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Wednesday, 19 August 2009
The Start * The Boxing Lesson * Osirus

The Start - (Los Angeles, CA) Aimee Echo and Jamie Miller formed theSTART in the Fall of 1998, citing a mutual love of dark wave, dance music and art rock. The prophetic nature of their name revealed itself quickly,as they would be among the first of the crop of the new New Wave, alongside bands like the Faint, Le Tigre and Ladytron. Over the course of two acclaimed albums and one EP, theSTART’s modern eclecticism and rock hooks have earned them a devoted following and a reputation as trendsetters of this new millennium. Additionally, they’ve won considerable acclaim for unfailingly compelling live sets, having shared stages with a wide range of popular acts, including Garbage, She Wants Revenge, the Moving Units, The International Noise Conspiracy, Burning Brides, the Von Bondies, Joan Jett, Weezer, Incubus and AFI. (Echo recently completed a string of dates singing for Swedish indie dance phenomenon Teddybears, including an appearance with the band at this year’s Coachella festival.) With their third album “Ciao, Baby," theSTART delves into ever-more adventurous aural terrain, incorporating elements of experimental, electronic, and dance forms, fused with their distinctive rousing dark wave hooks and textures. Thematically, they continue to explore complex issues of identity, desire, and politics – both personal and global – through Echo’s enigmatic lyrical prism. The couple created “Ciao, Baby” themselves (working closely with engineer Brian Virtue at his home studio). Miller composed the music and played every instrument on the record, with Echo writing all the lyrics and singing. The intensive song development process shows in the final result: ten tracks that find the band at a new plateau in their passionate creative mission. From the call to arms of opening track (and leadoff single) “Wartime! (It's Time 2 Go Now)” to the sultry groove of the closing title track, “Ciao, Baby” is a major step in the ongoing evolution of one of the most exciting bands in independent rock today.

The Boxing Lesson - (Austin, TX) After releasing two EPs in Los Angeles, songwriter Paul Waclawsky left the haze for the heat of Austin, Texas, where he found a new line up and new inspirations. Jaylinn Davidson and Jake Mitchell share the exact same birthday and an affinity for synths, sampling and improvisation. Jaylinn's synth bass and leads connect with Jake's explosive evolving rhythms to form a hybrid rhythm section. Part organic. Part Electronic. Part Outer Fucking Space. It's definitely Psychedelic. It drones. It oscillates. It feedbacks. It sings. Inspired by synthesizer exploration and joined by producer Tim Gerron in the studio, the band recorded and released Songs in the Key of C in 2006 and played a blizzard of shows at home and on the road. In 2008, The Boxing Lesson released their debut full length album, Wild Streaks & Windy Days. It’s a simultaneously modern and classic journey through the dark side of the conscious mind. These new tracks explore the contrasts between dark and light, love and lust, sacrifice and indulgence. Jaylinn Davidson’s Brian Eno-esque Moog synthesizer landscapes pump these haunting songs full of moody goodness and we find Jake Mitchell, as always, in the ether drumming out of his head. Lead boxer, Paul Waclawsky, flexes his songwriting muscles and his space echoes and creates epic sonic guitar textures that are psychedelic and lush, like Cassiopia A, the Birthplace of Stars. Independent of comparison, the 12 tracks on Wild Streaks & Windy Days define The Boxing Lesson’s own brand of psychedelic progressive rock, as they traverse into the unknown territory of their own lives, their own indulgences and the road that lay ahead.

Osirus - (Houston, TX) OSIRUS® is an all original alt-rock band from Houston, TX, USA whose sounds runs the gamut from alternative-indie to edgy-acoustic rock. OSIRUS released their latest CD entitled Awaken December 10, 2008. Awaken features eight songs. OSIRUS released their first CD "Robert & Family" on March 5, 2003 which also features eight songs. Both CDs contain songs that display an array of styles that creates an original sound for OSIRUS that is all their own. Here's what some are saying: "Epic! Gloriously old-school with a new twist!" - Don Sizensky, Spotted!! Music "In an age when imploded party bands rely way too heavily on the same old moth-eaten...songs, it's refreshing to find a band playing shiny happy modern rock that keeps a bit of it's sweet prickly edge..." - Mark Williams, The Bulletin

 

Last Update Friday 31 July, 2009