Boddicker - Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man

If he's not yet on your radar, I'd say it's time that you start paying attention to Boddicker. Hailing from Oxford, Mississippi, Caleb Boddicker has been making music since his teenage years and made fans of such artists as Pinback and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. The latter will come as little surprise after sampling Boddicker's material -- it seems relatively apparent that Brock & co. are his primary influences.

Boddicker's forthcoming Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man was produced by Brian Deck, the man who also produced The Moon and Antarctica, Brock's Ugly Casanova project, and releases from Holopaw, Fruit Bats, and Chin Up Chin Up. After a couple of initial listens, I'm impressed with this youngster. While much of it does echo the brand of dissonant rock emanating from the Pacific northwest, Boddicker's sincerity and experimentation with soundscapes and instrumentation (whether due to Deck's influence or not) make it an interesting, captivating listen.

I should add that a few of Boddicker's songs tug at my heartstrings a bit too -- my Missouri home (pre-Atlanta) is/was right on I-55, just off the Mississippi River. Not that I'm nostalgic for those rural surroundings, but it's nice to hear an homage to something from your own experience. I imagine you know what I mean.

Boddicker - Pretty Baby (Part I)
Boddicker - Mississippi Beautiful, You Know I Love You
Boddicker - Interstate 55

Boddicker's Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man is due in May on Banter Records.