Search - Illuminea :: Out of Our Mouths

"Despite its fluid and somewhat chaotic genesis, the ensemble is focused and elegant, coming off like a blend of Neutral Milk Hotel and Built to Spill as imagined by a small orchestra." -- Time Out New York "Layer upon layer upon layer of horns, keys, synthesizer, strings, chimes, and timpani are added to the rock essentials ... lifting the songs above average and sometimes lifting them to greatness." -- Lost At Sea Known as both New York and Philadelphia's #1 indie rock mini-orchestra, Illuminea has garnered much attention and a growing fan base through the release of its 2004 debut album Nightlight (Puffed Wheat Records) and energetic live shows. With indie rock edginess, pop delicateness, and orchestral grandeur, Illuminea makes complex love songs (love lost, more specifically) that sweep audiences off their feet. With seven members shuttling between New York and Philly, swapping instruments, passing songwriting duties, and recruiting guest instrumentalists, Illuminea has created a pop masterpiece on its second album, Out Of Our Mouths. Produced by Joel Hamilton (Tom Waits, Frank Black, Elvis Costello, Sparklehorse) and the band, Out Of Our Mouths seamlessly weaves together no less than thirty instruments and twenty musicians across the album's twelve songs, written by the band's three songwriters (Jen Appel, Marc Goodman, and Minna Choi), who swap lead vocal duties. Formerly known as Illumina, the band recently modified its name to Illuminea to distinguish itself from a British band and a Final Fantasy sword. Currently, Illuminea also serves as the backing band for live performances by Anti- recording artists The Book of Knots.