Search - Alaska Halloween :: Champagne Downtown

Champagne Downtown
Alaska Halloween
Champagne Downtown
Genres: Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (10) - Disc #1

The latest release from Minneapolis-based Halloween, Alaska marks a gratifying turn for the bigger. Having earned accolades for their restrained, deeply atmospheric brand of synth-laden pop, the group delivers a disarming ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Alaska Halloween
Title: Champagne Downtown
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: East Side Digital
Release Date: 4/7/2009
Album Type: Enhanced
Genres: Pop, Rock
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 021561817920

Synopsis

Product Description
The latest release from Minneapolis-based Halloween, Alaska marks a gratifying turn for the bigger. Having earned accolades for their restrained, deeply atmospheric brand of synth-laden pop, the group delivers a disarming new set of songs that ply its moody textures and brainy lyricism in the service of simmering indie anthems and salient rock hooks.

To highlight the expanded range of sounds and sentiment on Champagne Downtown, the band teamed with Grammy-winning engineer and renowned audio guru Tchad Blake (Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, Soul Coughing), who mixed the album from top to bottom. The result is a distinctively crafted 10-song set that packs rewards for headphone junkies, car-stereo devotees, and anyone with a penchant for inventive, literate modern pop.

Garnering comparisons to mature indie forebears like The Blue Nile and American Music Club as well as college-radio staples including The Postal Service and TV On The Radio, Halloween, Alaska is comprised of James Diers (voice, keys/guitar), Matthew Friesen (bass, sampler), Jacob Hanson (guitar/keys, voice) and David King (acoustic and electronic drums) -- the latter also known as the enigmatic drummer for modernist jazz trio The Bad Plus.

Also available on vinyl.

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CD Reviews

Best New Album of 2009
Benjamin Wagner | Santa Barbara, CA | 04/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me first say, I've been waiting for this album for a few years. I've been a fan of Alaska since I first heard them, but this album blows away everything they've done up to this point. It's seriously one of the best albums I've ever listened to. They've carved their niche as one of those unique bands with a distinctive sound all their own. Couldn't be happier with the new album. Hopefully they will continue to make records for years to come. And play more shows in Southern California.



*Side note - As per the "bleep" on "In Order", I confirmed that it was intentional. The band, apparently after hearing the censored and uncensored versions, decided they liked the "old school" sound of the censored version, so they decided to just keep it that way. In my opinion, the loud bleep disrupts what is an otherwise epic song, but nonetheless, it IS intentional."