Press

Highwheel Records

"The Bottle has buried the stigma of Monday shows by booking dynamic bands (including these genre-defying acts from ambitious local label Highwheel) and charging nothing." - SPIN MAGAZINE

Airiel

After releasing a series of EPs since its 1997 inception, Bridgeport band Airiel released its first full-length record at the end of last summer, called "The Battle of Sealand," named after the micronation. (In fact, for the band's contribution to the culture of Sealand, rumors have been flying that it will be the first to play on the land. Band founder Jeremy Wrenn notes that "It might happen.") The band's shoegazer revivalist sound recalls the work of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride, but perhaps even more ethereal than those acts, if you can imagine that (they even got German electronic artist Ulrich Schnauss to guest on the record). The band's been through a lineup transformation recently, but Wrenn is still the constantÑ"It's not over until I say it's over," he quips. Up next, the band plans to tour the West Coast with fellow gazers Film School, followed by a multi-date UK tour. After that, "Work on the new album with the new guys [in the band]."

Refusing to toil in retro new wave, post-punk or yawn inducing folk rehashes is bound to cause a bit of misunderstanding. But, when listeners finally do come around to the towering greatness of The Battle of Sealand, it's advised they make an earplug investment in the process.

The Battle of Sealand is a long playing supplement to those (prior) brief Ep's, and as every track on it shows, the group is capable of sustaining listeners' attention for more than a handful of songs.

These four guys from the Chicago area have been making noise on the dreampop scene over the past few years with a number of EPs and compilation tracks. This is the grou's first LP, and at over an hour, it is an ambitious affair awash with dizzying cascades of guitar effects and a 15-minute closing track that approximates the sound of the sun exploding and dissolving into an angelic choirboy nocturne. Like many recent shoegazing bands, Airiel proudly wear the early '90s Creation and 4AD sounds of Ride, Swervedriver, Pale Saints, and My Bloody Valentine on their sleeves. And while they have't developed a voice as distinctive as any of their heroes yet, there are moments of pure rapturous sonic bliss.

"Airiel’s The Battle Of Sealand (High Wheel) dishes up churning psych-pop ala Spacemen 3, Ride, and their new nephews like Darker My Love and Black Angels, though this Chicago band lays off the dark side for the most part, and swirl out a curvier crunch that’s perfect for summer drives off to nowhere in particular."

"This Chicago band follows up a series of early EPs with an impressive full-length of aggressive, shoegazerish psych-rock. Walls of blistering guitars aided by dense production give the band an immense sound, but memorable melodies and soaring vocal harmonies ensure their songs are more than just thrilling guitar noise."

“

Since starting earlier this decade Airiel have developed a great Ride-esque dynamic interplay between instruments and a keen sense of songwriting, that allows their songs to stand side by side with the groups that inspired them.”

"Is Airiel actually from Chicago? You wouldn't know it from their sound, which leans walls of My Bloody Valentine guitars against melodies plucked from the late-80's wave of Manchester pop. Top it off with trippy visuals projected during their performances and you've got a group unafraid to bring theatricality back to the scene."

I'll be honest. Almost all of the bands that come across my radar that use tags like "shoegaze, noise-pop, atmospheric, space-rock" usually end up sounding pretty bare-bones or like a derivitive copycat band with no real energy. These kind of acts are hard to digest because so much of that genre is just too easy to replicate. Airiel don't fall into this category. They rock, swerve and float while sounding fresh and inspired. And seeing as I've never heard of them dropping by any Los Angeles venue ever, now's my chance to see if they're the real deal. the band has loads of singles/eps out on various labels from over the years. Finaly, their forthcoming album, The Battle of Sealand, drops next month on August 28th via Highwheel Records.

