System and Station

So sometimes an album will get lost on my to-do list in the shadow of bigger, more shiny names - and sometimes you want to beat yourself for letting a great album get lost like that. "System and Station" is one of those albums. At the first song "Turned Guns" we are introduced to what sounds like the lovechild of emotional hardcore-royalties like Fugazi and Jimmy Eat World (here I'm thinking the "Clarity"-era). The soundscape is dystopic, but everso melodic but most importantly condensed and simple. "Occupied" is a bit of a jazzy song, but never straying too far from the general idea of the album. In "Fools" a clear, electrical guitar cuts through the dense, dark sounds of the rest of the album.

Singer RFK Heise does in general shape the album. His voice is very specific - like a mix of Ozzy Osbourne and Pete Doherty without the accent. Normally I would protest against the whole lot of echo-effect on the vocals, but in some way it just makes sense on this album. I feel taken-a-back to the first couple of mp3s that made their way from Seattle to my computer in the 00's. I applaud System and Station for staying with the old school sound rather than being swayed by the horrible faith this genre experienced. "I Met The Devil And The Devil Was You" has a fantastic kind of intricacy in it's rhythm powered by the simplicity of the general soundscape - making me think of Death Cab For Cutie's more experimental work with waltz and not-your-standard-4/4 rhythms.

Josh Vasby on lead guitar is an absolute magician - over and over again cutting through the clouds of gloom on the album with high-pitch solos and riffs. Bryan Fairfield on drums also really brings something extra. In general the band seems to understand when to spotlight the different instruments - also in the mix - where Larry Crane (The Decemberists) has helped the band out as co-producer with great success. I must confess, I thought this part of music was dead, but this has rekindled my faith in the more experimental and harder part of the indie genre and I'd pick System and Station over Mumford and Sons any day.
- rock freaks. net 7/2013

I've been to a lot of shows and seen many
great artists perform. What I have never
witnessed before now was the product of four musical powers being channeled into a single rock
and roll beast without missing a beat. System and Station surpassed any expectations I could
have held for a live performance, considering it was my first time seeing them play.
With a small, close-knit crowd of friends, acquaintances, and locals, the atmosphere was
comfortable and warm. Everyone got their favorite drink and played their own role in getting the
party started.
System and Station wasted no time getting things going. And before anyone knew it, toes were
tapping, heads were bobbing, and everyone began to find their groove. It was astonishing to see
firsthand that individually, RFK, Adam, Josh, and Bryan all are very talented musicans in their
own right. That was quite clear as they each got a little deeper into the music with each song.
As was fitting with each of their apparent personailities, they occupied the space that needed to
be filled in order to complete the whole scene. Josh kind of stayed in his corner and absolutely
tore up his guitar, providing rhythm and infusing some serious soul into the mix. Bryan smiled
almost the entire time he attacked the drums, clearly loving his job – and doing it right. Adam
played the bass in such an intense way that I was in awe of his unique style. RFK not only put on
a crazy display of electric guitar shredding, but also provided lead vocals that were more crisp
and clear than any recording probably could have captured.
It seemed as if either these guys had telekinesis, or had practiced together nonstop for the last
several days to master this tight performance, because it seemed like they were reading one
another’s minds. Every movement – each hit at the end of a song, all the little things that
collectively matter – were all perfectly in sync and sharp. I was most impressed that this
collaboration was genuine, and wrought by many years of hard work and raw talent.
It was quite clear this wasn’t anywhere near their first show. In fact, it was largely showcasing
their newest album, which is only the latest in a long string of albums. I suppose it’s quite possible
someone stepped on my lower lip as my jaw hit the floor a few times, namely during such intense
songs as “Saturday Night Friends” and “I Met the Devil and the Devil Was You.”
To say this show was good would be doing this band a great injustice. System and Station is not only Portland’s, but possibly America’s, greatest-kept rock secret. But it’s well past time to let the
cat out of the bag, people… Check these guys out for yourself! You can thank me later - Music Underground June 24, 2013

