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A Brief Biography>>
At the climax of “Locomotives,” the opening track off Aeroplane, 1929’s sophomore effort, The Holy Ghost, frontman Alex Mazzaferro frantically reveals, “I’ve got the red, white, and blues...” over an anxious, burlesqued interpretation of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
For Mazzaferro, drummer Wil Mulhern, multi-instrumentalists brothers Jake and Noah Goldman, and sometime contributor Alex Syner, Aeroplane, 1929 has become a cathartic release--a means of sorting out the troubles of modern life with relation to the past. “As you grow up, you start to learn the ‘ugly truth’ about a lot of things,” Mazzaferro explains. “This record is about making those painful discoveries and reconciling them somehow.”
The relatively new band connected with one another quickly while touring in support of their 2006 debut full-length To Persevere (Topshelf Records) and resolved to create a new release to reflect that growth. After a series of lineup changes, the quintet was finally comfortable enough to begin tracking The Holy Ghost in the studios they assembled in the Goldmans’ New Haven home and elsewhere.
Engineered by Jake Goldman and produced by the band, the record is a testament to Aeroplane, 1929’s ambitious evolution. Truly, The Holy Ghost exhibits a world of growth from its predecessor. Diverse and captivating from start to finish, the new record begins where the last left off, exploring folk, rock and roll, and alt-country textures and combining them into something satisfyingly original. Lyrically, Mazzaferro zeros in on the uncertainties of early adulthood with poetic precision, connecting seemingly opposed concepts with a singular ease. “Overall,” he notes, “the album is about tension. Things are never black and white. There’s always grey, always overlap. Our aim with The Holy Ghost was to communicate that vagueness and how we’ve come to deal with it.”
The band is currently licking its wounds after a year's worth of shows in support of The Holy Ghost. As always, things are changing, both in terms of personell and in terms of songs, sounds, and ideas. But Aeroplane, 1929 is predicated upon a mediation between the past and present. One can only wonder then what the future will hold.
Press for The Holy Ghost>>
"In a world—or at least a region—inundated with guitar-based contempo-indie rock bands, Aeroplane, 1929 refreshingly nails it. [The Holy GhostI] is...dynamically varied but aesthetically unified and smartly arranged. The lyrics examine the weird social upheaval of our era, and the uncertainty of early adulthood, with a poet’s ear. These are intelligent, tuneful, entirely accessible songs. Exactly what a band like this should be doing, and they’re doing it better than many of their peers, regional or not." -New Haven Advocate
"Aeroplane, 1929's name is one of conscious nostalgia, but...The Holy Ghost toys with the listener's ears, constantly shifting in style and tone. The group's subtle use of traditional country instrumentation results in a wonderful take on the acoustic indie-rock alt-country genre, defying easy classification...The Holy Ghost takes you on a breakneck six-song journey with seasoned musicians and a diverse set of musical influences. Well played and well produced, this record is definitely one to pick up." -Northeast Performer
"Aeroplane, 1929 is sharp and handsome. Poetic and patriotic. Rustically textured, yet contemporarily visualized. The Holy Ghost...proves to be a timeless venture for the quintet as folk and country-rock is fogged only slightly so that boundaries accommodate the band’s significantly more buoyant and venturous form. The result is nothing short of inspirational." -Absolutepunk.net
"Aeroplane, 1929 breathes new focus into an arena of genres that have stubbornly remained bland over the past few years. Beard-rubbingly spectacular! Easily the best non-Saddle Creek album of its kind this year." -Smother Magazine
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