Saturday, December 20, 2008

Antlers

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Antlers hails from Richmond, Virginia - a town and area of Virginia well known for churning out great DIY oriented/punk bands for years and years. They are some kind of indie super group. The band features members of Gregor Samsa, Olive Tree, Resonance, and Mass Movement of the Moth.

These songs are mostly instrumental, and the structures are refreshing; the group does a good job of not being too redundant, a trap many instrumental (or mostly instrumental) bands fall into. And when vocals do grace a few tracks, the result is wonderful. Group sing-a-longs that have become notorious at shows harmonize with a female vocal to create beautiful melodies with simple yet powerful lyrics. Twinkling, jangly finger tapped guitar riffs and a tight rhythm section propel the songs forward, while brushes of brass, melodica, and more keep the songs from seeming too bland. A must have for any music fan.

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Antlers (2007)