I've been to a lot of shows and seen many
great artists perform. What I have never
witnessed before now was the product of four musical powers being channeled into a single rock
and roll beast without missing a beat. System and Station surpassed any expectations I could
have held for a live performance, considering it was my first time seeing them play.
With a small, close-knit crowd of friends, acquaintances, and locals, the atmosphere was
comfortable and warm. Everyone got their favorite drink and played their own role in getting the
party started.
System and Station wasted no time getting things going. And before anyone knew it, toes were
tapping, heads were bobbing, and everyone began to find their groove. It was astonishing to see
firsthand that individually, RFK, Adam, Josh, and Bryan all are very talented musicans in their
own right. That was quite clear as they each got a little deeper into the music with each song.
As was fitting with each of their apparent personailities, they occupied the space that needed to
be filled in order to complete the whole scene. Josh kind of stayed in his corner and absolutely
tore up his guitar, providing rhythm and infusing some serious soul into the mix. Bryan smiled
almost the entire time he attacked the drums, clearly loving his job – and doing it right. Adam
played the bass in such an intense way that I was in awe of his unique style. RFK not only put on
a crazy display of electric guitar shredding, but also provided lead vocals that were more crisp
and clear than any recording probably could have captured.
It seemed as if either these guys had telekinesis, or had practiced together nonstop for the last
several days to master this tight performance, because it seemed like they were reading one
another’s minds. Every movement – each hit at the end of a song, all the little things that
collectively matter – were all perfectly in sync and sharp. I was most impressed that this
collaboration was genuine, and wrought by many years of hard work and raw talent.
It was quite clear this wasn’t anywhere near their first show. In fact, it was largely showcasing
their newest album, which is only the latest in a long string of albums. I suppose it’s quite possible
someone stepped on my lower lip as my jaw hit the floor a few times, namely during such intense
songs as “Saturday Night Friends” and “I Met the Devil and the Devil Was You.”
To say this show was good would be doing this band a great injustice. System and Station is not only Portland’s, but possibly America’s, greatest-kept rock secret. But it’s well past time to let the
cat out of the bag, people… Check these guys out for yourself! You can thank me later - Music Underground June 24, 2013

Portland’s System and Station is one of the best bands you may never had heard of — well, now we know the National Security Agency has heard of them. Comprised of RFK Heise on vocals, keys and guitars, Adam Schultz on bass, Bryan Fairfield on drums and keys, and Josh Vasby on guitar and keys, they’re one of those bands that give indie rock a good name, blending math rock, hints of metal and even Southern rock, garage rock — well, let’s just put it plainly, they RAWK! In their 15-year career, they’ve played more than 1,000 gigs, opened for the requisite big names (Alex Chilton, Built to Spill, The Meat Puppets) and have written some downright classic rock ‘n’ roll tunes. With this show, the band celebrates the release of its seventh, self-titled LP, which tackles everything from the Occupy movement to predatory relationships. You can get a taste of it on YouTube, look for the grungey metallic glammish “The Crown that Fits,” which glorifies video game heroes as it sort of freaks you out with its authoritarian atmosphere - Portland Tribune

System and Station have been doing it longer, and better, than just about any band in Portland. Their
latest, self-titled full-length is their 10th studio recording, marking their 15th year together. System
and Station is yet another impressively played and written collection of high-voltage rock, as we have
come to expect from the Portland-via-Boise band. And while System and Station certainly offer some
aural fireworks, for the most part they are content to function as a fully integrated team of immaculate
craftsmen, letting the songs lead the way. There are tangled guitar showdowns in the vein of Built to
Spill, manic pop crackups à la Modest Mouse, and in "Saturday Night Friends" even a bluesy stomp
that will unquestionably please the Black Keys' bafflingly large fanbase. The real question is why
System and Station still isn't one of the biggest bands in the Northwest; as they've proven time and
again, they're absolutely one of the most consistent. This weekend's dual record-release shows tackle
opposite ends of town, with tonight's show in North Portland rock temple the Kenton Club, and
tomorrow night's at SE Foster neighborhood dive O'Malley's. NED LANNAMANN - Portland Mercury

