Two Dollar Pistols’ Legacy Revived in John Howie Jr.’s ‘Leaving Yesterday’
You can get downright humid-eyed when remembering some of the great modern revivalist bands of country music who are so unfortunately no longer around, outfits like BR549 and the .357 String Band. When a band that is so adept at recruiting new true country converts to the cause goes belly up, it makes the task of Saving Country Music that much harder.
When naming off bands and artists that were leaders of the late 90’s neo-traditional movement in independent country, an act often overlooked is North Carolina’s Two Dollar Pistols and their point man John Howie Jr. Started in 1996 and signed to the independent powerhouse label Yep Rock, the Two Dollar Pistols released five superb full-length albums and an EP before their breakup in 2008. The 1999 EP with then-unknown fellow North Carolinian Tift Merritt is given credit in many circles for launching the songstress’s career. Like the Two Dollar Pistols, Cackalacky is too often carelessly overlooked as one of the nation’s premier music regions, harboring numerous music towns like Chapel Hill and Boone, and it’s own distinct musical traditions and dialects.
After the dissolving of the Two Dollar Pistols, John Howie Jr. soldiered on, playing in a regional all-star band called The Sweethearts, and forming Rosewood Bluff along with Two Dollar Pistols drummer Matt Brown. In 2011 they reunited with well-known producer Brian Paulson who produced the Pistols’ final Yep Roc album, and Rosewood Bluff released their first album Leavin’ Yesterday, a brilliantly-written, steadfastly country old school tearjerker that doesn’t relent on the heartaches once in the album’s 13 stellar tracks. Just a glance at song titles like “I’m So Happy I Could Cry” and “That Makes 3 Of Us” lets you know you’re in store for a stone cold and felonious hard country heart stabbing.
Drenched in pedal steel guitar, John Howie Jr. illustrates in Leavin’ Yesterday how you can still revive the classic country sound without being cliche. No lonesome train whistles on this album, just sincere ballads of heartbreak that will always be pertinent to the human condition no matter what the place and time. This album could squeeze tears from a turnip, yet has great variety that never allows the album to stale or eddy. The songwriting, simple tempo changes between songs, and adding strings to a couple of tracks keeps the country ear engaged with this album from stem to stern. And what old-school class on John Howie’s part to put possibly the album’s best song and the title track very last on the album.
As much credit is due to John Howie Jr. for writing these songs and singing them with such patent authenticity, pedal steel guitar player Nathan Golub bears responsibility for really tying Leavin’ Yesterday together with one of the most tasteful instrumental performances I’ve heard in a while. He hits all the right notes, not wowing you with technique, but winning you over from his uncanny ear for hearing what the song is begging for. All of Rosewood Bluff deserves praise for bringing flesh to John Howie’s vision.
For people who’ve never heard of John Howie Jr. or the Two Dollar Pistols before, Leavin’ Yesterday opens up a new vein of country music to discover, while also making you giddy for what John Howie Jr. and Rosewood Bluff may be throwing down in the future.
Two guns up.
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April 21, 2013 @ 3:52 pm
I like what I hear. I’ll have to add this to my get list. Wonder if I’ll ever get all the music I have on there 😀
April 21, 2013 @ 3:55 pm
Totally agree, I’ve had my copy of this album for some time now….it’s still in rotation on my ipod.
Thanks for posting this Trig, imho it’s a hidden gem that I’m sure those that haven’t heard of will enjoy.
I’m So Happy I Could Cry, I Don’t Mind Cryin’ and That Makes 3 of Us are my favorites on the album.
April 21, 2013 @ 8:23 pm
I’ve heard Leavin’ Yesterday before somewhere. It’s a great song though, I’ll have to check out the rest of the album.
April 22, 2013 @ 2:12 am
Thanks for the heads up, Trigger! I frickin’ love Two Dollar Pistols, and I hadn’t heard anything from John Howie Jr in a while.
April 22, 2013 @ 2:52 am
One of the best bands around, no doubt! Great album from start to finish. And Howie’s voice is spectacular. Instantly recognizable and one of a kind. His vocal delivery on “Downhill” is amazing- it KILLS me every time. I was a huge Two Dollar Pistols fan, and I like the Rosewood Bluff stuff even more. I hear a little more country rock influence in the songwriting as a whole, but the prominence of Nathan Golub’s steel work gives it a very solidly country feel.
April 22, 2013 @ 12:06 pm
Fuckin right! I saw him Saturday night at a local music festival (with a ton of different bands / stages going on at once) & luckily he had a great turnout for his set! He killed it & looked like everyone (up on stage) was having a great time!
Saw several other awesome acts, one of my favorites (& first time seeing them play) was a BADASS stringband called Deep Chatham checkem out…Dirty Bourbon River Show was there as well & killed it, a whole lot of good music…but love seeing John Howie get some press / credit (outside the Triangle / NC) he’s been at it a while and damn sure deserves it!
April 22, 2013 @ 1:44 pm
Not too into JHJr but thanx for the tip on Deep Chatham.
BTW if you dig Dirty Bourbon River Show then you might want to check out the Tiger Lillies they are on more full step down a similar rabbit hole of crazy.
April 22, 2013 @ 1:56 pm
I think North Carolina can be very similar to Austin in how an artist can have so much local support, they sometimes forget there’s a much bigger music world out there with hungry ears. Same goes for fans, how if there’s so much local music, you have to remind yourself there’s other artists out there doing great things.
April 22, 2013 @ 12:02 pm
Been a fan of John for awhile now, including the Pistols. I get to see him perform every so often and he never disappoints. If he’s in your area, go check him out. You won’t regret it. And the album is great too…
April 22, 2013 @ 1:38 pm
hot damn! — loved Two Dollar Pistols back in the day but haven’t kept up with them for a while now… great to hear about the new release!
New Music: John Howie Jr
May 20, 2013 @ 7:04 am
[…] found John Howie Jr on the savingcountrymusic.com website when I was looking to expand outside the realm of commercial […]
March 26, 2014 @ 8:51 pm
The Pistols were my first exposure to country music. I grew up in Chapel Hill and my daddy always had them playing in the house. For a long time they were his music and then they became my music.