The Chicago outfit Airiel started off as the drum-machine-assisted solo project of guitarist Jeremy Wrenn, but as its ambitions grew, so did its ranks, and it's now a foursome. The band's 2004 EP collection Winks & Kisses was often played by one of your Idolators on slow, slightly hungover mornings at work, mostly because its taffy-pull guitars helped our extra-buttered bagels and giant cups of coffee go down a bit easier. Airiel's forthcoming album, The Battle Of Sealand, has even more cracked-up guitars on it, but the ...tracks... place the band's shoegazy tendencies inside raucous rock and roll settings

Arks

Up next was Arks, a staple and a highlight of the Highwheel catalogue but on this occasion their performance was a swan song for a band that is splitting into new directions. It was clear that there was a tremendous amount of support in the house for Arks in their final moments at Darkroom and they delivered a show packed with every ounce of their collective energy. It was a thunderous set that seemed intended to leave an impression in the ether of rock 'n' roll shaped like Arks for the ages. Arks were honed and incisive in their attack and Paul Hornschemeier's insistent but steady voice sliced through the band's controlled frenzy with a mixture of David Byrne and Mission of Burma's Roger Miller. It was a triumphant performance for a band that had deservedly garnered a great deal of local acclaim over the years. Darkroom responded with a mixture of enthusiasm and sadness at the loss of one of the scene's best.

— Mike Turner

Last night at Trash Bar, Chicago's Arks showed a small Brooklyn crowd that Chicago has a powerful up-and coming music scene. Touring in support of their new album, The International, Arks' deep, dark, driving post-punk rhythms nearly blew the walls off the small Williamsburg venue.

— Jonny Leather

FROM OFF THE STREETS of Chicago to the streets of D.C., the up and coming indie rock band Arks is ready to get you grooving at The Velvet Lounge tonight.

Arks, who could sonically pass for Fugazi's Midwestern second cousin, come at you with relentless, driving guitars and singer Paul Hornschemeier's staccato vocals providing some haunting results. The band arrives in town touring in support of its first full length album, "The International."

While Arks' post-punk sound could comfortably assimilate into the local hardcore scene, Chicago's a different story.

"We sort of absolutely don't and absolutely do fit into the Chicago scene," Hornschemeier said.

2007-11-13-07-Arks-2.jpgThe Chicago music scene, known for bands such as Tortoise and The Sea and Cake, purveyors of jazzy and mathy rock, really offers a much more diversified, often weirder and edgier sound, which is where Arks finds its place.

"I think a lot of times people don't necessarily know what to do with us," Hornschemeier said. "'You sound like um, uh, ahhh.' And then they give up. They'll hear one song and then the next song isn't anything like that, so they don't really know what to do with it."

It's almost fitting that the band is difficult to categorize, as Hornschemeier himself falls into the same surplus of classifications. When he's not sweating and crooning on stage, the erudite performer lives a second life as a noted cartoonist, with numerous graphic novels to his name, including "The Three Paradoxes" and "Mother, Come Home."

The multi-talent artist describes making music as his sanity that gets him out of the house and interacting creatively with other human beings.

"Honestly, doing music is a necessity because cartooning is such an insular activity," Hornschemeier said. "It's still a creative outlet, but it's much more immediate and certainly with the music we do, a fair amount more visceral then the sad sacks that I draw."

In lieu of the sad sacks, Hornschemeier compares an Arks show to that vibe you get when you go back home and your big brother is there.

"There's absolutely no pretension," he said. "I think we're a rowdy, probably somewhat drunk big brother that's just going to tease you during the show. Everybody just wants to have a good time."

— Scott Rosenberg

Damn straight-up terse post-punk rock 'n' roll. Opener "The International" tells you that this band is rehearsed and spanky. They don't relentÑthe album is almost too consistent. There are a thousand other bands that do the same thing without what seems to be a strong work ethic, though, and that makes Arks stand out a bit.

— Nate Daly

Calling Arks a one-note act would almost be a literal interpretation after hearing the opening title track of The International. Starting with a staccato snare beat, singer/guitarist Paul Hornschemeier (who's also a noted comic artist and writer, author of the fantastic Sequential among many others) barks in monotone like a lifeguard's warning, and the guitars and bass follow suit, all layering onto one tone in lockstep rhythm. The song barely varies on the chorus, letting the notes reverberate for a few moments while the singer scrounges just enough melody to make up a hook. It's one of the more economical openers I've heard lately, and it certainly sets the tone for the rest of the record.