System and Station have been doing it longer, and better, than just about any band in Portland. Their
latest, self-titled full-length is their 10th studio recording, marking their 15th year together. System
and Station is yet another impressively played and written collection of high-voltage rock, as we have
come to expect from the Portland-via-Boise band. And while System and Station certainly offer some
aural fireworks, for the most part they are content to function as a fully integrated team of immaculate
craftsmen, letting the songs lead the way. There are tangled guitar showdowns in the vein of Built to
Spill, manic pop crackups à la Modest Mouse, and in "Saturday Night Friends" even a bluesy stomp
that will unquestionably please the Black Keys' bafflingly large fanbase. The real question is why
System and Station still isn't one of the biggest bands in the Northwest; as they've proven time and
again, they're absolutely one of the most consistent. This weekend's dual record-release shows tackle
opposite ends of town, with tonight's show in North Portland rock temple the Kenton Club, and
tomorrow night's at SE Foster neighborhood dive O'Malley's. NED LANNAMANN - Portland Mercury

It's a great feeling when I put an album in and love it from the first song to the last. That's what happened with "Here Is Now" the latest release from System and Station. These guys are somewhat hard to classify, and while you could just lump them in as an "indie" band, there is a lot more going on musically than what most in that genre are doing. To my ears, it has a lot of progressive rock elements, fusing punchy guitars merged with great vocals that remind me (now this is going to sound strange) of a cross between Bono, Sting and a little Jim Morrison. Well that's what I am hearing anyway. The band keeps things interesting with complex, yet melodic song structures, aggressive guitar solo's (something I am glad to see making a comeback) and a powerful bombastic rhythm section. Think Rush meets Radiohead. Great, great stuff.

Craig Harvey- Movement Magazine
- Movement Magazine

Portland’s S+S are a pretty rockin’ band whose angular axwork gets puffed up into lofty billows- kinda like Sunny Day Real Estate, Built to Spill’s arena-sized moments, or the Sea and Cake on high spin. On their new album, Here is Now, great soaring vocals help build the tension while a mechanized rhythm section sets the release.

Bosler- Village Voice
- Village Voice

System and Station are almost impossible to dislike. With Post-Punk guitars that interlock like twist-ties wrapped around a snapping whip, the bands nimbleness and dexterity are admirable. And, for those who prefer melody to menace, the vocals often buttonhook into smooth choruses that buffer the more hectic heads and verses. They are good, quite good. So good that they easily sidestep the fake amateur dancers of indie-rock cliché. But in polishing there tunes to a fine sheen, they maybe sometimes buff away potentially interesting impurities.

(JG) - Rock
- willamette weekly vol 30, issue 41

Says System & Station braintrust Ryan FK Heise, his number one influence is “sunshine hitting you just right when you are about to jump off a bridge!” That pretty much sums up the power and glory of Here Is Now. Part prog, part pop, part punk, part jazz-rock fusion, S&S seems to have hit on the perfect mixture of instrumental prowess and accessibility that made the early 70s so much fun (and diverse). Frank Zappa would do “Follow Your Arrow” proud as the tune takes the listener on a challenging time signature changing magic carpet ride. The ballad “I’ll See It When I Believe It” traverses the melodramatic; however Palmer Cloud’s blotto avant-garde guitar work brings it all back to earth in the same manner David Gilmour made even the dullest of Pink Floyd cuts interesting. The title track is a romantic, inspirational cut that you’d expect from Bono by way of Eno if they were both twenty years younger. Sooner or later Here Is Now will captivate you.

