Middle Brother - Daytrotter Sessions

By Brian Hodge

 

Middle Brother, that charismatic cast of Deer Tick, Dawes and Delta Spirit, laid down a twin-bill of tracks from their self-titled debut for Daytrotter.  Recorded in Nashville (with the songs still in their infancy) and Austin (in the midst of the carnal SXSW), the tracks capture both the enthusiasm of a group on the rise, and the road-weary, well-lived-in sound of musicians charred by a hellacious schedule. Title track "Middle Brother," with its raucous, infectious attitude, comes off as honest and endearing as ever.  "Theater" and "Thanks for Nothing" are somehow even more heartbreaking and "Daydreaming" does its darnedest to steal the show.

 

The second half of their set is notably missing Delta Spirit's Matt Vasquez, but don't worry - John McCauley (Deer Tick) and Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) can still fill a room just fine on their own.

 

Check out the Daytrotter session here, and check out our live recording of Middle Brother in Boston here.  You'll get one more chance to see Middle Brother live at the Newport Folk Festival in July -- don't miss it.

Middle Brother - Million Dollar Bill