At The Moment - "Monte Carlo" CD EP Review

Veteran musician Daniel Stampfel has been playing in bands on NYC circuit for quite a number of years but has finally released his first solo disc. Stampfel previously fronted The Inevitable Breakups, a power-pop quartet, whose debut album, No Wonder You’re So Beautiful, was produced by Richard Lloyd. One reviewer called Stampfel the “the reincarnation of Buddy Holly” and New York Press described the band as follows: “With a sound and infectious vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Raspberries, Weezer, The Cars, and Cheap Trick, they manage to combine those artists’ musical qualities to full effect with some kick-ass results.”



With the (inevitable) breakup of The Inevitable Breakups in 2007, Stampfel kept a low profile for the next few years. “I stopped playing for about three years. I got wrapped up in relationships and real life,” says Stampfel. “I would write here and there, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do; what style, what ideas. But I knew I wanted to do something different.” Without a band for the first time in years, Stampfel didn’t have a set group to give him the yay or nay on his songs — and he didn’t have a set idea of how those songs needed to sound. The time was right for the songwriter to break out; to truly explore what he could do.



The three tracks on At the Moment’s debut EP show Stampfel moving in a direction similar to Matthew Sweet – 60’s/Byrdsian-inspired jangle pop. This is the sort of music that would have come out of Mitch Easter’s studios twenty years ago but, fast-forwarding to the present, Stampfel worked on his new disc with Longwave/Hurricane Bells mainman Steve Schiltz. Armed with a handful of songs he’d demoed at home, Stampfel hit the studio, “not knowing what to expect,” he remembers. Stampfel remembers "Steve suggested we record the songs live to capture the feeling of the original demos. We recruited Benjamin Cartel (Kaiser Cartel, The Benjamin Cartel) to play drums, Steve played bass and I played acoustic guitar. Steve and I shared overdub duties to complete the recording."

The end result was a trio of winsome songs, each with perfectly crafted hooks and ringing guitars.



Links:
At The Moment

Hurricane Bells - "Tides and Tales" CD Review (Invisible Brigades)

On October 25th, Steve Schiltz is releasing Hurricane Bells' second disc, Tides and Tales, on his imprint Invisible Brigades. This 12-track / 40 minute disc builds on the melancholy late-night vibe of 2009's Tonight is the Ghost but, this time out, Schiltz utilized a full band during the recording process which leaves this disc sounding more cohesive than its predecessor. Contributing to this disc are: Ashen Keilyn (Scout), who’s toured with Hurricane Bells from its inception; Christian Bongers (bass) and Colin Brooks (drums), who round out the live band; Travis Harrison (drums); Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October, who plays harmonica on two tracks; and Dave Doobinin (who is in Son of George along with Steve Schiltz), who sings on “Let’s Go.”

The disc starts where Tonight is the Ghost left off with the track "I've Got A Second Chance", which takes its inspiration from a sign posted by the owner of Coney Island’s Steeplechase Amusement Park after the park burnt down that read: “I have troubles today that I had not yesterday. I had troubles yesterday which I have not today.” This track also sets the lyrical tone for the disc as most of Shiltz's songs are tales of loss and love gone bad.



Musically, Hurricane Bells touches on Byrdsian-pop ("The Ghost of Her"), swirling indie-rock ("Hours Like Days", "Possibilities"), Teenage Fanclub style alt-rock ("Let's Go") along with a number of other styles. There are also two upbeat instrumentals - "Piano Stunt", which breaks in mid-way through the disc and "The Hunger Moon" which closes out the disc. Rather than sounding schizophrenic with all of these stylistic jumps, the songs flow and sound like the band had fun recording them. The track "Let's Go" ends with a snippet of studio banter where someone says "That was pretty good, right?".



While I don't think any of the tracks on this new disc are going to hit as hard as "Monsters" (from The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack), up-tempo tracks like "Possibilities" and "Let's Go" show Shiltz's songwriting moving in the right direction.

