The Sound Is Not Ruined

Whether or not you recognize it as such, the good town of Champaign, IL is something of a musical mecca. Just after the grunge movement ended people were attempting to name Champaign as the new Seattle because of all the promising new artists coming out of the town. Bands like Hum and Poster Children were some of the names to get exposure on a national scale during the mid-90s, but of course as time went on the hype died as well. As indie music hits the upswing once again, the good news is that new musical discoveries are being made all the time. Last year, Champaign's own Headlights pulled in a bit of attention for their album "Kill Them With Kindness." Another Champaign band, The Living Blue, also got some notice for "Fire. Blood. Water." released on the Chicago-based Minty Fresh Records. In 2007 I'm proud to present to you yet another Champaign band that's set to do big things: New Ruins.

The story behind New Ruins is a relatively simple one. J. Caleb and Elzie Sexton met in high school and played in various bands before going off to separate colleges. New Ruins was formed in 2004 as a duo, with pieces of recordings being shipped back and forth between the two guys until they finally became songs and eventually EPs. And so after a couple self-released EPs and a full length album collecting the EP tracks, Caleb and Sexton got back together in Champaign in the fall of 2005 to do live shows and eventually record a new album. Along the way, they added drummer Roy Ewing (of Braid) and bassist Paul Chastain (of Matthew Sweet) to their lineup in preparation for the recording of "The Sound They Make."

So after spending the fall of 2006 making an official debut album, Parasol Records' sub label Hidden Agenda will be releasing "The Sound They Make" on April 17th nationwide (you can get it shipped to you TODAY if you order online from Parasol). In describing New Ruins' sound, I'd say that it's got a lot of folksy acoustic guitar mixed with electric to form songs that are somewhat somber in nature but can feel oddly catchy and upbeat. As immediate references I'd say their sound is most akin to Death Cab for Cutie or Pete Yorn, with a little Mojave 3 and Iron & Wine thrown in there. I really like this record, and I certainly hope that you will too. At only $9 (on sale), it's a steal. The band shows remarkable promise, and I'm hoping they'll get some much-deserved attention with this album.

New Ruins- Attic
New Ruins- Ships

Buy it from Parasol and have it shipped to you NOW

Labels: New Ruins