Travis Hopper / Elkhart profile picture

Travis Hopper / Elkhart

The Moon...I forgot to mention The Moon.

About Me

"A collection of well-crafted, country-tinged pop gems."
www.gorillavsbear.net
"A little bit country, a little bit indie rock, which to us is the perfect mix...get wise to him."
Dallas Morning News
"An endearingly fussy alt-country storyteller with a mind full of catchy melodies...a Dallas artist in the truest sense."
Dallas Morning News
"...a cross between Ryan Adams and Elliot Smith...great songwriter and amazing sound."
Radio Cure
"A ragged, sloppy pop charmer from Texas...like its came from a session in the Westerberg basement [where] Ryan Adams and Tommy Keene showed up and everyone got laughing drunk."
Americana-UK
"...ten beautiful and catchy songs that breath out authenticity, freshness, and emotion...without a doubt one of the greatest albums of this year."
Sensaciones Sonoras (Spain)
"...Wonderfully sunset-hued songcraft and lazy Sunday afternoons on the porch with a beer sounds."
The Fine Line
"Stunning...it's not too often you hear a 10-track album and fall for each track on first listen. An assured a debut as I've heard."
Absolute Powerpop
"Top 25 Albums of 2006 (24)."
Absolute Powerpop
"Wobbles on a thin rope that has been stretched between Paul Westerberg and Ryan Adams."
Hanx
"Travis Hopper's signature country-indie rock blend...showcase[s] his style of songwriting that includes influences ranging from Sufjan Stevens to Bruce Springsteen."
Bryan-College Station Eagle
"His songs revel in their inherent hooks...[they] offer the same kind of "lovable loser" narratives that make similar fare from Paul Westerberg and Ryan Adams so endearing..."
Dallas Observer
"Solid indie rock...excellent debut album."
Kontrastradio Germany
"...reminiscent of some of the golden goodies that were once spun on 70's AM radio...It's too real, too Texas, and too poppy for the market as it stands. Their loss is our gain."
Scissor Socket Shocker Zine
"An accomplished songsmith...a tightly played, engaging set of high quality roots pop... conjures memories of early Freedy Johnston and perhaps Josh Rouse. A very promising start from another fresh talent, well worth keeping an eye on."
Leicester Bangs
Buy the album here for $8.99 at CD Baby:

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 1/27/2005
Band Website: travishopper.com
Band Members: Album credits:

Carter Albrecht (Sorta) - Piano, Wurlitzer, Organ, Keyboards

Daniel Hopkins (Radiant) - Drums (Track 3)

Jason Garner (Deathray Davies) - Drums, Percussion

Salim Nourallah - Bass, Tubular Bells, Hammond Autovari, Harmony Vocals

Todd Pertll (Deadman, Doug Burr) - Pedal Steel Guitar

Trae Doss (Jayson Bales & the Revival, Travis Hopper) - Harmony Vocals

Travis Hopper - Vocals, Guitars, Harmony Vocals, Harmonica, Glockenspiel, Percussion

Recorded & Mixed @ Pleasantry Lane Studios , Dallas, TX (Old 97s, Deathray Davies, Damnwells)

Mastered @ Golden Mastering , Ventura, CA (My Morning Jacket, Calexico, Sonic Youth)
Influences: Music that I listen to a lot....which I guess makes it an influence: American Analog Set, Califone, The National, Sun Kil Moon, Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown, Cat Power, Grizzly Bear, Springsteen, Wilco, Motown, The Arcade Fire, Josh Ritter, Collin Herring, M. Ward, Blonde Redhead, My Morning Jacket, Nick Drake, Postal Service, Marah, The Clash, Lucinda Williams, Josh Rouse, Jesus & Mary Chain, JD Whittenburg, The Clientele, Exploding Hearts, Kings of Leon, Sufjan Stevens, Shins, Spoon, Sigur Ros, Salim Nourallah, Sorta (pretty much any and all bands sponsored by the letter S), Russian Futurists, Replacements, etc.

Also influenced by bands that put on good shows and aren't too cool for the room, contagious energy vs. technical prowess, good lyrics, better melodies, smiling, people who buy drinks for the band, a good jukebox, someone with a passion for...anything, coffee, darts, iTunes, blue jeans, Converse (black low tops), bad TV, talk radio, and the spirit of the (old) Barley House on a Saturday night.
Sounds Like: "All the Lights in the City Tonight"
Record Label: Unsigned
Type of Label: None

My Blog

The Americanos Reunion - Fri, 12/7 at Club Dada, Dallas, TX

Hey there,So - you may have gathered from the title of this blog that something's up - so here's the short of it:The Americanos are reuniting. One night. Friday, 12/7 at Club Dada. Midnight. We'll...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:22:00 PST

New Beginnings

First things first. How are you? I hope things are well with you these days. There's much to report with the little Travis Hopper band, so I'll get right to it.You haven't heard much from us lately...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:34:00 PST

Natalie and the Kingsnake. Rock & Soul Salvation.

Hey there,So...is February over yet? It is? Good. Cause it was a beast.Those twenty eight seemingly innocent days may forever go down as the most wheels off, ridiculously fun, and exhausting period of...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:30:00 PST

The Granada, Hot Dogs and Skivvies - Tips For A Perfect Saturday Night

Hey there,So this past Saturday in Dallas the Granada Theater hosted a solo acoustic show by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Despite being preceded by a mind-numbingly awful Scott McCaughey (not sure how he ho...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 11:00:00 PST

You Grows Up and You Grows Up - Friday in Fort Worth, Saturday in Dallas

Hey there,Well...I guess I'm officially an adult now. I'm sure I've technically been one for awhile, despite what certain actions and decisions may indicate. This past weekend, though, I experienced...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 04:47:00 PST

Letter From The Wasteland - A Weekly Update

I feel like a hobo these days - like I've been Around the World in 80 Days during 2006. I'll spend 9 days in Dallas this month. I was in Chicago, Des Moines, and College Station, TX, this past week ...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:06:00 PST

What Does It All Mean?

I had a bizarre dream last night where I went home to my apartment - only it was a random, dream apartment - and there was a platypus in my bathtub. And it was swimming upside down on it's back - smi...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:56:00 PST

About A Blog

So...I've been in a weird place lately.I feel like my brain is a car radio that's stuck on SEEK. I can't seem to concentrate on anything for more than an hour at a time. Like this email. You have n...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:56:00 PST

Friday Nights @ The Barley House

Friday nights at The Barley House. They're a Dallas institution. For those of you that have lived here awhile, you know what I mean. For those of you new to town, it's a rite of passage. You reall...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:08:00 PST

A Class of 2002 Rock & Roll Reunion

Procrastination.It's what inevitably happens when you have three weeks in between shows, get a couple of cool ideas for emails, don't just go ahead write them because you have time to get around to it...
Posted by Travis Hopper / Elkhart on Tue, 29 Aug 2006 07:50:00 PST