The Courtesy Tier is always a surprise, sometimes even to themselves. Omer (guitar) and Layton (drums) have been playing together for the last seven years, but they weren’t always a duo. As members came and went, they perpetually conceptualized themselves as a four and sometimes six piece band. Then, during their second winter in New York, the boys had run out of other band members. Regrouping in a closet size practice space under the Smith Street overpass, they finally had enough room to rehearse, and they liked the sound. By the following summer they were ready to record, but a New York budget requires some fanagaling. With three mic’s in a seven by seven room and the help from their friend Chris Gachot, “Map and a Marker” was born.
The Courtesy Tier is a two man cadre. Whether invoking Wilco, ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, or The Black Keys they synthesize the soul of rock with melodic blues. While a forerunner of the DIY movement in Brooklyn, they aren’t your usual Brooklyn sound. The album name exemplifies their process: go with what you’ve got and you’ll find your way there.
Discussion
View Comments for “The Courtesy Tier”