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Good review: http://apturnofftheradio.blogspot.com/2011/02/listen-to-full-eisley-va lley-album-now.html _________________ Classical guitar cover of "Combinations": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkIpDhvbd2o |
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Joined: 13 Jan 2008 | Posts: 474 |
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Joined: 05 Nov 2002 | Posts: 6826 | Location: Gilmer, Tejas
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http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-valley-r2116454/review 3/3 for 4's out of 5's _________________ yup, that's my name. FOR YOUR RATING PLEASURE: 4 LIKE Buttons, 1 NEUTRAL, 1 VEXED, 5 DISLIKE buttons. LC > FB ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Joined: 09 Apr 2008 | Posts: 9641 | Location: Greater St. Louis Area
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I'm responsible for The Valley being on the Metacritic Upcoming Releases (sent message couple weeks ago), but whether or not they will post their reviews I don't know. Also e-mailed a couple of the local news stations and papers for them to do a story on the album/band. _________________ I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away. |
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Joined: 05 Nov 2002 | Posts: 6826 | Location: Gilmer, Tejas
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Joined: 09 Apr 2008 | Posts: 9641 | Location: Greater St. Louis Area
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Everyone and their dog has already posted their thoughts but as a physical-CD-holdout, I've listened to it 4 times (going on 5) and here are a couple quickie observations: The first 5 songs is the best 5-song string on anything they've done. Takes a slight second-half dip like Combinations does, but I much prefer Please, Mr Moon to Combinations, If You're Wondering. It is stronger than Combinations and may just achieve Room Noises heights after I've been listening to it for longer than half a day. ![]() Stacy IS a genius. All the hyperbole people were spouting nearly turned out to be 100% true. ![]() _________________ http://www.twitter.com/drstrangeblog http://www.last.fm/user/getinline I can't find the time to write my mind the way I want it to read. |
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Joined: 05 Mar 2008 | Posts: 2003 | Location: Iowa
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Now here's the review I posted at RYM. "The flag was down on the mailbox. I happened to have a free day today, the day of The Valley's release, and I hoped that my CD had finally arrived from Equal Vision Records, Eisley's new home after six musically wondrous but commercially stunted years with Warner Brothers. No such luck, I sighed removing the local newspaper circular. Might as well console myself and make that mango salsa I've wanted to try. Returning from the basement with vegetables in hand, I saw out the kitchen window a red SUV turning around in the driveway. Before leaving, it pulled up to the mailbox and deposited something within. Curiosity - tinged with incredulous hope - raised, I shuffled back out under the sunny sky which threatened to banish the frosty ground for good. Housed within were two bulging packages, one bearing the long-awaited EVR logo. Regrettably I did not get a look at the driver of the mysterious red SUV because I suspect I could have caught a glimpse of a wing poking through their attire. Time to chop, starting with the tomatoes as track 1 began. It's been 3.5 long years since the last Eisley album, and unbelievably it's been 16 months since their Fire Kite EP first teased us with this fantastic opening song. Much had changed within the world of Eisley during the writing process - Sherri got married & divorced within 10 months, Chauntelle had a broken engagement, and Stacy was dealing with a breakup - and all of that inner turmoil, confusion, and redemption has been channeled directly into these songs. Renowned for their fantastical imagery (the girls even winkingly adopting a review of their sound as 'unicorn Barbie rock'), The Valley snubs the storybook ending and deals in emotionally raw reality. For the first time, we are faced with anger from Eisley in the smartly worded 'Smarter' and the terrifically energized 'Sad,' both Sherri tunes directly confronting her ex-husband and 'the other woman' respectively. But Eisley anger isn't purely vindictive, it is cathartic and therapeutic as well. Promotes good slicing-and-dicing technique, but watch your fingers! However not all is doom and gloom. Stacy's amazing songwriting abilities stand tallest within The Valley, from the opener to her own heartbreaking tale of lost love in 