The Boston Phoenix - February 17 - 24, 2000
Cellars by Starlight by Jonathan Perry

HIGH LONESOMES
At one time or another, it seems, the Lonesome Brothers' Jim Armenti and Ray Mason (the trio also includes drummer Bob Grant) have played with just about every musician in New England. Back before he was a Scud Mountain Boy, for instance, Joe Pernice took guitar lessons from Armenti (who also moonlights on clarinet in a klezmer band!). Years later, the Scuds opened for Mason's other project, the Ray Mason Band, at the long-extinct Sheehan's Café in Northampton. Since then, several of the Scuds have popped up in Mason's band. If music historian/illustrator Pete Frame ever endeavored to assemble one of his rock family trees charting everyone who's crossed paths with the Lonesomes, there'd be quite a few branches on the old maple.

"It's all interchangeable," jokes Mason, who's seated with Armenti at a table in the band's usual haunt, the Bay State Restaurant & Bar in Northampton. Moments before, Armenti and Mason (who's clad in the same Blood Oranges T-shirt he wears on the inside cover photo of the Lonesomes' new album, Diesel Therapy, out on Tar Hut Records) were watching Wheel of Fortune on TV, trying to figure out the appeal of Vanna White. "She gets to touch the letters," deadpans Armenti. "That's why she's famous." The Lonesome Brothers may never be as famous as Vanna White, but they already boast a legacy a good deal more substantive than that of Pat Sajak's sidekick.

On Diesel Therapy, the Lonesomes build on the rural warmth and back-porch wisdom that made their self-titled 1997 debut (also on Tar Hut) such a resonant example of great roots-pop songwriting. The tracks run the gamut of what the Lonesomes facetiously call their "hick rock" approach, from Mason's Rick Danko-ish vocal turn on the pedal-steel-soaked plea "Don't Make Me a Memory," to the gutbucket, hillbilly groove of Armenti's "Big Shakedown." You could compare shaggy, rough-and-tumble ravers like Armenti's "Going Blind" or Mason's "All Jacked Up" to the work of insurgent-country darlings such as Whiskeytown, the Bottle Rockets, and the Old 97's -- except for the fact that the Lonesomes have been playing this stuff since before the musicians in those bands were in high school.

"Jim and I grew up in the '60s and on bands like Buffalo Springfield, and they were all doing country-oriented stuff, so I've never thought of it as a new thing," says Mason. "But No Depression is a good thing. It's about music based around songwriting -- which I like -- and a lot of the people who are involved in that scene are definitely some really good songwriters."

As a guy who last year inspired a tribute disc called It's Heartbreak That Sells (Tar Hut), Mason knows about such things. On the new album, he continues in the same vein. He's quick to credit Armenti's talent as a composer, too. "Jim's a better songwriter than I am," he says. "So it gives me something to strive for."

The sessions for Diesel Therapy were done in a few idea-and-intuition-flushed days at "Cloud Cuckooland" -- otherwise known as producer Jim Weeks's Northampton apartment. Pedal- and lap-steel specialist Doug Beaumier stopped by, as did ex-Blood Oranges bassist-singer Cheri Knight. And Weeks, a master tinkerer with a keen ear for detail, added judicious touches of cello, harp, and keyboards. And that was pretty much it.

"If something feels good, you don't go back and keep doing it," says Mason. "I like the Dylan kind of approach, where the guys in the band would say, `Okay, we learned the song, we're ready to record,' and Dylan would say, `No, you're done.' If you listen to Highway 61, the guitars are really out of tune, but it was perfect for the record. It would not be the same record if you took that out of there. It's like the Stones's December's Children, where you had these wicked out-of-tune 12-strings clashing with the harpsichord, and it's so off. But so off that it's on." Or, says Armenti with a laugh, "to use Jim Weeks's favorite phrase, `You're out of tune. But in a good way.' "

No Depression - January 2000
Carolyn Wennblom

Seasoned musicians who have played together for 11 years, the Lonesome Brothers clearly know their stuff. In our cold, cruel, post-vinyl world, their distinctive warmth offers a welcome respite from so many bands that confuse digital perfection with a good-sounding recording. On Diesel Therapy, their second release on Tar Hut, this western Massachusetts trio winds its way through 13 well-crafted songs of country-tinged rock with considerable skill and an unflagging commitment to "feel," making even the weaker tunes worth a second listen.

