Balkans
Gig Seeker Pro

Balkans

Atlanta, Georgia, United States | INDIE

Atlanta, Georgia, United States | INDIE
Band Pop Pop

Calendar

Music

Press


"SPIN's 5 Best New Artists for June | BALKANS"

Who: A 21-and-under Atlanta quartet of buddies from high school who, after releasing four seven-inch singles, will drop their self-titled debut on May 10 via local label Double Phantom. Balkans combines suavely punky energy, angular guitar lines, and brash pop hooks.

SPIN Music Editor Charles Aaron says: "They have the slurry, just-behind-the-beat swagger that makes a rock band sound seductive but not embarrassing (and far more experienced than they actually are), plus allows the guitars to subliminally promise you the world and make you believe it. That's extremely hard to capture and translate into semi-sophisticated songwriting -- it's the difference between, say, 'Hard to Explain' and 'Sex on Fire.' It doesn't matter that all the lyrics sounds like horny collegiate IMs sent at three in the morning by cool kids who are trying to act like they know something about love despite having never suffered through the real mess of it. But rock and roll is partially founded on coolly horny obliviousness. And Balkans definitely got that in spades."

File next to: Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Tokyo Police Club

Where to start: "Edita V," a jittery assault of post-punk squall, or "Trouble and Down," Balkans' flagship jam, which boasts a simple, indelible guitar riff and drunk-in-the-sun vibe. - Spin Magazine


"The rock 'n' roll road trip to end all road trips | Cover Story"

Hidden in the maze of smudged brownstones and sickly grey-and-white storefronts lining the streets of Brooklyn's East Williamsburg, Shea Stadium sits atop a dreary, two-story warehouse. It isn't the baseball park that was once home to the New York Mets, but a dingy rock club that co-opted the stadium's hallowed name after it was demolished in 2009.

It's the epitome of a DIY music dive, only dirtier. Scribbled in Sharpie on nearly every wall, chicken-scratch graffiti slings mud at bands ranging from electro-posers Crystal Castles to lesser-known groups with names like Bagel and Good Sex. The main room is lined with dilapidated couches that look as if they're teeming with toxic allergens. The acrid smell of sewage and scorched motor oil taints the air. A glass retail counter that probably used to display lipstick serves as a makeshift bar beneath the club's name, which is painted on the wall and framed in a string of Christmas lights.

This is where Balkans drummer Stanley Vergilis, bassist Woody Shortridge, guitarist Brett Miller, and vocalist/guitarist Frankie Broyles have landed after flying 800 miles from Atlanta to make or break their dreams of indie rock stardom.

The polite disposition of the four fresh-faced lads belies their ability to crank out wiry and complex yet melancholy post-punk numbers that are sophisticated beyond their years.

While most bands at this career juncture work to gain stardom by slogging it out on the road, Balkans aim to bypass that route. In the weeks leading up to their trek, the band has been heralded by tastemakers such as Altered Zones, the Needle Drop, BrooklynVegan, Vice and the distinguished NPR, which called Balkans' self-titled debut album (due May 10 via local label Double Phantom) "a rollicking party record washed in harmless self-indulgence." But it was Fader that most poignantly surmised the band's potential when reviewing the song "Troubled and Done": "A chord change or two and you could almost see this in an iPod commercial? That's a compliment guys!"

It's one thing for a young band to garner some Internet buzz before fading into the daily blizzard of videos and MP3s. It's another to transcend the blog hype and turn that rash of attention into real-world success. But because the group's members have decided to stay in college they simply can't constantly be on the road. So they've come to New York for a weekend mission of shock and awe. It's a calculated attempt to work smarter, not harder, at attaining their aspirations by getting the attention of a career-making booking agent or two — all without missing a day of class.

"Frankie wants to make a career out of this band, that's his minimalist vision," says bandleader Vergilis. "Woody wants to be in the coolest band ever. Brett is in this to have fun. Me, I want to be in the biggest band in the world."

This confluence of fun-loving and goal-oriented personalities lies at the heart of Balkans' drive. They have no manager and little experience, but they envision themselves as more than just another rowdy indie rock band.

