Portland Mercury
Armed with only an acoustic guitar and more than an empty guitar case's worth of vitriol, Rainstick Cowbell makes searing music that's intensely personal. Rainstick Cowbell (actually one Scott Arbogast) released the Fireants album earlier this year, and it goes from intense, clear-eyed rants to unhinged exorcisms. On the final track, a screed called "A Self-Indulgent Song, I Know, but I Want My Family to Hear This," Arbogast calmly intones lines like, "So useless to you/Son of someone else... Where are you?/You should've died." It's exhilarating to hear music this raw, and by keeping close to the source, Arbogast makes a kind of folk music that's incredibly heavy even as it sticks to the delicate acoustic-guitar-and-voice template. NL

Portland Sentinel
Northeast Portland record label North Pole Records has been putting out albums by local artists since late 2004. The independent label owned by former Rollerball trumpeter and current Miss Massive Snowflake guitarist and vocalist Shane De Leon has put out albums by The Pink Widower, Remora, Bob Corn, and many more. One of their most recent releases is the debut LP Fireants by Rainstick Cowbell. Rainstick Cowbell is the solo project of Scott Arbogast, of the now-defunct Creepy Old Trucks. Fireants has an ethereal quality that is driven by Arbogast’s unique riff-based guitar playing. His high-pitched voice guides the listener through poetically cryptic lyrics that range from the personal to the historical. “I try not to be too obvious,” Argobast said of his lyrics’ elusive nature. “I like the poetry more than the obvious.” Tracks like “What I Would Say to Le Corbusier,” “For The Beatniks,” and “Sun Tzu’s The Art of War: Chapter 13: Employing Spies” spin poetic imagery around historical figures while still holding on to the facts of history. More personal songs, like “Stabbed in a Dream” and “In the September of My 35th Year” weave poetic mazes that leave you not quite knowing your way back home. When asked how he honed his distinct guitar style Arbogast responded, “I’m a hack, I’m just a banger.” Arbogast’s modest self-deprecation aside, his playing offers up a different sound than the typical chord progressions of many singer/songwriters. Arbogast said that not all his songs make it out to the public. “I expect more from the audience and myself,” Arbogast stated. “I want the songs to be unique and compelling.” Arbogast, 39, is originally from the South and has been in Portland for 10 years. He has been pursuing his current solo project for the past three years. The transformation from band member to solo artist has not been without its trials. “It took me two years to get enough material and courage together to play shows,” said Arbogast. To get himself ready for performances, Arbogast practices something he calls “rocking the dome.” “I try to imagine the crowd and psyche myself up,” Arbogast said. “I’m getting to the point where I want to be with it—I think if I played Wembley I would have people standing up.” “I’m drawn to artists that play for sake of playing,” said Arbogast. He cites Billy Bragg, Leadbelly, and Woody Guthrie as the main influences for his solo work. “I got Billy Bragg’s album, Talking With The Taxman About Poetry, when I was a kid and I always go back to it.” The name Rainstick Cowbell may for some conjure up images of Christopher Walken asking Blue Oyster Cult for “more cowbell” in the classic Saturday Night Live skit. “I was completely ignorant of the skit,” Arbogast said. “I don’t watch TV, besides it doesn’t matter.” While Arbogast admits it has come up, he is good-natured about the whole thing.

popthatmusic.blogspot.com
Rainstick Cowbell is the solo project of Scott Arbogast, an ex-member of Creepy Old Trucks. Each song is only comprised of vocals and guitar, but Arbogast's unique and powerful voice that makes the album standout. Every track is charged with anger and passion, which is complemented by driving acoustic guitar arrangements. While this album is far from the normal image of alt-country or folk music, Arbogast has created a refreshingly different album that is worth a listen.

terrascope.co.uk
Released on North Pole Records, “Fireants” is the latest album from Scott Arbogast, now using the name Rainstick Cowbell, the collection filled with taut acoustic songs, the artist using his guitar as a tense platform for the bitter lyrics, the message as important as the melody. With his distinct voice set to pissed-of, Scott berates the world, scars his inner demons and justifies his existence to his family with vitriolic fervour. This could all go horribly wrong of course, but there is enough instrumental inventiveness and variation to ensure the message is projected without wastage, whilst the lyrics themselves have a naïve poetic charm that bears repeated readings/listening, the meanings often open to individual interpretation, meaning you can match them to your own fucked up existence. Perhaps, a lo-fi Roy Harper is the best comparison I can come up with.

