Boxcar Collision

"Indie alt-pop foursome, Boxcar Collision, will get you up and moving with their catchy lyrics and lead singer Ashlee Wilcox’s melodic vocals" - DCist

"Catchy vocal stylings are the strength of the local indie alt-pop foursome." - Washington Post

" “Lay It Down,” ...the lullaby coda to an otherwise hard-rockin’ LP proves that singer Ashlee Wilcox is as much a Cowboy Junkie as a Velocity Girl." - Washington City Paper

"This band is ready to blow up like a pager." - LocalPoint TV

A couple of listens through, and I get it. Yeah, we have the distorted guitar and the jangley shoe gaze, but what sets this apart is the Ashlee Wilcox vocals. Determined, driving, yet sweet. “Drama Queen” is a good song, and “How It Goes” demonstrates the overall talents of the band. This DC outfit has a lot going for it. Let’s hope they keep progressing in the right direction, and let’s hope for some local dates soon. - On Tap Magazine

D.C.-BASED BAND Boxcar Collision has a big indie pop sound. The group's songs are full of ringing guitar, but an even bigger presence are Ashlee Wilcox's vocals. No matter how engaging the music -- and most of it is quite good at burrowing into your ear and hanging out a while -- Wilcox's vocals hold your attention.

On "Someone," when she sings "at least I know, at least I know, at least I know someone wants me for something," it feels like weary resignation and a fist-shaking proclamation at the same time. And the knowingness in her voice on "Start Me Up Again" makes you want to do just that.

Not every song works, but there are enough good things on this self-titled release to make you think that Boxcar Collision is worth watching in the future.

-- Curt Fields - The Washington Post

Boxcar Collision comes clean with clever CD

"This Washington, D.C.-area power pop band has come clean with clever new CD.

With "Drama Queen," blistering guitars turn into a clean figure as Ashlee Wilcox' airy voice appears, and takes center stage.

Soon, in the circular and spare "Someone," the band drops in full-force.

The guitar tones and parts here really stand out, almost always distorted into oblivion, but it's the low register partial chords that are enticing and intoxicating, especially in "How It Goes."


"La La For" is pure pop, while "Boxful" is slinky and forceful.

Boxcar Collision -despite their name-never jumps the tracks. - The Daily Freeman, Kingston, NY

"Dudes, I am SUCH a sucker for chimey guitars, especially when those jangly tones lock horns with powerful throaty vocals. In that regard, Boxcar Collision’s Tom Van Veen (guitars) and Ashlee Wilcox (vox) pose a double threat. With that kind of firepower, every song is consistently pretty with a sort of well-heeled grit — kinda like the band aims to rock your socks off, but they’re really polite about it. What I’ve got here to review is five of the nine songs on the self-titled CD, and every one of them can be filed under “indie pop charmer.” The awesome, chugging beat makes “La La For” a true standout, invoking the kind of retro-eighties feel we thirty-somethings used to get at the mere sight of Molly Ringwald’s lonely girl pout. “Boxful” is an up tempo rocker that’s also pretty darn catchy, with a truly gorgeous guitar lick and a fun rhythm that probably has the live show audience pogo’ing their asses off. That said, Boxcar Collision chose well to start their CD with “Drama Queen,” front loaded as it is with some fierce feedback and distortion. “We’re not just derivative shoegazers,” the song seems to say. Rather, this little nugget of indie pop is dynamic, chugging along demurely but then swerving outside the lines with snarl and angst. Oh, it’s got a catchy hook, so it gets the radio-ready thumbs-up. Good stuff. I also dig “Someone” for its dynamics — plus it’s a perfect showcase for Ms. Wilcox and her delightful vocal prowess. “At least I know someone wants me for something,” goes the hook. Indeed, Boxcar Collision — we want you to play a show in our town. " - Low Budget Superhero