It’s not just great song writing, warm guitars, a nut-tight rhythm section, and the occasional blues harp riffs that make The Stone Foxes’ so good; the Bay Area band consisting of brothers Shannon and Spence Koehler, and Aaron Mort have captured something else on their recordings and live shows that makes them huge, and very, very cool.
Listeners sense it right away. There’s a genuineness here that’s rare and refreshing, and it’s something that can’t be achieved simply by grabbing a couple of vintage axes and plugging into a stack of tube amps. Because while The Stone Foxes may be influenced by the greats of the late 60s and early 70s like The Band, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin, they never sound like they’re trying to be anything but exactly who they are. But then they don’t need to: their style of blues-rock stands on its own.
Still though, there’s something about their sophomore album “Bears & Bulls” that sets it well apart from other records. And to understand what it is, what makes this record so unique, so good; you need to know how The Stone Foxes approach their music.
“We’ll never be a traditional studio band,” says Aaron.
“The songs are worked out on stage and are meant to be played live,” adds Shannon.
That makes perfect sense to anyone that’s been to one of their shows: it’s clear the Foxes care far more about performing their music for living, breathing human beings than an empty room filled with microphones.
So rather than holing up in a studio, writing songs in a void, then cutting an album and touring it, The Stone Foxes work their new material out on stage over a period of months, playing it for their fans. And that’s part of what makes their shows, and this new record, so special. Each song in their arsenal has evolved organically over time, taking on a unique personality while retaining the core DNA that makes it a Stone Foxes original. Every song, every lick, every fill on Bears & Bulls has had its own unique path to maturity, taking the energy and feedback from the live experience and making it a critical part of the music.
When it was time to cut the record, the band knew that in order to capture the real soul of the music it would be critical to maintain that energy, those unique aspects of each song. So Bears & Bulls was recorded with virtually no overdubs, at a studio they built themselves.
“We found mattresses, put them against our garage walls and used planks of wood as dividers. Then we played the songs live and let the sound bleed in the mics,” says Shannon.
As a result, Bears & Bulls is an audio snapshot of exactly who and where The Stone Foxes were musically when they recorded it. They were all living together, listening to the same records, and singer songwriter Avi Vinocur was a member of the band at that time. It’s a reflection of their live show and a tribute to the interplay between musicians and fans. It’s a moment in time captured digitally, then mixed by Alex Newport and mastered by John Cuniberti in beautiful, warm, old-school analog. Just like it should be.
Spence Koehler, who along with brother Shannon grew up in the Sierra Foothills before moving to the Bay Area a few years ago, points out another thing about the new record that makes it unique. “You know,” he says, “all the instrumentation on the recording is the same as it is live.”
Right, the instrumentation thing: The Stone Foxes don’t have a set lineup on instruments. Since each song is unique, who plays what changes depending on the song’s personality. Shannon may come out from behind the drums to sing and play harmonica. Aaron and Spence regularly swap rhythm, lead, and bass duties, and every member sings lead on at least a few songs. But it’s no gimmick: like everything The Stone Foxes do, the instrument and vocal changes are a function of the natural evolution of their music and what works best on each song.
“It doesn’t matter who writes the lyrics,” says Shannon, “if someone else has a better voice for the song, they sing it.”
And the way they play it live is the way it’s laid to tape.
So you’ve got this band of players that can actually play, writers that can actually write, none of whom seem to have much ego: it’s about the music and the band over all – not the individual. You turn them loose to create songs that evolve and mature over time, then you drop them in a studio to track a record on their own terms. As it turns out, what you end up getting is something way deeper and more heartfelt than most bands ever deliver.
You also get a hint of what they’ll become. Because this collection of songs, from the raucous fun of “Stomp” to the slow grind of “Through the Fire” from the bad ass lick that opens “Patience” to the down and dirty blues of “Mr. Hangman” could only have been created by a band that’s fearless about following their music where it leads, and has the skills to share what they learn on the trip. And it’s a trip they’re still taking: The Stone Foxes and their music continue to evolve, and continue to deliver live shows that blow the doors off of venues along the way.
When asked if there’s one thing that they want their fans to know, there’s no hesitation: they say they have a huge amount of fun playing live, loved capturing their work on the record, and that they wouldn’t be doing any of this if they didn’t.
Really though, that’s completely unnecessary to mention: one listen to the record, one visit to a gig, and all that is clear from note one.
Bio written by Bradford Schmidt
Young Man
The Stone Foxes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slow down let me get some room,
I heard you say it's time to go,
You'd think by now that I ought to know,
That you command my every move.
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man)
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man)
Oh, the day I die, yeah
Old man, leather shoes,
Tells me I've gotta pay my dues,
My bed and money is all I got,
Some people say that that's a lot,
But you say, that's not enough.
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man)
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man)
On the day I die
Oh, the day I die
Oh, the day I die
Late nights, city lights,
My tongue's so sharp well you'd swear it bites,
They call me the devil's son,
But you know I'm not the only one,
Now I can feel you cut me down.
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man)
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man, yeah)
On the day I die
Oh, the day I die
Oh, the day I die
Oh, the day I die, yeah
The Stone Foxes's "Young Man" is a song about youth, the pursuit of pleasure, and the tension between youth and societal pressure as well as the past and the present. The song starts with the singer being urged to slow down and make some room for those around him. The singer is confronted by an older man who tells him he needs to pay his dues but the young man doesn't think his money and bed are enough. The chorus comes in, where the singer declares he'll be a young man even when he dies, implying that he doesn't want to grow older and wants to hold on to his youth.
In the second verse of the song, the singer is living the nightlife in the city with his sharp tongue that could cut anybody but he feels like he is being judged and criticized as the devil's son. The song concludes with the feeling of being put down after all the challenges faced.
Line by Line Meaning
Too fast, too soon,
You're moving too quickly, and I need some space to breathe.
Slow down let me get some room,
Please slow down so I can have some personal time to myself.
I heard you say it's time to go,
I heard you mention that it's time for you to leave.
You'd think by now that I ought to know,
I should know by now what you want and need from me.
That you command my every move.
It seems like you're in complete control of what I do and how I act.
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man)
I'll continue to live my life with enthusiasm and energy.
On the day I die
Until the day I die and beyond.
Old man, leather shoes,
An older man who is experienced and wise.
Tells me I've gotta pay my dues,
He's advising me to work hard and earn what I deserve.
My bed and money is all I got,
All I have to my name is a place to sleep and some money.
Some people say that that's a lot,
Some people might think that's all I need to be happy.
But you say, that's not enough.
However, you don't think that's sufficient for me to live a fulfilling life.
Late nights, city lights,
I stay up late and party hard in the city with bright lights.
My tongue's so sharp well you'd swear it bites,
I'm not afraid to speak my mind and sometimes come across as harsh.
They call me the devil's son,
People label me as a bad or evil person due to my rebellious nature.
But you know I'm not the only one,
However, you know that there are many others like me.
Now I can feel you cut me down.
I sense that you're trying to bring me back down to earth and reality.
I'll be a young man (I'll be a young man, yeah)
Despite growing older, I'll never lose my youthful spirit and energy.
Oh, the day I die
Until the day I die and beyond.
Oh, the day I die
Until the day I die and beyond.
Oh, the day I die, yeah
Until the day I die and beyond.
Contributed by Gianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.