CMT Blog: Archive

Winter sucks, so let's check out some music that in no way makes you feel cold. Jason Boesel has been drumming for bands like Rilo Kiley and Bright Eyes for over a decade, but now he's making his singer-songwriter debut with a new album, Hustler's Son, out today (Jan. 12). He didn't just get bored behind the kit, though. After writing his first song, the album's title track, his friends all liked it so much that they encouraged him to keep at it. And I'm glad they did, as this Americana release's warm and laid-back California feel takes my mind off the frigid temperatures of January, at least for 45 minutes.

Featuring instrumental splashes at times reminiscent of the Eagles along with a voice that might give you Chris Martin déjà vu, Hustler's Son is all SoCal country-rock. Try "French Kissing" for a romp on the beach, "Burned Out and Busted" for an unsettling trip through the desert and the project's closing track, "Winking Eyes," for a tender recount of a night that ended too soon. "Hustler's Son" -- that first song his friends liked -- doesn't suffer in the storytelling department, either, as you can hear on Boesel's MySpace page. With collaborators like Blake Mills (Band of Horses), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Dave Rawlings (Gillian Welch) among many others, this drummer's side project is definitely an artistic venture worth checking out -- especially on a cold, frosty day.