Praise for The Magic Suit Ball

"...a wonderful new album"
-John Howie, Jr., 8th House Records

"Riding a simple fiddle riff and chants of "Woo" that accelerate throughout, "Alimony"—a highlight from Puritan Rodeo's second album, The Magic Suit Ball—offers the wonderful sense of spinning on a demented, out-of-control carnival merry-go-round. That image works for the entire album: Like a benefit for Mr. Kite, The Magic Suit Ball is a slightly surreal and impressionistic series of sketches featuring robbery, nightmares, ghosts, murder, getting lost, whiskey, sugar mamas, giving up on life and selling your soul. Frontman John Pardue treats his lyrics and musical motifs like flashy attractions at such a celebration. Glance, and keep moving. The Magic Suit Ball establishes its own universe, where rules don't exactly apply. Jangly pop rock is delivered with bluegrass instrumentation, and Pardue's slew of images offers itself to the listener for interpretation and—using Old Weird America as a guide—twists the tragic into the laughable. Above the off-kilter Klezmer bounce of "Heartpine," a man with a wooden heart isn't that distraught when he doesn't get a woman because, well, he has a wooden heart. And, pun intended and appreciated, the song prominently features a woodblock. What's more, this is a 40-minute album split into 15 tracks, not 15 tracks gathered for a 40-minute collection. 'Where We Sleep' barely tops a minute and has no discernable verse or chorus, serving mostly as a prelude to the next track, "Fool's Gold." 'Some folks are lucky and others are not,' Pardue notes on the title track. His epigram suggests that sometimes life doesn't make sense. Sometimes it does. In the end, hopefully it all works out. The Magic Suit Ball—unequal parts jokes and despair, ideas and resolution—follows the same pattern, and works out quite well.
-Andrew Ritchey,

DOWN-HOME GOOD-TIME MUSIC **** Need a nice pick-me-up from the dreariness of the world? Pop on THE MAGIC SUIT BALL, kick back, relax and enjoy! A guitar, a banjo, a violin, some drums and vocals supply the fun, and prove that all the noise that fills the airwaves is just that-- "noise". This is what music was meant to me. I can't quite pin down any particulars or comparisons, I just know that the first time I put this on I found myself smiling and tapping my foot for the whole album.
-Henry R. Kujawa

Praise for We All Share the Same Secret

"The band bridges country and rock like the early Old 97's. Lyrically the band is full of regret, and a little world weary with a hint of hope. The seven tracks of alt.country provide an impressive first impression of this band."
-Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music "

""The only band that I found on myspace this year that sent me an album I could just listen to the whole thing over and over again."
-TJ the DJ, WLUW 88.7 FM (VA)

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"Borrowing heavily from country’s string band tradition, Puritan Rodeo walks with a honky tonk swagger, a bluegrass rollick and a songwriter’s sincerity. There’s enough rock ‘n’ roll on the album’s seven tracks to convince the country-music-naysayers, but at the same time, Puritan Rodeo plays to the grand traditions of authenticity, simplicity and honesty. The songs are world-weary, but balance the rough-and-tumble life with an unwavering sense of hope and redemption. With a lo-fi feel to its production, We All Share The Same Secret gives listeners an almost participatory experience. The recording seems to capture the band as it would sound live, prompting the listener to feel more actively engaged in what feels like a truly organic sonic experience."
-The Daily Tar Heel

Wrangling three musical genres into one cohesive unit is never easy, but the boys of Puritan Rodeo take the proverbial bull by the horns and ride it just right. Like its name implies, Puritan Rodeo bridges the gap between the frenzied rodeo's wild side and its antithesis in the pragmatic puritan. Such juxtaposition provides a firm if unorthodox backbone to their debut, We All Share the Same Secret. The band brings in brash rockist acoustic and electric guitars, nestling them next to trad grass's mandolin, fiddle and jaw harp. Lyrics of regret come set to a toe-tap melding the facets alt-country, traditional bluegrass and hardened rock.Secret's seven tracks read like leaves of the diary of a jilted lover, with relationship mistakes, lost lovers and battles with the bottle playing out on every page. "Last Round" is a revelry in self-loathing for holding the proverbial "smoking gun" in a failed love affair: Witness "If I'd known I'd held a loaded gun, never would I do to you what I'd done" shouted over minor-key fiddle. Slow-burner "Tijuana Teardrops" recalls love lost down south, while "Cigarette Song" and "Cold Comfort" make for jingle-worthy discourse. Closer "Bones & Cotton"--the best track here--offers an allegory for a life that lacks substance. This diary--full of secrets splayed open--is a page-turner that's hard to put down."
- Kathy Justice, Independent Weekly

"This is an excellent debut album."
- RootsTime.be

"...if this CD is an indication of what Puritan Rodeo are capable of they'll be keeping toes tapping for years to come...It's a strong and well-produced effort. "
- Performer Magazine

 "Chapel Hill group PRS fold together the dark edges
of country with modern noir rock and roll..."
- Independent Weekly


"Puritan Rodeo Show creates a blend of rock, alternative country,
and bluegrass that will make any North Carolina native proud."
- RaleighMusic.com  


"It's just plain good!  Well-produced, great vocals and instrumental contributions. It's good
and lively and certainly fits what most of us Texans think roots rock ought to be...."
- John Roths, KEOS 89.1 FM