Name: Dents and Shells
Brand: Richard Buckner

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

Colour

White

Colour details

White Vinyl

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Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: Yes

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: Yes

Format detail

Indie Exclusive

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Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2019-11-22

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

673855024905

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Total Cap

1 / Extended format: Yes / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / white

Artist

Richard Buckner

Genre US

Rock-Pop

Label US

Merge Records

Richard Buckner is an American alt-country singer-songwriter hailing from California. With a career spanning several decades, Buckner has established himself as a prominent figure in the genre. After spending time in Edmonton, Alberta, he made his way to Brooklyn, New York before settling down in upstate New York. In addition to his musical endeavors, Buckner recently released his first book titled "Cuttings from the Tangle" with Black Sparrow Press.

Buckner's unique sound and introspective lyrics have drawn comparisons to other notable artists such as *Richmond Fontaine*, *Centro-matic*, and *Jay Farrar*. His music embodies the spirit of alt-country while incorporating elements of folk and rock. Fans of *Uncle Tupelo*, *Blue Mountain*, and *Golden Smog* will find solace in Buckner's heartfelt compositions.

Influenced by a diverse range of musicians including *Jeff Tweedy*, *Alejandro Escovedo*, and *The Jayhawks*, Buckner's discography showcases his versatility as an artist. From soulful ballads to energetic anthems, each song is crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Whether you're a fan of *Clem Snide* or enjoy the sounds of bands like *Magnolia Electric Co.* and *Old 97's*, Richard Buckner's music offers something for everyone.

Dents and Shells is the first LP that Richard Buckner made for Merge Records, in 2004. By the time the album was recorded in Austin, TX and Tucson, AZ, with the help of Butthole Surfers’ drummer King Coffey and other Austin locals, he’d been a touring musician and released over a half dozen records. With no fixed home base a decade deep into his career, he was still a roamer.

That may be why Dents and Shells still sounds so fresh 15 years later. Whether working with collaborators or going it alone, on stage or in a studio, Buckner has always tended to play by feel. He documents what’s on his mind and of the moment on songs like Dents and Shells opener “A Chance Counsel,” as pedal steel guitar and piano provide a lovely soundscape for Buckner to wander through, weaving together words of assessment and encouragement as if thinking aloud. Dents and Shells features some of Buckner’s most beautifully plaintive songs, like “Her” and “Fuse.” Whether full-band arrangement or stripped down, the mood of both is much the same as the singer seems to be pining for something elusive. Listening to these songs today is like flipping through a poet’s notebook, encountering words and ideas, raw and immediate.

As Buckner puts it in the song “Invitation,” sometimes the best way for a person to answer the question of another day is to dig through the scraps and “put the bones to use.” Dents and Shells captures an artist with many miles behind him, but no loss of wanderlust.

Dents and Shells

Music US