THE LARCH: Gravity Rocks

The Larch

Gravity Rocks

© 2008 Ian Roure (614346040240)

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Sophisticated yet catchy psychedelic pop: XTC meets the Ventures in space: ".futuristic songs imbued with the band’s usual tongue-in-cheek wit but more melodic and catchier than ever" - Lucid Culture

notes

"RadioIndy is proud to present The Larch a GrIndie Award for their CD "Gravity Rocks." A GrIndie Award is RadioIndy's stamp of approval that this CD is an excellent quality CD."

"Fans of vintage, early Beatles-reminiscent pop/rock with an attractive modern flair and witty lyricism will enjoy this CD."

~RadioIndy

"Gravity Rocks is included on this album, along with the fun, fun, fun Radio Free Alpha Centauri. Fun, wake-up the week music, with an earthly song mid-way through. We've always had (crazy) people walking the streets, but now there seem to be more and more. It's not that there are more weird people, but it's the fault of technology, and makes for a fun song, Cell Phone Or Schizo.

~Eartaste

The Larch was formed in 1997 by UK/US dual national Ian Roure with two friends from the 90’s NYC alternative music scene - all had played together in a previous band. Taking their cue from some of the more rocking elements of the UK Britpop movement – particularly Ash and Blur – they set about creating their own version of melodic guitar pop; drawing on Roure’s UK roots and adding in a New York influence while paying close attention to "lo-fi" bands like GBV and Pavement.

In 1998, Larch (as the band was known originally - no "the") was signed to an indie label called Flamingo thanks to an introduction from Paula Carino (then of stellar indie power pop band, Regular Einstein.) Stewart Mason, who owned the label, suggested they change the name to "THE Larch" (since at the time the trend was towards bands without the "the" prefix – think Blur, Oasis, Ash.) Stewart has since stated that that the resulting 7" vinyl single (Free Kick b/w Anvil Chorus and Crashing Main Street) was "the best single I ever put out" and that "the sardonic "Free Kick" sounds like Nick Hornby's football memoir Fever Pitch set to an old Dentists single."(Heavy on the sarcasm in Free Kick's case, though.)

Liza Garelik, from fellow Brooklyn based band, Liza & the WonderWheels, joined up in 2001 to provide some high end to the boy's sonic spectrum with her excellent harmony vocal and later on added her keyboard playing to the band. The current line up consists of erstwhile London busker, Ian Roure, Liza Garelik (see also http://lizasongs.com ), drummer and occasional additional accompanist to Bob Weir's Ratdog, Tom Pope and producer, engineer and musician extraordinaire, Ross Bonadonna on bass.

Gravity Rocks is a collection of songs whose themes run from genetic engineering ("Return of the Chimera") to the unexpected consequences of cell phone hands-free devices (Cell Phone or Schizo) - with stops on Martian colonization, evolution and interstellar travel. Musically they find themselves moving away from their former Britpop and punk influenced rock towards a more textured sound, which reflects their interest in psychedelia - while retaining their former energy and wit.

The Larch have been described as:

"Psychedelic pop for now people"

-Village Voice

"Fiery British pub-punk-rock with a sense of humor and spectacularly good lead guitar."

- Alan Young's TRIFECTAgram

And it's said:

"The Larch live in the world of clever and witty song-writing...

... the phrase twisting stays securely on the side of intelligence..."

-Splendid eZine

"...these wild song birds make a mean track....Ian Roure plays a masterful guitar..."

- Loud and Found.com

reviews

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  • Congratulations on GrIndie Award
    author: RadioIndy.com

    RadioIndy is proud to present The Larch a GrIndie Award for their CD "Gravity Rocks." A GrIndie Award is RadioIndy's stamp of approval that this CD is an excellent quality CD. Please join us in congratulating this artist on this accomplishment.

  • Memorable, Hook-laden Pop/Rock CD!
    author: RadioIndy.com

    “Gravity Rocks” by The Larch is a very memorable, hook-laden collection of pop/rock tunes. The musical arrangements of these tunes immediately grasp the listener's attention. Catchy, clean guitar riffs and solos, backed by groovy drum arrangements form the musical foundation of these tunes. Moreover, this band proves to have a fine-tuned talent for crafting unforgettable vocal melodies. "That's Where You're Wrong Carruthers" is a superb demonstration of this band's smooth, warm vocals, space-filling background vocal arrangements, skillful lyricism, and tightly synchronized instrumentation. "Copernican Principle" ventures more into an edgier rock arena while maintaining a refreshing pop sensibility. Moreover, this album is crafted with careful, quality production. Fans of vintage, early Beatles-reminiscent pop/rock with an attractive modern flair and witty lyricism will enjoy this CD.

  • Excellent Pop Rock!!
    author: Angel Krasnegor

    I've listened to this cd several times now & think it's a stunner! Shades of Nick Lowe, XTC, the Byrds & B52s compliment Ian's smart & funny lyrics. And these guys understand the virtue of the 3 minute pop song! The musicianship is top notch, just awesome. I love the way Liza's voice compliments Ian's so perfectly, like it was meant to be. Even if you're not intellectual enough to get references to Watson & Crick, this is a fun, rockin' record with something for everyone. While it borrows from the titans of pop, it's not derivative. Rather, it's a wholly original effort. I can't praise this enough. It's sure to be one of my top records of '08!

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