIRETY. KRAFT INGENIOUSLY IGNORES ANY BOUNDARIES ONCE THOUGHT TO BE DEFINED BY GENRE, MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF AS EXPLOSIVE FEMALE VOCALIST. A LIVE SHOW BY THE PATTI FIASCO IS ONE NOT TO BE MISSED, ESPECIALLY THIS MONTH’S SHOW AT THE WALNUT ROOM AS A PART OF SPOKESBUZZ’S BANDSWAP.”
-SCENE MAGAZINE "THIS YEAR, THE TITLE OF BEST BELONGS TO THE PATTI FIASCO. THE FIVE-PIECE WESTERN ROCK OUTFIT HIT HODI’S WITH GUNS ABLAZE, DOUSING FANS IN A BOURBON-LACED COCKTAIL OF GRITTY COUNTRY STYLE AND FIERY OUTLAW ROCK. THROW IN SOME SWEET-TONGUED BALLADS, AN UNSHAKABLE CHARISMA AND A HOST OF VERY DEDICATED FANS, AND THERE WERE FEW OTHER OPTIONS FOR FIRST PLACE. THE SONGS ALONE, WITH JUST ENOUGH TWANG, POP SENSIBILITY AND OUTLAW CHARM WERE ENOUGH TO LEAVE THE BARTENDER LONELY IN THE NEXT ROOM. THE PATTI FIASCO’S PERFORMANCE RODE THIS COMPOSITIONAL QUALITY LIKE A WILD HORSE, DISPLAYING A NATURAL ENERGY AND CONFIDENCE THAT WOULD SURELY MAKE JOHN WAYNE (OR EVEN JOHN DENVER), A LITTLE JEALOUS. "
DEVIN MORSE, SCENE MAGAZINE. “IT’S LIKE ALICE COOPER WITH SPURS AND A SIX GUN, AFTER A REALLY GOOD PIECE OF CAKE. AFTER SEEING THEIR SHOW AT HERMAN’S HIDEAWAY IN JUNE, I DECIDED TO ASK FOR AN INTERVIEW…AND WHAT AN INTERVIEW I GOT!....SO GO CHECK THESE GUYS OUT ASAP, KILLER TUNES, AND AN EVEN BETTER SHOW!”
— COLIN, FOUR TO TWELVE |
WITH
AN INFECTIOUS ALL-ENERGY FRONT WOMAN, AND MORE FLANNELS THAN A FALL
RODEO, FORT COLLINS’ THE PATTI FIASCO RELEASED ITS AMERICANA/ROCK FULL
LENGTH IN LATE SEPTEMBER, WHICH WENT TO NUMBER FIVE ON THE COLORADO
MUSIC CHARTS AND HAS GOTTEN RADIO PLAY THROUGHOUT THE ROCKIES AND THE
SOUTHWEST. ORIGINALLY FROM WYOMING AND NOW RESIDING JUST SLIGHTLY TO THE
SOUTH IN FORT COLLINS, THE PATTI FIASCO HAS ELEMENTS OF TWANG PEPPERED
THROUGHOUT THE RECORD, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST THE GROUP PUTS FORTH A
ROCK SOUND THAT IS LED BY GUITARIST/VOCALIST ALYSIA KRAFT. THE ALBUM
SHOWS A BROAD RANGE FROM POP ROCK SING-ALONGS TO MORE COUNTRY FLAVORED
ROCK. THERE’S A REASON THE GROUP WAS SELECTED BY SPOKESBUZZ AS AN
AMBASSADOR OF NORTHERN COLORADO MUSIC AT SXSW, AND THIS ALBUM SHOWS ALL
OF THEM — EXCEPT, OF COURSE, THE GROUP’S ENGAGING LIVE SHOW.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS-MARQUEE MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER 1, 2013 “ON THE TITLE TRACK OF THE PATTI FIASCO'S SMALL TOWN LIGHTS, WHICH ALSO SERVES AS THE ALBUM'S OPENER, THE FORT COLLINS-BASED QUINTET STARTS OFF FAIRLY TAME, WITH STRUMMING ACOUSTIC GUITARS AND A SLIDE RESONATOR GUITAR THAT SOUNDS ALMOST LIKE A PEDAL STEEL. IT'S A BIT TWANGY AT FIRST, BUT IN NO TIME, THE REST OF THE BAND KICKS IN AND THE TUNE GAINS CONSIDERABLE MOMENTUM. THE REST OF THE CUTS ON THIS TEN-TRACK DISC, THE FOLLOWUP TO THE ACT'S 2011 SELF-TITLED FULL-LENGTH, SHOW THAT THE PATTI FIASCO IS EQUALLY AT HOME WITH ROCK, COUNTRY AND AMERICANA, NOT TO MENTION BLENDING THE THREE. ALYSIA KRAFT, A RIGHTEOUS FRONTWOMAN THROUGHOUT, DELIVERS VOCALS AS PURE AND CLEAN AS THEY ARE POWERFUL.”
-JON SOLOMON, WESTWORD. "THE FORT COLLINS, CO-BASED OUTFIT HAS A STRONG ROOTS AND FOLK BACKGROUND COMING OUT OF WYOMING, LED BY THE MIGHTY VOCALS OF FRONTWOMAN ALYSIA KRAFT. THEIR STYLE IS A WONDERFUL COMBINATION OF CLASSIC COUNTRY AND ALL-OUT ROCK ‘N’ ROLL. YOU HEAR OLD-SCHOOL TRADITIONAL SOUNDS MINGLED WITH CRUNCHY ROCK GUITAR AND ASSORTED INSTRUMENTS NOT TYPICALLY USED TO MAKE ROCK (CAN YOU SAY “ELECTRIC DOBRO”?). THEY CRAFTILY COVER ALL ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM WITH A VERSATILE BALANCE OF ELECTRIFYING POP ENERGY AND COUNTRY/ROOTSY TWANG."
-LAURIE GALLARDO, THE AUSTIN MUSIC MINUTE: “FINALLY, THE PATTI FIASCO’S SELF-TITLED FULL-LENGTH ARRIVES AS ON OF THE STRONGEST COLORADO ALBUMS OF 2011 FOR OUR KIND OF MUSIC. ALYSIA KRAFT IS A STELLAR FRONT-PERSON, AND HAS ESTABLISHED HERSELF AS A TERRIFIC ALT-COUNTRY SONGSMITH. LIKE THIS EPISODE’S OTHER RECORDINGS, IT’S NOT SIMPLY GOOD COLORADO MUSIC, IT’S GOOD MUSIC, PERIOD. "
SCOTT FOLEY, ROUTES AND BRANCHES KRFC 88.9 FM |