Reviews
Jeff Miers, The Buffalo News - Gusto, June 27, 2003
[This is an excerpt of a longer article on "exceptional Buffalo-based discs released in recent months" which also included reviews of Strictly Riddim, Dai Atlas, and Vox Humana.]
If you've ever seen the Outlyers plying its trade around town, you're familiar with Dave Meinzer, musician's musician, sardonic lyricist and general ambassador for what we've come to call Americana.
Meinzer's been doing this for a long while - since the glory days of the late '70s Buffalo punk/new wave renaissance chronicled on the mighty "This Is It" two-disc set, in fact. Adopting the nome de plume Nimrod Wildfire, he spent the better part of the '90s reminding us why we fell in love with the tried and true sounds of snarky Fender electrics in the first place.
"Luau Time," the first record to come out under the moniker David Myles Meinzer [note: actually the third but the first in 22 years], is a buzzard of an entirely different feather, however. Recorded at home and produced by Meinzer, it features a host of Buffalo's finest pickers and grinners, a pair of backing vocalists and a tub-thumper of notorious pedigree, lending their talents to Meinzer's extremely likable songs. Charlie Quill, Frank Quebral, and John Brady of the Steam Donkeys do their considerable bits, as do singers Tina Peel and Cathy Carfagna (also keyboardist and Mrs. Meinzer).
Just buy this thing. You'll dig it if you like roots music even a little.
Bob Silvestri, Best of WNY - (bestofwny.com) - January 2004
Dave Meinzer writes the kind of songs that don't seem to get written anymore. Tales of real people and their stories, the kind of songs that end up in the public domain years from now, passed from generation to generation they become traditional and part of the working class. Usually he has crafted his art as part of such historic Buffalo bands as Nimrod Wildfire and The Sagebrush Lotharios, Davy and The Crocketts and his current outfit The Outlyers but he steps to the front on his latest release David Myles Meinzer - Luau Time. The disc was recorded at Rancho Notorious in Buffalo with a who's who of local musicians (Charlie Quill/banjo, Frank Quebral/bass, John Brady/drums, Jim Whitford/steel guitar, Cathy Carfagna/keyboards and backing vocals and Tina Peel/background vocals) assisting Meinzer.
The ten songs are a mix of Meinzer original and traditional American songs and blend seamlessly from track to track. "Number On The Door," with its loping Neil Young/Crazy Horse sound, starts things off as Meinzer ruminates about previous houses one has lived in and the history they hold. The heavy thumping of "The Buzzard" is further highlighted by Whitford's exquisite lap steel playing. The laid back easiness of the title track "Luau Time" is a call for celebration as Meinzer tells all "it's luau time here at The Ranch." The traditional song "Hell Bound Train" is an outstanding track and features Charlie Quill giving a banjo-playing clinic throughout the song. Mention to John Brady's riding the rails drum sound on this track also. "Dream Of Me" is another one of Meinzer's great romantic rockers that he writes so well. Kudos to Quebral and Carfagna for the high lonesome background vocals on "Dream Of Me" as well. "White House Blues," another traditional song, deals with the assassination of President McKinley in Buffalo. Its simple arrangement adds to the beauty of the song. Meinzer also does an admirable reading of Stephen Foster's "Comrades, Fill No Glass For Me". Rounding out Luau Time are the tracks "Old What's His Name", "Shallow Grave" and "The Other Shoe." For a slice of true down home Americana music check out David Myles Meinzer's Luau Time.