AltSpeak
Seattle, Washington, United States
Music
Press
On a Wednesday evening in June, Seattle's rainy weather has taken a reprieve and sunny skies mark the city's industrial waterfront. Coulter Leslie, lead guitarist for group, Altspeak, greets me outside the band's rehearsal studio.
Faus appears mod with a debonair smile, dressed in casual black. I ask if he's worried about fashion statements. He quips, "No fashion statement..., just clean, cool, and lazy." Within seconds of exchanging pleasantries, the group is jovial and down to earth.
..
Altspeak is humble and unpretentious. The band defines its European beat music as an "orgy of 1990s Britpop and contemporary indie rock bands."
It's Up To You, Altspeak's debut, will be released online July 2nd. Lead single "Little Things", cuts like a knife, getting first in line as a live favorite.
In their roomy rehearsal studio, the three charge through "Little Things." It's a rave-up straight to the heart and an adrenaline rush, punctuated by Leslie's piercing guitar strokes and the staccato pop of Hallauer's drumming.
..
As a whole, It's Up To You has the distinction of a breakthrough hit. It's up there with watershed albums such as Oasis' Definitely Maybe, The Strokes' Is This It, or Coldplay's Parachutes.
Some of the more enduring songs are arena-sized anthems like "Be a Star" and "Tonight." Distinguished by its orchestral flourishes, swooping guitar lines, and shades of shoegaze.
As a masterpiece of Britpop gems, it's surprising the disc was produced in Seattle.
..
High Soundz: How did the name Altspeak come about?
Iggy Faus: It came from George Orwell...
more at: http://www.highsoundz.net/hs_online.pdf - Seattle High Sounds Magazine
What's better than winning the lottery? Winning the lottery when you didn't even pay for a ticket. So why not go to altspeak.com, download the band's new album It's Up To You for absolutely free, and hit a rollover jackpot of 13 consummately crafted tunes?
The irresistible Little Things rushes up to you Fratellis-style, grabs you by your tie and demands you accompany it to the nearest dance floor; the guitar in 7 Shots chunks and chops its way straight to the rhythm center of your brain with all the urgency of The Hives; Young is a soaringly upbeat hymn to age being just a number, and these are just the tip of the sonic iceberg that will overwhelm all but the steeliest of hearts on the way to the epic, panoramic album closer Leave It All Behind.
Altspeak stand at the intersection of jangle and shimmer, all dressed up with nowhere to go (but up)
..
LPM: In Young you describe "Getting naked in the rain like we used to do back then". Is this autobiographical, and if so, I hope it's not England or Pacific Northwest rain, as that all sounds rather miserable..?
Iggy: Oh Yeah! Barcelona rain. Summer storm. Super hot night, over 100F, the Violent Femmes blasting on the car stereo...
..
read on: http://www.magazine.lpmvoice.com/Pro-Php/Main.php?MagID=4&MagNo=23 - LPM Voice Magazine
A memorable evening of Seattle rock with Altspeak... (Three Imaginary Girls)
Three Imaginary Girls (link at the bottom)
"While they cite a lot of Brit-pop influences on their website and MySpace page, the obvious comparison to me is from The Strokes. Both guitarists, Coulter Leslie and Andrew Gaskin worked well together, finding openings for one another in the same manner that Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr. did – they are lush and shoe-gaze-y but still rock out as well while singer Iggy Faust has a drone delivery that reminds me a lot of Julian Casablancas_
Altspeak is a very tight group musically and really does have the potential to be a very large presence in this town."
Read on:
A memorable evening of Seattle rock with Altspeak... (Three Imaginary Girls)
- Three Imaginary Girls
[GUITARS AND FEELINGS] Though Seattle long ago lost its monopoly on jangly, self-conscious rock, the city is still a leading producer, and Altspeak is exemplary proof of this widespread talent. The indie quartet flirts with shoegaze but pairs it with a winking exuberance. Sure, the choruses are mopey, but they’re also (paradoxically) fun. Of course, Altspeak’s buzzworthy pedigree (Coulter, the Turn Ons) isn’t hurting its case any, and a stellar downloadable debut has attracted the attention of more than a couple indie-rock scribes. - WWeek (Portland)
Discography
7/08 - It's Up to You (13 songs)
Radio airlplay:
Fifty-Eight
Little Things
Young
In Your Eyes
Let It Out
Be a Star
Let it Out
Stars
7 Shots
Leap of Faith
Up to date streaming info can be found on last.fm
Photos
Bio
Formed in 2008, Altspeak have quickly established themselves as one of the most promising bands to come out of Seattle. Since the release of their debut album "It's Up To You" in July 2008, Altspeak have received critical acclaim locally for the quality of their album and their live performances. Featured on the cover of local music magazines, and interviewed by many publications, their live performances have been qualified as memorable, and of brilliant drone delivery by reputable publications such as Three Imaginary Girls, and the band has already shared stage with legends such as Andy Rourke of The Smiths. "It's Up To You" has been compared to Oasis' Definitely Maybe, The Stroke's Is This It, and Coldplay's Parachutes by Seattle High Sounds Magazine, and promised to overwhelm all but the steeliest of hearts by Seattle's LPM Voice Magazine. Released as a free download on the internet, the songs from "It's Up To You" rapidly reached 500,000 downloads in less than 6 months. Altspeak quickly caught the attention of one of the leading US indie stations, KEXP Seattle, and the band has enjoyed generous airplay, critical acclaim and performed live at the station, at their best-of showcase in the city and have been featured song of the day in their prestigious podcast. Given their growing success, it's not surprising that KEXP has predicted that with a sound this big, Altpseak won't stay under wraps for long.
Links