Guitarist Jim Armenti and bassist Ray Mason adeptly trade off songwriting and lead vocal duties, Bob Grant's steady drumming provides the anchor, and a cast of talented friends -- including Cheri Knight -- add tasteful layers of pedal steel, cello, keyboard and backing vocals. From the sticky guitar hook of the opening track "Going Blind" through the rollicking, solo-filled closer "What I Want," the Lonesome Brothers deliver the down-home goods with songs that alternately evoke NRBQ's bar-band energy ("Lucinda") and the laid-back looseness of American Beauty-era Grateful Dead ("Remember To Forget").

The fifth track, "Every Goodbye", a plaintive ballad underpinned by cello and Knight's reedy vocals, leads off the album's strongest songwriting stretch, from the blissfully straightforward rocker "Water Off A Duck," to the funky backwater groove of "Big Shakedown", to "Don't Make Me A Memory", a pleading two-step laced with electric guitar and sweet pedal steel.

Audiogalaxy.com - January 8, 2000
Eric Zappa

One of Massachusetts's best-kept secrets, the Lonesome Brothers make wonderfully timeless American music: a seamless blend of country and rock played by a trio of musicians with the chops to move from upbeat barn-burning jams to slow, gentle ballads. Like The Band and Uncle Tupelo, the Lonesome Brothers make country music rock and rock music twang. Bassist Ray Mason and guitarist Jim Armenti have been playing music together in variety of bands for over 11 years. Both talented songwriters and pickers, they sound at home writing and playing in numerous styles. These guys deliver satisfying Sun Records style rockabilly, bouncy Western Swing, and electric Neil Young type rock. But where the Lonesome Brothers really shine is on their slow countrified ballads. Acoustic arrangements filled with soaring pedal steel, lilting mandolin and drummer Bob Grant's simple backbeat make these tunes the standouts on both of the band's records. "Every Goodbye" from the Diesel Therapy album is a haunting gem augmented by the majestic harmony vocals of Cheri Knight. Another ballad, the Armenti penned "All Around You," from the band's self-titled release has an incredible warmth and sincerity that only the best songwriters can convey. Solid production and contributions from guest musicians like vocalist Cheri Knight, pedal steel player Doug Beaumier and cellist Jim Weeks make the Lonesome Brothers releases abundantly enjoyable. Sometimes it's good to be "lonesome."


Sunday Republican, Springfield, MA, January 2000
Kevin O'Hare

"Diesel Therapy" The Lonesome Brothers * * * 1/2 out of * * * *
Indie fave Ray Mason sure seems to be one of the busiest guys around. Beyond his steady solo gig as the king of Silvertone pop, the western Massachusetts songwriter has spent the past 13 years as one of the mainstays of the Lonesome Brothers. Together with multi-instrumentalist Jim Armenti and drummer Bob Grant, Mason and the Lonesomes churn out a tasty brand of alt-country. Their latest disc is highlighted by Armenti's exceptional title track about prison life, as well as the easygoing country splash of "Elly Mae's Party," Mason's steel-graced, rapid-fire rocker "All Jacked Up." This one's short of frills, but played straight from the heart. Guests include Cheri Knight on Backing vocals.

The Recorder, December 1999 "Diesel Therapy"
Sheryl Hunter

The Lonesome Brothers are back with yet another top notch collection of their extremely appealing country-tinged rock. For their second release, the brothers -- Ray Mason on bass, Jim Armenti on guitar and Bob Grant on drums -- have assembled a collection of 13 tracks that range from sweet ballads to solid rockers. As with their first album, the writing and playing here is first rate and some of these songs will no doubt become classic in the Brothers' catalog. While we can always count on Mason to deliver some real gems ("All Jacked Up," "Water Of A Duck"), Armenti more than holds his own against his partner. The multi-instrumentalist wrote and sings half the tracks here from the pensive "Every Goodbye" to the rollicking "Lucinda." Vocalist Cheri Knight, pedal steel player Doug Beaumier and multi-instrumentlist Jim Weeks also lend their talents to this fine release. For those Ray mason fans on your shopping list, don't forget "Castanets" by the Ray mason Band and "It's Heartbreak That Sells: A Tribute to Ray Mason (Tar Hut) are also available.

Music Revue, October 1999
Dread Fury

Fans of great songs and excellent musicianship will be happy to find that there is now another band on the scene that can give the Ray Mason Band a run for the money as the best local roots-rock outfit. Not surprisingly, that band - The Lonesome Brothers - also features Ray and his instant classic songs.

