MAN WITH NO COUNTRY

Todd Clouser guitars, wurlitzer, and vocals
Anton Fier drums, percussion, and programming
Tony Scherr upright and electric basses and wah wah guitar on track4
Billy Martin percussion on tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 and drum on kit on tracks 6 & 8
Erik Deutsch piano on tracks 2 & 11 and hammond b-3 on tracks 5,6,7,9 & 10
Steven Bernstein trumpets/brass on tracks 1, 3, 5, 8 & 10

Man With No Country is an auspicious gesture from young firebrand Clouser, during which he fearlessly engages his heroes head-on across a program of scorched-earth ballads and searing rock songs. The end result is a tumultuous, heart-rending, and unflinching album set bravely at the intersection of verbal wit, melodic grace, and instrumental daring—a message of the moment, birthed in the moment. 

Building upon a series of acclaimed self-release recordings, guitarist/vocalist/composer Todd Clouser now stands poised to release Man With No Country – his national debut – via Amulet Records on September 17, 2013. The Minneapolis native, who now resides in Mexico City, Mexico, has previously established himself as a dynamic and resourceful instrumentalist in open-ended, jazz-rock contexts. Man With No Country should startle and impress longtime admirers, as it marks Clouser’s transition into a formidable vocalist, songwriter, and frontman. “For years,” he explains, “I’ve been playing instrumental music exclusively – but, at the same time, writing a lot of songs. It’s only over the past year that I’ve added in my voice. It took some time for me to get comfortable with using my voice expressively. I had to overcome nerves, self-doubt…for me, it felt like a brave decision.”

Aiding and enhancing the transition is the album’s drummer, producer, and sonic architect Anton Fier (Golden Palominos, Lounge Lizards, Feelies, and more), who challenged Clouser to push himself closer to the essence of his songs – scrapping entire sessions’ worth of material in the process. What emerged is a powerful, charged album that harnesses Clouser’s insightful, questioning songs to dynamic musical backdrops that roil and churn with a keen intensity born of focused, intent improvisation.