Credit a new toy for John T. Baker's new solo album, ``Rough Skeleton.''

The prolific songwriter and local music scene utility man originally intended the songs on the record, which will be celebrated with a CD release show Saturday night at Patrick Sullivan's in Knoxville's Old City, for his band, The French Broads.

But a new delay pedal caused him to re-examine that idea.

``I bought this delay pedal, and it had a looping feature on it,'' Baker told The Daily Times this week. ``It has about five seconds of memory, and you can put a sound in it and it just loops around on itself. You can keep adding to the loop or turn it around backwards. It makes it so you can play something random, stick it in the loop and it builds a rhythm.

``When I first started, I was just doing demos for new songs thinking the Broads would do them, but I started playing around with the sounds on it. I started making sounds that really couldn't be reproduced live, and I started thinking, `Why not do a release of my own and not worry about being able to do it live?'''

``Rough Skeleton'' runs the gamut from the fuzzbox rock guitars of ``King of Saturday Night'' to the gentle, melancholy acoustic ``Waltz for Elliott,'' a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. ``Reflections from a Cell'' incorporates the emotional dissonance associated with such artists as Beth Orton and Morphine, while ``Silence'' is a rich song that features distorted vocals and interwoven acoustic and electric guitars.

Baker -- who, at different times over the past few years, has played as part of the Tim Lee Band, Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere and Angel and the Love Mongers -- is as prolific a writer as they come. His focus has primarily been on The French Broads -- the band's new album, ``Better Wings, Better Happiness'' -- is scheduled for a spring release -- but over the years, he's put out a string of solo albums as well.

It's been five years since his last one, and when The French Broads went on hiatus after releasing ``Tubes, Wood and Metal'' in 2003, he couldn't put his pen down.

``I was still writing music, and I just started recording here at my house,'' he said. ``I have a fairly rudimentary 8-track studio, sometimes I just build a song out of what came out of the delay pedal. I'm just fascinated with looping things -- you can speed it up, slow it down and manipulate the sound until it makes something interesting to listen to, and then you can start adding on top of that.''

``Rough Skeleton'' is on sale at both Disc Exchange locations in Knoxville and online at www.disgraceland.com.

JOHN T. BAKER, Rough Skeleton

This is a great return to form, the songs have an instant hook which is the essential of any pop song. Although John never raises his voice or intensifies his pitch, he puts a lot of feeling across. There are subtle little tricks in the production, with almost audible backing vocals and clever uses of samples. There's also a nice mixture of styles from up-tempo to down, tounge-in-cheek to heart-on-sleeve. The songs are individual creations with their own feel and hook, but blend together as a whole seamlessly. The production is clear and spacious. "Reflections From A Cell" strikes me as a standout, a somewhat more "modern" sound from John's more usual influences. The next track, "Silence", sounds like it could have settled well on "Woods", semi-country accoustic led chanting similar to "Welcome" from that album. I'm not comfortable picking out any tracks as this is a quality case of a compilation of well-written, well-composed and well-played songs that have been steeped in experience and an ear for fine tuning. They're rather succinct, not outstaying their welcome nor cutting off just as you where getting into them. This is a great album.
Taped Crusaders
May 2005

John T. Baker,"Rough Skeleton" (Disgraceland Records)
This is John T. Baker’s side project away from The French Broads and you can tell he’s having fun experimenting with it. To go from a song like “King Of Saturday Night”, a funky romp that would make the Meters stomp their feet, to the heavy haunting sounds of “Rough Skeleton” is pretty impressive as well as daring. Baker reminds me a bit of John Hiatt. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but the two are very similar somehow. This is a thinking man’s cd and that’s what probably brings to mind Hiatt. A great cd to throw in when you’re alone drinking and contemplating life.
http://www.earcandymag.com/reviews31.htm
February 16 2005

