Push & Shove’s pointedly-titled debut album, The Rookie (due out June 2nd), marks the belated yet timely emergence of Austin-based singer-guitarist Sean O’Connor as a one-of-a-kind musical force. The Rookie is a powerful vehicle for the vibrant musical vision of the longtime songwriter, chef, independent entrepreneur and single dad, showcasing his keen ear for organic vintage grooves and his talent for deeply expressive, emotionally resonant lyrics.
Consolidating O’Connor’s longstanding ties in both the Austin and San Francisco music scenes, The Rookie’s 12 original songs also showcase the abundant creative rapport between O’Connor and his instinctively soulful bandmates, who breathe organic life into the dynamic musical vision that’s he’s been developing for as long as he can remember.
The Rookie gathers a representative sampling of the massive songbook that O’Connor and his frequent lyricist Tony Mattioli have built over the past several years, reflecting the extensive life experience and musical knowledge they’ve accumulated. All the while, the insightful, introspective lyrics are balanced by the gruffness of O’Connor’s husky, commanding voice.
Moving to Austin after a lengthy stretch in San Francisco, where he gigged with various bands and led the nine-piece horn combo The Git Down Moses, O’Connor decided that it was time to build his dream band. Determined to foster a collaborative creative vibe, he recruited a talented team of like-minded players including bassist Will Tanner, also owner of legendary Austin club the Hole in the Wall; guitarist Rob Bernard, a former member of the beloved Austin combos The Damnations and Prescott Curlywolf; Rob’s brother, keyboardist Claude Bernard, a veteran of Austin legends The Gourds, and drummer Bill Coresello, whose resume includes stints as GM of influential local venues Emo’s and Antone’s, along with a powerful three-man horn section to help to build the expansive musical canvas of his dreams. O’Connor named the new combo the Push & Shove, borrowing the phrase from a line in the Les McCann/Eddie Harris jazz-funk classic “Compared to What.”
Today Glide is excited to premiere the standout track “Endlessly,” which brings together a bright Memphis-style horn section with a loose and boogieing style of soul music. With a strong rock backbone courtesy of an uptempo groove and some nice flashy guitar solos, the song is a true work of down and dirty soul-funk. Considering O’Connor is also a chef, the food references we get in this tune are a welcome bonus to what is already an appetizing musical morsel.
LISTEN:
