The Beatles, Brand X, King's X, Laurie Anderson, Mike Oldfield, Peter Gabriel, Al Di Meola, Daniel Amos, Allan Holdsworth, Genesis, Be Bop Deluxe, Stevie Wonder, Franz Liszt, Gentle Giant, Django Reinhardt, Kitaro, Igor Stravinsky, Duncan Browne, Yes, Paco de Lucia, Maurice Ravel, Kate Bush, Camel, Frank Zappa, Bernard Herrmann, Jeff Beck, Earthworks, Bela Bartok, Queen, Gustav Mahler, Thin Lizzy, Jerry Goldsmith, Joe Walsh, Pat Metheny Group, Paul Hindemith, Derek & the Dominos, SuperTramp, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Tony Williams Lifetime, Max Steiner, Johnny Cash, Alex North, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Astor Piazzolla, Dean Street, Roger Powell, Vangelis, Felix Mendelssohn, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Led Zeppelin, Claude Debussy, PFM, Steely Dan, Fred Frith, Sergei Prokofiev, Michael Kamen, Larry Fast ( Synergy ), Virgil Thomson, UK, Elmer Bernstein, Kittyhawk, John McLaughlin, Triumvirat, Carl Stalling.
Sounds Like
THIS...
The term progressive is ever more widely used to mean just about anything to catch your eye. it's one of the buzz words thrown around to hype nearly anyone, just to make them stand out. Even pop and hip-hop artists adopt it, as mainstream as those genres can be.
But we maintain it's early '70's definition and use the common abbreviation: prog rock (or is that prog-rock with a hyphen?...maybe to you it's just plain ol' progressive rock). Progressive music to us isn't about today's trends and musical fashion statements, but about exploration, experimentation. So we claim the right to swerve into alternative and experimental genres, dabbling in ambient music, swinging into the big guitar sound, and sometimes getting all the way out there into the avant-garde.
We're also not insulted by the term Art Rock, although it seems to have taken on an air of negativity; groups are afraid of being called pretentious, but isn't that what critics call bands they don't get? We're determined not to insult the intelligence of our audience by over-simplification.
Of course we're indie - isn't almost everyone these days (including some folks on rather big labels!)? We're not offended by whatever genre or category you call us, and any comparisons to famous bands are almost always complimentary.
There have to be comparisons, and we've had many. The Gravity Tree sound has been described by others as sounding like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Furslide, Mastermind, Jethro Tull, Roger Chapman, Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Huffamoose, Flower Kings...and I'm sure you'll add something to that. We get comparisons to Primus and Rush and many other artists as well. We've also been called jazz or metal, which is flattering if not completely accurate to our ears. How those 2 genres get mixed in or confused might be an indicator that we're a bit hard to classify. Check out our music on this page and see what you think...with emphasis on that last word.
Here's what some of the critics - some of those who get what we're doing - have said:
"This is a very thought provoking album by a duo who definitely punches a hole through the more established forms of Prog and creates their own sound..."Conversing With The Dead" is a fantastic Prog classic." (USA Progressive Music, on the CD ULTIMATE BACKWARD)
"Gravity Tree is one of the more interesting progressive bands around, a duo who covers all the instruments of a four piece band, plus vocals; and they do this live too...The result is an amazing full band sound from just two players...Their material bears a stamp of currency, yet also features the conceptual ideals of classic progressive rock. Their influences likely include Zappa, Happy The Man, Van der Graaf, and Gentle Giant, which they assimilate well as they explore new musical territory; most of the songs are long and labyrinthine, and rarely settle down into a pattern for very long...This is a solid second effort." (Expose Magazine)
"...pure progressive music, with unquestionable originality and very pleasant sound; a group to be discovered." (Prog-Mania)
"...strong stuff, not heavy, but certainly progressive rock '70's style with a guitar rather than keyboard lead...Not for anyone of a nervous disposition, this is the rock of intense thinkers, driven by intense rhythms." (Wondrous Stories Magazine)
"Gravity Tree is progressive like Rush and King Crimson are progressive - truly free from the chains of modern pop standards and expectations - free to explore and let the creativity flow from within and not be channeled from the outside..." (Warren)
"No band other than a progressive-rock outfit would be so bold as to open its second CD with a song called “No Rest Part III"...This is dense, majestic stuff...Consider “Conversing With the Dead” Gravity Tree’s foray into progressive punk — albeit with a retro, British new-wave vibe and an acoustic-guitar break. It’s one of the coolest tracks... If you’re seeking modern, indie prog with traditional influences...you might want to set your ears underneath Gravity Tree and wait for something special to fall." (Michael P., Sea of Tranquility)
"Obviously incredibly talented players...“Motion Sickness” does exhibit some very hot playing during its instrumental sections. “Wind” offers up some nice Jethro Tull-like acoustic pastoral moods, which evolve into a slightly more traditional classical feel during the short instrumental interlude. “Aim To Please” opens with heavy synth organ and powerful drum/bass interplay before pulling back to vocals and acoustic guitar in a comfortable and natural manner. And “Interference” feels very much like a Flower Kings track, with its mid-tempo groove, prominent keyboards, and anthemic, chiming guitars..." (ProgScape)
". . ..There are some big moments here, big anthemic moments..." (ProgressiveWorld, on the CD LIFE OR DESSERT?