John T. Baker - ROUGH SKELETON: How wonderful it is to have been part of the "DIY" movement that surged (on tape) in th' 1980's & early 1990's... something I like to term the "Gajoob era", because one of the strongest proponents of that "hometaper" scene & all the genius it exposed was Bryan Baker's 'zine, Gajoob. & (if I remember correctly), that's where I first "met" John T. Well, he's clearly entered th' digital age (& actually, I think, he's been digital for quite some time now). Anyway, th' real point is that he's got legends (from th' "Gajoob era") like Michael J. Bowman on this CD, & th' production is SUPERB... through & through, if you dig rockin' with an "edge", you'll be captivated from th' moment you turn th' CD on. Heavy guitars, great fun songs that show talent in all it's natural glory! Baker's compositions sometimes remind me of the legendary home-taper Don Campau (KKUP radio), but the production on this album takes "homemade" to a brand-new label. Very accessible, some lovely tunes, & th' same high energy that all of us fed on (& grew from) during those earlier years. This is like meeting an "old friend" in th' mailbox... very, very cool tunes... this gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from my ears, & th' "PICK" of this issue for "best DIY CD" of 2004. Contact through his site, at www.disgraceland.com Rotcod Zzaj

JOHN T. BAKER Woods (CD)(Own Release)
The story of this man is quite funny… Of course it depends a lot on what your idea about fun stands for…. Years ago, John was listening to records from humble Pie, Jethro Thull and Y es and while playing airguitar on a tennisracket he came in touch with the "serious" music, whatever that might be… Having a deep love for music (yeah, who hasn’t) he got involved in a band called The Martini Age and now in 2OO1 (even if he’s doing solostuff since 1987) he’s here with an own release called "Woods". Basically you can that the skeletons of John’s song are rocksongs (…..may I say stuff like John Cougar Mellencamp???) but he’s playing it in such a fantastic way (that goes from Pavementesque guitars to pop like the one we knew on STIFF Records, so think Nick Lowe and early Elvis Costello) that this is great alternative guitarpop with a big "A"… Sure, it sounds very American (must be because of the accent) but this is an album from someone who isn’t afraid to mix pop with alternative sounds…

JOHN T BAKER
LITTLE ROCK SONGS
Best Kept Secret, Alessandro Crestani, via Biron di Sotto 101-36100 Vicenza Italy
http://www.indiepages.com/bestkeptsecret
Catchy, fully-realized guitar rock songs. "Masterpiece" takes an early 80s upstroke guitar backing and runs with it. Live drumming too. "Into the Blue" takes an alt.country approach that actually doesn't have me diving for the FF button. "Fabio Buys His Madonna" is a pop culture sendup that links all the world's cheeseballs and manages to rhyme at the same time! "Stratosamba" is a jaunty little instrumento with a Casio (or something) samba rhythm. This is a good window into the work of JTB. Good Shiite.
Ian C Stewart - Autoreverse

Splendid Review- Little Rock Songs
John T. Baker might just be the Graham Smith of the southern indie pop scene. He has the same wry sense of humor and relentless self-belief as the diminutive Kleenex Girl Wonder frontman, and knows how to pen a catchy tune or two as well. Little Rock Songs collects eleven Baker originals, delivered in a lo-fi fashion that would make Big Poppa Pollard proud. From the twang and strum of "Nail" to the hilarious "Fabio Buys his Madonna", the album rocks and sways along a dusty country-pop road, propelled by both Baker’s guitar and his mood. His most blatant Graham Smith-ism is "Masterpiece", a rather self-explanatory tune in which Baker ruminates about writing a bona fide classic. If you like your pop music short and sloppy and your pop stars short and stocky, and you don't mind dusting off the old tape deck, give Little Rock Songs a whirl. -- jj

Little Rock Songs
Gajoob.com
This gem collects songs recorded in 1997 and is dedicated to John's friends in Arkansas. John T. Baker is a hometaper mainstay who is roundly praised for his one-man hometaping splendor. His sound is full and melodic with guitars and drums and everything that guitar rock fans fall for. Standouts here include "Six Strings" and "Brave New World.".
Review by Don Campau/Lonely Whistle August/September 2000