-TOM SEMIOLI - Amplifier Magazine
- Amplifier

3.0 Eyes

This four piece seems to have lived and played everywhere in the past five years, steadily building quite a following and making friends along the way. First off, it's a great title for an album, so they've earned brownie points right off the bat, and though I hate to call it fast pop-punk, or (gasp!) emo, it kind of fits that bill to a degree. Right off the bat, in the first three tracks, I was reminded of No Knife and the Get Up Kids, which is a good thing in my book! RFK's vocals are good, and both his and Palmer Cloud's guitar work is very impressive. My only complaint is it seems to weaken a little as the album goes on, as far as toe-tapping, rocking, pace and catchiness goes. They're still all good songs, but the band should have put the track-order backwards, building it up to that big climax to make me want more! Well, I guess it is just an E.P. Brett R. Jan
- 3.0 eyes

System and Station — Here Is Now (Latest Flame) :: Now here is a record that’s so refreshingly professional it’ll make you realize how truly amateurish most indie releases are. Well arranged and emotionally engaging, System and Station’s eclectically adventurous brand of melodic music has more than enough of what it takes to get them noticed today while they carve out a niche in tomorrow’s pop pantheon. Good job, lads. Carry on.

Jeffery Morgan- Metro Times Detroit
- Detroit Metro Times

Album Reviews • Monday February 2nd, 2009

Despite having labored in near-obscurity for over ten years, Boise, Idaho-based singer/songwriter RFK Heise has managed to keep his head above water and weather storms that would have capsized lesser musicians in a matter of months. The past decade has seen him release three full-length albums and an equal number of EPs under the System and Station moniker, with a revolving cast of band mates backing his every move. Documenting each of the band’s catastrophic run-ins with various anti-icons of American culture (including crackheads, prostitutes, law enforcement personnel, and a cross-dressing nun) would likely occupy more space than is feasible at the moment, but to say that System and Station has endured mere adversity would be a staunch understatement.
After a few line up shuffles and a fresh start in Portland, Oregon, the band launched their latest platter, A Nation of Actors. In essence, the album maintains a consistent undercurrent of melodic indie-rock while displaying the requisite level of maturity in songwriting and presentation. While Heise’s compositional skill is apparent throughout its eleven tracks, A Nation of Actors is particularly memorable in those areas where the band melds its overdriven guitars with melodies that seem to communicate wistful themes of melancholy and nostalgia. This format works best on songs such as “The Magnetic North”, “Pictures Found in Paragraphs”, and “Dumb Luck”, where Heise’s penchant for catchy riffs meets head-on with a crestfallen sense of woe.
The cover art furthers this album’s pessimistic notion, as it portrays two blindfolded men in suits, shaking hands while holding butcher knives behind their backs. Whether betrayal is Heise’s conceptual intent is up for speculation, but his expertly crafted lyrics are the sort that can be taken in a number of ways. As might be expected, neither the band’s website nor its MySpace page makes any mention of what they hope to bring across, which adds an element of intrigue.
As is often the case with albums of strong artistic merit, A Nation of Actors is an album that holds strong to its original theme while expressing it in multiple ways. But interestingly, very few of the influences Heise claims (e.g. The Police, Led Zeppelin) are readily apparent here. Relevant comparisons can be drawn from Built to Spill, Elliott, or (at times) Sunny Day Real Estate, but this isn’t a record that invites the listener to blindly rattle off a long list of the usual emo/indie rock suspects. It takes some time to truly set in, but once it does, the multiple layers of sound become a sort of meaningful banter between passionate souls.
By Chris Alfano

- Stereo Subversions

System and Station — Here Is Now (Latest Flame) :: Now here is a record that’s so refreshingly professional it’ll make you realize how truly amateurish most indie releases are. Well arranged and emotionally engaging, System and Station’s eclectically adventurous brand of melodic music has more than enough of what it takes to get them noticed today while they carve out a niche in tomorrow’s pop pantheon. Good job, lads. Carry on.

Jeffery Morgan- Metro Times Detroit
- Detroit Metro Times