"We're not just a bunch of dudes who are fun to be around and who do crazy shit at our shows," says Vergilis. "Anyone can make an ass out of themselves on stage, and we love that, but we're recording artists and we're capable of doing so much more."

Like many upstarts, the group has drawn criticism for wearing its influences on its sleeve. But compared to most local bands, Balkans remain two steps ahead, gaining their lead by refining their sound and pushing themselves in inventive ways.

After a two-year incubation period, the band has conjured an unexpectedly crisp and mature sound that defies both its inexperience and Atlanta's simplistic, lo-fi rock reputation. On the eve of releasing its debut full-length, the sudden burst of attention is unusual for such a young band. If ever there was a time for Balkans to step up, it's now.

Still, one can't help but look at them and wonder: Are they ready?


.... see more at link - Creative Loafing


"Balkans are here, new LP coming --- MP3s, video & dates"

Atlanta whippersnappers Balkans are visiting NYC this weekend, playing Shea Stadium tonight/Friday with Austin TX's Flesh Lights, plus So So Glos, Grand Rapids and Night Collectors. Then Saturday night (4/16), Balkans play again with Flesh Lights and also Population 1280 and an '80s hardcore cover band featuring Gavin McInnes and Josh Styles. All upcoming Balkan dates are at the bottom of this post.
Brash and jangly, Balkans' impressive debut -- due out May 10 on Double Phantom -- reminds me of the kind of shout-a-long pop we got in the early '00s, maybe somewhere between The Libertines and The Walkmen. (Or even The Cribs.) Plus a genuine youthful energy and snarl that can't be faked. Apparently Bradford Cox is a big fan. You can download two tracks at the top of this post and be sure to check out the video for single "Edita V," with all dates and the album cover and tracklist, below. - Brooklyn Vegan


"Second Stage: Balkans, 'Let You Have It' | All Songs Considered"

Balkans drummer Stanley Vergilis names "Flabby Abby" as his favorite song on the group's upcoming self-titled album — just don't expect to find it listed on the packaging. Its official title is "Let You Have It," and its double-titling doesn't make it unique in Balkans' catalog. Vergilis explains that the garagey new-wave band typically nicknames its songs after girls they all knew in high school — which really wasn't that long ago.

None of the band's members would normally be admitted into most of the venues they play; they're all under 21. This used to be a major obstacle when the band started about three years ago. It was difficult to attract crowds at concerts, because Balkans' fans were their equally underage friends. In the long run, Vergilis says it forced maturation.

"We were 16 or 17, and we were playing with bands who were, like, 25," he says. "We kind of pretend we're a little bit older than we really are. I guess we have adapted to the fact that we play for people who are older than us."

Vergilis and bassist Woodbury "Woodie" Shortridge met in seventh-grade shop class. Shortridge and singer-guitarist Frankie Broyles had been playing together since elementary school. The three started out with Coldplay and Weezer covers, but then senior year came, and with it the addition of guitarist Brett Miller. Their inspiration took a sharp turn toward bands like The Strokes. That was when the name Balkans came into being and the group's danceable, guitar-driven cheer-rock sound bloomed.

Balkans, out in May, is a rollicking party record washed in harmless self-indulgence. Most of the songs are seemingly about girls, but they always come off as lighthearted — more likely to evoke a hip-shimmy than a moment of reflection. - NPR


"Singles for the Week starting 4 April | BALKANS"

American, desert-fried, jangly garage pop. As I write this, my comrades out in SXSW will no doubt be discovering that the US ships the stuff as quickly as Ireland bottles Guinness, each band capturing the natural echo of yet another suburban garage as brilliantly as the next. The Black Lips have got a lot to answer for, and a lot of good things at that.
Atlanta's Balkans on the other hand, have deviously twisted the formula with their album-previewing single 'Edita V'. Pulsating into life with the hum of a demonic washing machine, the song delivers a bolt-gun to the head with the arrival of creepy-kooky riffs, and singer Frankie - who quite frankie-ly sounds like he's been slurping on a bottle of Wild Turkey. Wasting less than no time at all, the summery chorus kicks in... but wait!
Yes, wait. Because Frankie is sounding more than Wild Turkied. In fact, he's sounding deranged, a suspicion which is further solidified as the track does a harrowing U-turn into 'Doolittle' era Pixies territory: the breakdown section does a freakshow dance into the room, like one of the backwards speaking Dwarfs from Twin Peaks but with a touch more melodic skill. It pins you to the wall with intensity, surrealism and doom. And then?
Then, naturally the summery chorus kicks back in again. It's the mark of a truly twisted band, and a saliva-generating preview of what awaits come their debut album. - Artrocker Magazine


