Artist description Curt Mitchell is a songwriter. This may not seem like much of a bio, but trust me I don't use the term lightly.His debut album on Planet Paul records -- "Happy Town Survivor" features the sort of timeless, simple-yet-clever songwriting seldom heard in modern pop music. The Band Next Door, an independent Internet music review site, agrees:"Without a doubt, the album's standout track is 'New Boots,' ... simply everything a great rock anthem should be. I played this song 37 times straight when I first got the CD -- that's over two hours."You see, if you're not a songwriter, nobody's ever going to play one of your tunes for two hours straight.For a complete text of the review and more info on Curt Mitchell visit www.thebandnextdoor.com. You'll find there that Mitchell is a Midwesterner with roots in what has become known as the Americana genre. His sound is jangly, guitar driven and upbeat with definite heartland vibe.But it's what he does with those influences that matters. He's twisted them all together into something quite his own. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a sound must be worth ten thousand.

Music Style americana rock

Musical Influences replacements, tom petty, steve earl, rem

Artist History mitchell played the midwest bar scene from 1993 to 1996 with his former band matfield green,opening shows for the legandery starkweathers and danger bob.this is mitchell's solo debut on planet paul records.

Group Members Curt Mitchell - vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Steve Knowles - drums; Tim Jamieson - bass guitar; Jonny Powell - guitar & vocals; Kyle Couch - drums & vocals

Albums Happy Town Survivor

Press Reviews To me, Wichita, Kansas doesn’t seem like it would be the epicenter of jangly, roots-filled guitar rock. So unless I’m mistaken, you can call singer-songwriter Curt Mitchell a trailblazer. Wearing his influences (Tom Petty, REM, The Replacements, The BoDeans) squarely on his musical sleeve, the former member of Matfield Green has turned in a solid and occasionally brilliant solo debut with his album "Happy Town Survivor." Within the aforementioned Americana genre, Mitchell mixes up his tempos and style nicely, adorning his choruses with some sweet hooks and backing it all with capable guitar work. Typical of this is the standout pseudo-zydeco pop of "Newton’s Apple." Mitchell shows a nice vocal range by slathering a little more southern latitude on his already straight-from-the-heartland voice. The result is a quirky, hiccupping twang that’s harder to do than you might think (try singing along with the track, you’ll see what I mean.) He also shows a nice talent for filling a song with little touches that bring you back for multiple listens. For example, the intro chords of Newton’s are followed by a beat of silence that breaks back into the song by way of a single, sublime cowbell. Nice job."I Follow Her" shows Mitchell breaking out the early to mid-period REM, canning Stipe’s vocals for something a little more intelligible and a little less treacherous, and adding a nice, poppy, call and response type chorus.Without a doubt, the album’s standout track is "New Boots," a tribute to legend of rock and roll self-destructiveness Johnny Thunders that is simply everything a great rock and roll anthem should be. (As an aside, I played this song approximately 37 times straight when I first got the CD- that’s over two hours to you and me.) With its squalling, hi-tone guitars and tight two part harmonies in the chorus, this song is chock full of the epic timelessness that sets apart great tunes.The album’s closer, "Understand" is a low-key triumph. Its simple 3 to 4 chord musical simplicity is complemented by Mitchell’s affecting and heartfelt lyrics. The song's lo-fi vibe transforms it into a sort of 3x5 snapshot, a glimpse of a guy sitting on his couch, musing about life on a lonely Saturday night. When Mitchell pleads "If I fall apart/Hey don’t take it too hard" and then sings, "Have I ever told you my grand plans?" the listener can’t help but wonder if that last question is marked by a little bit of duplicity, a hint of self-mockery lurking around its corners. Ultimately, it’s this emotional ambiguity that adds another dimension to the song and really makes it work. --taken from www.thebandnextdoor.com

Location Wichita, KS - USA

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