reviews
Bang and Twang!
"Wowza for Jay Souza. 50 Cent Haircut is a great band with terrific songs. Bang and twang !"
Certified Alchemists
Frontman Jay Souza and friends are certified alchemists with a gift for spinning instantly relatable yarns that can magically transform whatever venue they happen to be playing into a hootin'-and-hollerin' honky-tonk. Their stonewashed blend of rockabilly, southern gothic, and roots rock (with a not so secret splash of punk inflected Brit-pop) shines sweetly on the recent Shadow of the Noose.
A Reassuring Pat on the Shoulder
The hallmark of 50 Cent Haircut’s decade long career has always been the honesty and sincerity of their songs, and on “Carried Away,” the penultimate track of their latest album “Be Happy,” frontman Jay Souza sings the most self aware line of his entire career: “Everybody’s lookin’ for the thing they were meant to do/ I’ll sit and sing a lonesome song.” This record is the one they have been destined to make. It’s a quiet and reserved meditation on discontentment, heartbreak and death written with wit and clarity which takes incomprehensible and conflicting emotions and gives them voice. There is nothing light or simple about these songs. There are no anthems or power ballads, nothing that resembles the mindless, disposable pop so prevalent on modern airwaves. The closest it comes to a love song is the opening track about a fall down drunk who is “takin’ a shine to the widow next door.” The narrator of the title track confesses to the object of his affection that he loves her “for lack of a better word,” a romantic proclamation that meets with less then successful results. Even the album’s title comes off as ironic, a generic bumper sticker affirmation that presides over a pensive and thoughtful collection of lyrics. Yet under all the wry smiles and wordplay there flows a current of loss and sadness. What emerges is a record that is a reflection on the past and a gaze into an uncertain future. The second track, “Dressed For The Drought” deftly examines the disillusionment of The Bush Years not with canned rage and hysteria but quiet frustration. A similar sentiment is echoed in a line from Pachyderm: “You are waving at catastrophe/ Well the same goes for me/ We are eager to be gun-shy.” “Coat of Disappointment” grieves over a lost love, while “Fast Life, Slow Death” mourns the rest of the path. The entire look inward finally coalesces into “Carried Away,” wherein Souza spells out his destiny over Bosco Sheff’s haunting steel guitar. The comes the closer, “New Fight Song,” the defiant counterpoint to the proceeding songs, a guitar driven rocker with a chorus that urges the listener to fall in love and “write the words to a new fight song.” It’s a brave and rewarding choice, one that says a little soul-searching is essential but to never give up the battle. Underlining all of this is some of the best music the band has ever played. Drummer Mark Bennington and bassist Bryan Stone play with dazzling subtlety, crafting a pocket that never seems flashy or intrusive but rather breezes casually into each song like a soft wind. BC Coulter’s jangling guitar provides a magnificent backdrop to Bosco Sheff’s slides and steels, giving Sheff the freedom to play some of his most reserved yet rewarding music to date. Producer Peter Curry adds hints of cello and accordion throughout the record, creating a deep and beautiful landscape of music where sounds drift in and out like thoughts in a ponderous mind. 50 Cent Haircut has always had a way with writing songs that felt genuine and human. At a time when contemporary music is crafted to be used for a jingle or a movie soundtrack, “Be Happy” plays like an old pal sitting at the next bar stool, each song a knowing and reassuring pat on the shoulder.
A Full Blown Movement
50 cent Haircut moseyed back into town recently with their unique sound and positive message. For a number of years these laid back musicians have been filling barstools and dancehalls in and around the South Bay with their breed of music. And now, that same soulful country style has morphed into a full blown movement in LA and other large markets. 50 Cent Haircut is at the head of the movement by way of honest music, great stage demeanor and a fan base that is as loyal as the day is long. This very diverse crowd of twenty-somethings, tow truck drivers on break, and a motorcycle club from Pasadena, all traveled to see this band play their uplifting, spirited and heart felt tunes. I imagine they would have traveled from much further if given the choice. The Delta-slide driven sets were a combination of creative harmonies and harmonica refrains that were all bound by some clever musical hooks. Songs that I'd never heard before somehow became instantly familiar melodies because of the way the tunes were layered and well developed. These guys take time to write their music, like they are painting on tablature.