The International is a mix of familiar underground sounds with peculiar execution, cobbling songs together from loose, jagged shards of melody, suggesting and insinuating hooks rather than laying them out for the listener. From second track "Candor" on, Arks establish an unusual tension, with songs that never quite go the direction you'd expect. However, they often go from one obvious influence to the next without even so much as a segue, "Candor" among them. They've made some unusual choices there, too: Girls Against Boys are not a band you often hear referenced, nor do they get loads of accolades in hindsight. I'm pleased to hear them nodded to, in the surprise breakdown of "Candor" and many other places on The International. However, GvsB themselves hovered on the precipice of parody, and aping them is a tricky thing without sounding like an aspiring sleaze at best, and a charmless Nic Offer at worst. Hence the Jekyll/Hyde vocals of "Candor" sound more incongruous than they should, and the lounge-lizard verses to choked rants on the chorus of "Cars on Fire" is a little hard to take seriously.

The album's middle section is no less indebted, but a little more focused. The clean, single-note guitar parts nod to the sprawling peaks of the Cure's career, as does Hornschemeier's more insistent wail. Falling in these footsteps suits them better, as they take the time to develop a groove and a more noticeable, moodier atmosphere than the record's swaggering first third— the sparse stretch of "Customs" especially seems to fold restlessness of the title track into a careful tribute. Hornscheimer also lays back on that one, and he shows good instincts throughout when he doesn't have to lead the pack. He only mutters a few disdainful words over the verses in "Safe and Sound", knowing well enough to let the minimal horror-camp atmosphere take the foreground, and punching in on the chorus when needed. It's a shame that it's one of the few moments where the band picks up the slack melodically, as that and the squealing grind of "Silver" are easy standouts here.

The cumulative mood of the songs on The International seems to hint towards omnipresent, low-level paranoia, though primarily through snippets of lyrics and the ghostly reverb of the guitars. The vibe gets across, but mostly because the record feels claustrophobic and homogeneous. Though many of it's songs aren't much more than the sum of their influences, collectively, they have an odd, stilted swagger all their own. Arks' debut is still pretty derivative, but it sounds like they're learning the right lessons.

— Jason Crock

Smart indie-rock that succeeds in sustaining an underlying sex appeal that transcends its shoegazer roots. Vocalist Paul Hornschemeir shows a unique versatility to be both dangerously frantic and eerily hypnotic over his band's dance-laden rhythms.

Dance like you just...well, you know...

— Russ Hockenbury

The International feels like Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd weaving through Gang of Four tunes, particularly on droning album closer "Sudden Freeze/The Ice Shelf/The Thaw." These guitars are dirty but impeccable, avoiding showy wanking in place of gnarly dynamics. The crunching title track crashes with a heavily starched staccato rhythm. Tracks such as "Candor," "Stator/Asymptote" and "Customs" grind along a draining heavy-bass approach a la Canadian punk stalwarts NoMeansNo, while the sub two-minute "Maritime Snakes" flails away with Wire-esque energy and efficiency. Other tracks like "Safe and Sound" and "Tumult!" jerk like Pere Ubu sans David Thomas' wailing bellow.

— Gary L. Blackwell, Jr.

This punk quartet's guitars buzz like beehives through a Marshall amp.

The International is bare bones angular rock; the standard's Bloc Party's first album were soundly built around before—well, the bottom fell out. ...there's a distinct blend of party punk and post-rock that's undeniably catchy.

Their ability for forging smart songs and heavily percussive inventive tracks is without peer. "The International" is an extremely smart and clever debut full-length. Nice and danceable pop-friendly indie rock.

Stator Asymptote:
...heavy and brooding with a thick bassline that pounds at you as it glides along to various moments of relentless guitars and raw drumming. In other words, it's well thought out and placed together in a way that effortlessly gets the head moving and then, before you know it, the body.ÊThis deserves to be played loudly.

