The stress and monotony of studio work is almost unfathomable to non-musicians. But Philadelphia indie/punk/rock band Restorations seems to take what could be a chore and turn it into a celebration.
Beth Ann hung out with the band while they were tracking vocals for their upcoming 7-inch release on the label Tiny Engines. They were practically giddy to be holed-up for an extended weekend in Miner Street Studios, located in the Fishtown area of Philly and responsible for such recordings as Kurt Vile’s “So Outta Reach” and Sharon Van Etten’s “Tramp,” as well as projects likeShaking Through. The 7-inch is being produced and engineered by veteran music man, Jon Low.
Though the two tracks are simply titled “A” and “B” as of now, they each have the capacity to be a fan favorite from the band’s repertoire. If you’ve never heard Restorations before, they sound like what would happen if Bruce Springsteen were to be chewed up by ‘70s punk and spit out into the current indie rock movement.
Got to hang out with Beth Ann from Jump Magazine/Bad Publicity on Friday. Full article here.
A very kind review of our show in Montreal this past weekend. This was one of our favorite shows ever. (Pardon the Google Translation from French…)
The moment I expected most of the evening was this one, find myself in front of a band I know absolutely nothing. These are small moments that I love, and the surprise was sized with Restorations. At first contact, I thought I had to deal with a group emo-pop of the early 2000s. Their look and school “guys of-all-the-day” I was puzzled as much of the hearing elsewhere. I was not sure what to expect, but to my surprise it was really energetic and catchy. Although the compositions were very clean, the guitar riffs were micro-terribly compelling and they were played with an energy beyond my expectations. I do not know if you’ve already experienced this kind of experience you also, when you know a group album and the result is completely in concert erupted from what you knew? Groups such as Gift From Enola, Twilight Sad, My Disco or Les Savy Fav are a perfect example because delivering the goods with a shovel. It was just the case of Restorations who offered a pop-post-hardcore super clean, executed with a surprising and very positive energy. There is nothing better than seeing a band that loves what he does, it’s the very reason for our presence in concert halls. We go to see bands having fun and having a good time, then it is sad to come across formations that are routinely and without energy. It was not the case in this group that I recommend to everyone, this is not very intense or bad, but good god that feels good. It was a 30 minutes too fast for my taste, I will not hesitate to represent me to see them again, what appeared to be the overall reaction of the crowd seemed initially reluctant and totally spellbound to the end. Restorations made the discovery if it is not yet done little friendly advice.
Top 25 Albums of 2011 (#25-21)
21.) Restorations - Restorations
Restorations are a pretty unique band. One would think that the combination of Post-Rock, Alt. Country, and Punk would not got together at all. But Restorations are a band that seems to defy expectations. The sounds of lush orchestration with down home twang and gruff vocals work so well together it’s surprising. The self titled album has shown up on many other end of a year lists, making it one of the best reviewed albums of 2011. If you are a fan of Explosions in the Sky, Lucero, and The Gaslight Anthem, then you really need to give this album a listen. Throw in an awesome album cover, and the package is perfect.
(Source: my25yeartransmogrificationplan)
So these guys are from Philadelphia and they aren’t the Menzingers. Also, some of them apparently used to be in a better band. That’s about as comfortable as I am making definitive statements about Resotrations. Everything else they do seems to be purely at their own whim. They have a 10-plus minute song on a split release, they have records and merch that don’t have their name anywhere listed on them. Restorations have had terms like “folk” “country” “Shoegaze” “post-hardcore” “stoner rock” “Beard punk” and others all used in a single review. They’re a kind of band that doesn’t actively defy classification, they simply don’t care about it. The lack of confines is what makes the band so interesting and so dangerous for music critics looking for a quick “Really sounds like,” tag. This album can be sprawling, noodely, and vast but it can also be tight, fairly quick paced and direct. To avoid making it anymore confusing, it’s good. Really, really good.
Also, it’s 100 percent NOT crab-core. So there’s one classification.
