Automatic Children

“There’s rebelliousness to their sound; I can feel the leather jacket hanging on my shoulders in James Dean fashion. Their rebellion steams from vocal timbre. No voice on this record sounds exactly like the last, which leads me to think that Adam Lippman and Crista Giuliani are in actuality, four people. It’s a compliment to say the least, as I find different characters in each song adding to the overall narrative” - Golden Mixtape: Ashley Jean

“They deal in the type of to-the-point guitar music that is ingrained in New York's heritage, taking elements from the 1970s garage and punk scene right through to the revival that's kept websites like us swamped with decent music for the last few years. ... 'Johnny' has ringing guitar strums and a simple lead over the top, it has vocals that are half screamed with passion and it has an irresistible and toe-tapping feel in general.” - Sound of Confusion

When I reviewed this New York quartet’s debut EP, they hadn’t settled on a style yet, but two of their five songs were pretty good. On their first LP, they’re a little more stylistically consistent, though still with a bit of a split personality, moving from lo-fi near the garage rock end of the spectrum to mid-fi pop with keyboards (the synthesizer really doesn’t fit into the musical ethos at work here!) and harmony vocals and occasional jangle-rock. The songwriting’s gotten more consistent, and once again there’s a standout track, the mid-tempo “Talk to Me,” a sort of amiably gentle power-pop tune. - The Big Takeover Magazine Issue #67

Automatic Children’s anthemic, drum-fueled rock doesn’t back down. Just when you think they’ve gone and given you the biggest blaster with their first track and single “Coming Over Me”, they roll on up with “Solitude”, singer/guitarist Crista Giuliani bringing on her heady Joan Jett-style sneer. Creeping guitars on “The First Time” take a gritty, lo-fi turn, giving a breather at the disc’s halfway mark, and then “Little Stars”, its guitars laced a bit with “Lust For Life” inspiration, brings on another barnstormer, this time fronted by singer/guitarist Adam Lippman, who has quite a smooth croon. Automatic Children are from NYC (with a show during CMJ 2010), but sound more like real deal rockers you’d discover somewhere in the middle of America, who have all the time in the world to polish their full-frontal songs.–Selina S. - Sentimentalist Magazine

A very solid release from a band that was named one of the top NYC bands by The Deli magazine a whopping two times. Deli writes, "Unselfconsciously, Automatic Children play psych-influenced and alternative rock in the style of some of the 90s' best -- a comparison to Brian Jonestown Massacre (without all the crazy) wouldn't be totally out of order."

Well put. Raw and rollicking, but if you're a fan of the slower stuff, check out the fantastic "Be Here Now." - WLUR 91.5 FM

A patchy offering, worth checking out through the website if you ask me, to cherry pick the excellent tracks such as opener “Coming Over Me” and the bouncy “Little Stars”. Listen before you buy “Estrella” and save your hearing, it's awful. Automatic Children write a decent indie–rock tune and the male/female combination works well... in combination. I have filched “Be Here Now” for the iPod, but its not an Oasis cover, rather a standout head nodder that will have you reaching for that little screen to remind yourself who made this slice of nice. Automatic Children are, if anything, a little too polite. There is the potential for aggression in their lyrics that they would do well to inject into the music. - Leicester Bangs (UK), 4/22/10

I’ve been listening to this New York band called Automatic Children.

If I had to pin down there music – and it would be tough – I’d have to say that it’s like a cross between the Rolling Stones and the Vivian Girls.

Evident are the Stones influence on songs like ‘Estrella’, with the thumping bass playing tight with the drums. Of the songs I’ve heard, they have the lo-fi slush, the grungey, gritty quality we all enjoy, which also can be found in Velvet Underground records. They wouldn’t seem out of place playing in Warhol’s Factory. Maybe it’s the ‘New York’ in them?
- ManMade Records (UK)

The male-female leads and more stripped-down, jangly sound on “Pity Party” reminds me of the Individuals; the darker, dirgey “Wake Up” is a poppy post-punk gem with some of the best this-relationship’s not-working lyrics ever. - The Big Takeover Magazine Issue #62

I read a review of this album recently, that said Automatic Children sound like everything else that's coming out of Brooklyn these days. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Brooklyn holds all kinds of styles of bands, and though it gets pinned down as the birthplace of Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio, musicians who are actively in the scene, know its variety.