The International:
Everything is relentless this time around, especially Paul Hornschemeier's vocals. He has a magnificent vintage punk howl that sticks in your head and leaves you with no choice but to poorly simulate it in the shower. Say hello to your new summer anthem.

— John Laird

Would you call it post-punk, dark angular rock? - whatever it is, it's FANTASTIC!

This Chicago group first caught my attention with their "Or Else It's Not There" EP by welding spacey dream-pop melodies to tight post-punk rhythms. Their first full length album, "The International" signals two major changes for the band: firstly, they've managed to get a much better sounding production this time out. The bass and drums are no longer buried in the murky mix. Secondly, they've dropped many of the dream-pop elements and concentrated more on the abstract post-punk elements of their music, sounding occassionally like Mission of Burma, Joy Division and post-Damaged Black Flag. I'm all for the better production, but I miss some of their more ethereal sounds. Their are some fine songs here - with "The People's Monument", "Tumult!", and especially "Stator/Asymptote" being favorites - but nothing is as good as the best songs on their debut. There's a overly-angular sound on many of the songs, along with singer Paul Hornschemeier's tendency to speak his lyrics in an annoying faux-sinister voice (see "Candor" and "Maritime Snakes"), which makes "The International" an interesting listen, but not always an enjoyable one.

— David Mansdorf

Bang! Bang!

"The Dirt That Makes You Drown" - Alibi
"If Bang! Bang! were a lover, they would not be kind."

"The Dirt That Makes You Drown" - SPIN
"The track "Prefab Nation" is an anthem against the artificial spawned from the homogenized surroundings of suburbia."

"The Dirt That Makes You Drown" - Chicago Sun-Times
"(Bang! Bang! is back with) a new album that's even stronger and more sultry than the earlier discs."

"The Dirt That Makes You Drown" - Chill Mag
"It’s Fine that steals the show with her cooing backing vocals, commanding a whole song to herself."

"The Dirt That Makes You Drown" - Verbicide Feature
"Bang! Bang! has created a fantastic album as explosive as their name"

NY Press
"...an explosive set of sex-charged rock and roll."

Dragged By Horses

On the same label and in glorious 180g red vinyl (drool drool), Dragged By Horses sound like The Pixies meeting Badgeman under the auspices of Steve Albini. Among the many highlights is the stop start glory of 'One Way Ticket To Rome', the ragged destruction of 'The Need To Fight', and the punk intensity of '1000,000'. At just under half an hour this is a rollercoaster best heard loud.

Dragged by Horses was just described to me as "thunderous rock" when I was sent a snippet about them. "Thunderous Rock" leaves a lot left to the imagination and after heading over to their myspace, I must say I was disappointed in the actual effort in saying something about this band's sound.

Anyway, I digress but this band is pretty awesome. "Thunderous Rock" is a correct term but Dragged by Horses I would personally describe as hard progressive rock, could be metal but they have a real emphasis on the guitar riffs whether it be solos, for their intros. Overall the sound is hard yet clean.

This is one of the type of bands that really steps outside of what I've liked musically so I do have a hard time coming up with both names and a real characterization. Their self-characterization of sounding like a "violent orchestra" is perfect and couldn't be said any better because this music will rock your socks off.

Vocally, I must say his voice doesn't capture your attention like the clashing drums and awesome guitar riffs but he has a decent voice so there's really nothing to say bad about this band.

This is definitely the type of band I would like to see live, skilled yet probably can get a crowd going. Watch them play live here:

This band is out of Humboldt County a really small city and it's clear they need to get out more because they are pretty awesome. This is the type of band I would recommend to Kevin.

As for their album "Deep In The Woods", I've had a chance to listen to it early as the official release in on March 11th and I'll just tell you it's amazing. They remain consistent in their hard sound but you always get something different, sometimes purely instrumental moments, different types of intros and overall giving some real satisfaction in straying away from the typical indie pop that I listen to. If I were to give this album a rating it would be somewhere between 4 and 4.5 but alas the score isn't important and you just have to check them out if you're into harder stuff.

