Search - Apollo Sunshine :: Katonah

Grrrr...ATE!

Jason Wendleton | Lee's Summit, MO United States | 05/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Apollo Sunshine has quickly become my new favorite band. After listening to the bands new Ep, I decided to peer back through the mists of time and give the bands previous album a look see. Boy am I glad I did. The electrically charged "Katonah" opens the record like a robotic lullaby. Most of the time instrumentals put me to sleep, this one left me in awe. Brilliant keyboards. The muli-textured, and amazingly deep "Fear of Heights" follows. So much goes on in this song, that to describe it all would take me all day (and night). Let's just say that this song, like all the others on this album, are like stories-they all have complex beginings, middles, and endings. Song structure is a big deal for these boys. My favorite moment of the record happens in the middle of this song...where it seems the song (which has slowed considerably) is over-after a long pause the listener gets kicks his/her ass kicked but a screaming reprise. Awesome keyboard/organ solo's follow.



"I Was On The Moon" the closest this indie record has to a "single," is a brilliant-almost McCartney-esque rocker. While it's bouyant and happy, the dark lyrics reveal a nearly abandonded, modern childhood. Some really great guitar moments and catchy-as-a-cold chorus make this one a winner. Apollo Sunshine reminds me of The Shins (though not as somber). If you like The Shins, you'll eat this album up (with a spoon). The harder song "Happening" and the poppy "The Egg" deserve to be framed and hung on a wall. This is art rock without the prissy froo-froo.



Apollo Sunshine need your support, because this kind of brilliant, energetic music just doesn't pay the bills. It will never be accepted the way it probably should be. At best, this band could be another Shins (indie critic flavors of the month). More than likely they'll put out one more album, and then give up. And that's a damn shame. In this dreary age of whitewashed corporate rock, the world could use more Sunshine.



"

Overlooked gem

Nick Danger | New York, NY | 06/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I revisited this album this weekend on a little excursion that took me up US Route 11 through some scenic countrysides and quaint little Main Street-style towns. After owning it for about five or six months and listening to it only about a half-dozen times (mostly in the first month of ownership) I had forgotten about it completely. I was scrambling through my CD book while driving, and I didn't want to endanger my life, so I grabbed something from the first page (nerdily alphabetized, mind you) and popped it in.I suddenly remembered why I bought it in the first place. My day instantly became sunnier, my mood lifted, and my hands rocked out on the steering wheel. It's easy to compare bands to other bands when describing them, but I do that too much, so I'll tell you folks why I like this album and why I think people should buy it.First of all, this band is just a three-piece. You'd never know by their big sound. Sometimes poppy, sometimes loud and fuzzy, this is a very "polyphonic" band (that's not a hint about who they may sound like, it's a real description.) The lyrics are surprisingly clever and the melodies are very addictive. This band relies on some electronic and non-traditional rock instruments, such as bells and moogs, and they somehow bring it all together in a very slick and flawless production.I had never heard of this band until I caught them on a streaming internet radio station, and at that time I heard "Happening." I was expecting a fast and noisy band in the vein of the Thermals, but after hearing the rest of the album, I see that I was mistaken. Sure, they can really give you a swift kick to the bottom with some of their killer riffs (whatever that means) but at the core of this album is a few young guys who are very serious about their music, and who have delivered big-time on this one.I'm glad I was driving and unable to see what I was reaching for, or this baby would have slipped through the cracks. And since it's available used right now, I can guarantee that this'll be the best $3.49 you've ever spent."

Soak in the positive vibes from this exciting debut

D. Hogelin | Sandy, Utah USA | 10/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Be on the look out for this fine trio from Beantown, they have just released the most eccentric and fascinating debut of 2003. If your tired of the retread punk/garage rockers getting pumped out of NYC then these guys are the answer. The album flows together with such a consistent positive vibe that you can listen to this disc several times in one sitting. The songs are especially catchy and the wall of sound is amazing. Although I hate to compare them to anyone as they have a sound all their own, just for reference I think if your into pavement, the flaming lips or the super furry animals to name a few then you definitely will appreciate the music on this album."