| Mood Rings — VPI Harmony (2013) |
Mood Rings — VPI Harmony
♦ "Atlanta quintet making gauzy music that evokes Felt, the Durutti Column, and Deerhunter." (Mexican Summer Records)
♦ "Atlanta quartet Mood Rings make engaging, pillow-soft indie that's perfect for lazy days and moping." (Michael Cragg; The Guardian)
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Album release: June 25, 2013
Record Label: Mexican Summer Records
Duration: 36:47
Tracks:
01 Dark Flow 2:33
02 Pathos y Lagrimas 3:42
03 Come Lay Down in Lined Arrangements 3:47
04 Perusha 2:44
05 Minor Slaloms 2:58
06 Promise Me Eternity 2:58
07 The Line (Patrick Canaday/Mood Rings) 3:24
08 Exorcised Painting 1:33
09 Hollow Dye (Defected Crystal) (Mood Rings/Kyle Sherrill) 2:44
10 Get Lost 4:34
11 Charles Mansion 5:53
MEMBERS:
♦ William Fussell
♦ Tymb Gratz
♦ Christopher Alley
♦ Peter Cauthorn
♦ Seth Bolton
CREDITS:
♦ Al Carlson Engineer, Mixing, Saxophone
♦ Christopher Alley Bass, Group Member
♦ Seth Bolton Group Member, Synthesizer
♦ Christopher Brooker Engineer, Mixing
♦ Patrick Canaday Composer
♦ Peter Cauthorn Drums, Group Member
♦ Shaun Durkan Layout
♦ William Fussell Group Member, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals
♦ Tim Gratz Group Member, Guitar
♦ Joe Lambert Mastering
♦ Mood Rings Composer, Layout, Primary Artist
♦ Riley O'Shaughnessy Photography
♦ Kyle Sherrill Composer
♦ Allen Taylor Artwork
♦ Dan Wakefield Engineer, Mixing
♦ Vladislav Yarushin Cover Art
Album Moods: Nocturnal Atmospheric Detached Druggy Ethereal Lush Reflective Soothing Spacey Calm/Peaceful Cerebral Dreamy Reserved Complex Restrained Wistful Hypnotic
Themes: Late Night Reflection Stay in Bed Rainy Day Slow Dance
Review by Heather Phares
♦ Mood Rings opted for a higher-fidelity sound on their debut album VPI Harmony than on Sweater Weather Forever, and the time spent streamlining their approach paid off: the album takes dream pop’s hallmarks – wispy vocals, shimmering guitars, and inventive percussion – to stylized, euphoric heights that leave a more lasting impression than the work of many similarly gauzy bands. On former single “Pathos y Lagrimas,” Will Fussell repeats fragments of desire and heartbreak (“I miss you the best”) in a breathy sigh over instrumentation that’s swooning nearly as much as he is. It’s easy to hear why Mood Rings have been championed by Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, since VPI Harmony often recalls his group at its most feathery and delicate, particularly in the way “Come Lay Down in Lined Arrangements” hovers and crashes and how “Hollow Dye (Defected Crystal)” makes the most of Fussell’s shivery falsetto. But making too much of the band’s connection to Cox does Mood Rings a disservice, since there are many other facets to their music on these songs. “Minor Slaloms” gives the rhythm section a workout as it moves from frantic, angular pop to trippier passages, while “The Line” puts a surreally glamorous twist on dark ’80s synth pop. The band even returns to the more straightforward sound of Sweater Weather Forever on “Promise Me Eternity” and “Get Lost,” both of which recall the Smiths and C-86 in their jangly bittersweetness. Songs like these help anchor the album’s farther-flung moments, but even the wildest flights of fancy feel more like exploration than dabbling. Held together by its oddly luxurious feel, VPI Harmony blends its many sounds and moods into a remarkable debut.
Artist Biography by Heather Phares
♦ VPI Harmony Atlanta, Georgia's dreamy experimental pop outfit Mood Rings feature singer/songwriter/guitarist Will Fussell, guitarist Tymb Gratz, guitarist/keyboardist Seth Bolton, bassist Chris Alley, and drummer Peter Couthorn. When the band formed in 2009, they were known as the Dirty Girls and mixed '60s girl group pop with grunge, but switched their sound and name the following year. Their January 2011 debut EP, Sweater Weather Forever, nodded to influences like Felt and the Durutti Column as well as more expected shoegaze trailblazers. Though the band released the Promise Me Eternity 7" that September, they were already working on their first full-length at Brooklyn's Gary's Electric studio. In October 2012, they released the Pathos y Lagrimas/333 single on Mexican Summer, which issued Mood Rings' debut album, VPI Harmony, in June 2013.
