Kirk O'Hara
09/19/07, 01:31 PM
Junea - Everywhere But Home
Record Label: None
Release Date: TBA 2007
In this day and age, it seems almost impossible for a young band to create any sort of a stir without an abundance of internet promotion, at the very least. Purevolume and MySpace have now become household terms in relation to most artists, and it's not surprising at all why this has picked up. After all, groups like Panic! at the Disco have literally become America's rising stars overnight by doing just the same. It seems that there may even be a formula to follow these days: create an internet hub for your music, click your little heart out to add 45,000,000 people to your "friends" list, catch the attention of a reputable industry figurehead, and boom! Success, fame, and fortune without ever playing a single show.
Amidst all this, however, is a group of four kids from Long Island who have taken a completely DIY approach to their music since their formation in October 2005. Without the use of the internet at all, they have begun to stir up a small buzz in the New York area and eventually holed themselves up somewhere to record a full length after the success of their very well-received debut six song EP. Somewhere between July and November 2006 the album was supposedly finished, but nobody really had any idea what was going on with the group, as they had not been heard from in any great detail. After catching them live a handful of times, but still never purchasing a copy of their EP (which seemed to always be very limited), I began to get in touch with and get to know Mike Parrish and Kevin Olsen, the group's respective front man/guitarist and drummer. After a few months, we seemed to have lost touch, and I didn't think much of it. Honestly, I had forgotten about the band.
Fast forward to September 2007. Sitting in my apartment, not thinking about much of anything at all, I decided to step outside and check my mail. What do I find? A small package, which I immediately open up only to find what appears to be the rumored Junea full length, Everywhere But Home. Directly into my stereo it went.
This album, ladies and gentleman, is one of the most technically sound post-rock albums I have ever heard from an unsigned band. The group clearly knows how to use its own melding of the heavy/soft dynamic to its advantage, and nothing but eleven tracks of audio bliss can be found on the album. Tracks like "Move Out, Move On" are among the heaviest, using thunderous drums and guitars, beautiful, spacey programming, and desperate, strained sounding vocals that could make even the most calm person feel anxious and uneasy. Tracks like "Four-Three" and "Untitled" blend more of the group's signature filters and programming with clean, soothing guitars, softer drumming, and just enough vocals to keep the listener floating in and out of an audio daze.
Every member of the group contributes to the album a perfect amount, and nobody seems to outdo the others. Throughout all eleven tracks, Kevin's drumming is spot on, Aimee handles the strings in an extremely professional matter, adding a sheer beauty to every second of the LP. The guitars are layered and utilized to a degree which most well-known bands never achieve, and I can now say that I have a man crush on Mike because of his vocals. As limited as they may be, they are anxious when they need to be, soothing when they need to be, and he easily has one of the best vocal ranges you'll hear in an unsigned band, let alone a band that doesn't use them very much at all.
As far as I know, this album has only been sent to friends, family, and an extremely limited amount of press as of late. With no set release date scheduled, no label backing, and very limited promotion, most wouldn't even know if the band broke up--don't let that sway you, however, as this album can easily top your list of well-known artists in 2007. After over a year of silence, and several turned down label offers (Both indie and major), this "little" band has broken the silence in a big, big way. With the proper push, and a little more motivation, they could easily be the next kings of the underground.
01. Intro
02. Move Out, Move On
03. Fault
04. Atlantic
05. Illusory
06. Time Will Tell
07. Someday We'll See
08. This Time it's Different
09. Four-Three
10. Rebridge
11. Untitled
Mike Parrish (mike@juneamusic.net) - Vocals/Guitars/Keys/Programming
Aimee Lathroppe (aimee@juneamusic.net) - Strings
Tim Loher (timmy@juneamusic.net) - Bass
Kevin Olsen (kevin@juneamusic.net) - Drums/Percussion/Programming
As Tall As Lions, Sigur Ros, Hammock
Record Label: None
Release Date: TBA 2007
In this day and age, it seems almost impossible for a young band to create any sort of a stir without an abundance of internet promotion, at the very least. Purevolume and MySpace have now become household terms in relation to most artists, and it's not surprising at all why this has picked up. After all, groups like Panic! at the Disco have literally become America's rising stars overnight by doing just the same. It seems that there may even be a formula to follow these days: create an internet hub for your music, click your little heart out to add 45,000,000 people to your "friends" list, catch the attention of a reputable industry figurehead, and boom! Success, fame, and fortune without ever playing a single show.
Amidst all this, however, is a group of four kids from Long Island who have taken a completely DIY approach to their music since their formation in October 2005. Without the use of the internet at all, they have begun to stir up a small buzz in the New York area and eventually holed themselves up somewhere to record a full length after the success of their very well-received debut six song EP. Somewhere between July and November 2006 the album was supposedly finished, but nobody really had any idea what was going on with the group, as they had not been heard from in any great detail. After catching them live a handful of times, but still never purchasing a copy of their EP (which seemed to always be very limited), I began to get in touch with and get to know Mike Parrish and Kevin Olsen, the group's respective front man/guitarist and drummer. After a few months, we seemed to have lost touch, and I didn't think much of it. Honestly, I had forgotten about the band.
Fast forward to September 2007. Sitting in my apartment, not thinking about much of anything at all, I decided to step outside and check my mail. What do I find? A small package, which I immediately open up only to find what appears to be the rumored Junea full length, Everywhere But Home. Directly into my stereo it went.
This album, ladies and gentleman, is one of the most technically sound post-rock albums I have ever heard from an unsigned band. The group clearly knows how to use its own melding of the heavy/soft dynamic to its advantage, and nothing but eleven tracks of audio bliss can be found on the album. Tracks like "Move Out, Move On" are among the heaviest, using thunderous drums and guitars, beautiful, spacey programming, and desperate, strained sounding vocals that could make even the most calm person feel anxious and uneasy. Tracks like "Four-Three" and "Untitled" blend more of the group's signature filters and programming with clean, soothing guitars, softer drumming, and just enough vocals to keep the listener floating in and out of an audio daze.
Every member of the group contributes to the album a perfect amount, and nobody seems to outdo the others. Throughout all eleven tracks, Kevin's drumming is spot on, Aimee handles the strings in an extremely professional matter, adding a sheer beauty to every second of the LP. The guitars are layered and utilized to a degree which most well-known bands never achieve, and I can now say that I have a man crush on Mike because of his vocals. As limited as they may be, they are anxious when they need to be, soothing when they need to be, and he easily has one of the best vocal ranges you'll hear in an unsigned band, let alone a band that doesn't use them very much at all.
As far as I know, this album has only been sent to friends, family, and an extremely limited amount of press as of late. With no set release date scheduled, no label backing, and very limited promotion, most wouldn't even know if the band broke up--don't let that sway you, however, as this album can easily top your list of well-known artists in 2007. After over a year of silence, and several turned down label offers (Both indie and major), this "little" band has broken the silence in a big, big way. With the proper push, and a little more motivation, they could easily be the next kings of the underground.
01. Intro
02. Move Out, Move On
03. Fault
04. Atlantic
05. Illusory
06. Time Will Tell
07. Someday We'll See
08. This Time it's Different
09. Four-Three
10. Rebridge
11. Untitled
Mike Parrish (mike@juneamusic.net) - Vocals/Guitars/Keys/Programming
Aimee Lathroppe (aimee@juneamusic.net) - Strings
Tim Loher (timmy@juneamusic.net) - Bass
Kevin Olsen (kevin@juneamusic.net) - Drums/Percussion/Programming
As Tall As Lions, Sigur Ros, Hammock