“Georgia native Tim Brantley offers a refresher to the pop-rock scene with Goldtop Heights, his debut LP. The 10 self-produced, piano-driven arrangements are a cool throwback to the ’70s with an urgency in the here and now, despite the retro feel. Each song is its own unique novella, and Brantley’s voice is a powerful instrument wielded beautifully and without hesitation over ear-grabbing melodies; think of him as a young Elton John with an even larger heart on his sleeve. All the songs are effortlessly engaging, but among the best are the title track, which references his adopted hometown of Atlanta, and “I Can’t Make You Want Me,” a soulful ballad that poignantly laments unrequited love. Full of passion and inspiration, Goldtop Heights provides ample treasures for prospectors seeking passionate and profound sentiments.”
Rocker Tim Brantley continues to earn praise for his distinctive sound – many critics have compared his debut CD ‘Goldtop Heights’ to early Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Billy Joel, Hall and Oates and Warren Zevon – though respected author/journalist Dave Marsh of Sirius XM Radio notes: “Tim Brantley sounds like Tim Brantley to me. How many new singers you can say that about in a year, or even a decade? I eagerly await his future.”
Melodic.net Music Critic Rickard Holmgren will post an interview with Brantley in the weeks ahead. He recently commented: “Wow! Here’s another artist worth checking out. Happy up-tempo folk rock with a lot of piano in the mix…The song “Damage” is a nice summer tune with a chorus that will have you singing along in no time. One of the Best Albums of 2009 (so far) is here.”
Brantley’s new single ‘The Race’ recently debuted at an impressive #2 Most-Added at AAA indicator stations, trailing only Ben Harper. His smash single ‘Damage’ was featured on an episode of MTV’s The Hills earlier this month; Performing Songwriter Magazine described his live show as “awesome,” and other reviewers have raved as well: “His songs sound like new classics…” Brantley’s music “plays like a great lost album from 1975.”
Watch Tim and his full band perform ‘Damage,’ live in concert:
http://www.blackledgemusic.com/video/timbrantley/damage_live2.mov
Check out a five-song sampler of the album, here:
http://www.blackledgemusic.com/sampler/timbrantley/
New tour dates, with Josh Hoge, have been confirmed:
June 12 Fox6 News at Noon TV Birmingham, AL
June 13 Red Cross Charity Concert Birmingham, AL
June 18 Blue Moon Saloon Lafayette, LA
June 21 Stubbs Jr Austin, TX
June 22 The Prophet Bar Dallas, TX
June 24 Workplay Theatre Birmingham, AL
June 25 Vinyl Atlanta, GA
June 30 The Social Orlando, FL
July 1 Jack Rabbit Jacksonville, FL
July 4 Evening Muse Charlotte, NC
July 6 The Canal Club Richmond, VA
July 7 Jammin Java Vienna, VA
July 9 8×10 Baltimore, MD
July 10 The Canal Room New York City
July 13 Middle East Upstairs Cambridge, MA
July 15 House of Blues Cleveland, OH
July 16 The Space Evanston, IL
July 17 Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
July 19 Birdy’s Indianapolis, IN
August 1 12th & Porter Nashville, TN
Brantley is a throwback to an era when musicians used distinct images and dynamic production to tell cinematic stories. His music takes listeners on a rock journey that evokes radio hits of the 1970s, when Todd Rundgren, Billy Joel, Journey and Fleetwood Mac were topping the charts with larger-than-life songs that told surprisingly compelling personal narratives.
