I first became
aware of All The Apparatus through their Kickstarter:
I can't remember
who forwarded it to me, but it was probably Josh. Anyway, without knowing much
about them, it was an interesting idea, and so I did kick in some. That is why,
along with the CDs, I got the thank you note that made me tear up. It says...
"Gina, We are
so grateful for your donation. We played to new crowds across the country and
you made it possible! Love, All The Apparatus"
My overall role was
pretty small, actually, but I appreciate that they appreciate it, and it does
give me a sense of investment, and then I had their music available anyway, so
why not review them in this special giving and crowdsourcing week?
I will say that
there are probably ways in which they could have a more effective online
presence. Their self-titled album is on Spotify, which can be helpful, but there
are three potential Twitter accounts, and I think they are all legitimate. There
is a main web site, and a Facebook page that are a little more informative,
though I don't think either has a complete listing of events, as I thought I
saw that they were playing Pirate Fest somewhere else, and I cannot confirm it
via either site.
My first impression
was that they remind me a little of the Polyphonic Spree. Some of that is the
larger size of the ensemble, and a wider range of instruments. They would not
necessarily be included in the list of old-timey bands (http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2013/9/Mumford-Sons-Tom-Waits-and-the-Punch-Brothers-ranking-the-old-timey-bands)
but there are some similarities.
In addition, there
is that mix of whimsy and exuberance, where album art may involve giant robotic
cats, sea creatures, and Portland landmarks, but
where it will also veer into darker territory. Often the darker songs are kind
of light as well, but personally I have a really bad reaction to "Hat
Trick", though that may be largely related to the memories it triggers of
things I have read.
"Hat
Trick" aside, most of it is very easy to listen to. "The Wolf
Song" and "The Aeronaut" are especially lovely, and I like the
Portlandian spirit of "Let's Go Ride Bikes". "Pancho Villa"
is pretty funky, and then a lot of it feels more aligned with folk.
They very much have
their own thing going on, and that is great. They could probably be more
efficient in terms of promotion, but if that's not a priority, that works too.
Music is available
via their main web site and iTunes.
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