TEJON STREET CORNER THIEVES – ‘Juxtaposition’ – new album by US outlaw alt-folk trio out right now.
Oh yes, our favourite US outlaw alt-folk group Tejon Street Corner Thieves have come a long way since their humble beginnings when they used to busk for loose change, actually taking their name from a time when they were accused of stealing a corner on Tejon Street in their home city of Colorado Springs during a turf war between rival buskers.
TSCT subsequently became the first act to sign to Liars Club Records (founded by Amigo the Devil and Regime Music Group) in early 2020, releasing the ‘Demons’ EP and ‘Monarch Sessions’ live acoustic record that year, followed by a covers album entitled ‘Stolen Goods’ in 2021 and the regular studio album ‘Thick As Thieves’ in 2022. A perfect concoction of songwriting ability, non-stop touring and charming stage personas have allowed the band to build an organic grassroots following of ‘Tejomies’ (the moniker affectionately given to their fans) worldwide.
The band have released a bold new studio album, ‘Juxtaposition’, which was made at Royal Recordings in Colorado Springs with producer Bill Douglass and sees TSCT finding new ways to integrate an array of genres – Americana, Bluegrass, Folk and Punk – into what is a confident sounding record. There is something fearless about embracing and celebrating musical contrasts, with TSCT’s unique blend (with a splash of whisky added in) proving that something interesting can always been found within the juxtaposition.
“’Juxtaposition’ is about life and death, love and loss, partying and sobriety. It encompasses the wide range of emotions we’ve experienced over the life of our band,” states vocalist/banjo player Connor O’Neal. “We explored the differences in our writing styles and combined them in a way that creates an ebb and flow of fun party jams and serious, sometimes heartbreaking, Americana anthems. Inspired by our friends and family, the whole world has been our canvas for this new album.”
The release of ‘Juxtaposition’ has been preceded by three singles that include the current ‘The End Of Apathy’ VIDEO, with the band explaining that “the societal struggle and political divide we’ve all been experiencing is the driving force behind our inspiration on this one, and we think you’ll all be able to relate in one way or another.” The introductory single was ‘Can’t Remember’ LYRIC VIDEO, followed by ‘You Rascal You’ VIDEO.
Juxtaposition’ features a further array of impressive tunes, such as intense rock opener ‘Monster Truck Explosion Fuck’, the banjo-infused party anthem ‘Smoking Is Cool’, Americana heartbreaker ‘Can’t Remember’ and protest song ‘Blue Lives Murder’, which was actually written in the wake of the 2014 death of Eric Garner. “I wrote it after the murder of another innocent man who died at the hands of police and let my anger come out,” recalls vocalist/guitarist Shawn D’Amario.
A TSCT live show is an unforgettable experience, with fans invariably lapping up the party atmosphere and letting loose, often turning the crowd into a bluegrass mosh pit. The band’s reputation has earned them recent US and European tours with a diverse array of artists that include heavy hitters like The Dead South, Trampled By Turtles and labelmate Amigo The Devil. TSCT’s unique blend of genres has also seen them appear at a number of prestigious US festivals such as the inaugural Rebels & Renegades, Winter WonderGrass and Blue Ox Music Festival.