Bio from band website:
♦ Forming (ca. 2009) from mists of solid-state polished chrome out of cavity closets, Mood Rings fought against the constraints of modern/shit desk programs to create a new name for themselves in the basements and damp sections of Atlanta. Guitarist / Singer / Songwriter Will Fussell stands, outlined in brick and neon, whispering faded tones into the busted echo box. The guitar tones resulting from his interactions with Tymb Gratz might remind you of a molded cassette of Felt or Durutti Column. The proceedings are grounded by the solid-without-oppressive rhythm section of Chris Alley (bass) and Peter Cauthorn (drums.) Meta-harmonies attributed by Seth Bolton (synth/guitar) careen through the balance to sensitize their compass. Mood Rings rip the captions off the stairs and explode moonlight panels with alcohol and mint. This is not political music. These are not ringtones. There is no mystery man in the plasma tent. The floor tom is the new kick. Don't forget the scale of mercury.
Website: http://moodringsmusic.com/
Tumblr: http://moodringscollections.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mood_rings
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoodRings
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mood_rings
Contact:
Press:
Agent:
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♦ Mood Rings are a lo-fi-dream-pop-psych-shoegaze band (sorry for all the hyphens, but it had to be done) that play warm and swirly jams. These jams will most likely make you feel less stressed out. Their easy-going haze and chilled-out ways will convince you that everything will be OK and if things won't be OK then oh well, because there is nothing you can do about it anyway. Might as well get wasted and listen to some good jams, right?
♦ These songs often like to take their time to get to where they're going. But in this case, going slow is exactly what you want. Because it's not about the destination with Mood Rings - it's about the journey, man.
♦ One thought: these guys should really tour with another one of my recent favs, Whirr, because that would be a perfect 1-2 line-up punch (just throwing that out there).
♦ Mood Rings are prepping their debut full-length and though I haven't heard it, I fully expect it to rule. Call me an optimist. Because the future will work out. And if it doesn't. Oh well. Whattya gonna do?
Fortaken: http://www.ohmyrockness.com/
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
REVIEW
Michael Cragg
♦ theguardian.com, Tuesday 11 June 2013 07.00 BST
♦ Atlanta-based five-piece Mood Rings make the sort of shoegaze-y, dreampop-indebted indie that walks the very thin line between alluringly coy and downright bloodless. Thankfully they tend to fall on the side of the former, especially on April's intriguingly-titled Pathos y Lagrimas (or pity and tears), the first single to emerge from their forthcoming debut, VPI Harmony, which marries airy drum splashes and gusts of guitar with singer Will Fussell's breathy vocals. The latest track to be released ahead of the album is The Line – premiered here – which, if possible, tries even harder to create a doughy cloud of softness around the listener, with each extra element – be it the cascading guitars, ever-expanding synths or the delicate riff that bubbles up to the surface around the two-minute mark – meticulously placed to subtly move the song forward.
Fortaken: http://www.theguardian.com/
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| Mood Rings — VPI Harmony (2013) |
Mood Rings — VPI Harmony
♦ "Atlanta quintet making gauzy music that evokes Felt, the Durutti Column, and Deerhunter." (Mexican Summer Records)
♦ "Atlanta quartet Mood Rings make engaging, pillow-soft indie that's perfect for lazy days and moping." (Michael Cragg; The Guardian)
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Album release: June 25, 2013
Record Label: Mexican Summer Records
Duration: 36:47
Tracks:
01 Dark Flow 2:33
02 Pathos y Lagrimas 3:42
03 Come Lay Down in Lined Arrangements 3:47
04 Perusha 2:44
05 Minor Slaloms 2:58
06 Promise Me Eternity 2:58
07 The Line (Patrick Canaday/Mood Rings) 3:24
08 Exorcised Painting 1:33
09 Hollow Dye (Defected Crystal) (Mood Rings/Kyle Sherrill) 2:44
10 Get Lost 4:34
11 Charles Mansion 5:53
MEMBERS:
♦ William Fussell
♦ Tymb Gratz
♦ Christopher Alley
♦ Peter Cauthorn
♦ Seth Bolton
CREDITS:
♦ Al Carlson Engineer, Mixing, Saxophone
♦ Christopher Alley Bass, Group Member
♦ Seth Bolton Group Member, Synthesizer
♦ Christopher Brooker Engineer, Mixing
♦ Patrick Canaday Composer
♦ Peter Cauthorn Drums, Group Member
♦ Shaun Durkan Layout
♦ William Fussell Group Member, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals
♦ Tim Gratz Group Member, Guitar
♦ Joe Lambert Mastering
♦ Mood Rings Composer, Layout, Primary Artist
♦ Riley O'Shaughnessy Photography
♦ Kyle Sherrill Composer
♦ Allen Taylor Artwork
♦ Dan Wakefield Engineer, Mixing
♦ Vladislav Yarushin Cover Art
Album Moods: Nocturnal Atmospheric Detached Druggy Ethereal Lush Reflective Soothing Spacey Calm/Peaceful Cerebral Dreamy Reserved Complex Restrained Wistful Hypnotic
Themes: Late Night Reflection Stay in Bed Rainy Day Slow Dance
Review by Heather Phares
♦ Mood Rings opted for a higher-fidelity sound on their debut album VPI Harmony than on Sweater Weather Forever, and the time spent streamlining their approach paid off: the album takes dream pop’s hallmarks – wispy vocals, shimmering guitars, and inventive percussion – to stylized, euphoric heights that leave a more lasting impression than the work of many similarly gauzy bands. On former single “Pathos y Lagrimas,” Will Fussell repeats fragments of desire and heartbreak (“I miss you the best”) in a breathy sigh over instrumentation that’s swooning nearly as much as he is. It’s easy to hear why Mood Rings have been championed by Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, since VPI Harmony often recalls his group at its most feathery and delicate, particularly in the way “Come Lay Down in Lined Arrangements” hovers and crashes and how “Hollow Dye (Defected Crystal)” makes the most of Fussell’s shivery falsetto. But making too much of the band’s connection to Cox does Mood Rings a disservice, since there are many other facets to their music on these songs. “Minor Slaloms” gives the rhythm section a workout as it moves from frantic, angular pop to trippier passages, while “The Line” puts a surreally glamorous twist on dark ’80s synth pop. The band even returns to the more straightforward sound of Sweater Weather Forever on “Promise Me Eternity” and “Get Lost,” both of which recall the Smiths and C-86 in their jangly bittersweetness. Songs like these help anchor the album’s farther-flung moments, but even the wildest flights of fancy feel more like exploration than dabbling. Held together by its oddly luxurious feel, VPI Harmony blends its many sounds and moods into a remarkable debut.
