UHQ's Press:
City Pages. (Mpls, MN) Rick Mason
“These concrete jungle hayseeds from the wind-whipped plains of St. Paul are fervent eclectics, liable to wander into funk, Arabic, or Irish music at the drop of a hi-hat. But their true allegiance is to bands like the Flying Burrito Brothers and their descendents, who like to mash together country, bluegrass, and rock n’ roll.”
Star Tribune, Mpls. Chris Riemenschneider
“Smart and refreshingly gimmick-less alt-twangers”
Paste Magazine. Tim Porter
“Amelia’s Boot is a gem of an album. If Brandt and UHQ continue to make these kinds of evolutions, I have no doubt that we’ll soon be brandishing words like “masterpiece” and drawing comparisons with albums like Fisherman’s Blues.”
St. Paul Pioneer Press. Amy Carlson
“...the band uses its various instrumentation to good effect--so much so, in fact, that one can’t help thinking about other great bands such as Uncle Tupelo, 16 Horsepower, and even just a tight, rockin’ garage band.”
Isthmus (Madison, WI). Mary McAleese
“With amplified fiddle and accordion in the band, it’s plain that UHQ aren’t your run-of-the-mill roots-rock act. Hard enough to please punkers, twangy enough to thrill alt-country types, they’ll have this modest room all hot and sweaty in no time.”
Shut Eye Records & Agency. (Atlanta, GA) Ryan Hoffer
“The name says it all. Erik Brandt & the Urban Hillbilly Quartet are the new face of Americana. This isn’t Willie Nelson’s weary lullaby of rural American. No, this is Ben Folds fronting Uncle Tupelo. And it rocks. While the Urban Hillbilly’s love for pure country music is obvious, their sound doesn’t quite fit the conventional canon. Highly recommended for fans of The Court and Spark’s eccentric twang or Wilco’s rustic experimentation.”
CrossRhythms Magazine (UK)
“Roots music at its best and refreshment for my ears! ...totally devoid of any cliché. The UHQ cook up a thick gumbo of rock, country, and folk that can veer from REM-pop to calypso hoe down in the space of two songs.”
Phantom Tollbooth
“Part of the fun of listening to the Urban Hillbilly Quartet is spotting the musical influences which make up their indefinable and unique sound. The musical threads are multifarious—country, rock, jazz, blues, folk, eastern-European; all sewn together seamlessly. Erik Brandt and the UHQ are always a delightful discovery for audiences.”
Rift Magazine (Mpls, MN)
“It becomes clear pretty quickly that Brandt and his compatriots are a group of those guys good enough to follow whatever musical itch should happen to hit them.”
The Ripsaw (Duluth, MN)
“What if the Jayhawks traveled back in time and jammed with The Grateful Dead and Willie Nelson? ...it would have sounded a lot like The Urban Hillbilly Quartet. Expect a roller-coaster ride of musical genres and styles...and prepare to be pleasantly surprised”
Skyway News (Mpls). Bill Snyder
“Simply put, the UHQ plugs in and rocks! The band’s ongoing mix of old-time country with straight out rock’n’roll is a guaranteed foot-stomper.”
Northland Reader (Duluth, MN) Jeff Loudermik
“This band drifts between country, bluegrass, and rock with equal adeptness [they] take these elements into a blend of styles that is very listenable, and never what you expected.”
Massimo Ferro, DJ. Alessandria, Italy.
“[UHQ] is in fact a very original band, with an incredible and impressive approach to American roots music which is the fruit of a bizarre but always appealing mixture of roots and styles. Each musician is talented and shows a high degree of imagination and freshness....”
Truetunes.com. Todd Brown
“You know you’ve got a quality band on your hands when their collection of b-sides stands head and shoulders above the “official” releases of other like-minded acts. ...A literate band with a sense of humor who can just flat rock, the Urban Hillbilly Quartet have the chops to stand with the very best in the genre.”
Timothy Lynch, DJ. Melbourne, Australia
“When Americana meets the first Poi Dog Pondering record with some harder rock edges, this is what you might find. Fun stuff from the northland; full of promise.”
Village Voice (NYC) , “Village Choice” mention
“In Minneapolis Erik captains the Urban Hillbilly Quartet, whose Amelia’s Boot is split between jazz-fusion bluegrass hippie jams and alt-country.”
