One of our favorite music blogs is OMG Vinyl… they review mainly limited edition vinyl from various DIY and indie sources. Today, they posted a nice review of “Poison Berries”.
http://www.omgvinyl.com/2010/12/15/orchestraville-poison-berries-lp/
they play a heady homage to 60′s-70′s pop/rock, employing big hooks, an intoxicating (yet tasteful) amount of organ, and beyond-solid songwriting.
Thanks OMG Vinyl!
Nice interview with Chris in today’s Dispatch.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/weekender/stories/2010/09/16/local-limelight.html
Local Limelight | Orchestraville
Thursday, September 16, 2010 02:54 AMTime had a way of eroding the well-intentioned plans of the men of Orchestraville — which this weekend will release its third full-length album, Poison Berries.
The product gathered dust for almost six years.
“All of the members were eventually focusing on other things,” said singer-guitarist Chris Forbes, 40. “Dave now lives in Colorado. Parker Paul got sick of baby-sitting me and went on to have two children of his own.”
With the two other members playing full time in the Columbus chamber-folk outfit the Black Swans, ambitions faded.
A now-or-never attitude has the 20-year ensemble back on track, said Forbes, whose quartet on Saturday will feature a fifth member – previous guitarist Matt Duckworth.
Q How did the band find its name?
A We were Hazel for a brief period, only to be told by Sub Pop Records that they filed for copyright of the name.
Feeling lost and alone in a cold, heartless world, we were forced to pluck our new name from an obscure, and somewhat frightening, 1946 children’s record, Rusty in Orchestraville.
Q Would you explain the various incarnations?
A After the death of our dear friend and amazing guitarist Brendan McKay in 1997, we did play briefly as a trio.
We added guitarist Matt Duckworth and continued as a quartet once again. Matt did leave a few years after but not before recording our sophomore full-length album and an EP called Invent the Machine.
Matt was then replaced by songwriter-keyboardist Parker Paul.
Q How has the sound evolved?
A The most radical change was probably the switch to a single guitar, with keyboards added.
The songwriting became much more lush and retro-sounding, with less of the quirky elements we were originally known for.
Q What quote about the group do you like most?
A Chris DeVille of Columbus Alive! said, “( Invent the Machine) plays like a friendly complement to Jim O’Rourke’s literate, misanthropic guitar pop and a close cousin to the most polite and wistful corners of Yo La Tengo’s catalog.”
With nice, pedantic reviews like that, at least you know he listened.
Q Why should someone see an Orchestraville show?
A It is guaranteed to sound like nothing they have heard before.
- Kevin Joy
An excellent review that, if we may say so, puts us in great company. “… it would seem that Orchestraville have pulled a Mommyheads.”
http://flotzam.com/post/Album-Review-Orchestraville-Poison-Berries.aspx
http://theotherpaper.com/articles/2010/09/16/music/doc4c912fc25054a836367321.txt
Another posthumous release
Who would have thought we’d hear not one, but two releases from the defunct Columbus band Orchestraville in 2010?
In March, the avant-pop act released Invent the Machine, an EP of unreleased music that was recorded in 2001. And now, some more unreleased music.
Poison Berries was originally planned for release on Anyway Records, but in 2004 band members moved away, had babies, etc. Life got in the way, as it tends to do. Acrimonious creative differences or a meddlesome Yoko make for better breakup legends, but in reality, new jobs and pregnant bellies are a band’s likely death knell.
If Invent the Machine was more “avant” than “pop” (as I claimed it was), Poison Berries is the reverse. The record, getting a posthumous digital/vinyl release on Old 3C Records, emphasizes tight songwriting and more-typical song structures.
Singer and principal songwriter Chris Forbes (also guitarist for the Black Swans) sets the tone, as usual, with his steady, slightly nasal vocals, which continue to remind me of the Weakerthans and Luna.
Press releases mention George Harrison as a reference point, and that’s not far off—especially in the album’s pair of Beatles-esque songs, the title track and “Thank You Mr. Washington.” “Lift Me Up” adds a bit of a Doors feel via Parker Paul’s organ flourishes. But I’m most taken with the more naked numbers—the stripped-down, acoustic-heavy “You Wanna Be Like That” and Big Star-like album standout “Phil Ochs Flag.”
On repeated listens, Poison Berries doesn’t always hold my interest through to the end. The dynamic range is pretty steady, Forbes rarely leaves his comfortable range, and the tasteful production can be a bit too white-bread, leaving little room for grit.
But while those complaints keep Poison Berries out of my “excellent” category, it has a strong foothold in the “very good” group.
Orchestraville will play an album-release reunion show at 10 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 18) at the Rumba Cafe, 2507 Summit St. The Alwood Sisters are also on the bill.
- Joel Oliphint
Another positive review for our new EP, “Invent the Machine,” this time from Columbus Alive.
As stated in the review, you can stream the entire EP or purchase it for a mere $5 at our Bandcamp site.
Sensory Overload: Local album reviews
Thursday, March 18, 2010 6:00 AM
By Chris DeVilleOrchestraville
“Invent the Machine”When Orchestraville disbanded in 2004, the Anyway-affiliated avant-pop outfit still had plenty of tremendous music in the vault. This year they’re bringing it to light, starting with this 2001 EP.
These five songs represent the band’s last work with guitarist Matt Duckworth, who combined with Chris Forbes to lay down the glistening, clean-cut guitar sounds at this album’s core. Tasteful riffs abound, played with thoughtful grace and occasional dread.
Combined with rich vocal harmonies and an understated rhythm section, it plays like a friendly complement to Jim O’Rourke’s literate, misanthropic guitar pop and a close cousin to the most polite and wistful corners of Yo La Tengo’s catalog. The Pernice Brothers’ sighing songcraft comes to mind too.
“Invent the Machine” is well worth a $5 download at http://orchestraville.bandcamp.com, where you can also stream the whole thing for free.
A favorable review, courtesy of The Other Paper.
They don’t mention it, but the EP can be purchased or streamed at orchestraville.bandcamp.com.
Tardy EP of interest historically, musically
Columbus-via-Athens band Orchestraville is no more, but its pieces fell out in some places you may recognize.
Drummer Keith Hanlon now mans the kit for the Black Swans, and singer/guitarist Chris Forbes strums for the same band. Parker Paul, who joined Orchestraville in its later years, often plays the keys with Moviola and has a long, long résumé that includes solo and Curious Digit releases on Jagjaguwar, plus stints with Songs: Ohia, Royal Trux and others.
This year, Orchestraville has big plans for some of its previously recorded material, starting with the new EP Invent the Machine, which consists of unreleased songs originally put to tape in 2001. Who knows why these tunes sat dusty and hidden for so long? It’s an EP worthy of release, and one that proves the band’s self-designated “avant-pop” descriptor is quite apt.
Invent the Machine is all about layers—layers of guitars and layers of “oohs” and “ahhs” behind Forbes’s lead vocals. Those vocals recall John K. Samson of the Weakerthans and Dean Wareham, whose former band Luna serves as a good point of reference for Orchestraville.
All those layers make the EP less straightforward than the band’s excellent second record, At Night It is Particularly Lovely, which had more “pop” and a bit less “avant.” Some of those pop hooks are missing on Machine, but it’s still a lush little package that’s worth your $5 and 16 minutes.
Former guitarist Matt Duckworth left the band after these recordings, and Parker Paul joined soon after. That set the stage for Poison Berries, the band’s third full-length album, which was slated to come out on Anyway Records in 2005. But Orchestraville broke up after the recording, as a result of which Poison Berries has likewise been collecting dust.
Look for that one to finally see the light of day this fall.