John T. Baker LITTLE ROCK SONGS (cassette)
Some very nice rock/pop moments here from this Texas home taper. His southern roots get revealed in a positive kind of rootsy way. Released on Italys Best Kept Secret label. Mr Baker has a hooky mentality that I enjoy. His vocal delivery is very adequate and heartfelt. I cruised in the car with this tape and it was just fine. Upbeat and variety with a decent garage sound and some real percussion. Makes me feel all good inside. Best Kept Secret/ Alessandro Crestani
Reviewed by Bryan Baker 10/10/2000.

Knoxville News Sentinel
April 17, 2005
By Wayne Bledsoe

Local music has gotten so fine and professional that I could probably dedicate a column per week to good local releases. Here are just a few, and I'll continue to add local reviews in the upcoming weeks. Many of these discs can be found in local record stores. However, I've included Web sites rather than record company names so readers can find out more information on ordering.

"Better Wings, Better Happiness," The French Broads (www.disgraceland.com)

The French Broads are a band that can alternately rock out and then hit a dreamy groove that sends your mind on pleasant vacation. Singer-songwriters-guitarists John Baker and Jim Rivers, drummer Chris Hurt and bassist Brian Williams combine chiming acoustic and electric guitars, pretty melodies and bits of psychedelic and power pop with well-written lyrics into one lovable package.

The opening number, "Driver," is a rocking testament of sharing the road with ill-mannered drivers and is followed by the acoustic and folksy "Slip" (written for the late British singer-songwriter Nick Drake). "Tripp" is a sensitive account of a childhood friend's suicide: "What was so bad for a teenage boy/from a nice neighborhood/on a hot summer night, cicadas in time with your breathing/night bugs in time with your breathing and then not."

The disc ends with the trippy "Happiness" followed by the sleepy "Sonic Pillow" - it's a meditative coda for a pleasant trip. A fine companion piece is Baker's solo disc "Rough Skeleton," released earlier this year.

The French Broads, “Better Wings, Better Happiness”
By Steve Wildsmith

A year or so ago, French Broads genius John T. Baker and I talked about what influenced him. Right up at the top of the list was Todd Steed, that crazy scenester with a penchant for mischief and more bands on his resume than Dave Grohl. But, like a lot of melodic pop-rockers, Baker admitted an affinity for The Beatles. On “Better Wings, Better Happiness,” the Broads come closer to capturing the pop-rock essence of The Beatles than anything they’ve ever done.

It’s not all “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver” vibes, however — the album kicks off with a snarling rock number, “Driver,” in which Baker, who makes his living leading bike tours of the area, angrily lashes out at the large number of moronic drivers on area roads who don’t seem to care that their careless driving habits probably maim more bicyclists than loose gravel does.

From there, though, the band settles into a loose, jangly vibe that’s so damn catchy it’s guaranteed to have this album in the bundle of CDs you put together for your next road trip. The French Broads, sort of an older, more musically savvy version of the Westside Daredevils (a phenomenal group of pop-rock cats in their own right), create chords and hooks and bridges and other guitar-term thingies that put each song on cruise control. The tunes never falter, and the three-part harmonies (Baker, guitarist Jim Rivers and drummer Chris Hurt; Brian Williams anchors it all with some deceptively simple bass lines) make the Broads the most Beatles-esque band in all of Knoxville. Even better are Baker’s and Rivers’ lyrics; the two have an uncanny knack for painting mental pictures with vibrant guitar strokes. Witness the bittersweet story of “Tripp,” a song about the suicide of an old friend: “The smell of fallen persimmons, sticky sugary seeds, a spot on the ground next to the bench where you ended it ...” Like Wilco did with “Summer Teeth,” the Broads have taken a song with a dark theme (“What was so bad for a teenage boy from a nice neighborhood, on a hot summer night, cicadas in time with your breathing, night bugs in time with your breathing, and then not ...”) and wrapped it in shiny, pop-rock paper. The guitar coda that finishes up the song is uplifting and melancholy all at the same time; not many musicians could accomplish such a feel.

