VIVIAN'S KEEPER: Solid Ground

Vivian's Keeper

Solid Ground

© 2003 Agee/bentley (829757267425)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

Smart pop trio. Keys, acoustic guitar, drums & percussion and lush harmonies. Like Suzanne Vega meets Midnight Oil.

notes

Vivian's Keeper is:

Joanna Agee: vocals, keys, bass, guitar
Adam Bentley: vocals, guitar, bass
Leila Chieko: vocals, drums, percussion


Vivian's Keeper does what almost no one does anymore: they play new music. Music that doesn't live in a tidy little box called genre. Their tunes have the buoyancy and melody of pop, the drive of anthemic rock, the organic tones of neo-folk, and the seductive groove of tribal rhythms. Think Suzanne Vega meets Midnight Oil. They use vibrant percussive acoustic guitar, melodic bass, rich keys, exuberant drums, and refreshingly sweet harmonies as a cover to launch a sneak attack with lyrics about loss, death, rebirth, eco-spirituality and armegeddon.

The band comes from all over the map, both musically and spatially. A capella choir from Birmingham. Psychedelia from Portland. Hard rock from Kona. Despite having very few musical influences in common, this dynamic trio forms a striking creative union. Multi-instrumentalists with infectious stage charm, they weave an intricate and sublime web of myriad musical textures.

Vivian's Keeper makes its home in Portland, Oregon, but has won fans all over the country from tiny town coffeehouses to big city festivals. Key to VK's mission is playing for the benefit of causes that are central to their lives, particularly ecological protection and queer rights. With the release of their new album, "Solid Ground", they will continue to travel and share the news: there's something original, real, beautiful and new out there.

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  • Tight Musicianship in Minor Keys Made Happy
    author: Sam Rogers

    What you’ll see with Vivian’s Keeper's Solid Ground is acoustic guitar almost always played out in some sort of unusual, minor key with crazy chords (no cheesy open chords for these guys!) and the best female bass player I’ve ever seen (although the band is so versatile that the bassist/keys and guitarist are always switching off). The bass is always spitting out spitting out interesting grooves, but unfortunately they’re recorded a tad too softly too really appreciate. The female vocals occasionally remind me of Dido, and while I can’t always appreciate Dido’s music they fit beautifully here. These vocals alternate or harmonize with upper end male vocals. What’s really different about this band, though, is the way that even though either the instrumentation or vocals can be very minor and fairly dark, it presents a brilliantly happy mood. Anyway, do yourself a favor and stream their music off their CDBaby site, cause I think you’ll be pleased. And, just so you know, this CD ages well with time. You may put it on the shelf for a while because you overplayed it, but when you get it out you’ll appreciate it even more.

  • This is a CD with great lyrics, excellent musicianship and lots of listenablilit
    author: Daric Moore

    Solid Ground is just that...very solid. These songs fit very well together and form a cohesive unit which withstands multiple playings. The songs are infectious and have real depth to them. Voices blend magnificently and the instruments are solid. Very good CD...highly recommend it!!

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