Mason shares songwriting duties on "Diesel Therapy" with multi-instrumentalist Jim Armenti, who turns to be not just a fabulous and tasty guitar picker but a pretty great songwriter in his own right. But Armenti doesn't just play Lennon to Mason's McCartney, more Robbie Roberston to Ray's Rick Danko - many of the songs have that timeless, tried and true quality associated with The Band in its heyday.

This is another CD, like Mason's "Castanets," that is full of good-to-great songs, like Armenti's rootsy and raw "Going Blind" and "Diesel Therapy," with great slide guitar work and an Americana on-the-edge vibe. Armenti proves to be an able poet as well on the CD's real standout cut, "Every Goodbye," singing "I know what it's like to see a life goin' down, like gravel in a grave one grain at a time... Every goodbye ain't gone, I hope it's true, countin' out days, keepin' only a few..." Armenti's countrified Strat blends with Jim Weeks' cello to underscore the sad and haunting story.

Mason again displays an incredible ability to turn simple everyday phrases into memorable and universal songs: "I drew a breath as long as the road from Richmond to Pensacola. You know mv good friend Charles, he couldn't get up to say I told ya," he sings on "Remember to Forget," with its classic chorius, "And It's always here I can't recall, right smack dab drawin' a blank, something's near but I can't seem to reach it - I gotta remember to forget."

On the rollicking "Water Off A Duck," Ray reminds us that, "We can say what we want, do what we do, but we're all gonna bend when they turn that screw."

All the songs on "Diesel Therapy" sound great, and not just because of the great singing, Mason's simple but strong bass playing, Armenti's virtuoso guitar chops and drummer Bob Grant's solid grooves. The production and mastering, by engineer Jim Weeks and Zeke Fiddler of Northampton's Monkeyhouse, is clear and strong. The additional contributions of guest musicians like vocalist Cheri Knight on "Every Goodbye," pedal steel player Doug Beaumier on "All Jacked Up," and Weeks' piano on 'Like A Duck" make this CD eminently enjoyable.

V-Mag, October, 1999
Dave Biederman

The Lonesome Brothers are the hottest band of brothers not named Allman or Neville. The Northampton based quintet features local legends Ray Mason on bass and Jim Armenti on guitar and mandolin, with Bob Grant on drums, Doug Beaurnier on pedal steel and Jim Weeks on guitar and keyboards. Armenti and Mason -- brothers in spirit only -- have been rocking audiences up and down the East Coast for longer than anyone can remember. If you asked an industry suit what genre these guys inhabit he would say alt/country, but that would only be part of the story. The fact is, when the Brothers get going, they rock with the intensity of Poco or Buffalo Springfield.

Diesel Therapy, the group's second CD, picks up where the first one left off, with stellar, riff-laden songs and killer ballads. Mason and Armenti are both prolific songwriters, and the disc features alternating contributions from each. The opening cut,"Going Blind:' is classic Armenti; searing, sweet riffs, massive, steady grooves and wry, folksy lyrics. The next cut,"Remember to Forget," is classic, world-weary Mason. Here as elsewhere, it's Mason's singing that stands out; his voice is soulful, funny and thoroughly human, a vast improvement over the bland crap that you hear on the Country Channel or MTV.

The title cut is a monumental piece of songwriting. Diesel therapy is what happens to guys in prison who file appeals or are a pain in the ass. In the dead of night they are hustled aboard prison buses and shipped off to the next institution, ad infinitum, out of reach of family members and friends. Not many songs are dedicated to prisoners these days; this one is a hook-laden cruncher that rocks as hard as anything remotely calling itself country. With humor and without pretensions, it sticks up for guys who are getting fucked over behind bars. The Brothers are like that: they have a fine and grizzled populist spirit and have come up with the best prison song since the heyday of Johnny Cash.

"All Jacked Up," penned by Mason, is an ampnetamine-edged, piledriver of a song that would have done Canned Heat proud. It features some of serious picking by Armenti over layers Beaumier's sweet-sounding pedal steel. "Why you want to set yourseif on fire?" Mason croons. "She won't take you back when you're all jacked up." Fine street wisdom from one of the uncrowned kings of barroom rock.

"Every Goodbye"is an Armenti ballad with great backing vocals from another local hero, Cneri Knight. "Don't Make Me a Memory" is another fine ballad by Mason. More gems:Mason's "DiggingToo Deep," a fast-as-quicksilver country rocker that sends the home crowds into paroxysms of twirling when the Brothers preform it live;"Lucinda" another kick-ass Armenti rocker, and "Elly Mae's Party," one of my favorite songs on the disc. It's a sweet, bluesy number with a warm nostalgic feel that is reminiscent of Ray Davies.