"Balkans: "Edita V""

This video for the Balkans' "Edita V" plays like a visual/musical companion to Enter The Void, with a kind of magical-psychedelic highlighter running through the whole of the piece. The song itself is a brash sing-a-long with tense, intoxicated vocals that pan out like a written letter, dense loops, and jangly guitars. The Atlantic quartet have just released this song as the A-side to a split 7" on Double Phantom, with a follow-up in LP form to come in May. - Altered Zones


"Balkans, “Troubled and Done” MP3"

Were really psyched on Atlanta’s Balkans the minute we heard the fucked up scratch of Edita V. It’s a summer anthem, all bratty and indignant and BORED and about not planning for the future, a quick soundtrack for being pissed. Second single has us just as stoked, but “Troubled and Done” is a different side of the summer-anthem coin. Also from the self-titled album out May 10, it seems to have loftier ambitions, a song with a future and a Strokes-territory popness for pool parties. It’s still the best kind of whiney, but a chord change or two and you could almost see this in an iPod commercial? That’s a compliment guys! Balkans are playing two shows in New York this weekend, check their web site for dates. - Fader Magazine


Discography

C++ / F3 7 inch (2008) (Cave Paint Records)
Zebra Print / Oh Dear 7 inch (2009) (Double Phantom Records)
Violent Girls Atlanta vinyl LP comp. (2009) (Creative Loafing/Criminal Records)
Georganne / Bills Spills / Leopard Print 7 inch (2010) (Double Phantom Records)
Edita V / Cave 7 inch (2011) (Double Phantom Records)
Balkans (2011) (Double Phantom Records)

Photos

Bio

Formed in 2008 in the suburbs of Atlanta by childhood and high school friends; Frankie Broyles, Woodbury Shortridge, Stanley Vergilis and Brett Miller are Balkans. They aren’t pop, nor are they punk, but instead they straddle a delicious and intriguing position somewhere in-between.

It took only a handful of their frantic, youthful gigs to double their audience and land them support slots with the likes of King Khan, (the late and great) Jay Reatard, Times New Viking, Atlas Sound and Black Lips, often in clubs that they otherwise would have been too young to enter. Soon after that, Balkans were embarking on full East Coast tours.

In the US, Balkans have released three 7" singles through various local labels, most recently, ‘Edita V’ b/w ‘Cave’ came out on their present Atlanta based label Double Phantom Records (home to The Selmanaires, Carnivores, and Mood Rings). The single raised considerable attention via tatse-maker's such as NPR, Fader, Vice, and Spin Magazine, with the latter naming Balkans one of the top 5 bands for June.

The ‘Edita V’ single is a perfect introduction to the sound of Balkans. Their music is high energy punk, referencing bands such as Television with angular riffs and energetic vocals. It is not, at first, an easy listen. Clarity is purposely blurred and production experimented with. The result is unique – raw textures and the Balkans own sharp character. Though when the drums explode into their constant pulse until the chorus hits, everything changes. Amongst all the confusion and tension appears a beautiful soaring chorus.

‘Edita V’ is indicative of the self-titled debut album as a whole, full as it is with dark yet catchy pop songs. Another stand out track, ‘Flowers Everywhere’ gives off a melancholy nostalgic vibe with the melody floating along effortlessly. The instrumentation throughout the album is strangely tense but when the band reaches the glorious point of release, it’s all worth it. ‘Balkans’ the album is the product of over three years work, with the young band writing many songs. It houses their ten best, most straight-forward, energetic, and frantic pop-rock songs.

This is a no-nonsense LP, with each song being able to stand alone as its own single. It’s an energetic punk-grind that waivers between bouts of sincerity and catharsis, yet it is also heartfelt at times. Each song has honesty, rooted in the bad experiences of young adult romance, evoking memories of teenage lust and heartbreak.