STEVE HEFTER AND FRIENDS AND FRIENDS OF FRIENDS: A Six Song Demonstration

Steve Hefter and Friends and Friends of Friends

A Six Song Demonstration

© 2006 BufordSings (634479367502)

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Music that makes you want to break up with your girlfriend, get locked up, and write heart-wrenching love letters to her from the inside.

notes

Steve Hefter and Friends and Friends of Friends homonymously describes both those who fraternize with Mr. Hefter (and of course those who subsequently hobnob with these 'friends') as well as a six piece musical ensemble (and their comrades of course!) that play music generally reflecting life as part of one or both aforementioned contingents. Steve Hefter and his friends (AND THEIR FRIENDS) want nothing more than to be YOUR FRIEND, perhaps with benefits, as long as there are no strings attached.

reviews

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  • Great lyrics, melodies and instrumentation!
    author: Reed KD

    Thank goodness for the internet! Without it, I would never come across Mr. Hefter and his band of friends. A very clever writer with a good sense of melody and song form. I can't wait to hear the full length. Hurry it up SHAFAFOF!

  • author: Music Monthly (Baltimore/ D.C.)

    There's a simple honesty in the music of "Steve Hefter and Friends and Friends of Friends." The CD doesn't divulge who writes the songs but, in a snapshot, I get a Jerry-Jeff-Walker-after-a-few-beers-but-with-a-younger-more-naive-perspective and Willie Nelson's nylon string guitar strummings sorta vibe. The slightly off-kilter Ray Davies melody lines work really well with the lyrics and Hefter's vocals make them sound both innocent and fresh. Hefter is joined by George French on electric guitar and vocals, Doug Keen on acoustic bass and vocals, Pat Hughes on drums and percussion, Greta Thomas on violin, Mike Ward on piano, synth, and vocals, and Chris Freeland who adds tambourine to one cut. The simple but effective cover was designed by Hefter and Isaac Morrison. I'm not sure what the picture of picketers from (maybe) the 1930's or 40's has to do with the music but picketing is a form of demonstration and the CD is entitled "A Six Song Demonstration." Hefter mixed the project, French engineered it, and it was mastered by Billy Gordon. Production values are adequate and somewhat under-produced. That's OK. "Ludicrous Bubblegum Flavors" is the most pop sounding piece of the collection. "Diamond Ring" has that upfront and open-tuned acoustic guitar until the synths kick in in the second verse. Funky drums enter a bit later and song continues to build. Hefter and French keep the parts moving in and out to keep the song from getting bogged down. "Forget It" gets a similar treatment, bare at the front, building and swapping parts. Greta Thomas does some nice violin parts throughout. I'd normally not like the living room ambience of the violin, but it gives the song a sort of "house concert" feel. The bird chirp on the end is endearing. Crippled continues the house concert feel with harmonica, tambourine, and hand claps. By the time "Dry" comes on I realize that Hefter is a talk-singer, but working well within those limitations. Thomas pushes the dissonance envelope on this tune,but just enough to pull your head around, just in case your attention has wandered. "Invisible" shows that whoeever writes the lyrics has been playing with pushing rhyme schemes over measures- a sure sign of a singer/ songwriter experimenting with his or her craft. As short as it is, as off mic and slack-jawed as the vocals are, the loose arrangement seem to fit the mood. The big difficulty facing songwriters today is finding new ways to tell old stories. The honesty and simplicity of their lyrics gets them past that barrier. Their musical construct sometimes creaks like an ailing garden gate, but it still swings. Nice job. Eclectic, but nice. In a world of slick, over-processed music, I find this CD quite refreshing. -Ty Ford

  • author: Independent Clauses

    When I first began writing reviews for Independent Clauses, someone (who isn’t affiliated with the site) mentioned to me that the albums I would be reviewing wouldn’t be very good. I have to admit that there have been a few bands that I personally did not like, but I can now shove a copy of A Six Song Demonstration in their face and laugh and laugh and laugh until I pee my pants. Steve Hefter and Friends’ debut attempt at a self-produced and self-engineered album, which is a whopping seventeen and a half minutes, is pure gold. This has got to be one of the best self-released albums of the year. Hefter and his friends begin their demonstration with a perfect Rogue Wave sounding hum in “Ludicrous Bubblegum Flavors.” Although this track is very telling of Hefter and Friends’ musical style, it is one of the weaker tracks and becomes a little repetitive after a few times. This, however, is something that you will not encounter again. Hefter, French, Keen, and Ward all do a wonderful job on vocals that contribute to the character of the album without detracting from the music. “Diamond Ring” is undoubtedly the most beautifully written track on the album. It’s as if Hefter is ready to propose. Well Mr. Hefter, my ears say “I do” and take your amazing lyrics as their life partner. One of the best aspects of Hefter’s demonstration is the ability to put melancholy, and sometimes amusing, lyrics down with a gorgeous piano or violin (or both) melody. In “Forget It,” Hefter sings of a relationship recently ended, saying that “my drinks will be mixed by spoons that have fixed broken down hearts in a pinch,” and then confidently ends by saying “as long as you know you are going to hell…ma’belle.” The following track is much more amusing. “Crippled,” my favorite track and the catchiest by far, features a screeching harmonica. I give kudos to the friend of Hefter’s who played that line. Unfortunately, “harmonica” is not included under anyone’s name in the booklet. “Crippled” and the following track, “Dry,” vaguely reminded me of Oh No! Oh My!, but only in subject matter. Musically, they are worlds apart. The final track on the demonstration, “Invisible,” is similar to something from Andrew Bird. Too bad it isn’t longer. Overall, the demonstration does an amazing job of changing up the instrumentation and musical style, proving that Hefter is going to be able to pull a lot more out of his hat on future releases. I wish this effort had been longer. Somehow the seventeen and a half minutes just don’t do it for me. I will just have to bite my fingernails and listen to something that I don’t appreciate as much to bide the time until Hefter and Friends do a full-length. It is definitely one of my favorite albums this year and if you pass it up you are making a huge mistake. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. -Mark Pranger markysparky07@yahoo.com

  • author: The Chickenfish Speaks

    This band has the charm of Baby Calendar, the whimsical nature of Wally Pleasant and yet makes me think of earlier Todd Snider. The disc starts with the wonderfully titled "Ludicrous Bubblegum Flavors" and moves onward through five more tunes, heading ever further into Todd Snider territory. The music is light and fun mixing vocals, acoustic guitar, light drums, bass, keyboards, harmonica and occasionally a fiddle. Great demonstration...now lets hear the riot! -- Grog Mutant (2006)

  • author: J-Sin

    Wow folks, this is it. Steve Hefter’s last project that I heard was Challenge Club, a Baltimore-based indie pop adventure. But amazingly enough this is about fifty billion light-years better. That’s saying something considering I fell in love with that last album. This one however finds me abhorring the last and final notes because something this great should never end. I find myself holding on to each and every lasting piano note, as if the great tragedies of indie pop and artistic alt. country would never be the same. A tantalizing demonstration of what can be accomplished with desire and ability, Steve’s latest album is perhaps my favorite independent release this year hands down. If you don’t pick it up, you’re either deployed in Iraq, deaf, or just plain fucking broke. If it’s the latter let me know, I’ll buy it for you. - J-Sin

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