The band- Automatic Children mixes a unique batch of influences, some might say shouldn't be mixed, others will "get it". There is an obvious blend of late 80's/early 90's Hard Rock with current Indie Rock-isms and a touch of 80's Pop sensibilities. The 80's part would be the lyrics. They are not trying to revolutionize Poetry in Rock and Roll, but leaning the other way, toward singalongs and catchy hooks. Lyrically, they are more similar to Duran Duran or The Psychedelic Furs. Musically, they're not unlike Girl/Guy groups of the 90's, like Versus or Butterglory. Imagine your favorite Indie band doing the best of Bon Jovi. That's what separates this band from the others in their category- they do what they want, without second guessing their hipster points or record store clout.

For a debut album, it represents all the qualities this band has to offer in a Pop/Punk setting with an overall production reminiscent of The Replacements. They are constantly working at finding the balance between Pop and Punk Rock.

Two notable tracks that stand out - "Coming over me" and "Be Here Now". The first song showcases both lead singers, who have very different styles. Adam- the dude, sings like a cross between Anton Newcombe and Sylvester Stallone, voicing his baritone tough-guy holler up against Crista- the girl. Crista handles the high harmonies and lead vocals with an innocence and sincerity of a true Pop star. The combination of the two work well, and I don't mean in a "Rhinestone" movie Stallone/Dolly Parton way, although I'd like to see more sequin suits in Brooklyn bands these days.

The second track noted, is "Be Here Now". First off, this is the title of a very famous Oasis song, but surprisingly brings to mind, the band- Ride, who's core member (Andy Bell) was the bass player for Oasis. Is this supposed to be a nod to the Maharishi existential quote- "Be Here Now"? Is the song intentionally rivaling Oasis, by way of The Pixies double harmonies and a gnarly bass and drum breakdown? Perhaps, they've never heard the Oasis song, or like the band for that matter. But it's hard not to compare the two.

All in all, the band passes with flying colors for a debut LP. And if you listen to an eclectic mix of music, but put the need to ROCK-OUT before anything else, give this album a listen! - Accidental Genius Blog

Sometimes it’s important to note that rock and roll isn’t all about being super serious. In between striking an unaffected pose and frantically trying to mimic P4k’s Best New Music picks, the essence of live music can get lost in the “indieness” of it all. I mean, when’s the last time you heard a band compare themselves to the Monkees (see below)? Unselfconsciously, Automatic Children play psych-influenced alternative rock in the style of some of the 90's best – a comparison to Brian Jonestown Massacre (without all the crazy) wouldn’t totally be out of order. The band’s standard four-piece line up is augmented by male/female vocal interplay, which unfolds on stage like a teenage rock opera. Is she secretly crushing on him this song and trying to hide it? Will he ever ask her to the dance? Will she say yes? The answers after this chorus.

Which came first, "Automatic Children" the song or the band name?

The song. We were throwing around hundreds of names, and had almost settled on "The Atomic Summer" because our first gig was on a 103-degree night in August - and, well, it seemed pretty catchy, though many of our friends weren't convinced and neither were we. Too emo. A few weeks later in a songwriting session for the album, Crista and I started playing this riff and singing these words "automatic children, everybody wants one" - and we instantly loved it. We can all get a little goofy, and it just captured us in a nutshell. And now we have our own theme song, kinda like The Monkees!

What's your favorite era of rock, and do you think that directly inspires your sound?

Having all lived through most of the 70s as kids, we were naturally exposed to a lot of late- 60s and 70s classic rock. We got schooled on The Police, The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles, The Stones, Zeppelin, and on and on. Later of course our sensibilities expanded to alternative and indie rock as it became as prevalent and we all ended up in New York City. Our music became a marriage of the two – both are close to our hearts and tattooed in our brains.

Do you have a favorite band to play with?

Lately we like Rich Girls and Prison Pretty. I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting to mention. MySpace is such a great way to get exposed to and share music with other artists just like yourself.

Any luck in getting too-cool-for-school New York audiences to dance?

Hmmm, do New Yorkers dance? We've gotten them to holler and cheer and ask for encores. Maybe one day we will meet these dancing New Yorkers you're talking about.

