Our second album, It's All Just a Dirty Game. It is available for purchase at Mission Label , CD Baby , or you can write us and we'll get it to you somehow.
Look! Reviews of our latest album:
It's All Just a Dirty Game (Mission Label)
"A collection of loose, jangly pub rock that almost seems out of sorts with the D/FW area and its current musical climate. There is a strong emphasis on lyric and song-style reminiscent of Elvis Costello, with a bit of The Pogues thrown into the bag (but not in that Celtic rip-off bullshit way). The tracks travel up and down the spectrum of musical influence, sounding like folk, then country, then rock only to stop and turn it all around again. There are some latin flavored guitar lines that keep the songs tense and anticipation high." --- Jason Manriquez, Scissor Socket Shocker
Ashburne Glen - It's All Just a Dirty Game CD
"Quaint sounding chamber pop that classes itself up with some nice string usage as well as what sounds like some well placed steel drums on its opener 'Diseases of the Tongue.' Recommended if you can find it!" (MS) Punk Planet
Things to know about Ashburne Glen:
1) This is being written by someone who met Jason Hensel for about 20 minutes while he was in Baltimore, and I have consumed enough wine to have to spellcheck Ashburne. I mean, why the hell isnt this in the dictionary already? This is good stuff and deserves to be a Proper Noun. (Jason is a polite guy and wouldnt have it any other way. Im hoping I dont ruin his ROCKIN CRED by saying hes polite.)
2) What is with the typeface on the Ashburne Glen website?
3) While starting this Im listening to iTunes. Its putting me through some album I got because the One Little Indian podcast convinced me to buy it, the Brazilian Girls, and Howard Jones. How the hell am I qualified to write about music. Okay, I was in a choir and in fact a soloist and could probably still belt out some Dvorak if my life depended on it. Which would only happen if the Soviets won the Cold War, right? But Jason is from Texas. I will tell you this a couple of more times. Its important. Also, we won the Cold War. I think.
4) Shit, Jason, I meant to start this last week. Pressure, ya know? I mean, I may seem all nonchalant via email but I am one stressed chickie lately. Okay folks: Jason convinced a LIBRARIAN to do this. Just so you know most of my day is spent in silence, or should be.
5) Okay I guess I should shut up and listen to the Ashburne Glen. Im a-listening. Why is this name so English, the guy lives in Texas. Hey this is like the other wistful guitar-sweet jangly stuff I like. I mean when Im not busting a groove. Even librarians have to chill and listen to the sweet guitar pop. It keeps us from harming patrons or throwing books around to get out our frustrations. I would pull the comparison namecheck thing but see ..2, you dont want me to do that.
6) Jason is a really nice guy and I shouldnt be wasting his time like this. Im supposed to be writing a band bio but the band used to be just him. Hes nice. Good looking, even. (Single girls, pay attention.) I want this music thing to work out for him, of course, and here I am making you read this stupid list. WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO THE MUSIC ALREADY? Thank you.
7) When I say the band used to be him I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Jason has friends who joined up with him. Hes been doing this Ashburne Glen thing since 2001 and of course, being the capital fellow that he is (Im trying to make this appeal to Anglophiles here), he would naturally make fine musical acquaintances along the way. Jasons also done some other in-band stuff with the Last Drop which people say is Cure-like. Blimey, mate, Jason should be setting up in a respectable flat in the UK. I think he takes his musical influences with a cuppa tea, if you know what I mean. (No eyeliner, though, girls pay attention.) So, the other Ashburne Glennites are Chad Stockslager, Sean Kirkpatrick, and Joe Cripps. I have not met these gentlemen although if theyre hanging with Jason Im certain they are upstanding. Jason didnt tell me how he met these fellows but I dont think court-mandated community service was involved.
8) The website says something about sleeping with Elliott Smith and whatever your opinions of ES may be, the dude is dead and JASON IS COMPLETELY ALIVE but not in that scary Frampton Comes Alive way. Listening to the Ashburne Glen will in no way lead to necrophilia but may lead to cuddly behavior with a living someone you quite like. The gender of said person is your own business.
9) Dont make me go to ..10. Its played out, and Im not even getting paid for this. I mean I think Jason may be throwing me some stickers or something and since I live so freaking far away Ill put them on my car and enjoy confusing the heck out of people. But then maybe theyll listen to the Ashburne Glen and then thank me for making them feel so much better. The Kinky for Governor sticker, though, may take more explaining....
Some reviews of our first album:
"Overall, this is a gorgeous album of sweet melodies and soft vocals. I honestly wouldnt be surprised if this album does very well in college radio nationwide and possibly even breaks through to become a popular indie staple for the next few years. For real, this is good stuff." -- Saira Khan, Action Attack Helicopter
"Starting off with some mellow jangly folksy acoustic guitar play, Ashburne Glen swiftly shifts into a Brit-influenced twee glide across tambourine skies and psychedelic strum. After some lilting piano work under the Belle & Sebastian inspired vocals of Jason Hensel, I find it hard to believe that this band is from Dallas. A touch of the Jacobites kind of off kilter dynamics can be found floating through the shimmer of guitar, that off-key but sing-a-long voice that shines like a quirky smile on a youthful face. Some of the better songs are the ones that flow with a haunting voice, sparse guitar, and echoing keys, and it almost feels like a country & western ghost story, until the voice moves in again, and we switch countries." -- Marcel Feldmar, The Big Takeover