THE OREGONIAN by Marty Hughley; Friday, November 03, 2006
Echo Helstrom delivers
Influences: Neil Finn, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Coldplay
Sounds Like: Somebody please tell us what we sound like! -- From the MySpace page of the band Echo Helstrom.
Presumably, the members of Echo Helstrom know what they sound like, so we'll assume that (joking?) plea is not really about sound, but description -- something that musicians as often as not would prefer to leave aside.
In any case, they'll find no pithy assistance here. We could take note of Will Amend's deft acoustic bass playing and the cool wash of Alessandra Dinu's violin and call this a chamber-pop group. Or we might focus on singer/guitarist Ross Seligman's dreamy yet observational songwriting, the surprising flashes of rock aggression that jut out of the calm here and there and of course the Radiohead cover (a lovely, tender reading of "True Love Waits"), and file it all under indie-rock progressivism. We could even grab at passing straws of suggestion and tie them together, as did whoever thought to describe the sound as "Kurt Cobain meets Leonard Bernstein." (But we know better.)
Best to let the music have its space, and let listeners choose their own frame for the swirls of color and shape the band delivers on its new album, "The Veil."
The elements are numerous and varied -- from country-rock shuffles by the rhythm section to unison pizzicato passages by the strings to urgent electric guitar riffs to sweetly folksy vocal harmonies by Seligman and Tahlia Harrison, and so on. The band indulges its artier influences without sounding precious, and when it surprises us with greater volume or an agitated mood it never sounds as if it's straining for its rock bona fides. ("We're just a bunch of classical- and jazz- trained musicians from Portland, Oregon, simulating a rock band," their MySpace profile says; and in fact, Seligman has a side gig at the moment playing for the Portland Center Stage run of "West Side Story.")
If the band still is straining to find the right description, consider that a good thing.
ECHO HELSTROM
This Portland, Oregon quintet includes a completely jazz or classically trained lineup, who, by their own words, “simulate a rock band.” Don’t let the band’s humbleness decieve you: Echo Helstom is a real, talented rock band. Giving influential nods to Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead, Echo Helstrom’s sound accurately falls somewhere between all three via guitar, upright and electric bass, violin, drums, and two vocalists – one male, one female. Even though it’s remarkable that the band has just finished recording their debut album, The Veil, what’s even more remarkable is that Echo Helstrom has done so without any label support; that’s right ladies, gents, and record labels: Echo Helstrom is unsigned, so pull out those checkbooks and contracts, support this band, and watch them because they’re going to make waves in the indie-rock world:
RIYL: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Murder by Death, A Whisper in the Noise, Clann Zu
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Hi , Thanks for the friend add. Just wanted to let you know that my new album, 'Rock You Down', is now available on Itunes, and Amazon.com. If you like what you've heard thus far, check it out! And pass it on if you enjoy. Thanks.
Sigo muy preocupada con este tema, y ya han pasado meses...
No comprendo que pretende, ni cuales son sus verdaderas motivaciones, la verdad, cada dia entiendo menos todo esto, pero aunque no me llame y no sepa nada de él... siempre apoyaré a mi hijo incluso en una locura como esta.
Muchas gracias por estar ahí.
Arriba te dejo una img de mi hijo x si no sabes quien es.
"Thanks for the add" La Madre de Anonymous---------------------------------------Who Am I - Experimento 2.0-
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Hola Echo Helstrom gracias por el add no olvides pasar a dejar tu huella en nuestro myspace saludos de tus AMIGOS de INSOMNIO MUSICAL!!!
Buena vibra!!!
Hi there Echo Helstrom thanks for the add dont forget to stop by to leave some greetings dont be shy =) greetings from all your FRIENDS of INSOMNIO MUSICAL
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