Links:
Hurricane Bells

Jarrod Gorbel and Hurricane Bells Play Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 28th

I'll Do Better- Jarrod Gorbel by Little Operation

Ten Years Older- Jarrod Gorbel by Little Operation

Jarrod Gorbel, formerly of The Honorary Title, kicked off a national tour last week and he is playing a headlining show at Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 28th. Gorbel released his debut solo album, Devil's Made A New Friend, on August 31st, 2010, and recently completed fall tours with Fun and Steel Train and Hanson. Prior to starting the current tour, Gorbel posted an email addres where fans could request any five songs from The Honorary Title catalog that they'd like to hear Gorbel perform at their city's tour stop. The five songs that received the most votes in each city are then added to that night's setlist.

Opening the show is Hurricane Bells who released a new EP, "Down Comes The Rain", late last year. The five song EP includes two new songs, the gently ringing guitars and brushed drums of "The Waiting Song" and the cascading "The Deep End", along with three cover songs: the jangly power-pop of "Make A Deal With The City" by East River Pipe; the reverb-heavy, undulating "Into The Ocean" by Blue October (with whom Hurricane Bells toured in April); and the sweet acoustic yearnings of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." The latter, made popular by The Shirelles, is here sung with Ashen Keilyn in a duet that has become a staple at Hurricane Bells' live shows.

Tickets are $15 and doors are at 8PM. Opening the show is Brooklyn duo Kaiser Cartel.



Links:
Jarrod Gorbel

Hurricane Bells Release "The Waiting Song Video" from Upcoming EP // Free Live Track Available for Download

DOWNLOAD: Hurricane Bells - "Tonight I'm Going to be Like a Shooting Star" (Live)

Hurricane Bells just released the video for "The Waiting Song" (directed by Bill Moldt), the first from the band's upcoming "Down Comes The Rain" EP. The video premiered on AOL's Spinner blog. "The video was made by the one and only Bill Moldt, using very old footage found in his grandfather's attic," Schiltz told Spinner. "Apparently, the elder Moldt was also a video director. Bill took [his grandfather's] footage and made a new film out of it, and when he showed it to me, I loved it."



"Down Comes The Rain" will be released September 28th, 2010, on frontman/band architect Steve Schiltz's Invisible Brigades label.

"Down Comes The Rain" follows Hurricane Bells' debut album, Tonight Is The Ghost, which was released earlier this year. Like that album, the EP was written and recorded solely by Schiltz in his Brooklyn, NY, apartment and Queens, NY, studio. Hurricane Bells touring mainstay Ashen Keilyn (of Scout) joins him on backing vocals on the five tracks, which includes two new songs, "The Waiting Song" and "The Deep End," in addition to three covers: "Make A Deal With The City" by East River Pipe; "Into The Ocean" by Blue October; and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles.

"Down Comes The Rain" is also now available for pre-order via the band's website and MySpace page (link below). With purchase, fans will receive a free remix EP, "Ghost Stories", of select songs from Tonight Is The Ghost, as well as an immediate digital download of "Down Comes The Rain".

The "Ghost Stories" EP includes:
- "Monsters" (a Tonight Is The Ghost b-side featured on The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack), remix by Carlos Anthony Molina (Mercury Rev)
- "The Darkness Is So Deep," remix by Sammy James, Jr. (Mooney Suzuki)
- "This Is A Test," remix by George Pasles (Overlord)
- "Winters In New York," remix by Carlos Anthony Molina
- "This Is A Test," remix by Travis Harrison (of Serious Business Records, also occasional Hurricane Bells touring drummer)

Hurricane Bells will play two shows around the release of "Down Comes The Rain": September 18th at DC9 in Washington, DC, and September 25th at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn, NY. More tour dates will be announced shortly.

Links:
Hurricane Bells

Hurricane Bells To Release "Down Comes The Rain" EP on Sept. 7th

DOWNLOAD: Hurricane Bells - "This Year" (from Tonight is the Ghost)

Hurricane Bells will release a new EP, "Down Comes The Rain", on September 7th, 2010.

"Down Comes The Rain" was recorded by band architect Steve Schiltz in his Brooklyn, NY, apartment and Queens, NY, studio over the past six months, during breaks from touring in support of the band's debut album, Tonight Is The Ghost. As with that album, Schiltz entirely wrote, recorded, played, and produced the EP himself, this time with backing vocals from Hurricane Bells touring mainstay Ashen Keilyn (of Scout). "Down Comes The Rain" includes two new songs from the band, the gently ringing guitars and brushed drums of "The Waiting Song" and the cascading "The Deep End." The EP also features three cover songs: the jangly power-pop of "Make A Deal With The City" by East River Pipe; the reverb-heavy, undulating "Into The Ocean" by Blue October (with whom Hurricane Bells toured in April); and the sweet acoustic yearnings of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." The latter, made popular by The Shirelles, is here sung with Keilyn in a duet that has become a staple at Hurricane Bells' live shows. September headlining dates surrounding the EP's release will be announced soon.



