The John Butler Trio is my all-time favorite band. I never had a favorite band until I heard these guys. They're brilliant. The band consists of 3 members, duh, John Butler, Shannon Birchall, and Michael Barker. John Butler is the frontman, leading vocalist, and lead guitar. Shannon plays the stand-up bass and bass guitar, and Michael Barker is percussion. I use the term percussion because he doesn't just play the drums, he plays all sorts of stuff and is brilliant at it as well.
JBT and Me
I first discovered JBT through my best friend, who was referred to it through a boyfriend of one of her friends. The first tracks I heard were "Mist (MP3)" and "Peaches and Cream (MP3)". I wasn't very impressed with "Peaches and Cream", mostly because it is a slow song, and thats not usually a good introduction to a band who does mostly upbeat music. I really enjoyed "Mist' though, because of its simplicity and intricate guitar, as well as the combination of bluegrass and traditional Irish styles. So, I was curious, and obtained more of their music, the whole album, Sunrise Over Sea. After that, I was hooked. I spun that CD hundreds of times over the next year. This was in 2004.
John Butler Trio and their Music
They have several albums, two of which are Live compilations: Live at St. Gallen and Living 2001-2002. The others are:
Studio LPs:
EPs:
Source: Wikipedia
Sunrise Over Sea was their greatest success, particularly in Australia. They have not become as popular in the U.S., due to (I think) the mainstream music that is prevalent in the U.S. I don't think the U.S is ready for their sound.
Sound
John Butler Trio has truly created their own style of music. There are many labels for what it is, but what it is is original lyrics, ideas, and technique. They combine rock, ska, reggae, hip-hop, bluegrass, and much more to achieve their unique sound, and I believe this is why their music never sounds 'old'.
Lyrics
JBT is known for its 'activist' lyrics, which usually pertain to issues in government, policy, the environment, Australia, and general injustice. Many of John Butler's lyrics pertain to current events, such as Hurrican Katrina and global warming/climate crisis. A number of their songs feature such lyrics, like: Treat Yo Mama, Something's Gotta Give, and Good Excuse (brand new track, available for watching/listening here). One of his more famous songs, Ocean, is a long instrumental played by John Butler solo on his 11-string guitar, and refreshingly is different everytime he plays it.
Performances
I was lucky enough to attend a concert by JBT, in Mobile, Alabama. What a bloody good show. It was free, as a promotional event through a local radio station. This didn't matter however. I would have paid to see them. I was in the front row, and had Michael Barker grinning at my dancing. There are pictures from it here. They are known for their shows; they keep them intimate and always give their best, and as a result of their live show following, many of their live shows have been recorded by fans and are hosted for download at archive.org. ** As it is difficult to review an entire band, this has become more of an informative post. I think that is fair; when we come across breakthrough artists I expect posts like this. It is hard to encompass my entire John Butler/John Butler Trio experience in a few hundred words, so I'll say this: I think JBT is excellent because of their music, lyrics, and relationship with their fans. They are rootsy, down-to-earth people who produce music that is original and not made with the intent of selling records. They make music because they love to, because their fans love it, and because they have great messages. I never have been particularly fond of lyrical content as much as the music in any musicians case, but here I find myself shocked at the similarity between what I believe and think about particular topics, and how JBT communicates that to thousands of people through their music. They're not extremists, they are just a band that makes damn good music, and I think their philosophy and image are things that I wholeheartedly relate to. I have provided several easy links for you throughout this post, so you have no reason to not check 'em out.
Here's more:
John Butler Trio
JBT on Myspace
JBT Live JBT France
The JB Seed Fund (excellent for independent artists in Australia)
JBT Fans (they're awesome)
John Butler playing slide guitar in a tree in Australia.
