I am very much filled with
excitement today as I will be seeing Minus The Bear, P.O.S., The Velvet
Teen, and Russian Circles in Houston. To match my excitement I
am bringing to you another Livewire Recordings artist by the name of Exit Clov. The melodic indie pop band is from Washington D.C. and as far as
I know they are the only group that features a pair of Asian twins. I
realize that sounds a bit gimmicky but Emily and Susan Hsu are a couple of
harmonizing wizards who are also expert violinists. Not only that but the
the ladies are backed up by Brett, Aaron, and John who are more then
serviceable when it comes to banging out some infectious pop tunes. I
think it is pretty amazing that this band has only been together since 2003
and the fact that they have already released a few EPs, 2003's Starfish,
2004's Saskwatch, 2006's Jolly Roget Sessions, and this
month's Respond Respond, is something to take notice of. Enjoy
this lovely band and come back tomorrow for a big show review, until then.
:Exit
Clov - Violent Berries:
Everything in this song is as captivating as it could possibly be.
Emily and Susan sound beautiful together and while their voices are the
obvious centerpiece to this fantastic song I think that a lot of credit
should go to the band and their interesting take on pop rock that reminds me
of a less electronic version of Stars. Violent Berries has a
really pretty sound that could easily be standard it its methods but instead
it offers an interesting edge with an infallible energy, soft violins, and a
drum beat that inspires some foot tapping. Exit Clov definitely has
the makings of a band that won't be disappearing anytime soon.
:Exit Clov - Beast Simone:
There are a lot of great tracks on the Respond Respond EP but I
think this is one of the best. I love how the band seemingly turns up
the knobs in this song and delivers a fun-filled three minute indie pop gem.
The best part for me though is the subtle use of the twin's violin skills.
Right at the moment when I forget they are even there they slide in every so
softly to add another layer of sound. Beast Simone is one
catchy number and what really gets me is that it is hard to tell if it is
the smart songwriting, perfect harmony between the twins, or the tightly
performed pop rock that makes me giddy. Fortunately I don't mind the
confusion.
Respond Respond is out now and it comes highly recommended so jump
here to purchase it and/or their other
releases. As always, friendship awaits you on
Myspace.
-
John Laird -
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