NOW AVAILABLE: a special web mix of the latest Gravity Tree song, "Building"...
The 2nd Gravity Tree album, ULTIMATE BACKWARD, is offered as a new progressive music experiment: an entree of sound design sprinkled with 16th note triplets, served up on a hot plate full of guitar-drenched progressive flavor. Now available at iTunes, CDBaby, IndieRhythm and many other sites.
The previous Gravity Tree CD, "LIFE OR DESSERT?" like ULTIMATE BACKWARD, is available at Amazon, iTunes, Zune, CDBaby, Rhapsody, CDUniverse, and many other fine online stores and sites.
"...a duo who definitely punches a hole through the more established forms of Prog and creates their own sound." *
Creating their own sound has been the driving force in Gravity Tree, an experimental, progressive rock duo hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Gravity Tree influences fall all over the musical map: rock bands of the '60's and '70's, film soundtrack composers, performance artists, game music (which drummer/keyboardist Alan Nu also writes), and the "classics". The music Gravity Tree plays is sometimes referred to as Art Rock or Prog Rock, but other genre titles also fall on the group: Avant-Prog, Math Rock, Experimental - even Fusion or Alternative.
Alan and Linc had become friends during session work and live support for other bands and artists. The two had discussions about the instrumentation of a band, and how full arrangements of songs could be performed between two musicians. Out of this, Gravity Tree was formed. With few exceptions, all the instruments heard in the music are played between the two of them. This both challenges and liberates them, in search of a unique sound and style.
After an early vinyl release (and a number of live shows to prove it could be done), they put forth their first CD, "Life or Dessert?" . This was followed up by appearances on several compilation CDs, including the Bay Prog Compilation disc, and most recently "A Very Progressive Christmas", from Melodic Revolution Records. Their 2nd CD is "Ultimate Backward".
In addition to critical praise, the band held the number 1 and 2 spots on the Progressive chart on NumberOneMusic for more than a year, with more than a million plays on their site page to date. Gravity Tree has also charted high on music streaming site RadioIndy with two songs, 'Building' (their latest web release) and 'Wait'; and is currently in the top 40 bands in the San Francisco Bay Area on ReverbNation.com.
Exposé Magazine has said: "Gravity Tree is one of the more interesting progressive bands around... their material bears a stamp of currency, yet also features the conceptual ideals of classic progressive rock."
Gravity Tree is currently in the studio, at work on new songs for web-only release, and a forthcoming album.
*(USA Progressive Music, 2007)
You can find out more about us and what critics, reviewers and fans have said, in the column to the right.
How do we do it? How do 2 musicians sound like a 4 piece band? Here's a short clip of Gravity Tree LIVE; Linc covers Bass AND Guitar, while Alan's on Drums and Keys (and Bass under Linc's solo!). We swear, no drum machines or sequencers were used here, and the sound is right off the video...
Thanx, From the recording studio that you could be at RIGHT now....... Doing what you love most .......... RECORDING MIXING EDITING MASTERING Complete the music that matters to you ! Within a fair budget .... Quietly take a look, incase we are recording .......... ~tF
hah thanx guys, I don't know if they've heard it, I don't think it's had that much of an impact on the world yet for it to reach them yet but hey, you never know! As long as if/when they hear it they don't get back to us with a response in the form of a lawsuit, I'd love to hear any of their opinions hah
Hows it goin guys,,thx for tha comment,,U guys got a Tod Rungren thing goin.COOL,, You can do as much as you think you can, But you’ll never accomplish more; If you’re afraid of yourself, young man, There’s little for you in store. For failure comes from the inside first, It’s there if we only knew it, And you can win, though you face the worst, If you feel that you’re going to do it.
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