East of Yesterday is an album by the New York City band the Hangdogs, released in 1998.[2][3] It was rereleased by Shanachie Records the following year.[4][5] A video was shot for "Hey, Janeane", which starred Janeane Garofalo; the song was a hit on Americana radio stations.[6][7]
| East of Yesterday | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Country, rock | |||
| Label | Crazyhead[1] | |||
| Producer | Bruce Henderson | |||
| The Hangdogs chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Bruce Henderson, who gave it a raw, garage sound.[8][9] The majority of the album's songs were written by frontman Matthew Grimm.[7]
"The Ring" is about a country fan who sells his record collection to buy an engagement ring; the song inspired a fan in Dallas to propose to his girlfriend and to arrange for a Hangdogs concert to follow his wedding reception.[10][11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Courier News | [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [8] |
| Richmond Times-Dispatch | [9] |
No Depression wrote that, "while the songs exhibit cleverness and irony, they aren't mere novelty numbers, either in their lyrics or their tone."[14] The Washington Post thought that "the best part of the disc is Grimm's lyrics, for he has a storyteller's gift for making the listener want to know what happens next."[15]
The Austin Chronicle called Grimm "as playful a lyricist as Tom T. Hall," writing that East of Yesterday "offers a generous helping of wise-guy roots-rock, that bracing sub-subgenre created at the street corner of the mind where Youse meets Y'all."[16] USA Today deemed the album "surprisingly twang-core, notable for a confident, unhurried delivery."[17] The Courier News determined that the band "clearly has a good sense of humor, but there's lots of blue-collar, heartfelt sincerity."[13]
The Ottawa Citizen listed the 1999 rerelease as one of the year's best country albums, writing that "this New York foursome is both humorous and frighteningly perceptive in its commentary on contemporary relationships and life."[18] The Fort Worth Star-Telegram concluded that East of Yesterday is "country and rock, not the hyphenated, homogenized country-rock that everyone with a cowboy hat, a pick and a Gram Parsons disc burned off Napster is playing these days."[19]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Once More's Gone" | |
| 2. | "Hey, Janeane" | |
| 3. | "Speed Rack" | |
| 4. | "Drift" | |
| 5. | "Something Left to Save" | |
| 6. | "The Ring" | |
| 7. | "I'd Call to Say I Love You..." | |
| 8. | "The Man with the Plan That Went Awry" | |
| 9. | "High and Dry" | |
| 10. | "In My Dreams" | |
| 11. | "They Don't Play No Country on the East Side of New York" |
References
edit- ^ Siegler, Dylan (Mar 28, 1998). "Hangdogs' twang is picking up new fans". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 13. pp. 9, 76.
- ^ "Hangdogs Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "O.G. Hangdogs Reunite". New York Press.
- ^ "New Releases". CMJ New Music Report. Vol. 59, no. 629. Aug 2, 1999. p. 36.
- ^ Carter, Nick (3 Sep 1999). "New York City roots rockers the Hangdogs...". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 14.
- ^ McCall, Jim Ridley and Michael. "Action Packed". Nashville Scene.
- ^ a b Beal Jr., Jim (August 27, 1999). "Let's rock, etc". San Antonio Express-News. p. 21H.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 522.
- ^ a b Ely, Gordon (March 22, 1998). "Alternative Country Shines in Several Album Releases". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. H7.
- ^ Tarradell, Mario (March 19, 1998). "Yanks have the yee-hah factor". The Dallas Morning News. p. 5C.
- ^ "They're happy to have Hangdog expression". The Dallas Morning News. October 18, 1998. p. 10C.
- ^ "East of Yesterday". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Junior, Chris M. (3 June 1999). "Record Reviews". Courier News. p. E8.
- ^ "Hangdogs – East of Yesterday". No Depression. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "The Hangdogs 'East of Yesterday'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "SXSW Record Reviews". The Austin Chronicle.
- ^ Schwalbach, Jennifer (12 Dec 1997). "Best Bets". USA Today. p. 1D.
- ^ Langston, Patrick (30 Dec 1999). "The year's best in country music". Ottawa Citizen. p. F3.
- ^ Mayhew, Malcolm (February 23, 2001). "Honky-tonk heroes". Star Time. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 20.