Ages and Ages
| Ages and Ages | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Portland, OR, USA |
| Genres |
Raw choral pop[1] Brisk indie-folk[2] |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Labels | Partisan Records |
| Website |
partisanrecords |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
Ages and Ages is an American rock band from Portland, Oregon which has been receiving positive critical attention[3] because of their upbeat[4] "raw choral pop" sound.[1] Every member of the band sings[1] accompanied by handclaps, shakers and noise-makers.[4] They are a secular band with a big tent revival sound.[5] The group was voted as a top Portland band by Willamette Week.[5] In 2011, they signed a record deal with Partisan Records and have since undertaken several national US tours. In 2013 the band changed their name from AgesandAges to Ages and Ages. The rechristened band played their first European dates in the winter of 2014.[6]
Career
Ages and Ages came together in 2009, founded by Tim Perry (vocals, guitar), Rob Oberdorfer (bass, percussion, vocals), Graham Mackenzie (percussion, vocals), Kate O'Brien-Clarke (violin, percussion, vocals), Lisa Stringfield (vocals, percussion), Liz Robins (vocals, percussion) and Daniel Hunt (drums, percussion, vocals), alongside other friends and players from Portland’s ever-fertile music community. Alright You Restless arrived two years later and immediately proved a critical favorite. An ardent audience also surfaced, a committed cohort that ironically included President Barack Obama who included (without permission, mind) the album’s “No Nostalgia," a song "about transcending "the way things can get dark and you can feel claustrophobic, unsatisfied with the status quo" on his 2012 campaign playlist. Another one of their most famous songs is Do The Right Thing. This song received much attention when they played it at the SXSW during March. [7]
Ages and Ages performed at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin in March 2011.[1][4] Their song "No Nostalgia" from their first album, Alright You Restless, was previewed on National Public Radio.[8] The album was recorded "almost entirely live" with seven voices singing into a single microphone, according to one account.[3] It sounds like "a group of friends who drive around in a van singing songs wherever anyone will let them sing," according to critic Ryan White of The Oregonian.[3]
The group draws "significant sonic influence from his religious upbringing" and that having seven members helps achieve a "congregation sound" even though the lyrics are basically secular thematically.[2] Perry said the sound was achieved by "all the voices chiming in, that swell and spontaneous movement that grabs you," in an interview.[2] In 2011, they released a video for the song "Navy Parade," which was directed by Alicia J. Rose[9][10] Alright You Restless was produced by Kevin Robinson.[9]
In 2014 the band released the album Divisionary.[7]
In August 2016, Ages and Ages released their third record Something to Ruin on Partisan Records.[11] The album was recorded at Isaac Brock’s, Ice Cream Party Studios with the Modest Mouse front-man adding guitar to the track “So Hazy”. The first single “They Want More” premiered on the June 7, 2016 episode of the NPR Podcast All Songs Considered.[12] Ages and Age's emphasis on featuring electronic and synthetic sounds makes Something to Ruin sonic departure from their previous albums. Thematically the record deals with collective failures, the contemplation of letting go and starting over, the individuals need for community, and the struggles associated with living honestly in a superficial landscape. The band members cite a trip to Central America and the observation of their community being exploited by gentrification as the catalyst for the record.[13]
Discography
- Alright You Restless, 2011, Knitting Factory Records[3]
- Divisionary, 2014, Partisan Records
- Something To Ruin. 2016, Partisan Records
References
- 1 2 3 4 Greg Kot (March 19, 2011). "SXSW 2011: Wild Flag goes for broke". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- 1 2 3 Kevin Friedman (February 11, 2011). "Notes from the Northwest music scene: AgesandAges". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- 1 2 3 4 Ryan White (January 2011). "The AgesandAges debut is here, listen to 'No Nostalgia'". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- 1 2 3 Adam Conner-Simons (March 18, 2011). "SXSW: Friday afternoon recap: Cults, David Wax Museum, AgesandAges, James Blake". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- 1 2 CASEY JARMAN (May 4, 2011). "Best New Band 2011: The 10 local acts Portland's music insiders are talking about (and listening to).". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ↑ All Songs, Considered. "New Mix: Death Grips, Angel Olsen, GEMS, and More". NPR. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- 1 2 James Sullivan (February 10, 2012). "AgesandAges: The President's New Favorite Band?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ↑ "All Songs Considered: SXSW 2011 Preview". NPR: Music. March 2011. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
No Nostalgia * Artist: AgesandAges * Album: Alright You Restless
- 1 2 Ryan White (February 16, 2011). "Watch: AgesandAges explore St. Johns in video for "Navy Parade (escape from the Black River bluffs)"". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ↑ Matthew Singer (February 17, 2011). "AgesandAges, "Navy Parade (Escape from the Black River Bluffs)"". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ↑ "Ages and Ages | Partisan Records". Partisan Records. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ "New Mix: Songs On Letting Go And Believing In Yourself". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ "Listen to Ages and Ages' New Song, "They Want More," off Forthcoming Album Something to Ruin". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.