La Scala

La Scala has spent the last year honing their live sound and perfecting their own melodramatic mixture of new wave and Franco/Italo-pop. Driving rhythms and shiny guitars dance along side frantic strumming that brings to mind a dozen mandolins all fighting for the same slice of the audience's attention. The band released their debut 7", The Harlequin, today and the disc collects four songs — five on the CD that comes included with each slab of vinyl... La Scala wants everyone to hear their tunes, turntable or not — that have been thrilling us in their live set over the past few months. Opener "Bon Vivant" sets the template cum rallying cry for the rest of the disc, setting aside equal parts desperation and joy, both driven by de Ley's urgent vocal delivery. "Parallel Lines" continues the dance rock theme — and by this we don't mean Brooklyn disco but rather latter-'70s Bowie groove — and this theme keeps a strong grasp throughout the remainder of the disc.

Oddly, the band's catchiest offering isn't included on the vinyl so make sure you don't overlook the included CD, or you'll miss the chance to sing along with the impossibly buoyant chorus of "Love!Love!Love!" And with those closing strains we find ourselves thirsting for the next offering from the band.

La Scala's dramatic entry with "Bon Vivant" sets the stage for the rest of the EP, blending the jumpy sounds of Tapes 'N Tapes with a light eastern European influence. Their brazen flamboyancy continues on "Parallel Lives" and title track "The Harlequin", where guitar hooks clash formidably with vocal ones.

However, La Scala loses some of its potency in crafting agile songs after the title track. "Draculina" and "Love! Love! Love!" lack much of the muster of their predecessors, but maintain a cohesive sound to the rest of the album. These tunes merely don't grip the listener as quick; instead they act as decent album growers, gathering slight momentum with every subsequent listen.

La Scala took their name from one of the most famous opera houses in Italy, so it's no surprise their sound hints of Italy and Paris. But the early tunes also draw influence of Spain, namely in "Bon Vivant." With a mere six months of existence under their belt, we're likely to hear from La Scala again soon and it should be exciting to hear where they go next.

Another EP worth your attention is the East European Folk Rock of La Scala, whose 'Harlequin', is a rollicking good time. Reminiscent of Alex Harvey and co at their manic best, opening track 'Bon Vivant' leaps and wails like lots of cats in a small box, full of manic energy. The same energy is present on 'Parallel Lives' which has a Gorkys feel to it, whilst the title track has a more psychedelic fell in its rattling guitar work.

I know that 99.9% of people don't really care about how a record is released. CDs have essentially become a pain in the ass, as digital downloads are more immediate, enjoyable and environmentally friendly. Sure you only get a thumbnail instead of the cover art of a CD, but really unless you are a serious collector, who cares about another disc you never take off the shelf?

That's why I feel like I should talk about La Scala's idea for their new 7" EP. Let's face it, trying to entice casual music fans to buy your record with some extra collectibles is tough. That's why Highwheel records decided to switch it up. When they sent me the new La Scala record, it came with a copy of the CD included.

While this seems like a relatively simple idea (one that has been done countless times I'm sure), it really is a perfect solution. You get the full blown cover art and perfect sound of a vinyl release, the portability of a CD and of course you can rip it down to your computer or Ipod. Highwheel is killing three birds with one stone, satisfying the collector, the sound enthusiast and the convenient listener.

I'm not sure if I would have given this release a listen without the interesting promotional packaging, but it's surprisingly enjoyable. La Scala is, at its core, a rock band. There is some subtle glam touches (Love! Love! Love!), some Eastern Europe gypsy influence (the staccato noise makers that add life to Bon Vivant and Draculina) and more than enough reverb and riffs to keep you nodding along, but from start to finish, this band makes you want to make you dance. They use a big bass line to hook you early on Parallel Lives, then peak the energy with surging vocals, thumping drums and dancing guitars (and some nice tremolo work) and the result is infectious.

When they showcase their darker more obscure influence, like the musical theatre tinge of the catchy, adventurous Bon Vivant, La Scala produces some interesting sounds and for the most part they escape sounding the obvious traps I hear in so many bands playing this style music. It's when they settle for an easy riff that they start to mesh into a more generic sound. The lead single, The Harlequin is probably the least adventurous (although the bouncing bow strokes sound nice) and most listener friendly, but it's the one that leaves me wanting more. Without the risks, you focus on some of the weaker lyrical content (lines like mirror mirror, tell me who I really am).

