Balthrop, Alabama Press Matter
Band Bio
In 2006, Alabama-born songwriter-siblings Pascal and Lauren Balthrop moved to New York City to start a band and ended up founding a town. Balthrop, Alabama, population 11 or so, is their bustling folk rock township.
Musically, the band straddles the fine line between antebellum and antifolk, reconstructing indie pop with songs of love, dead people, and dead people in love. One fan described the town’s genre as “barnyard epic indie rock.” In 2007, they released their double-album debut, Your Big Plans and Our Little Town, on the nascent End Up label, followed by a series of EPs: the rebellious God Loves My Country and the companion records Subway Songs and Cowboy Songs. The town is doing its third national tour this summer. A full list of tour dates can be found on the band’s website.
Press Photos
Town Hall - photo by Bernie DeChant
click image to download high-res version (3744×5242, 3.9mb)
Cast and Crew
Jemison Thorsby - Pascal Balthrop - guitar, vocals
Georgiana Starlington - Lauren Balthrop - keyboards, vocals
Douglas Snead - Chris Buckridge - bass, alto saxophone
Benton Whitehall - Matt Moon - tenor saxophone
Miss 12-Year-Old Babbie Jackson - Annie Nero - bass
Clanton “Lake” Mitchell - Josh Kaufman - electric guitar, keyboards
Luverne Dozier - Therese Cox - accordion, vocals
Grant Fyffe - Kyle Fischer - lap steel
Titus Falkner - Jason Lawrence - drums
Cotton Tyler Guin - Andrew Vladeck - banjo
Toxey Goodwater - Michael Arthur - ink & paper
Downloadable Songs
Explode [ 3mb MP3 ]
Downloadable review copies of all our records are available to music press and music bloggers.
Please contact us for more information.
Music Videos
Please visit our music videos page.
Press Quotes
“An impressive début double album…and their approach to performing is equally inventive…” —The New Yorker
“Elaborate shows which feature the 10 or so members dressed as the aw-shucks residents of a fictional Southern town…breezy, melody-driven pop” —Village Voice
“What great fun in the form of a band called Balthrop, Alabama!” —Rainn Wilson (of The Office)
“I love them!!!” —Sarah Silverman
“Sweetly crooned loved songs inspired by apocalypse — a last kiss before the big bang…” —Memphis Flyer
“Always melody conscious, with a solid stash of hooks… enough people to fill a school board.” —Crawdaddy
“Eclectic — with songs of love, loss, and escape…great use of shared male/female vox…” —My Mix Tapes
“Like a raucous ad-hoc town meeting where everyone brings an instrument to play…” —Future Montgomery
“I’ve heard of the ‘concept album’, but this appears to be a ‘concept band’…” —Take Five, Asheville
“…like the touring company of ‘Barack Obama’s Rent’…” —Black & White, Birmingham
Media
FUTURE Mongtomery June/July 2008 Issue
mymixtapes.org You have to dig to find the album review, but it sure is a good one. Click on Album Reviews in the sidebar and then you’ll see the review of “Our Big Plans & Your Little Town”.