Artist description sometimes country-flavored pop songs from a Minneapolis basement.

Music Style alt-country, pop, singer-songwriter

Musical Influences Freedy Johnston, Elvis Costello, Joe Pernice (in everything), Westerberg, Tweedy, etc.

Artist History gawker slowdown is me, eric kalenze, and i'm a ten-or-so-year veteran of the twin cities music scene. i used to front the minneapolis rockers third wheel, but gawker slowdown is basically just me heading to the basement to record more contemplative, more emotionally controlled songs.

Group Members eric kalenze - vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, electric 12-string guitar, slide guitars, bass, keys, drum programming, assorted percussion, harmonica

Instruments Vocals, guitars, bass, percussion, keys, harmonica, misc

Albums gawker slowdown (2002), will work for love (2003)

Press Reviews LOST CAUSE MAGAZINE on 'WILL WORK FOR LOVE' -- You know how you dread having a friend shove a CD-R in your face and saying, "This is my band, let me know what you think!" The fact that the recording is probably bad, the vocals unlistenable and the drums recorded way too crappy all contribute to that dread. You think about how you'll have to be diplomatic and somehow spin your criticisms to sound positive. But then you listen to the recording, and you don't have to worry, because the songs are good. This is 'Will Work For Love.' Gawker is one person sitting in his Northeast Minneapolis basement penning pretty alt country ballads, complete with nifty guitar picking and smooth vocal harmonies. Eric Kalenze's second Gawker effort is good and shows real potential. Kalenze, a mild veteran of the Twin Cities club circuit--he used to be in the band Third Wheel--decided to slow things down a bit and grab from his mellower influences for his latest effort. The album's opener, "How Good It Is When It's Good," sets the record in nice, carefree motion with Kalenze bringing the song together with a comfortable guitar, sweet harmonica and his soft voice. It's a nice short song, assuring the listener that the rest of the cuts will be just as easy on the ears. Songs like "Gardenkeeper" keep the album floating along. The lyrics are strong, the songs are mixed well and the obvious sense of melody suggest a professional approach to songwriting which many self-released albums lack. The best part of the record is the variety of songs. While they all revolve around common themes (namely love, marriage, love lost, etc.) the songs do not get tired or rutty. Every song on this record is about love, which is why 'Will Work for Love's very listenability is so impressive. Clearly for Kalenze, making a worthwhile album is easy work. -Chaz Rice, Lost Cause Magazine, May 2003 INDIE-MUSIC.COM ON 'GAWKER SLOWDOWN' -- The liner notes to Gawker Slowdown's self-titled release are virtually non-existent, so this review is going to operate under several assumptions. First assumption, Gawker Slowdown is actually just one guy adopting a band name. Second, this is his debut. Third, he played everything. The first two songs on the album show Gawker as a balladeer. "Unlucky Thirteen" is in the vein of early 70s countryish songwriters like John Prine. But at the same time, some of the chord changes are reminiscent of Ben Folds. This is a surprise. Odd chords are what you’re supposed to play on the piano, but on guitar, it’s an oddity outside the world of jazz. Gawker Slowdown does a good job of blending the two. "Bruised, Better Off" continues in this vein. Most of the songs on this release show Gawker Slowdown is well-versed in the classic sounds of Americana. "If the River Come" is a perfect example of this. It echoes recordings like Beggars Banquet by the Rolling Stones and One Foot in the Grave by Beck. He is obviously playing in an open tuning, and in addition to playing with the fingers on his left hand (see the Stones' "Prodigal Son"), he also uses a slide which adds a lot to the recording. The subject matter of this song also is a perfect example of the style. (hint: if the name doesn’t give it away, the tune is about flooding) Coming after two of the best songs on the recording, "If the River Come" blows both of those away, and Gawker keeps the hits a-coming. This recording is generally good. A few of the songs (especially toward the end) drag a little, but you can’t beat the first three, and throughout the album there are great songs. "Damn Sure" and "Thumb," both from the last half of the album are two standouts. "Thumb" especially shows good folky harmonica, which doesn’t show up on most of the album. Really the only problem with the recording is the style of some of the songs. A few of them sound like Ryan Adams' songs with the Pinkhearts. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but they don’t really fit with the rest. I have to recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of Americana. It's as good as anything else out there, and if you like the Pinkhearts stuff, that’s a bonus. -Jacob Lee, indie-music.com

Location Minneapolis, MN - USA

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