- Three Day Threshold
Behind the Barn
Pigpile Records
By Al Kunz
 Nailing down a definition
of alt-country is problematic. No Depression magazine
may consider itself the bible of alt-country, but their tagline
"whatever that is" acknowledges the fluidity of definition
from listener to listener and among alleged experts. One narrower
description often used is "a combination of traditional
country with punk rock." It's a great theory and an admirable
sound to aim for. But too often the aim is off. Three Day Threshold
hits the target, tossing in occasional tastes of Celtic, bluegrass,
sea chanteys and whatever else they could think of to spice up
their musical stew. Or maybe chili is the better metaphor in
light of the recipe you'll find inside the jewel case. The many
Texas bred chili aficionados among the Rockzillaworld
readership will likely say that Three Day Threshold's recipe
for "Ma Reid's Roadhouse Chili" lacks kick. The same
won't be said of the music.
"Rock 'N Roll Country Music" sets the stage for
the remainder of the disc, starting with a loping rhythm and
Jerry Reed-like guitar riffs then morphing into rock guitar hijinks
and back again while singing about a rocker and his country music
loving lady. Donny and Marie this ain't.
Three tracks on Behind the Barn are traditional songs
given punched up arrangements by 3DT banjoist and primary songwriter
Kier Byrnes. While the song selection isn't as obscure, the
effect is similar to the technique used by the band Old Crow
Medicine Show. Take an old song (the sea chantey "Drunken
Sailor," Irish drinking song "Pub With No Beer,"
or a little of each in the Irish sea chantey "Haul Away
Joe") and play it with punk abandon.
Three Day Threshold's originals combine the same ingredients,
as in "Victory," part country hoedown, part Celtic-tinged
bluegrass, with enough punk-rock attitude that the MTV-powers-that-be
played it on The Real World and Road Rules, two
of that network's reality shows. An attempt at deciphering the
lyrics left me scratching my head. I hear the words. I'm just
not sure what they might mean. And that's fine. 3DT's appeal
usually isn't lyrical, it's energy and attitude.
Combine that energy and attitude on a song with some lyrical
heft however, and 3DT show they're capable of more than a drinking
party soundtrack. Surprisingly Shel Silverstein's countdown-to-execution,
"25 Minutes to Go," hasn't been covered very often
over the years. The Pine Valley Cosmonauts took a stab on the
anti-death-penalty compilation, The Executioners Last Songs,
a couple years ago. Few others have tried. You could argue
that Johnny Cash recorded the definitive version at Folsom Prison
over 35 years ago. You'd be right. But Three Day Threshold
acquit themselves admirably, going from a surreal this-ain't-gonna-happen
pose at the beginning to an oh-shit-I-fucked-up frenzy as the
end nears.
No lyrics to figure out on the instrumental title track.
But juxtaposition of the title, "Behind the Barn,"
and news that the song was used on Paris Hilton's new sitcom,
The Simple Life, must be the raw materials for a good
joke. Any comedian's out there?
www.threedaythreshold.com
or www.pigpilerecords.com
Contact Al Kunz at kunz-at-rockzilla.net
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