"Down Comes The Rain" track listing:
- Make A Deal With The City
- The Waiting Song
- Into The Ocean
- The Deep End
- Will You Love Me Tomorrow

Links:
Hurricane Bells' MySpace Profile

Hurricane Bells Plays Webster Hall (w/ Blue October) on Saturday, April 10th

DOWNLOAD: Hurricane Bells - "This Year" (from Tonight is the Ghost)


Brooklyn's Hurricane Bells have been staying out on the road these past few months and the band is playing a show this Saturday night with Blue October and Stars of Track and Field. Tickets for Saturday night's show are $30 and Hurricane Bells is playing as an acoustic duo of band architect Steve Schiltz and Ashen Keilyn (from the band Scout).

Hurricane Bells is the new solo project by Longwave guitarist/front-man Steve Schiltz. Schiltz wrote, played, recorded, and mixed the entirety of Tonight Is The Ghost - a moody, gorgeous mix of somber undercurrents and chiming guitars bathed in echo and reverb. Schiltz originally had planning on self-releasing this disc but the disc picked up national attention when the b-side "Monsters" was chosen for the The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack last fall. The disc is currently available digitally through Vagrant Records and a special-edition physical release of the album comes out on April 12th.



Hurricane Bells' Upcoming Tour Dates

APR. 10 -- NEW YORK, NY, WEBSTER HALL*
APR. 11 -- WASHINGTON, DC, 9:30 CLUB*
APR. 15 -- PITTSBURGH, PA, MR. SMALLS*
APR. 16 -- ROCHESTER, NY, WATER STREET*
APR. 17 -- COLUMBUS, OH, LC PAVILION*
APR. 18 -- CLEVELAND, OH, HOUSE OF BLUES*
APR. 20 -- CHICAGO, IL, HOUSE OF BLUES*
APR. 21 -- ST. LOUIS, MO, PAGEANT*
APR. 23 -- OMAHA, NE, SOKOL HALL*
APR. 24 -- DENVER, CO, GOTHIC THEATER*
APR. 25 -- ALBUQUERQUE, NM, SUNSHINE THEATER*
APR. 27 -- LUBBOCK, TX, LONESTAR EC PAVILION*
APR. 28 -- ODESSA, TX, DOS AMIGOS*
APR. 29 -- TULSA, OK, CAIN'S*
APR. 30 -- DALLAS, TX, HOUSE OF BLUES*
* with Blue October

Links:
Hurricane Bells' MySpace Profile

Hurricane Bells Play Union Hall Tomorrow Night (Feb. 17th) / Release Video for "Monsters"

Brooklyn's Hurricane Bells are playing a headlining show tomorrow night at Union Hall prior to heading down to SXSW next month.

Hurricane Bells is the new solo project by Longwave guitarist/front-man Steve Schiltz. Schiltz wrote, played, recorded, and mixed the entirety of Tonight Is The Ghost - a moody, gorgeous mix of somber undercurrents and chiming guitars bathed in echo and reverb. The disc is currently available digitally through Vagrant Records and a special-edition physical release of the album will be announced shortly.

Tickets for tomorrow night's show are $10 and Hurricane Bells is playing with Scout and Falcon. The band is also set to perform at SXSW in March, followed by an April tour opening for Blue October as an acoustic duo of band architect Steve Schiltz and Ashen Keilyn (also of Scout). Complete tour dates are at the bottom of the post.

Schiltz originally had planning on self-releasing this disc but the disc picked up national attention when the b-side "Monsters" was chosen for the The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack last fall. The band just released the video for "Monsters" which was directed by Bill Moldt (who had previously done the charming "This Year" video for the band).



