Sidewalk Diamonds “Dreams of Dance Floors”

Raucous, heartfelt garage Americana.

In 2020, Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Tony Thomas invited Beth Pyper-Holz to sing on his solo ‘Dog and Tony Show’ release. With Thomas having returned the favour for Pyper-Holz’s EP ‘The Heartbreaker’ soon after, the pair then added Nick Pyper-Holz (drums), Bill Connell (bass) and Jeff Peterson (guitar), and became a fully fledged band under the name of Sidewalk Diamonds. ‘Dreams of Dance Floors’ is their first record together.

Describing their sound as garage Americana, there is an immediacy and punky energy to their sound, albeit one which doesn’t forget that harmonies and tunes are a surefire way to an audience’s heart. Their name was forged from a John Prine lyric (“from the diamonds on the sidewalk, to the dirt in the gutter”), which actually does sum up their sound and ethos rather adroitly. 

Grungy opener ‘I Lost You’ kicks open the doors in no uncertain terms, with its fateful (regretful, yet unabashed) lyric of embracing your own choices no matter what:

“Didn’t seek fame
Or play the lame game
I chose to lose
I choose to lose
I lost you”

Next up, ‘Meet The Rolling Stones’ does a good job of capturing some of the wasted glory of that storied band in their fabled late 60’s/early 70’s heyday, while ‘Linoleum Skies’ recalls the roots rock sensibilities of early REM or the Replacements. The combination of vocal styles (Thomas’ ruminative, yearning; Pyper-Holz’s more unchained and wild) makes for an intoxicating mix of rough and smooth. Meanwhile, the band plays with a rather perfect combination of looseness and intense musicality. 

Lyrically, both of the main songwriters bring plenty to the party, with a depth that is worn lightly, and certainly doesn’t get in the way of listening to the album as a good time party record. You don’t have to dig very far to realise the subtle skills below, though. Witness closer ‘All The Faults I Found In You’:

“Like faded photos in old wooden frames
Distant memories of friends with forgotten names
It’s so delicate
If you get it wrong, you’ll soon forget
And you’ll sing out of key
‘Cause that’s the way of memories”

So, welcome to the world of the Sidewalk Diamonds, where slices of real-life love and pain are simultaneously wrapped up in a meeting of friends for a beer and a laugh at some small-town bar. Take away the bullshit, leave the inner core. And have a good time while you’re at it.