For those who like: The Pixies, The Lemonheads, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sebadoh
Relevant info: Playing The Annex on April 22nd. Come check it out! - The Deli Magazine (Top Emerging Bands of 2007 Issue)

I have always felt that a good live show should both hold your attention and leave you wanting more. Automatic Children's show at Rockwood Music Hall hit the mark on both fronts. The band seems to really enjoy themselves on stage which made for a fun live show. - Brooklyn Rocks Blog

Automatic Children just released their debut CD and are playing a show at Crash Mansion tomorrow night. The EP is a lo-fi gem -- listeners will immediately pick up on the influence of The Pixies and the band is supposed to include a cover of Gigantic in their set. The last song on the disc, "Wake Up", continues the influence of the Boston-based bands and has a strong Sebadoh influence. Across this disc, the band's sound is diverse but the disc doesn't sound unfocused.

My favorite tracks on the new EP are the two rockers, "Dirty Weekend" and "Pity Party". The later track is rather interesting as the male/female vocal interplay is really similar to mid-80's X.

The new 5-song EP is entitled "It's Not Me, It's You" is available from CD Baby and directly from the band (nach!). The band's lyrical themes are interesting as well, dealing with a diverse range of subjects from hipsters ("Automatic People") to failing relationships ("Pity Party").

The band had their first official show at Southpaw last month for their CD release party and have already been named by Deli Magazine as an "Artist on the Rise".

The show tomorrow looks fun. Tickets are only $10 and the band is scheduled to play at 8:30PM. - Brooklyn Rocks Blog

Before handing me Automatic Children’s debut album New is Beautiful, WGTB Music Board Director Christian said this: “This record sounds pretty much just like everything coming out of Brooklyn right now. Except for the lyrics, their lyrics are actually pretty cool. There, I’ve essentially written your review for you.” Now you make the call, here’s what I’ve got on New is Beautiful:

Automatic Children sounded so familiar at first listen that I had to wonder if I’d heard them before––no, they are a little-known (at least outside of their borough) up-and-coming band out of NYC, so not that. Their music, however, plays straight up into the genre of poppy lo-fi post-punk––a genre that feels very much like home to me, after I dwelled there for much of my freshman and sophomore year of high school. If I had heard this album during that phase, it would have undoubtably, immediately become a close favorite.
Now, however, my taste seems to have mainly moved out of this genre, though I still relished the head-bop-worthy jams like “Solitude.” The band seems to do best on this song and similar high-energy rockers, and loses itself a bit on more withdrawn, female-vocal-leading tracks like “The First Time.” Their sound is essentially nothing too new or original, but they execute it perfectly fine. I found this old rating system (pictured below) from Pitchfork’s early beginnings as a website, and I’d definitely put New is Beautiful at “not brilliant, but nice enough.”

Oh, the lyrics. Automatic Children, +100 points for being clever. Lyrics is the domain in which this album shines: it is essentially the perfect blithe, caustic, sarcastic break-up album for those who don’t feel like pitying themselves. “What is it going to take your mortally inclined wooden stake to tear apart your heart?” BOOM BOOM.

-- Fiona Hanly
"Sweet N Flo," Mondays 12-1 on WGTB - WGTB Georgetown Radio

Next up is a band out of NYC called Automatic Children. This foursome offers listeners both a female & male vocalist. The first track that we listened to and really enjoyed was, “Coming Over Me.” This track has hit all over it. The sound is classic indie rock that does not disappoint. For the second year in a row, Automatic Children is in The Deli Magazine’s list of top NYC bands. A nice point of Automatic Children is that every song sounds fresh & new. Crista Giuliani is the female vocalist in the group and she can hold her own. If you are in NYC on 5/19 they will be playing Arlene’s Grocery. If you enjoy their studio sound you are sure to enjoy the live show as well. If you go see live music in NYC you are bound to catch AC as they have played some of the coolest venues in the city. We really enjoyed the female & male perspectives that resonate through the songwriting. - Skope Magazine Online

Automatic Children got together a little over a year ago and made their live debut in September of 2007 at Southpaw with an 8 song set. In between live shows and day jobs, the band found the time to record their debut EP, “Its Not Me, Its You”. The EP earned strong reviews and comparisons to bands like The Pixies and Sebadoh followed. The band has started the New Year with a lineup change and added Jamie Morris on the drums to fill out their sound. The new lineup crystallized quickly and Automatic Children are releasing a stop-gap 7” of new songs in May prior to their full-length album coming out later this year. - The Deli Magazine