As excellent as Diesel Therapy is, it doesn't begin to suggest how good the Brothers are live. Sometimes Armenti, Mason and Grant perform as a trio, and I swear there are moments when they're as much Cream as country. The Brothers are serious players and they are perfectly capable of stepping it up several notches when things get nice and sweaty. Armenti is a multi-instrumentalist who is accomplished in many styles of playing; Mason cut his teeth in epic jams as a member of the legendary Signal in the early 80's. Take my word for it, the Brothers can rock; comparisons with Buffalo Springfield and Poco don't come cheap.

Buy Diesel Therapy without delay, and check out the Brothers as soon as you can.

Daily Hampshire Gazette
Lonesome Brothers new CD
John Stifler

"Diesel Therapy" is a term peculiar to federal prisons. It's also the title of the new CD by the Lonesome Brothers. This is Jim Armenti, Ray Mason and Bob Grant at their best: writing, playing and singing confident, gently sardonic and/or whimsical songs with a sound that can easily be mistaken for country rock but is in fact the prototype of an indigenous Valley form called Westhampton electric. The vocals are twangy, seemingly tossed off, but the musicianship is as polished as you'd expect from these pros.

Or, as Armenti put it recently, "We just present ourselves as black and white figures in a vibrant, colorful world."

The leisurely rocking of this disc is excellent throughout, but the title song is the grabber. According to Armenti, who learned the term while teaching music in a jail, diesel therapy is prison administrators' response to tighter restrictions on putting people into solitary confinement. It refers to a method of dealing with perceived trouble-makers by constantly moving them by train, bus or airplane from one prison to another.

The idea, said Armenti, is that you're never anywhere for more than two weeks, and so your lawyer can't help you.

"You won't see no commisary/No letters in the mail/They just can't catch up with you/In your rolling jail," goes one verse. And the chorus: "It's diesel therapy/It just goes 'round and round/These big old armored buses/Are gonna take you out of town."

Hampshire-Franklin Union News, October, 1999
Donnie Moorhouse

While overseeing the music program at the Hampshire County Jail, local ongwriter Jim Armenti came cross the term "diesel therapy." He was immediately drawn to the iconic sound of the phrase, and when an inmate explained the erm to him, he knew there was a song in there.

"Years ago in the federtal system, they would identify the troublemakers and put them in isolation or solitary confinement," said Armenti, who volunteers at the jail two days a week. That is considered cruel and unusual punishment now."

According to Armenti, the ringeaders are now put into a system of constant movement, where they are transferred from week to week for years at a time.

"You could be in Danbury one week, and Leavenworth the next," said Armenti. "And by the time you get in touch with your lawyer you are on the move again. It was the inmates that came up with that name."

Armenti borrowed the name and parts of an inmate's story for "Diesel Therapy," the new Lonesome Brothers CD which will be released on 'I'ar Hut Records.

The Lonesome Brothers consists of Armenti on guitar, local legend Ray Mason on bass, and drummer Bob Grant. In Armenti and Mason, the band has arguably two of the best songwriters in the Pioneer Valley. Mason, who is revered in underground circles for his writing, casts his vote for Armenti. "

His lyrics blow mw away, said Mason, who shares songwriting duties on the disc. "We'll record one of his songs and then one of mine and when I hear mine next to his I cringe. Jim has that timeless sort of writing.

In an era when good songs are at a premium (most bands are putting out albums with two singles and a whole lot of filler), it almost seems unfair that The Lonesome Brothers can call on the likes of Armenti and Mason when putting out a disc.
"Diesel Therapy" may be the most consistent album released since "The Lonesome Brothers," the band's debut disc from last year. The entire CD is as enlightening as the title track.

Working at the jail, where he provides a space for inmates to learn and play instruments, also provides some fodder for his writing.

This is my jail record, said Armenti, citing two other songs, including "The Big Shakedown," on the record. "But I do need to be in some other environment to foster my writing. I can come up with musical ideas all day, but I have to have something to say."

Liner notes: Ray Mason has been involved in four CD releases in the last two years, issuing "Old Soul's Day," and "Castanets," on his own, along with the two Lonesome Brothers discs. He says he is ready to record again for a winter release.

"When I was growing up in the '60s, artists were releasing two or three albums a year," said Mason. "I would like to do at least one a year. Now it is hard to do that because the big labels have control over releases and the successful bands are in a position to take time off. I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff."

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