AA Bondy Releases Folk Music CD
Ex-Verbena Frontman and Alabama Native Gains Recognition in NYC
Releasing his solo debut, American Hearts, on Fat Possum Records last year, AA Bondy has created a new sound and gained a new fan base. Formerly of Capitol Records' Verbena, a Birmingham based rock ‘n’ roll band, Bondy has turned to more earthy sounds. Comparisons to Bob Dylan may be cliché, but are also quite reasonable.
Bondy's Rock Roots in Verbena
His loud rock roots took Bondy relatively far, once touring with Foo Fighters and impressing singer Dave Grohl. So much so, in fact, that Grohl named Verbena's Souls for Sale "his favorite record of the year in Spin magazine," noted Gregory Crofton in a 1998 article in The Daily Mississippian. Crofton added about the band: "Verbena is heavy on guitar (they have two guitarists), they keep an arsenal of great pop songs on-hand and they rely on boy/girl vocal harmonies of guitarist Scott Bondy and guitarist Ann Marie Griffin to deliver their verbal hooks... At the band's core, however, is a love to grind out hard, ear-catching rock."
This description could hardly be attributed to today’s AA Bondy, who has dropped "Scott" and goes just by "AA" (short for Auguste Arthur, not Alcoholic Anonymous) in his post-Verbena years. American Hearts is a record full of thoughtful lyrics on politics and doom featuring songs that are heavily written around his acoustic guitar and harmonica. They are simply written songs lamenting nearly universal wishes and fears, many including allusions to the end of the world.
Bondy's New Sound and New Appreciation
Since the release of his record, Bondy has appeared on Late Night With Conan O'Brien on April 11th, 2008. He has also toured with Kevin Devine and The Weakerthans so far this year.
Though the record features a band, Bondy often tours solo. He appeared at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, solo as part of his co-headlining tour with Long Island's Jaymay. He stood at the edge of the stage alone, guitar strapped around his gaudy body and harmonica around his neck. The New York crowd welcomed him warmly and even called out requests. His set featured "American Hearts," "Witness Blues," "World Without End," "There's A Reason," "Killed Myself When I Was Young," "Vice Rag," "Lover's Waltz," and "Black Rain, Black Rain" from American Hearts as well as several new songs.
The crowd seemed entertained even when unfamiliar with Bondy's newer songs. Considering the size of Bowery, the crowd was very respectful. During "Vice Rag," a fan favorite, he managed to get the crowd to stomp their feet to the ground with him after each verse.
AA Bondy Captivates Fans
What stands out about AA Bondy is his ability to captivate listeners using such simple means. Musically, he is even able to make the songs on his record which include the band sound just as loud and intense as he plays alone. "Killed Myself When I Was Young," gains momentum as the song plays on and even without the drums and additional instrumentation used on the studio recording, Bondy makes that song work; he makes it loud and he makes his audience listen. One fan, having seen Bondy previously, said, "My friend was drunk both nights and he was being an ass, but both times [Bondy] just completely stopped me."
To check out AA Bondy's music, fans should pay a visit to his MySpace or his live show. The live experience trumps the record tenfold. His next New York City area performance will be at Union Hall in Brooklyn on June 27th and he will be touring later in the summer with Bon Iver. He is worth seeing live every time.
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