To be fair, it's a recipe that works, so fans of this style of music should pay attention. For me, I'm more interested in the next La Scala release. They have the talent and sound to make a few minor changes and become a commercial success or start venture into unchartered waters, really let loose and build on the better moments on this record and deliver a solid debut record. I hope for the latter, because I think the listener will get more with every risk they take.

LA SCALA Highwheel Records (home to Dragged by Horses and Bang! Bang!, among others) is releasing a four-song EP, The Harlequin, by this energetic and buzzy local quartet, on both seven-inch and CD. The band's sound sheathes a core of shameless New Romantic-grade Bowie worship in retro-Euro duende that reeks of Serge Gainsbourg's cigarette ash. Why does this mix work so well for them? Mainly because they rock: they leave in the melodic melancholy of cafe music while cutting out nearly all that draggy ennui.

— Monica Kendrick

I discovered the perfect remedy to the coldest night in the history of the world. Their name is La Scala and though they're a new band around town (as of late last year), they sound and play like seasoned vets.

Dressed like retro, psychobilly cast-offs, the success of La Scala is a matter of balance. On the one hand, they play a simple arrangement of bass, drums, and guitar and bind all that together with a few tasty grooves. On the other, more unique hand, they invoke what they're calling "a haunting, melodramatic air" but that to me is more cinematic in nature, as if they're constructing a sun-drenched landscape complete with ridiculous gunfights and men on horses. And there is something in the loping drums and high-pitched guitars that suggest Europe — mainly Italy — so that the music is what Ennio Morricone would have played if he ever got tired of scoring spaghetti westerns and turned his attention to rock'n'roll. It's the contrast of styles that makes La Scala a band to keep an eye on; that, and they're fun as hell.

Saturday's show doubled as a release party for their first EP, called the Harlequin, which will be available February 26th from Highwheel Records. Put that on your list, and make sure you check out La Scala the next time they're around. You won't be disappointed.

Walking Bicycles

This Chicago foursome rides the line where post-punk borders with commercial rock, a pretty good place to be at a time where bands like Interpol reign the airwaves. Their sound is bass-heavy with the shoegazer touch often found in britpop."Welcome to the Future" warrants heavy Joy Division influences, but vocalist Jocelyn Summers' sense of playful melody gives the band a broader and probably more accurate comparison to the UK outfit Sleeper. (VC)

Highwheel Records founders Walking Bicycles kicked off the show with a searing set of garagey post punk music a la Pixies, My Bloody Valentine and even a hint of Devo here and there that would set the tone for the rest of the evening. The smoldering but precise vocal delivery of Jocelyn Summers and the angular assault of guitarist Julius Moriarty leapt and slashed around the glacially marching low frequency bedrock of drummer Johnny M and bass player Jason Leather and within no time the floor was swarmed with a jubilant mass of sweaty rockers. Spin magazine was right on the money when they called Walking Bicycles "Dynamic and genre defying."

— Mike Turner

On Friday night, while Lou Reed was joining Bright Eyes on stage at Town Hall, Trash Bar in Brooklyn played host to one of the most exciting new bands in rock. Walking Bicycles come from a mostly untapped Chicago music scene filled with promising young bands. For approximately 40 minutes, Walking Bicycles layed down a feast of tight, edgy indie rock, loaded-up with frantic, bouncing rhythms, chaotic post-punk meets shoegazer guitar and frontwoman Jocelyn Summers' icy vocals. The set-closer 'Obvious Path,' really set fire to the stage promising a bright future for Walking Bicycles.

Frontwoman Jocelyn Summers and company manage to deftly evade the trite angularity and faux coldness of most post-punk revivalists, instead evoking early, abrasive Siouxsie and the Banshees and even touching on Clinic's more frenzied forays into noise pop. Last years full length 'disconnected' sounds exactly that: chaotic, disjointed, and confounding in the most exhilarating way possible."

