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| POMPEII |
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There's this budding band from Austin, TX that just gets it. It, being a thorough calculation of melody, albums of shimmering architecture, and songs that read as stirring self-actualizations. They're called Pompeii, and so far, they've done everything right. On their debut full-length, Assembly, the band created sleeper hits in songs like "Numbers" and "Pythons, Awake!", both working the mid-tempo balance between a great hook and nostalgic instrumentation. So effortless, so organic - the band's rapport for dreamy indie rock fell into place without so much as a bruise or tripwire.
The band is only one of many in Austin, obviously, because indie rock bands are as frequent as traffic lights in this city of weird. Not that it mattered much. When Eyeball Records owner Alex Saavedra saw the band once at a day party showcase at South by Southwest 2005, he immediately offered them a contract. Less than a year later, the label released Assembly.It gained critical acclaim, a buzzing fan base, received 4-stars in American Songwriter, and became available in Japan.The band toured the US in support, and played the CMJ Festival in New York. Pompeii provided tunes that a listener could really connect with, thanks to a kinship to indie mainstays like Death Cab For Cutie and Matt Pond PA, songwriting that was mindful of chirping, sentimental tones, and Stafford's knack for personal and personable lyricism. Part romantic and part bittersweet, sometimes grand, sometimes small and intimate, Pompeii are a lot of things and all of which they do well.
In 2007,the band found a new bass player, and begin to work on their sophomore album to be released on Eyeball. These efforts came together to make , eleven tracks with radiating production by C.J. Eiriksson (Jack's Mannequin, The Rocket Summer) and mastering by Gavin Lurssen (Cat Power, Kings of Convenience). The album shows progression while still working in their signature cello swells, cresting guitar lines and dynamic melodies. "We're extremely happy with it, considering it was written in seven months and recorded in eight days," Stafford says. "Assembly was more of a dreamy record, where this one feels a little more awake."
The band have their sights set on SXSW 2009, working on a new album, and to continue touring. As for long term goals, Stafford keeps it more open: "We want to be as ambitious as possible and keep raising the bar for ourselves creatively. Hopefully, we can inspire some people along the way."
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| QUIET COMPANY |
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These guys love to play music, and everyone who watches them sees how they infect the air with unforgiving energy and harmonious live sound. ...I picked up their 2006 debut full length, Shine Honesty, and the piano intensive indie rock album definitely lived up to the band’s stellar live performance." - BadicalBeats.com
"Singer Taylor Muse has all but perfected the heart-on-your-sleeve, loud/quiet/loud formula, and it shows even more live than on their fantastic debut release, Shine Honesty." - bigDlittled.com
"Quiet Company play tight short sets of passionate music that build and flourish and make you happy to be hearing live music." - LAist.com
"This is dramatic pop music of the highest order, mostly piano-led with some stunning synth orchestrations supporting some killer tunes... (4 out of 5 stars)" - HM Magazine
"’Shine Honesty’ is one of those albums that makes me want to make music, and I don’t think there’s any higher compliment I can give a record...In essence, joyful is really the best way to describe this record. It’ll make you sing, want to dance, think about the girl you love, and go for a drive through the city on a sunny day. But above all else, it’ll make you want to listen to it again as soon as it’s through. (4.5 out of 5 stars)" - UpBeetMusic.com
"Quiet Company’s somber and seductive piano-driven rock rekindles Harvest-era Neil Young, similar to Band of Horses. The Austin trio’s debut record, Shine Honesty, does just that as front man Taylor Muse’s spiritual convictions heighten the emotional intensity of his deeply personal lyricism." - Dallas Observer
"The stage couldn’t hold the energy." - LiveMusicClubs.net
"(Shine Honesty) has not disappointed yet, whenever i’m in the mood for some earnest and heartfelt, sonically adventurous pop to brighten my day." - The Camera As Pen
" Every song here has something to make melody addicts smile, and most of them feature breakdowns and buildups, hallmarks of a developed sense of dynamics...The songwriting never falters..." - tm3am.com
"Muse writes songs that are infectiously immediate, but are layered to create depth you can appreciate on repeated listens...This album should not go by unnoticed. Song for song, Shine Honesty can compete with any classic pop album in my collection. Taylor Muse is an emerging master of his craft." - TheBlackAndWhiteMag.com
"I remember falling in love with Quiet Company almost instantly." - Come Pick Me Up
"The Austin trio plays the kind of piano-driven rock that never goes out of style. Vocals float over big hooks that would make Paul McCartney proud." - CreativeLoafing.com
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| THE SOLDIER THREAD |
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There is a fragility coating the sweeping songs of The Soldier Thread; it’s scrawled on every measure and delicately interwoven with each chilling harmony.
It’s a sound that creeps into the room with a wispy ambiance, allowing for a tangible vulnerability. But suddenly, each calculated melody comes crashing together, and the dynamic shifts. The sound begins to swell with a vibrant chorus, and the fragility gives way into something more powerful, more meaningful. For The Soldier Thread, this comes as second nature. For the rest of us, it comes as breathtaking.
“Mend Your Heart With Soldier Thread”. So goes the mantra of the Austin-based quintet. Their songs are saturated in the themes of unrequited love, driven by vibrant transitions and haunting atmospheres. The result is part Stars, part Explosions in the Sky, dabbling equally in indie pop bliss and post-rock poignancy. Depending on your perspective, it’s either the sound of a heart breaking, or of one being put back together.
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