It no longer seems all that necessary to have a label if you are a good enough band - just get yourself on myspace, play some kick ass shows, and then release an album. Sure, you may not become a millionaire but don’t most musicians make albums for the glory of the music and not the money anyhow....right? Ha Ha Tonka is no exception. In 2006 they self-released “Buckle in the Bible Belt” and got some good opening slots and a little love but it ended up with them getting a deal with Bloodshot Records in 2007 which has brought them to a point where they have landed a spot at this years Lollapalooza. No trucks of money or critical acclaim yet but now they will have an audience large enough that they can’t be ignored.
As for Buckle, it’s a mix of many different styles of rock basically - no need for the tiny little labels which folks these days absolutely adore. It’s rock music. Sure, “Up Nights” is more piano and organ infused and “Hangman” is more Graceland than garage rock. “Caney Mountain” is more alt-country and “Cure for the Common Cold” is more Pixies than punk rock. They mix it up though - never so much so that you aren’t sure it is Ha Ha Tonka as singer Brian Roberts has a pretty distinct voice.
Although it is customary to compare potential up and comers to established bands there is a bit of a stretch made in their bio which compares them to REM, the Band, and even Bruce Springsteen. Sure, they have a little politicin’ in their music, they certainly aren’t the sort of innovative that any of those bands were though.
The album though is beautiful at times, especially the absolutely adorable “Falling In” (also very Pixies-ish in vocals and guitar riffs) and it showcases their natural tendency to make smart thoughful music much more so than their first ‘single’ from the album “St. Nick on the Fourth in a Frenzy” which starts out all sorts of chant-a-long badassy / southern country rock and morphs into four minutes of indecision style wise. A good song no doubt - it just doesn’t sound as natural as some of the rest of the album.
Quite possibly a band that could make the rounds at all the big festivals if they were so inclined, Ha Ha Tonka seems a little bit more like a band you just wouldn’t want to miss in a dingy club that the Boss might have played thirty five years ago.
