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In even the densest urban spaces there are still glimpses of the beyond - fleeting moments that carry an unnamable
sense of immense possibility. There are spaces between the buildings that reveal vivid pieces of the horizon. There
is wonder for those willing to look. Ecstatic sounds for those willing to listen. The End of the World is a band in
pursuit of such sights and sounds. Their music is a voice emerging from silence, two guitars turning to a hundred
voices. In an almost hypnotic, sauntering trance, it becomes sound swimming to each corner of a room with a rhythmic
pulse always pushing forward. Their band makes music for the searcher, the dogged optimist.
Recorded at the Key Club in Benton Harbor, MI on the very same 24-track console that produced recordings as
unquestionably disparate and magical as Sly and the Family Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On and Cass McComb's
PREfection, The End of the World's debut full-length, You're Making It Come Alive, is a record that documents a focused
creative vision, shaped for the better part of the past three years. It's more than just the sonics that bind The End of
the World, though. Bobby Stillman, Benjamin Smith and Stefan Marolachakis might as well be a modern-day band of outsiders
in their hometown: New York. They share an ambition to make music grounded in instinct, heart, and a collective sense
of urgency in a city too often obsessed with fashion, irony and feigned indifference. To explain better, though, let's
jump back for a moment.
Direct and concise, The End of the World's debut recording suggested a band on the fast track to conquering the pop
song. Released in May 2005, the self-titled EP consisted of four airtight numbers, showcasing melodic refinement amidst
dense guitars and propulsive rhythms. After the EP's release the band did some exploring. They toured throughout the
country, took up residence together in a house in Maine for a couple months to live and rehearse and, finally, they
recorded on the shores of Lake Michigan. Somewhere amidst all of these adventures things really opened up. The strong
sense of melody and rhythm remained intact, but the band began to explore new sonic territory.
You're Making It Come Alive expresses a sense of gravity without succumbing to melodrama, an earnestness that resists
preciousness. The prominence of warm, spacious recordings, nostalgic turns-of-phrase, slide guitars, and tambourines
reveal the inspirations the band finds in times past. Even the expressive vocals of Marolachakis, whose voice recalls a
slowly fading age of great singers, suggest a strong sense of classicism, but still the band sounds distinctly modern in
a way that eludes easy classification. His lyrics convey a world-weariness, but one that never succumbs to pessimism or
disdain. There is always a confidence that a better world can be found. In this pursuit, The End of the World is ever
moving forward, using their music to aid their continuing search.
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"At 12 minutes long TEOTW is a tease, but if we were a betting man (or woman), we'd put in all our chips on their full-length."
- Alternative Press [4 out of 5]
"Brooklyn's The End of the World may seem like just another NYC 'the' band, but they sport their Big Apple influences proudly and
shrewdly enough to warrant multiple listens... Lines like 'A man once said that a man once said' show that frontman Stefan
Marolachakis's still smirking despite his dramatic tone, and by keeping it smart but simple, his bandmates likewise avoid trying to sound
too self-important. I hope the Bravery are taking notes." - Pitchforkmedia.com [3 out of 5]
"Fresh off recording their debut LP with the team of Bill Skibbe and Jessica Ruffins (Fiery Furnaces, the Kills) [ The End of the World]
moved the crowd at 169 Bar with their soulful New York garage rock." - Rollingstone.com
"'This Little Theater' was probably the best song to come out of Brooklyn last year." - Village Voice
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Right Click on Image and Select "Save link..." to download 300dpi photo
Band photos by Michael Schmelling & MUST be credited upon use
Copyright 2006 Flameshovel Records
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You're Making it Come Alive CD
(DIG036)/(PA007)
Released 10.17.06 |
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End of the World CDEP
(PA004)
Released
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