Glam and angst-y dance rock with a new-wave freakiness to it-that is how I will sum of the sound of Walking Bicycles. Backed by some of the biggest names in the Alternative music scene with recording duties shared by Brian Deck (Iron & Wine, Califone, Modest Mouse) and Steve Albini (Pixies, Nirvana) and mastered by Greg Calbi (Dylan, U2, Sonic Youth), Walking Bicycles seems to have a yellow brick road of luck ahead and a wild sound to go along with it. Energetic and contagious as soon as it gets spinning Disconnected offers up eight tracks of raw post-punk guitar playing and sleek, rousting vocal performances from the spicy sounding Jocelyn Summers. Notable songs include "Sympathy" and "The Hermit." - Antonia Santangelo

Walking Bicycles Disconnected (www.highwheelrecordsllc.com). Disconnected almost defies description due to its aurally vibrant uniqueness, but since it is my sworn verbose duty to adequately describe the joyous sounds hypnotically emanating from within, I shall now do so with the utmost of gleeful zeal. Jocelyn Summers' angelic, dreamy, narcotic-laced vocals are intoxicatingly complemented by Julius Moriarty's choppy, swirling, staccato guitar propulsions. And Jason Leather's rolling, billowing bass lines dramatically mesh with the thudding, factory-stomp drumbeats of Cris Castallan. The dazzling, effervescent combination of each of the aforementioned elements makes for one hell of an atmospheric, urgently delivered Post Punk sojourn into the past, present, future, and beyond. Indeed, the songs of Walking Bicycles are mesmerizing, redemptive, and inspiring, as all music should be. - Moser

Walking Bicycles have taken off the training wheels for their second EP, Disconnected, careening through eight fresh songs including the grinding, guitar-driven "Desperate" and two separate renditions of the energetic "Welcome To The Future." Strong vocals, courtesy of effervescent singer Jocelyn Summers, are a highlight, along with dynamic post punk beats. It's obvious the band are having fun; there's little question listeners will, too. - Jeff Berkwits

Chicago's Walking Bicycles prove there might still be some life in the whole post-punk/new wave thing after all. They stuttering and jagged and raw, but with a deeply-ingrained melodicism that sets them apart from their similarly-influenced peers. It also helps that singer Jocelyn Summers doesn't sing in a Factory-issue Ian Curtis monotone but instead has a nicely expressive rasp that's capable of conveying an emotional range something beyond the usual tension and anxiety. Note to everyone who still wants to squeeze some blood from this stylistic stone - get a girl to sing. Opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Their debut album Disconnected was released earlier this month.

On their second EP Chicago's Walking Bicycles continue the hone their unique sound, which I still find myself at a loss to categorize. Is it Post-Punk? Shoegazer? Indie-Rock? Stoner-rock? All of the above? I don't know the answer, and it doesn't really matter, because with so many unadventurous bands flooding the world of music, being hard to pin down is probably a good thing. The major difference between this EP and the band's first is the major overhaul in production style. This time out, they chose two big name producers, with four songs produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Wheat, Califone) and four by Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, and pretty much everyone else) who never takes a producers credit, instead referring to himself as "engineer and mixer".

Although I expected the hot shot producers would bring a new richness to the band's sound, I think that both Deck and Albini actually made the sound a bit too dry and brittle with Julius Moriarty's guitar sounding too restrained and Jocelyn Summers' vocals too far in front (possibly as a result of the restrained guitars). If anything, I prefer the more "action-packed" sound the Walking Bicycles got on the first EP. Despite my production gripes I still found the songs on Disconnected as strong as ever, with "Desparate", "Welcome To The Future" (which shows up twice - one version from each recording session), "The Hermit" and the Gang Of Four-ish "So Far" being prime examples of the catchy-yet-challenging sound and unique vocals (it's refreshing to hear a female vocalist that doesn't just sound like a carbon copy PJ Harvey, Debbie Harry, Rachel Goswell, Patti Smith, or Karen O, and can bring something new to the table) that brought me to the band in the first place. This will stay in your CD player for a long time to come.

