Jesse Lee Pietroniro - Guitar/Vocals;
Kate Stephens - Keys/Vocals;
Jim Elliott - Bass;
Michael Wyzik - Drums
Influences
"a strange but hard-hitting explosion of guitar that might nod toward Modest Mouse, Yo La Tengo or The Pixies into a savvy, appealing whole." - James Heflin
"a Mr. Bungle for fans of Neutral Milk Hotel?" - Glenwood
"calls to mind indie-rockers Galaxie 500, OK Computer-era Radiohead and Elton John in his most feisty moments." - Bill ONeill
Door Re Me: Red Door Exchange
By Jonathan Zwickel
NEW TIMES Feb 23, 2006 Steven Rullman (TheHoneyComb.com) continues his run as one of the area's most consistently creative talent scouts. Thanks to Rullman's wandering eye and good taste, the Western Massachusetts-based Red Door Exchange is making a three-date run through South Florida this week. RDE plays the kind of smirking, intimate rock that made Sebadoh and Yo La Tengo perennial faves of thinking-people's-rock types. Sure, it's emotional, but don't call it emo. And yes, it's quirky and lofty, but don't call it twee. These guys (and a girl) balance a pop-songwriting sensibility with a deft instrumental imagination, puncturing brash fuzz guitar with pin-prick piano, swerving from pounding rock riffs into swaying choral harmonies. Subtle layers of percussion, electronic flourish, and wah-wah guitar add atmosphere; songs unfold with multiple movements, like ambitious micro-operas. It ain't easy music to classify, which is just the way the art-school kids and fuzzy-sweater set like it. And you should too.
FIRST TWO, THREE, THEN FOUR RED DOOR EXCHANGE are a band that've been spacerock spinning ever since their Oct. 01 debut. The first experiments led into song collaboratories between singer/guitarist Jesse Lee Pietroniro (Cast of Lyndon, Two Chords and a Wishing Well) and singer/keyboardist Kate Stephens (All Saints Schola, Voces Feminae). Resulting melodic harmonies made a band imminent. Eventually, with the addition of drummer Mike Wyzik (Ghosts of Blake, Paper Tiger) and bassist Jim Elliott (ex St. Johnny, Eric Gaffney), the full RDX began a series of shows that have transversed through extreme clime and circumstance.
Red Door Exchange has made their mark on their western MA local music scene with a regular performance schedule -- interspersed with regional appearances in Boston and New York -- playing alongside artists such as Royal City, The Swords Project, Sufjan Stevens, The Ware River Club, Cerberus Shoal, Tarantula AD, Lou Barlow, Cass McCombs, and West Indian Girl. In 2006 they took to the road on a 10-day east coast US tour in support of their debut album the year prior. During and following this tour, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the band came down with an undisclosed illness that diminished his ability to engage in musical activity for the next two-and-a-half years. The silent fever broke beginning in June of 2008 and the band promptly reconvened in the studio to record an EP of the new songs that they had practiced during their tour. Completed in December, the decision was then made to extend the EP to the length of an album with a mix of experimental compositions (Lost Son's Rays, Nu Wei), a cover song by Jesse Lee's infamous father, Wildboy (Archways), and revisits to previously demoed, but never fully produced, Red Door Exchange classics (August, Lazy Dazye) from Jesse Lee's repertoire of teenage songwriting efforts. The eclectic 10-song project was finalized and released on July 2, 2009 under the title "August."
The band's playing schedule is challenged by geographic differences among members at present, and so the new album will profligate itself via an intensive solo cyber-tour, beginning in, August of 2009.
WELCOME TO A NEW DIMENSION in a quest for the supra-filtered essence of untouched shimmerings of invisible virgin glory, the randomly coagulated forms of rackety-clack bio-spiritual entities referred to as "red door exchange" have, saturated in synchronically interchannelled transcendant muse vibrations, and intrinsically charged with the cosmic supervision of timeless benificent and infinitely providential love, intraveinously pumped with wisdom beyond their years, pulsating with lightning quick extemporaneous renaissance human meta-realism and diamond like beatification of the overlooked divine nonsense of common life, managed to grasp within the steely talons of an intinsically unbridled and persistent predatory creativity, an unrefutably relevant remedy for the soul rotting boredom of 21st century psuedo-sophistication and spoon fed cloned cultural toxin commonly known as accesible and disposable entertainment.
THERE IS NO TURNING BACK
if you have ever faced the ruthless blast of primordial salt spray whipped up by the ocean's wild dancing heart as screeching gulls prohecized with apacolyptic ecstasy a truth dancing shaman-like, beyond all humanly fabricated law, you will liken the sound of these four to what you remember as the supreme life altering moment of awakening, in which all you knew is revealed to be no more than an empty shell tumbling into the oblivion of a gargantuan tsunamic tide of eternal change.
SURRENDER IS YOUR ONLY OPTION
Signor Poverello - Commentator
We’re pretty psyched that after a three year hiatus, tuneful Easthampton, Massachusetts quartet Red Door Exchange has put their unclassifiable spatial rock back on wax. A warning to those unfamiliar with the erratic nature of this four piece, “August” is not an instant album. Sure, you have opener “Moonshine,” amiable and spunky in an off-kilter jug band meets Apples in Stereo kind of way. But, for the most part, you’ll have to sit with this one and let it sink in. The interlocking guitar licks of “Lost Son’s Rays,” which takes many cues from Built to Spill’s crunchiest stuff, are best left to roam in your mind’s eye for a bit. And, the Leonard Cohen-style drawl of “Archways” is significantly better enjoyed after letting its versus drift you away for a while (like a lackadaisical cubicle daydream.) Give this one a chance to expand on you; sure, it’s a bit challenging, but oh so rewarding.
I'm promoting to spread the word around for my new album that just came out this summer. It's free free free! here http://www.dillydillymusic.com If you haven't gotten it yet!
hey coming by to show love hope you have a great weekend.lets stay conected on twitter follow me @mrnes or face book/nessmootfellazent i follow back! blessings!
ALSO DONT FOR GET MY NEW PROJECT THE BONE FACE THE MIXTAPE DROPS OCT31ST ON HALLOWEEN SEND ME YOUR EMAIL AND BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO HEAR IT ALSO
I just stopped by to say hi. I hope you are happy and well; enjoying this wonderful weekend!
Thanks for your friendship! Being your friend brings me hope, happiness and inspiration; and I hope that do same for you. If you get a moment stop by; I would love to hear from you sometime!
Be well,
Tim
Hey Bro! Wassup? Thanks for the add...new to this msp thang...thinking i just might be too old. ha ha! How 'bout them Sox? Going to the game on Wednesday...should be seeing Beckett! catch ya later, say hi to Kate!
The New improved Opel will be performing at Shakago, 23 Hampden St., Spfld, MA on Jan 31st @ 10pm. Addmission is free! Its going to be a lot of fun. Come hang out, we'll even let a couple of you take the stage for awhile if you've got some new tunes to try out, or whatever.
