Nirvana, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Billy Corgan, Morrissey, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Doors, King Crimson, Radiohead, The Beatles, Stravinsky, David Lynch, OutKast, Timbaland
Sounds Like
"The chilly blend is at once dramatic and turbulent, dark and distant and a curious concoction of light industrial sounds and lofty art rock. And then there's that voice." - The Oregonian 7/4/08
"Key Party is a very well produced, very different sound. It's refreshing to see a band that takes chances... opens with a synth background that takes you into a dark alley... and you aren't quite sure if you want to be there yet. That is, until, Considine's voice comes in and makes you want more." - SUNY Courtland June 2008
"Think New Order's dark drum machinations, throw in a little Smashing Pumpkins and some atonal chaos and you've got Childhood Friends." - Willamette Week 7/02/08
"The album [Key Party] is a tundra: frozen, beautiful and unsettling." - The Metro Spirit (Augusta, GA) July 2008
"Childhood Friends may be the nicest parents of two you will ever hear sing ballads about bondage and psychic vampirism. Their pop sensibilities and flair for the dramatic never stop them from experimenting with new sound and new directions. If gothic music were allowed to be just a trifle more upbeat and less serious, then they would likely qualify for such a label, but even then they would gleefully confound any expectation you might bring to the table." Ricardo Wang, KPSU, April 2008
"a sparse electronic chill of frozen beats and the high-pitched emotionally distant vocals of Considine" - Portland Mercury, 12/13/07
"On Portland's [Childhood Friends'] Synesthesia record we see a band equally at home with indierock, noise, and pop. It's dramatic, theatrical stuff that's as much Phantom of the Opera as it is Joy Division. Don't let this band's cheesy, cartoon album art and aesthetic fool you-they are a seiously solid art-rock band." - Jason Pearson, Portland Mercury, 7/20/06
"That dark side is at the heart of the duo's music, thanks in no small part to droning synthesizers, clattering drum machines, and the pained vocals of both Considine and Rose." - The Oregonian June 2007
"Childhood Friends have only recently joined the post-gothic experimental fray, but come equipped with a restrained electronic elegance which bespeaks a deep connection to the form's history... Positively adorable and heartless... No.2 best new band of '06, WW Band Poll" - Noah Mickens, booker, promoter
"(Childhood Friends) live in the unlikely space between the Cars and King Crimson. " Josh Blanchard, Portland Mercury 2006
"Strange in a good way . . . The best way to enjoy their sound is live and you'll love their energy" - PDXpole.com
"Childhood Friends from Portland OR delved into the poppy side of experimental at the 13th Annual Olympia Experimental Music Festival, proving once again that such things are not mutually exclusive... ultra-dark experimental pop turbulence. It would be easy to call them 'post gothic' since they're so damn menacing and pretty at the same time, but that wouldn't be fair to their multitude of other influences." - Ricardo Wang, KPSU 2007
• Northwest CD: "Key Party"
Friday, July 04, 2008
SCOTT D. LEWIS
Special to The Oregonian
Oh, no. "Key Party," Portland duo Childhood Friends' third album, is too dense, disconcerting and, well, disturbed to recommend for the little ones -- and just hope they won't ask you to explain the title.
The synth-heavy 1980s retro sounds laid down by multi-instrumentalists Ilima Considine and Jake Rose reach back over two decades to such pioneering bands as the Cure, Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine. The sounds are smashed and swirled together until particular noise-makers (keys, guitars, violins) are indistinguishable and one. The chilly blend is at once dramatic and turbulent, dark and distant and a curious concoction of light industrial sounds and lofty art rock.
And then there's that voice.
Considine doesn't so much sing as much as chirps, squeaks and squalls. Her maniacal robotic screechings look back to the likes of Bjork, Siouxsie Sioux and PJ Harvey for inspiration as she sputters, spins and spits the songs' words out like a shrill, seriously disturbed little girl -- or possibly a restless junkie ghost.
Yet, it works.
Listening to the Cars-sounding opener "Used to Be Good," it's hard imagining the heart-hurt, careening song being sung in any voice other than Considine's embodiment of distressed dementia. Same story for the following "Because I Wanted To," which could have come from a frantic Toni Basil, and so on down the 10 tracks.
Decidedly indie, lo-fi and avant-garde, "Key Party" is an odd little treat that should come wrapped with a different kind of parental warning.
Vampires and Werewolves fucking and fighting...........oh my! Our new single "Let's Burn" is out now on the UnderWorld 3 soundtrack, available on i-tunes.
Unfortunately, Bobbi is no longer with us. I guess my guilt made me take this picture and post it in a public place. It happened last night. I threw most of the guts away already.
Oh I just met Jake last night at Exit Only, I put together a show there. The Pink Snowflakes played and I guess he's a fan... Anywho Jake told me to check out his band that he has with you. So Hi, I'm Kaila. Perhaps I'll see you at PDX Pop. I'm there all weekend. And I'll definately try to make it to a show sometime soon.
Oh alright! Yeah I'm digging the music by the way. It's different from a lot of stuff I've heard around town but it's good and I'm glad I've been introduced.
Probably not unfortunately. I'm gonna be playing at a restaurant tonight with a good friend. If for some reason that doesn't happen, I'll def. be at your show though. Would love to hear you guys live.
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