Overall, the Broads explore darker themes on this record than they have in the past. There’s “America Police,” about flying flags and hanging banners so no one suspects the writer in unpatriotic; “Broken Enough,” an up-tempo rocker about a relationship that’s not quite bad enough to do anything about; and “Happiness,” in which Baker observes, “It’s hard to sing about happiness, easy to be down, hard to feel the happiness, when everyone around is looking down ...”

The French Broads aren’t overcome with angst and depression; hell, they’re four middle-aged guys who love to play music and sing that rock ’n’ roll. But with “Better Wings, Better Happiness,” the Broads prove that hard times and dark moods aren’t the exclusive domain of the young. And while I’m glad it doesn’t linger, I am glad the Broads are so very capable of putting those times to music, because the expression of their pain is a comfort to anyone who decides to listen.

“Better Wings, Better Happiness” is on sale now at The Disc Exchange. The French Broads will (tentatively) perform next at 9 p.m. May 6 at Preservation Pub, 28 Market Square in downtown Knoxville, with Angel and the Love Mongers.

Tubes Wood & Metal
From Babysue
www.babysue.com

The French Broads - Tubes, Wood & Metal (CD, Disgraceland,
Pop)
Smart melodic pop with a sense of humor. Knoxville's The French Broads
are an upbeat pop band with exceptional tunes and clever lyrics. More than
any other band, these guys' music reminds us of The Young Fresh Fellows
in terms of overall sound (the vocals in particular are similar). What impresses
us most about these guys is their resistance to using the standard verse/chorus/verse/chorus
schtick. Most of the songs on Tubes, Wood & Metal vary from the standard structure...offering cool surprises both in terms of arrangements
and melodies. This is the band's second full-length and it is impressive...particularly
considering that the band recorded and released it themselves. This band
possesses all the qualities of a cool little band that has just found their
image and sound. These compositions sound fresh and energized. Our favorites
are "Tom Brokaw" and "Crazy." (Rating: 4+++)

Ear Candy Mag
The French Broads, "Tubes, Wood & Metal" (Disgraceland)
Best I can tell they are neither french nor broads. They are however, one very tight pop band. Ten well written and performed songs that fall somewhere between Wings and Golden Smog. The combination of quirky songs and a polished sound is a perfect pairing for college radio, which I'm sure these guys are well aware of. So, all you college stations out there, take my advice and just play the damn cd!
To go to this artist's web site click here
Review by James Richard Oliver

Metropulse- Local Review
The French Broads
Tubes, Wood & Metal (Disgraceland)
The French Broads are one of the most prolific local bands, putting out several releases in the last couple of years. You almost get the feeling they'll keep putting out records even if no one listens to them. Luckily, that attitude generally leads to passionate music.
Tubes, Wood & Metal's an album filled with pleasant guitar pop rock, most of the songs written by lead singer/guitarist John T. Baker. The nice thing about Baker's songs are that they're nicely understated. You get enough information to piece the thing together, but he doesn't beat you over the head with what he's saying.
Take "Tom Brokaw," which opens Tubes, Wood & Metal. I'm pretty sure it's about the Sept. 11th terrorist attack, but nowhere does he mention terrorists, airplanes, Osama, Bush or box cutters. Instead, he focuses on the effect it had on him: "the endless hours leave indentions/ like toothmarks on beloved skin/ the nonstop flood of hopeless hope/ of concrete and steel/ on a fireman's rope."
The chorus—"but Tom Brokaw can't see it all/ Tom Brokaw can't see at all/ So I change the channel on my wall"—pinpoints one reason why the attack was so frightening and remarkable: for once the TV crews could not control the spectacle and all of us fell into it together, staring at our TV sets. A final give-away is the sample from the NYC subway, with the unmistakable recording warning, "Stand clear of the closing doors, please."
Most of the songs aren't so weighty, however: "Cro Mag Sound" is a tribute to Robert Pollard; "Insomniac" about a girl; "Big Orange Paint" about, well, what else?
The rhythm section keeps the disc hopping along, and at times the band mixes things up with some noodly electronics. But, this is first and foremost a guitar band, with Baker and Rivers trading off licks.