FEB. 17 -- BROOKLYN, NY, UNION HALL
MAR. 17-20 -- AUSTIN, TX, SXSW
APR. 07 -- ATLANTA, GA, CENTER STAGE*
APR. 08 -- RICHMOND, VA, HAT FACTORY*
APR. 09 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA, TLA*
APR. 10 -- NEW YORK, NY, WEBSTER HALL*
APR. 11 -- WASHINGTON, DC, 9:30 CLUB*
APR. 16 -- ROCHESTER, NY, WATER STREET*
APR. 17 -- COLUMBUS, OH, LC PAVILION*
APR. 18 -- CLEVELAND, OH, HOUSE OF BLUES*
APR. 20 -- CHICAGO, IL, HOUSE OF BLUES*
APR. 21 -- ST. LOUIS, MO, PAGEANT*
APR. 23 -- OMAHA, NE, SOKOL HALL*
APR. 24 -- DENVER, CO, GOTHIC THEATER*
APR. 27 -- LUBBOCK, TX, LONESTAR EC PAVILION*
APR. 28 -- ODESSA, TX, DOS AMIGOS*
APR. 29 -- TULSA, OK, CAIN'S*
APR. 30 -- DALLAS, TX, HOUSE OF BLUES*
* with Blue October

Links:
Hurricane Bells' MySpace Profile

Hurricane Bells (Ashen & Steve) Sing to Fans In India (Vagrant Records)

While on tour in India, Ashen and Steve from Hurricane Bells came across this group of young Indian girls at a temple near a beach. The girls recognized them from posters promoting shows in their area and asked Steve and Ashen to sing for them.



Hurricane Bells are back in the States later this month and are playing a show at Union Hall with Falcon and Scout on February 17th. Tickets are $10 and doors are at 7:30PM.

Links:
Hurricane Bells' MySpace Profile

Hurricane Bells Release Free Download of "Christmas Don't Be Late" (Vagrant Records)

DOWNLOAD: Hurricane Bells - "Christmas Don't Be Late"

Hurricane Bells/Longwave main man Steve Schiltz has released a cover of "Christmas Don't Be Late" ( The Chipmunk Song) as a free download. This stripped-down acoustic version of the song, with Steve accompanied by Ashen Keilyn (Scout) on vocals, sounds nothing like the ghastly Chipmunks version.

Steve released his first solo disc last month under the name Hurricane Bells (available digitally through Vagrant Records). The new disc, Tonight is the Ghost, has a mellow, echo-drenched, late-night listening vibe which this Christmas song is in keeping with.

Hurricane Bells got some significant exposure when one of the b-sides, "Monsters", from Tonight is the Ghost was included in the movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Below is some of Steve's footage from the "Twilight: New Moon" mall tour.



Links:
Hurricane Bells' MySpace Profile

Hurricane Bells - Tonight is the Ghost CD Review (Vagrant Records)

DOWNLOAD: Hurricane Bells - "This Year" (MP3)

Hurricane Bells is the new solo project by Longwave guitarist/front-man Steve Schiltz. This is a solo project in the truest sense of the word as Schiltz wrote, played, recorded and mixed every note himself. Some songs were written within the past 18 months while others are crafted from pieces written throughout his years as a songwriter.

Tonight is the Ghost is fascinating debut that is a significant depature from Longwave's guitar-driven indie rock. The majority of these songs have a mellow, echo-drenched, late-night listening vibe. My only complaint is that this record doesn't quite come across as a coherent body of work as Schiltz moves through a number of style across the disc. The disc starts with the melancholy opener "This Year" and moves on from there to the lo-fi pop of "This is a Test". The third track, "I Can't Remember", is a John Lennon sounding piece and the remainder of the disc takes bends around alt-country ("Freezing Rain") and Steely Dan style indie rock ("The Winters in New York". There are also two instrumentals on the disc - the too-brief "Crocodile" and "Tenterhooks"

Schiltz should get a lot of attention for this disc as one of the b-side, "Monsters" was included in the movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Schiltz describes "Monsters" as "a little more rocky, up-tempo than the stuff that’s on the Hurricane Bells MySpace page — it’s got some fuzzed-out guitar and a ripping guitar solo.”



While the late-night vibe of this disc may not hold up well during the bustle of the day, the rawness of Schiltz's performance and the variance of the songs keeps this disc engaging after repeated listens.

Tonight is the Ghost is available digitally through Vagrant Records and physical release is schedule for February.

Links:
Hurricane Bells' MySpace Profile