"Chicago's Walking Bicycles have been transplanted from Eureka, California to breathe new live into the post-punk scene of 'chi' town. Angular, Joy Division-esqe guitars and lofty female vocals, courtesy of Mr. Moriarty and Ms. Summers respectively, characterize the WB sound. Inspired, but not ruled by 80's dance rock, Walking Bicycles' unexpected chord choices in the songs 'stitch' and 'Worthless' set them apart from their peers." — SMJ, The Sentimentalist, (Brooklyn, NY)

Over the past year or so, it became increasingly clear Chicago, without question, is a hot spot for this new wave-of-?80s-inspired dance rock. With post-punk-style guitars, ominous, yet sexy female vocals, and dance-friendly beats, the Walking Bicycles? six-song, self-titled EP has everything one could want for those who always knew that love would, indeed, tear us apart, again. - Dean Ramos, Illinois Entertainer, Chicago

The Walking Bicycles don't sound like anyone else on their debut EP, and that makes for a hard review to write. I can't write convenient comparisons like "sounds like ____________ singing for a more atmospheric version of ____________, with ____________ producing." Their website (www.walkingbicycles.com) describes them as "dark neo-new wave" but their sound is more varied and complex than that. Opener "Lost Coast" is a post-punk storm of paranoia and fear that is both atmospheric and completely focused and hard-hitting at the same time — which would actually be a good way to sum up the band's sound without resorting to genre-categorization. "King Of The Mountain" is a playful track, with Jocelyn Summers' vocals taunting the listener as the band hammers away, sounding something like Fugazi on drugs (as improbable as that would be). "Killing Time" closes in on a shoegazing sound with sheets of guitar noise riding above the tight-as-hell rhythm section. Things slow down a bit on the droney "HeavyHorse", which has The Walking Bicycles earning that "dark neo-new wave" tag. "Stitch" is more upbeat but doesn't have the stand out catchiness of some of the other songs. It's not bad, just not as exciting as what came before. The album ends with "Worthless", one of the best songs on a really good EP that stands up to, and deserves, repeated listening. - David Mansdorf

What's more fun than New Wave revivalists? Female-fronted New Wave revivalists, of course. From the Au Pairs and Sonic Youth to Boss Hog and Sleater-Kinney, there's no denying that the juxtaposition of Post Punk catharsis and female energy is a winner. California quartet Walking Bicycles is no exception. Singer Jocelyn Summers' icy, distorted vocals are the perfect complement to the band's angular riffs and tight grooves. Fully intelligible and engaging lyrics are delivered with all of the detached vitriol of her Riot Grrrl forebears. She and guitarist Julius Moriarty had been making music for several years when they picked up bassist Jeromy Lord and drummer Chris Jensen in 2003 and formed Walking Bicycles. A year later, they recorded a compelling, self-titled, self-released EP at L.A.'s Cornerstone Studios.

The sound is very much influenced by the quirky New Wave/Pop bands of the '80s, only slightly less Punk and experimental and very sharp and focused. Most of the songs are hyperactive three-chord affairs that wouldn't have been out of place on Sonic Youth's Goo. Yet all of the tunes on the album have a deliberate heaviness that doesn't let you forget that the '90s happened, most notably on the plodding "Heavy Horse." The rhythm section packs most of the band's wallop, while the guitar and vocals are a bit tinny but with plenty of presence, no doubt a nod to their No Wave roots. This mixture of aesthetics puts Walking Bicycles somewhere between The Breeders and The Waitresses on the musical map (in geo-temporal terms, that's just north of Columbus in 1986). So far this year they've moved their home base from Eureka, Calif., to Chicago and stayed on the road pretty much constantly. If you missed them at The Comet back in April, now is the time to redeem yourself. - Ezra Waller

Their sound reminded me of the better elements of the early 80's post punk era. The choppy stacato vocals over the rolling rhythm added a touch of artrock, which made the band sound current. Check them out the next time they have a gig in town you will like them.