Greenville Scene

Thanks LINK for the sweet article! You can read it here or pick up a copy around town.

Mad Tea Party! Celebrate Gypsy G’s one year anniversary this Saturday, June 9th. The show starts @ 10pm and features Skyes Foundation, Preacher’s Gun, No Yes, and Today We Escape. The night will feature an Alice in Wonderland theme to which we reply - A very Happy Un-Birthday to you!

The Gentle Suit - S/T
3/5

by: Eric Dusel

The self-titled release from Greenville’s Gentle Suit is a collection of rants showcasing the band’s post-punk and psychedelic influences. Fortunately for the listener, the Gentle Suit isn’t satisfied with occupying either category. Murky guitars and resonating vocals swirl in the wake of the band’s trademark rhythm section. Monotone lyrics are mixed up with frenzied guitar licks resulting in an album of songs that on multiple listens sound familiar but never repetitive.

Chris Howard (bass) and Kevin Miller (drums) craft a cat and mouse backdrop that cruises like a ‘65 Coupe de Ville; smooth and solid as two and a half tons of Detroit steel. This foundation anchors Meyer’s (vocals, guitar) frantic and deconstructive guitar work and keeps the tunes from collapsing under their own momentum. Whether dangling on drawn out notes or crunching through feedback-laden solos, the songs always find their way back to the direction dictated by Howard and Miller.

Standout tracks like “Feverfew” and “New Plastic Field” demonstrate how The Gentle Suit brings these elements together; heavy guitars drone over the rhythm and eventually dissolve into buzz-burdened riffs before disappearing back into the bass line. Meyer delivers his sparse prose in a deadpan tone that creates an atmosphere rather than demanding the listener’s immediate focus. A fresh take on the Leonard Cohen cover “Diamonds in the Mine” serves as an interesting midpoint to the album and a fitting homage to one of the band’s obvious influences.

While the rhythm section is the backbone of this outfit it also serves as the band’s crutch. This cadenced approach to song writing yields short (sometimes too short) tracks that seem content in occupying the shadow of their own groove. While this comes off on the album as intentional (given the ‘case closed’ formula of most songs on the album), hopefully future releases will find Meyer (and recently added keyboardist, Jacob Cook) challenging the rest of the band to keep up.

www.myspace.com/gentlesuit

Check out the latest in the How To Get A Gig in Greenville series, interview with Scott from Gypsy G’s. Also, we’ve got a review of The Gentle Suit’s first album.

I can’t stop listening to the newest Ted Leo & The Pharmacists album, “Living With The Living”. I had to make myself take it out after a week of straight listening. After two solid releases (Hearts of Oak, Shake The Sheets) Ted Leo did not disappoint on this latest. - Michelle

O-cha we will miss you.

If you are interested in helping with GreenvilleScene, email Michelle: michelle@greenvillescene.com

Look for changes to the website next week!

Cheers!