'Watch It Die' to the healing closer 'Ambulance.' While Sherri's plaintive voice cleanses her system of her sorrow, Stacy contributes the brightest moments. If you went online to Amazon.com and ordered a product as abstract as something called 'Beauty,' in two weeks you would receive a small shiny package, and when you opened it up you would hear 'Oxygen Mask.' Actual tears welled in my eyes when I heard this song; should be noted that I was cutting into a red onion at the time, but those fumes never seemed to affect me before. As with every aspect of her being just 21 years, her singing keeps maturing and now has a beautifully rich, mellow timbre and at times sounds like Australian songstress Sarah Blasko during her more hushed passages like during 'Kind.' The Valley is unquestionably emotionally raw, melodically sparkling, and Eisley found a powerful and enriching way to transmit their feelings. When we leave our friends and then get a chance to meet up again years later, we are usually surprised by their changes in appearance - Jim has gained weight, Mike has a beard, and Angela has a few wrinkles. People don't naturally morph in our minds until we see them again. That is what hearing The Valley is like, but with sounds instead of sights. Eisley has changed since we last heard them - older, wiser, and empowered through experience. This is going to be the best salsa ever." 4.5 stars out of 5.0 _________________ http://www.twitter.com/drstrangeblog http://www.last.fm/user/getinline I can't find the time to write my mind the way I want it to read. |
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Joined: 05 Mar 2008 | Posts: 2003 | Location: Iowa
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Joined: 03 Jan 2003 | Posts: 476 | Location: Austin TX
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i'm quiet surprised and pleased about the reviews on absolutepunk _________________ Oneironaut http://www.facebook.com/ChengBand |
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Joined: 06 Sep 2008 | Posts: 1156 | Location: Nashville
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StuartBuck wrote: I know that dude. He posts here as drenchedecent. |
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Joined: 03 Jan 2003 | Posts: 476 | Location: Austin TX
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Release coverage in Dallas Observer Although I'd call it more a mention than a review.... tldr= didn't sell as many downloads on i-tunes as Forever the Sickest Kids release today did. Who the fk cares. quote of the article: "Mall punk lives" ![]() Looks like they sent a camera to the release party and show at Good though |
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Joined: 06 Jan 2008 | Posts: 1759 | Location: Dallas
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AV Club's review: http://origin.avclub.com/articles/eisley-the-valley,52509/ Gave Eisley a lukewarm B-. So did the Daily Texan. http://www.dailytexanonline.com/content/eisley-album-showcases-band%E2 %80%99s-maturity _________________ "I cannot discuss your verses; for any attempt at criticism would be foreign to me. Nothing touches a work of art so little as words of criticism." -- Rainer Maria Rilke |
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Joined: 19 Nov 2005 | Posts: 1045 | Location: Mansfield and Austin
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Caley wrote: AV Club's review: http://origin.avclub.com/articles/eisley-the-valley,52509/
Gave Eisley a lukewarm B-. So did the Daily Texan. http://www.dailytexanonline.com/content/eisley-album-showcases-band%E2 %80%99s-maturity The copy in the AV club one is actually very complimentary though. They actually used the word triumphant. The Texan's review is top to bottom regurgitated cliche. I'd have expected better from them, frankly. I don't care so much whether they liked the album or not, but that whole review could be cobbled together in five minutes by quickly googling the most trite of the prior reviews. |
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Joined: 06 Jan 2008 | Posts: 1759 | Location: Dallas
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'It's ridiculous, she gets handed a new axe for every damn song during the live show. She's the female Ted Nugent, minus leopard print, ATHF cameos, and well...all sense of badassery. " Comment on the AV Club page. ![]() Rolling Stone...anyone? _________________ I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away. |
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Joined: 05 Nov 2002 | Posts: 6826 | Location: Gilmer, Tejas
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Joined: 06 Jan 2008 | Posts: 1759 | Location: Dallas
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