City Fritter: Press

"marvelous rootsy music"

"Massively talented!"

Jewels and Johnny Nation capture a spirit that is like June Carter Cash singing with a late '60s Los Angeles country/folk/psych band.Elements of Bakersfield are mixed with the Sunset Strip, creating a warm, harmony-driven, infectious sound. This 10 track release, clocking in at 40 minutes, moves by briskly leaving a wake of hook-filled gems.

Next now has a clothing line called ‘Nouveau Folk’ and if there is a signal that something has been incorporated into the mainstream then that is it. I think Jewels and Johnny Nation are a nouveau hippy (I was reminded of Gavin Lambert’s ‘Goodbye People’ while listening to this), June and Johnny Cash with a Neil Young influence and not just ‘After the Goldrush’. There is plenty of power in these songs and an immediacy like rain turning dust to mud - ‘Standin’ by the Door’ has that coiled Crazy Horse power that isn’t unleashed; it leaks out in a vibrant pedal steel break and the guitar is more liquid than fire.

There is a kind of pattern. Jewels takes the lead on the more country oriented songs, Johnny is more rock, Jewels goes for Patsy Cline sings the Byrds on ‘Before too Long’ and ends up very close to the paisley underground. The lovely ‘Not Your Girlfriend Anymore’ is her high point with pedal steel ghosts haunting her fine rich voice. They make me think of 10,000 Maniacs, James Taylor and the rawness and immediacy of the live sounding ‘It Took So Long (To Fall in Love)’ elevates this above the mire of also-rans - kind of like Viva Voce’s mum and dad.

City Fritter came to the stage next with their blues and country stylings from L.A. in Topanga Canyon. Johnny Nation does the guitar work and vocals and Jewels does vocals,tambourine, and harmonica. They had some wonderful songs and I really like a good harmonica player and Jewels did a damn fine job. They did several songs and many of the small crowd were very pleased, with what we got to hear.

Always current hippies surprise!
On the CD cover there is a photo of the tour bus. A white, worn all wheel drive Subaru full of stickers with messages such as "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and "War Is Not The Answer". This is probably the worn down Japanese bus that is Jewels and Johnny Nation's home during the endless tours across the US.

At a first look it is easy to dismiss City Fritter as a nostalgic relic from the 60s, a duo that still believe the calendar reads 1969. Nothing could be more wrong, it turns out.

City Fritter leans a lot on the 60s and 70s greats: Byrds, Stones, Beatles and Dylan. But it is the charm that is the difference between City Fritter and the countless bar bands that play at all sorts of joints in the US.

The record is presented as a road movie. Every song has been written, or at least gotten inspiration from a geographic place; Topanaga Canyon and Joshua Tree are examples. The music is indigenous Americana, spontaneous and simple, but also full of charm and warmth. The human beauty of "Not Your Girlfriend Anymore" is the highlight of the album.

This is a debut very much appreciated in the US. The icon Jimmie Dale Gilmore has called City Fritter "massively talented". I am inclined to agree.

This is one of those albums that could as easily have been recorded 1967 as 2007. Mix equal parts CCR, Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow and you will have a pretty good idea of how it sound. It is radio friendly country rock with lyrics about love, love and unhappy love.
Maybe not the most innovative venture, but oh how charmingly done. The band consists of Jewels and Johnny Nation who share the front of the microphone. It is however at its best when they join together on the record’s duets. Their voices harmonize perfectly with each other and Johnny is to boot a very driving guitarist. "From The Ocean To The Desert" is simply an album that makes me happy. It is as if was made for lazy days in the hammock or as a companion in the car on a late night when you are on your way home and the road feels too long. A little like Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris on happy pills. Don’t forget that the simple is also often the most beautiful.

"From The Ocean To The Desert" by City Fritter (aka Jewels and Johnny Nation) is a stunning combination of excellent singing, songwriting and instrumental performances. They blend country, folk, and rock to create a pleasing musical road movie, the band adds beautiful harmonies to their standard guitars/harmonica/drums instrumentation. Heartfelt lyrics, top notch production, and professional in every way, the music is excellent and worth detailed exploration and a journey; it struck us immediately with its timeless quality—certainly a must listen!

On their previous release, this band walked a tightrope between honky tonk bar ballads and alternative country. On the duo’s latest release “FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT” the band has ditched the “alternative” and opted for pure country rock. One track “Don’t You Know” was picked by Disney for the film “FLICKA”. But City Fritter’s best work is not G-rated. There are some brilliant tracks on the disc such as “Tawdry Motel” and “Travellin’ Moon” where vocalist Jewels channels every trailer trash chanteuse that ever put on a pair of cowboy boots. When she sings about the booze and the bad men, it comes from the heart. The heart of country is pain and defeat and few musicians do it better than these two.

"DON'T YOU KNOW is such a unique song, from the upbeat percussion and captivating lyrics, to the backing female vocals that work so well on the chorus. This is one of those songs that sucks you in and keeps you wanting more"

I've lived with the beautiful new disc you sent for several weeks now (at
home, in the car and at the office), and I must say that the album is absolutely top-notch! Very, very strong material, remarkable performances and a very healthy attitude!
Simply put,
The best disc in this genre that I've heard in a long, long time! I really do believe that this album is very suitable for the Scandinavian/European audiences.