Words by Vicki

I’ve been away from Pittsburgh for over 5 weeks now, and homesickness has begun to set in. Predictably, music has been my cure. First up was classic rock, starring my favorite guilty pleasure, Boston, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ Greatest Hits album. Then I went for local Pittsburgh artists, playing Nik & the Central Plains, Donora, and New Shouts over and over. Now I’m craving good ‘ol Americana, as rootsy and rough around the edges as I can get. That’s where the cacophony of instruments that is River City Extension comes in. The band has been classified as everything from folk, calypso, and chamber-punk, but whatever you call it, it’s satisfyingly American, and just what I needed.

River City Extension / Friends and Family
River City Extension / Clever & Quickness
River City Extension / Our New Intelligence

River City Extension came into being in 2007, the brainchild of singer-songwriter Joe Michelini. He recruited members over the next year and a half, forming an eight-piece lineup who self-released their first EP, Nautical Sabbatical, in 2009. The album captures a rollicking good time being had among friends playing their hearts out and letting the songs take them where they will. Most of the EP takes place at breakneck speed; fast-paced “Clever & Quickness,” a race-to-the-finish track that sounds as though the bandmates are daring one another to play faster, leaves the listener out of breath. The result is an album that’s messy and unpolished, at times sounding like maybe too many people are in the mix, but it’s saved by the band’s obvious enthusiasm to play together and record their songs.

A year later, in 2010, the band signed with XOXO Records and released their first full-length album, The Unmistakable Man. The album starts out slowly, carefully, hinting at a more calculated approach versus an all-out jam session. On early track “Friends and Family,” lead singer Michelini sets a scene: “I dim the lights and I crack a beer and think to myself about things I said I’d do this year,” a fitting beginning. But the idea of a more restrained album turns out to be a façade, disintegrating halfway through the song as Michelini sounds more and more desperate, the lyric has changed to “things I’ll probably do next year,” the music swells, and he’s all-out screaming. This idea of a slow burn and eventual build to the finish is not found on the previous EP, and indicates there is more intention and a planned approach behind this album. The band has certainly matured, and the production is cleaner than the first record. The music is still an imperfect arrangement, but the misfires help the album still sound like a bunch of friends gathered together in someone’s backyard, playing for fun, lest you think River City Extension isn’t having a blast making this record.

I’ve never seen River City Extension live, though they were at Bonnaroo this year, playing a first-day, early afternoon slot. In retrospect, I think it’s my biggest regret of the festival. Their brand of music thrives in a live setting, and it would’ve been a great stomp-and-hollering time. A quick Google-ing reveals some rowdy live clips of the band, its members unable to stand still, dancing to the music as a heavily bearded Michelini jumps around the stage barefoot. Sounds about right. NPR recorded the band live at this year’s Newport Folk Festival, and it’s still available here. Judging by the sound of the crowd clapping along to almost every song and the massive cheers, they were a hit. Mostly, the recording just makes me wish I’d been there. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that a concert in the Burgh is on Michelini’s list of things he’ll probably do next year.

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Filed under: New to Us, New to You?, Not Blake, Jim, or Brendan