Band to Watch: Adventure Galley
Adventure Galley is a six piece synth-pop band out of Portland, Oregon. Their sound is very much in the mold of Future Islands and The Killers with a dash of Cold Cave and P.C. (Pre-Congratulations) MGMT in which heavy synths build up danceable pop music. What sticks out most about the band is an almost monotone vocal in each of their songs that somehow strangely still resonates as emotional. Adventure Galley’s first hit track was the infectous pop jam “Addict” which was originally released in 2010 on the band’s first EP entitled The Right Place To Be. A remastered version of the track will be included on an upcoming album scheduled to drop this year along with two new tracks, “Marooned” and “Weekend Lovers”, which were released for preview earlier this month.
Of the two, “Marooned” sticks out the most and speaks to the potential of the band. While “Weekend Lovers” falls more in line with “Addict” in an upbeat, windows down pop music vane, “Marooned” brings a darker, more intriguing vibe to it. Like 95% of pop music, it deals with a relationship that’s gone wrong and reminds me of a recent someone who fleetingly passed through my own life. There is no feeling of wanting to reconcile, only a strong sense of betrayal and anger over something that’s beyond repair for unexplainable reasons. As human beings, we tend to understand absolutes but live our own lives in the ambiguity of our emotions, clinging to past ideas and experiences of what we think we have and deserve. Letting go is just too hard. But when the end arrives and neither believes the face in the mirror to be at fault, someone ultimately has to supply closure, with the most pained usually being the person to do so.
Marooned on an island
In love with a bullet and a gun
She claims that the temperature has nothing to do with it
It’s not her fault
The bullet is mine
Please allow me
Careful what you wish for
Both tracks show a lot of promise and certainly make Adventure Galley a band to keep your eye on in 2012. While no album release date has been scheduled, as of yet, you’ll have to live with the preview of these two new songs, which we have below. Enjoy discovering and please, don’t forget to share.
Connect with Adventure Galley via Facebook | MySpace
“Marooned”
“Weekend Lovers”
Written by Greg Dahman
Kory Quinn Returns for Midwest Shows
Butler University grad and Portland, OR resident Kory Quinn is returning to the Midwest to retrace the steps where he cut his teeth a few years back. Quinn is currently on the road with his backing band The Comrades. He fronts the four man outfit that specializes in the type of new grass, Americana that has remained a constant across this region for decades. Think a less sappy Old Crow Medicine Show, without the fiddle.
Last summer, Quinn released a nine track LP entitled Waitin’ for a Train. The album was recorded during a two week stint on a cross-country train tour. Quinn and the Comrades will be playing a sold out show tonight at Hideout in Chicago. Watch a recent video during a visit to Park City’s KPCW below. The video features Quinn in collaboration with his pals from Bitterroot under the alias The Low Down Whiskey Rebels. He will be playing Indianapolis’ The Melody Inn on January 19th along with Mark Alexander and Cincinnati’s Young Heirlooms. The venue holds sentimental value, as it was the first place the artist ever had a gig. Tickets are $5. Visit Do317 for the details.
Connect with Kory Quinn via Facebook | Bandcamp
Written by Rob Peoni
Band to Watch: Typhoon
One of my favorite emerging acts of 2011 has proven to be Typhoon. My infatuation began after NPR featured the band in a breathtaking Tiny Desk Concert from South by Southwest (SXSW) in January. How the NPR staff managed to refrain from belting out a bellowing yell when they pick up the pace in “The Honest Truth” is completely beyond me.
Typhoon is unique for several reasons. Their performances often include over a dozen musicians. The format harkens back to late 19th century parlor music, when neighbors would gather around the living room sharing in song. It reminds me of grade school music class. Only, this group never dissolves into an incoherent, cluster fuck of noise.
Their 2011 EP A New Kind of House represents the first breakthrough for Portland, OR label Tender Loving Empire. Fronted by lead singer and guitarist Kyle Morton, Typhoon proves that several whispers combine into a collective roar. Though the individual parts are rather simple, the group’s timing and delivery is complex and sophisticated.
I was blown away when I saw Typhoon’s Lollapalooza after show at Subterranean in Chicago. A big thanks is owed to whoever is financing this project. In the age of stolen music, it seems unfathomable that a band of this size can exist. I look forward to following them in the years ahead. Chances are, they will never be short on ideas with that many minds in the room.
Stream or download Typhoon’s performance from this year’s Sasquatch Music Festival via NPR, HERE.
Written by Rob Peoni.
Thought on Tracks 