from Erasing Clouds

The French Broads, My Friend Speed (Ivey DeMilo Recordings/Disgraceland)
While most years the albums that make the biggest impression tend to be those that sound stunningly new or offer something truly unique, so far this year I've been caught with a more simple bug, the love of a good song. Most of the best albums I've heard in the last few months have been by relatively straightforward rock and pop bands (California Oranges, Creeper Lagoon, Spoon) who have a knack at writing really tuneful, memorable songs. The French Broads are another band in that vein. From Nashville, TN (and named after a river, in case you're wondering), they're a rock trio taking your standard instruments and doing nice things with them. Their album My Friend Speed opens with "Hook," a bluesy rocker with a killer pop chorus, and continues in that vein: guitar-based rock with catchy melodies and riffs. Yet they're not a one-genre group; they dip into other styles quite nicely, like on the straight-outta-oldies radio shuffle "Summer's Over," or the countryish (more like CCR meets Yo La Tengo's Fakebook) pop tune "Forgotten." There's also trips into surf rock ("Serf") and spacier-rock ("New Year's Day"). Lyrically they take on the universals of everyday life (love, loss, childhood) from a personal point of view. All in all, whether they're lazily pondering summer love or straight-up rocking the house, The French Broads do it with humor, melody, and an overriding sense of fun which carries you off and kindly leaves you with a big grin. --dave heaton

The French Broads
My Friend Speed (Disgraceland)
Say what you will about the local music scene—it might not be everything that any of us want it to be, and may in fact just be a pleasant depository of perfect-for-a-Saturday-night-at-the-Longbranch-but-not-quite-ready-for-the-Big-Time pop rock. But is that such a bad thing? Not when a band as tasteful and fun as the French Broads are representative of what's going on.
The songs on My Friend Speed are basic upbeat power pop—melodic power chord riffing, delicate lead guitar lines, a swinging and supple rhythm section—that spans Todd Steed-inspired joke-rock ("Sunzabitches," "My Bottle"), surf instrumentals ("Serf"), mournful psychedelic meandering ("New Year's Day"), and, of course, melancholy summer's-end nostalgia ("On Saturdays," "Summer's Over").
John Baker's vocal talents aren't expansive, but they do all that the songs ask of them. It's the guitar work of Baker and, especially, Jim Rivers that carries My Friend Speed. Neat, precise, economical solos pop up exactly where they should, and understated lead lines support Baker's voice when they're needed. Rivers' tone is always perfect—guitar-nerd tweedly on "My Bottle," fuzzy on the droning "New Year's Day," full-on rock-out-loud on "Sunzabitches."
The whole band, in fact, has good ears. They're not exactly laughing at themselves on My Friend Speed, but they're definitely grinning at the crowd. 

Knoxville News-Sentinel
Wayne Bledsoe
"MY FRIEND SPEED," THE FRENCH BROADS (DISGRACELAND) In addition to having a clever name that deftly denotes a local landmark, the French Broads have some of the catchiest songs of any local rock band -- catchier, in fact, than most of the rock sludge oozing out from major labels. Composed of guitarist/vocalist John T. Baker, bassist Brian Williams, guitarist Jim Rivers and drummer Keith Hurt, the French Broads blend alter-native, country-ish rock 'n' roll with happy power pop-era style. Among the treats are "Summer's Gone," "Danny Boy" and the appropriately titled "Hook," all of which feature smart melodies, solid musicianship and unpretentious, well-crafted lyrics that stand far above the norm. There's also a fun surf instrumental. Selections by the French Broads can also be found on the Web at www.disgraceland.com.