Artist Biography by Heather Phares
♦ VPI Harmony Atlanta, Georgia's dreamy experimental pop outfit Mood Rings feature singer/songwriter/guitarist Will Fussell, guitarist Tymb Gratz, guitarist/keyboardist Seth Bolton, bassist Chris Alley, and drummer Peter Couthorn. When the band formed in 2009, they were known as the Dirty Girls and mixed '60s girl group pop with grunge, but switched their sound and name the following year. Their January 2011 debut EP, Sweater Weather Forever, nodded to influences like Felt and the Durutti Column as well as more expected shoegaze trailblazers. Though the band released the Promise Me Eternity 7" that September, they were already working on their first full-length at Brooklyn's Gary's Electric studio. In October 2012, they released the Pathos y Lagrimas/333 single on Mexican Summer, which issued Mood Rings' debut album, VPI Harmony, in June 2013.
Bio from band website:
♦ Forming (ca. 2009) from mists of solid-state polished chrome out of cavity closets, Mood Rings fought against the constraints of modern/shit desk programs to create a new name for themselves in the basements and damp sections of Atlanta. Guitarist / Singer / Songwriter Will Fussell stands, outlined in brick and neon, whispering faded tones into the busted echo box. The guitar tones resulting from his interactions with Tymb Gratz might remind you of a molded cassette of Felt or Durutti Column. The proceedings are grounded by the solid-without-oppressive rhythm section of Chris Alley (bass) and Peter Cauthorn (drums.) Meta-harmonies attributed by Seth Bolton (synth/guitar) careen through the balance to sensitize their compass. Mood Rings rip the captions off the stairs and explode moonlight panels with alcohol and mint. This is not political music. These are not ringtones. There is no mystery man in the plasma tent. The floor tom is the new kick. Don't forget the scale of mercury.
Website: http://moodringsmusic.com/
Tumblr: http://moodringscollections.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mood_rings
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoodRings
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mood_rings
Contact:
Press:
Agent:
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
♦ Mood Rings are a lo-fi-dream-pop-psych-shoegaze band (sorry for all the hyphens, but it had to be done) that play warm and swirly jams. These jams will most likely make you feel less stressed out. Their easy-going haze and chilled-out ways will convince you that everything will be OK and if things won't be OK then oh well, because there is nothing you can do about it anyway. Might as well get wasted and listen to some good jams, right?
♦ These songs often like to take their time to get to where they're going. But in this case, going slow is exactly what you want. Because it's not about the destination with Mood Rings - it's about the journey, man.
♦ One thought: these guys should really tour with another one of my recent favs, Whirr, because that would be a perfect 1-2 line-up punch (just throwing that out there).
♦ Mood Rings are prepping their debut full-length and though I haven't heard it, I fully expect it to rule. Call me an optimist. Because the future will work out. And if it doesn't. Oh well. Whattya gonna do?
Fortaken: http://www.ohmyrockness.com/
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
REVIEW
Michael Cragg
♦ theguardian.com, Tuesday 11 June 2013 07.00 BST
♦ Atlanta-based five-piece Mood Rings make the sort of shoegaze-y, dreampop-indebted indie that walks the very thin line between alluringly coy and downright bloodless. Thankfully they tend to fall on the side of the former, especially on April's intriguingly-titled Pathos y Lagrimas (or pity and tears), the first single to emerge from their forthcoming debut, VPI Harmony, which marries airy drum splashes and gusts of guitar with singer Will Fussell's breathy vocals. The latest track to be released ahead of the album is The Line – premiered here – which, if possible, tries even harder to create a doughy cloud of softness around the listener, with each extra element – be it the cascading guitars, ever-expanding synths or the delicate riff that bubbles up to the surface around the two-minute mark – meticulously placed to subtly move the song forward.
Fortaken: http://www.theguardian.com/
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