Be Happy
With their latest release, a concise 10-track collection titled with, one hopes, a glimmer of irony, Be Happy, perennial L.A. combo 50 Cent Haircut distance themselves yet further from the Alt Country label that they’ve sported somewhat uncomfortably since they ventured onto the scene some eleven years and four albums ago. As labels go, Americana is even vaguer than Alt Country but at least it suggests a broader canvass, which is useful in this case. It also evokes plenty of evocative stuff like crackly valve radios, roadhouse crooners, bad whisky and worse women, all of which resonate fulsomely throughout Be Happy, an album riven with enough heartache, yearning and pain to satisfy the most die-hard C&W fans. It also retains the band’s notorious balance of crunch and twang - thunderous drums, rock solid bass and guitars that jangle and shred in harmonious accord. But it’s obvious that frontman and songwriter Jay Souza looks farther afield for his inspiration than Nashville - or, indeed, the United States. It’s not uncommon to read comments like “Johnny Cash meets The Beatles” in 50 Cent Haircut reviews, and they do have some currency. There is, in the sly lyrics and brisk song structures, echoes of classic Britpop that, to these ears at least, recalls The Kinks and The Who more readily than The Beatles. That said, Be Happy never strays far from its roots, which are firmly planted in the American heartland. Be Happy is 50 Cent Haircut’s most ambitious and satisfying album by far, a culmination of fully matured songwriting, superb musicianship and a confident and unique blend of styles. And the only label you need for that is damn fine rock and roll.
Makes You Bob Your Head and Tap Your Foot Involuntarily
Well, this band is interesting. I saw a flyer for them that said "alt honky tonk garage brit pop" and I thought- "Ha! Yeah, right. They wish." But it is actually pretty accurate... The lyrics tell little stories (ala Blur) and the music makes you bob your head and tap your foot involuntarily.
A Favorite Over Here
Jay Souza sounds like a mix between Brit Rock and Tom Petty, creating solid vocals amidst a driving, sonic backdrop. A well done full length [Brood or Change] for anyone in the mood for sing along rock and pop. A favorite over here at the Empire of Swine.
Must-Have
With slide guitar, the lazy drawl and distressing tales of lost love, 50 Cent Haircut have the must-have tidbits of classic country music without ignoring the "alternative" side of things. The two-sided sound leads to comparisons to contemporaries like Sumack, a somewhat vague but sure-fire reference, and long-standing rockers The Kinks... this CD [Brood or Change] certainly reflects a few like-minded gentlemen who work best together as a group to nail down the necessary parts, which leads to each song being a complete work that can stand on its own if need be.
Thank You for Reaffirming that Great Music is Being Made
If I were driving Route 127 between Santa Fe and Albuquerque in my 1975 Chevy pickup, I’d definitely pop in 50 cent Haircut to my 8 track player.... Brood or Change, made me feel like I should be rocking out in a bar with plenty of something cold on tap. The Clash, Waits, Costello, and Cash are all a part of the sound that this LA-based band is pulling off with great success. But the sound is still their own, lead by a unique voice, great lyrics, catchy compositions and excellent musicianship.... My friends know that I am perhaps the biggest music snob there is and these guys are going to stay in my CD player for a while. Thank you, 50 Cent Haircut, thank you for reaffirming that great music is being made despite the best efforts of Blink 182...
Great California Group
50 Cent Haircut neatly borrows and begs from all the songs that made early rock n' roll, classic rock and contemporary rock so memorable. First time I heard "Fiction" I envisioned my radio as a time machine, playing all the sounds from the 50's to the 70's all at once. Those with a real love for classic rock and all its nuances will quickly find themselves fans of this great California group.
Glad to have Discovered [The Haircut's] Music
In addition to liking the band and the album, I very much dig [the] writing. The lyrics are truly artful in all the best ways. One doesn't get to hear well-crafted, intelligent lyrics much anymore... There's not enough of that in contemporary American songcraft. The craftsmanship and wit are appreciated!
Pretty Damn Good
Like the Kinks reborn as honky-tonk hillbillies or an alt-country band that has read Oscar Wilde, the LA-based fivesome combines the best of British barbs with all that’s good and great in Americana. Think drawling vocals, jerky American-gothic guitars, soaring choruses, and you’re on the right track. In other words...pretty damn good.
Irreverent L.A. Rock
50 Cent Haircut is an irreverent L.A. rock band whose sound could have belonged to the Beatles if they'd grown up in Austin instead of Liverpool.
Alt. Honky-Tonk Garage BritPop.
"Alt. Honky-Tonk Garage BritPop." Not too far off the mark, through probably favoring the BritPop edge, heavy with warm, rootsy undercurrents… has a fluid, indefinable sound where all of these elements mix. Capable of swinging from one end of the spectrum to the other, they prefer mostly to get groovy with lazily nuanced melodies floating over acoustic-driven rock… the distinct arrangements allow each song its own sound.