foxy digitalis
My first impression of Rainstick Cowbell, aka Scott Arbogast, is that he conjures up a close ghost to Marc Bolen. Not a glitter covered, but a little earthier Bolen. Acoustic guitar and voice are what Rainstick puts forth and they are both quite good and he hails from the nations northwest Portland, Oregon. The guitar seems to out weigh the vocals in ability in my opinion. Six Organs and Sir Rick Bishop comparisons spring forward with the guitar styles. Fireants is the debut record from Arbogast and did grow on this listener as the disc played on. Further research found comparisons and a quote “Like Billy Bragg, Woody Gutherie and Ani D’franco if they were more pissed”. Not sure about the pissed part, there is nothing I could find that evoked those specific feelings of anger or desperation on the album. I found Rainstick to be direct, but not “pissed off”. I don’t know him personally or anything. I’m not sure why anyone would want to portray himself as pissed or angry. It only brings to mind horrible “emo” images and corner soapbox rants. Maybe I am missing the point. I do however get the sense of urgency Arbogast has for his message to be heard and for things to change. And I get that these messages are very personal. Fireants uses everything in Scott’s arsenal (word play, lyricism and guitar) and I do hope he does make a difference somewhere. Look for further releases by Rainstick Cowbell on Northpole Records.

Czech Reviews

napalmed.blog.cz
Scott Arbogast z nefunkční kapely Creepy Old Trucks se již nezatěžuje basou a bicími a veškerý emotivní náboj směřuje k akustické kytaře s pevným struněním, drsným brnkáním a napětím otevírajícím vesmíry. Jeho texty v literárních útvarech opěvují hrdiny minulé ve střetu s jeho vlastními syrovými zážitky. Pozdravme Akustického agitátora, Rainstick Cowbell podněcuje proti stavu unaveného světa, to vše otevřeným srdcem a hořkým tónem. Je epický v rozsahu, osobní v detailu, je to poezie a hudba ovíněna fiozofií, historií a ošklivou pravdou - protkaná křehkým doufáním. Rainstick Cowbell vzývá velké osobně/politické písničkáře jako je Billy Bragg, Woody Guthrie a Ani Di'Franco, kdyby se trochu odvázali. Tolik doprovodná tisková zpráva, a jak to vidím a slyším já?
Scott Arbogast mi na krásně vyvedeném digipaku, stejně jako na promo fotce připadá jako volnomyšlenkářský skřítek. Zadumaný, lehce poťouchlý, a když tak o tom přemýšlím a poslouchám muziku, jako by to snad ani nebyl on. Když slyším skvělou kytaru a zvláštní, zajímavý zpěv, nemohu si ty dvě části (fotku a hlas) spojit do jednoho celku. Po zmačknutí hracího tlačítka budete překvapeni stejně jako při prvním setkání s Rush. Pokud mluvím o výrazu vokálním dosaďte si nejnormálnější podoby Björk, nejučesanější polohy Bittové a stejně nebudete doma. Hudebně bych snad v nejdivočejším snu mohl plácnout, že se Beck vydal na folkovou cestu v nejklidnější možném stavu. Folková cesta absolutně nepodobná čemukoli co znám. Zajímavá, uhrančivá muzika, super kytarová hra, napínavé podání všeho - textů, zpěvu i akordování. I přes prvotní poslech bez dodatečného překladu textů má celek sílu omotat si Vás kolem sebe, namotat a přitáhnout. Pokud cesta je cíl, pak tahle porce hudby je soundtrack k jejímu nalezení. Rozeznívané nosovky, tahání koncovek - ať už znělých, nebo neznělých, střdmě množené kytary, vkusně dublované zpěvy.
Texty jsou kapitolou samy o sobě. Jsou stejně důležité, ne-li více, jak hudba. Jde tu o vyjádření, zprostředkování pocitů a zážitků v malých příbězích. Nehraje se tu na sloku-refrén. Vyprávěnky, kdy nevíte co je, co bylo a co je umně domyšleno. Smyšleno možná podobně jako vizualizovaná postava Scotta Arbogasta. Ať je jím kdokoli, minimálně mi dal smysl pro jikřičky poletující nad ohněm. Od nynějška je budu mít navždy spojeny s ohnivými mravenci.