The Man From RavCon

Rank #75 Charlotte, NC Rock / Instrumental / Surf

About

Members: Mike Brown - Everything

Sounds Like: Ennio Morricone, Duane Eddy "The King Of Twang", Goblin, The Bambi Molesters, The Shadows (EMI Music Page)

Label: RavCon

Bio: The Man From RavCon creates melodic instrumental music… music with a strong visual appeal designed to create images in the listener's mind… music that takes the listener someplace else.

Although lead singer/guitarist for his previous project, Charlotte, NC rock band, The Ravelers, The Man From ... See Full Bio

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Status

Be sure to check out Emma Jade Gunn's fantastic new review of The Traveler at http://www.surfrockmusic.com

Press

“The Man From RavCon broke my heart, fixed it, reinvented it and then made it sing with his extraordinary CD, The Traveler.”

— Emma Jade Gunn, SurfRockMusic.com

“Hate to blow his cover, but The Man From Ravcon is Mike Brown, a North Carolina musician who’s been writing and recording for 20 years. The Traveler, an instrumental album inspired by his airplane travel as a ‘70s kid, is his fifth self-released CD. Ostensibly, The Man from Ravcon operates in the classic surf-spy genre, and he's in fine form here. The go-go opening track and the smoke-swirling blues of “Speakeasy” are nice examples, but he’s not a complete slave to fashion, as it were. We get Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western vibes (“Above the Clouds”) along with early Moody Blues style Brit-prog leanings (“The Station”). “Addio, Amore Mio” channels Television with its Tom Verlaine-style passages, while “The Jetsetters (Beautiful Day)” might have you thinking Harvey Mandel, circa Cristo Redentor.”

— Kathleen Johnson, Vintage Guitar Magazine - Part 1 of 2

“TMFR is a Fender company man all the way, armed with his reissue Jaguar, Jazzmaster, and Jazz Bass, plus a ‘73 Rhodes suitcase electric piano. He also digs on the Danelectro Baritone and assorted acoustics. And although he uses software and GarageBand tools (drums, mellotron), he achieves a solidly organic sound. “I know to some it may seem like cheating to use software drums but I do it out of logistical necessity and I really manipulate the hell out of them to build my tracks,” he says. The Traveler is an excursion well worth signing on for. And isn't is comforting to know there are still surfing prog-spies out there keeping us safe?”

— Kathleen Johnson, Vintage Guitar Magazine - Part 2 of 2

“The Man From RavCon is Mike Brown, the vocalist, guitarist and founding member of late and lamented Charlotte indie pop-rockers The Ravelers. Lumped in with other '90s Byrds-inspired bands, Brown's outfit transcended jangle-core, hitting the heartfelt, high lonesome mark set by True West and The Dream Syndicate. Eventually, The Ravelers folded up the tent, playing their last gig at The Visulite Theatre in 2004. Nowadays, Brown crafts cinematic instrumentals that nod to surf, prog rock and cult composers. Eschewing vocals and pop song structures, The Man From RavCon's five-release discography is still a natural progression from Brown's atmospheric work with The Ravelers. ”

— Pat Moran, Creative Loafing Part 1 of 3

“On The Traveler, he pares down his influences, leaving John Carpenter, Blaxploitation and Italo-Horror-Meisters Goblin by the wayside, opting for a moody groove that turns proggy around the edges. At times, Brown attains a shimmering, dusty feel that recalls ex-Savage Republic front-man Bruce Licher's instrumental project Scenic. Structured as a retro jet-setting trip, The Traveler continues Brown's smoothy integrated genre-jumping. "Speakeasy" is smoky noir from a David Lynch roadhouse. "The Station" is ectoplasmic Lee Hazlewood country that conjures heat rising from a desert road. And "Escape" is pristine, road-ready '60s pop with a dissonant hint of jazz-rock. Think a vintage Glen Campbell backing track crossed with Lizard-era King Crimson. ”

— Pat Moran, Creative Loafing Part 2 of 3

“It's to Brown's credit that he cuts close to the affectionate, retooled retro-rock of moonlighting No-wavers The Raybeats, and avoids the airless pastiche of Danger Mouse's overblown spaghetti project Rome. But The Traveler is no mere mash-up of surfing' spaghetti spies. Instead, Brown has subsumed and transformed his influences, managing to be both nostalgic and completely contemporary. It is his most organic and integrated release to date.”

— Pat Moran, Creative Loafing Part 3 of 3

“The Man From RavCon certainly has a way with melodies and paints these scenes with skillful use of electric, acoustic and bass guitars as well as organ, Mellotron, piano and synthesisers. The Passenger is a strident mid-tempo opener with the sound of The Dakotas' guitar in its opening verses opening out to synthy fantasy and harder tones. Gently floating guitars that build to a soaring climax take us Above The Clouds as we arrive in the company of The Jetsetters with bright guitars over punchy drumming. A jazz combo welcomes us to the Speakeasy where string bass and drums are the setting for wandering guitar, sax and vibes. Introduced by ecclesiastical organ, The Bishop has a much darker nature and The Charmer is an intensely moody type. ”

— Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review - Part 1 of 2

“We then hit a very tasy sequence which starts with The Traveler, who has clearly had an emotional time of it and seems happier to dwell in the early days of prog, before we return to The Station with its great blend of acoustic and electric guitars with Mellotron atmospherics. Addio, Amore Mio is a bittersweet farewell tale while Escape is an atmospheric Mellotron theme that recalls the days of Mike Pender with The Moody Blues, and then it's back to the mundane world of Home.”

— Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review - Part 2 of 2

“The Traveler captures the sights and sound of the 60's and 70's, while delivering the feel of flying through the clouds. The eleven songs are all originals, and represent some of his best work to date. ”

— Sean Berry, The Continental Magazine

“The Man From RavCon delivers spaghetti westerns with some fine arranging and production. Professional writing and orchestral arranging give the music a film score appeal. Just close your eyes to witness the desert drama unfolding in your mind's eye.”

— Phil Dirt, Reverb Central

“Mike Brown, for it is he, impressed with his Everything Is Golden album last year with its tasty blend of surf, spy and spaghetti western. Never one to stand still, Rides Again! is a guitar-based spag-west album with touches of Hammond, Mellotron and choir blended into the mix that bring a richness to the sound and variety to the whole experience. It is still primarily a guitar album in the spaghetti vein but it just has that bit more going for it instrumentally. “Wichita” opens as a jog-along cowboy twang guitar theme that opens up halfway through with a touch of strings and chorus before a little sustain and then baritone guitar provide even more flavour. The light fuzz of the moody mid-pacer “You’ll Never Take Me Alive” is underscored by keyboards and its subtle changes of temp add more spice as it builds quite an atmosphere. ”

— Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review Part 1 of 3

“A twinkly organ figure introduces “The Valley Of Death” with strings and chorus joining in before a snippet of guitar completes the picture, rather in the style of Pink Floyd circa the More soundtrack. Organ also supports the guitar on the sparse “A Bad Man With Good Intentions” which is built around its catchy bass pattern while a 12-string jangle decorates “Pushing Up Daisies”. “Spittoon Saloon” is a brief link into the guitar and Mariachi trumpet style of the “Three Days From Durango” theme. An insistent guitar and bass riff drives “No Rest For The Wicked”, the longest piece at 5 1/2 minutes. It breaks down twice for slower descriptive passages of twangy lead, expressive guitar chords and that lonesome bell. ”

— Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review Part 2 of 3

““Indigo” provides a quiet guitar interlude before synths introduce a lonely guitar ride across “The Ledge” - destination “Utah” with its strummed acoustic welcome and peaceful conclusion, albeit with melancholic undertones courtesy of some Twin Peaks guitar. An album that is consistently playable as it has no dead spots, The Man From RavCon Rides Again! is a soundtrack for your own imagination. ”

— Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review Part 3 of 3

“Everything Is Golden is a very solid release. This is surf and instrumental rock that you can truly listen to and let your mind wander. All-in-all an entertaining disc that should appeal to a wide audience.”

— Sean Berry, The Continental Magazine

“The Man From RavCon has excelled at conjuring up a number of instrumental surf-rock influences—from Italian film composer Ennio Morricone, to funk / soundtrack wizard Isaac Hayes to a better known sound evoking more well established instrumental rock legends like Duane Eddy, The Shadows, John Barry and more recently Finnish surf rockers Laika & The Cosmonauts. Morricone’s instro legacy is praised on a cover of “Once Upon A Time In The West”—track ten on the eleven cut 2011 release of Everything Is Golden by The Man From Ravcon. Even wearing his instrumental rock influences on his sleeve, Brown remains committed to further delivering his instrumental rock music with even a more progressive rock slant and in fact such an album is in the works as we speak.”

— Robert Silverstein, mwe3.com

“The Man From RavCon is Mike Brown, for 20 years the voice of rock band The Ravelers but now concentrating on making instrumental music to "create movies in the listener's mind". Everything Is Golden is his second album in this guise and it's a tasty blend of surf, spy and spaghetti western music. ”

— Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review Part 1 of 2

“The punchy Hammerhead has a fast surf beat and a spag-west atmosphere with crashing guitar chords, The Ferguson is another lively guitar rocker, Flip Flop is an uptempo grinder and Organ Grinder a fast flowing theme. In between are descriptive ballads like the gentle Moonlight Mountain, Atalaya, Beyond The Dunes with it's underpinning deep twang and the pretty, jangly Mosie. The neatly titled Dead Man's Cove is a suitably moody piece with a sustained, lightly fuzzed guitar lead and Morricone's Once Upon A Time In The West (the only cover) gets a sparse treatment with some baritone lead. The title track finale is a relaxed, seven minute dream sequence that closes with lapping waves. This solid set of original material is nicely sequenced and neatly presented.”

— Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review - Part 2 of 2

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Recent Blogs

The Traveler Has Arrived!
Aug 1, 2012
The new Man From RavCon release, The Traveler, is now available at CD Baby, Amaz... [more]

The Traveler
Jul 29, 2012
The brand new Man From RavCon CD, The Traveler, will be released Wed. Aug 1. For... [more]

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Songs

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Play "Secret Passage"

Secret Passage

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Play "The Station"

The Station

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Play "The Bishop"

The Bishop

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Play "The Passenger"

The Passenger

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Play "Echo Canyon"

Echo Canyon

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Videos

The Jetsetters (Beautiful Day) by The Man From RavCon

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Comments

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Shaguar
Trip to the Morgue is very cool!
James Mitchell Acou...
This is a very high quality recording and the instrumentation is excellent. I could listen to this stuff for hours! J.M.