Constant Alarm
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States | INDIE
Music
Press
DC rock band Constant Alarm is celebrating the release of their debut album Atlas, on local label Red Stapler Records, with a headlining show this Saturday night at DC9. They funded the recording of the album at legendary Inner Ear Studios with a Kickstarter campaign, embracing the DIY ethos commmon in this town. They even made a fun video for their catchy debut single Breathe You, with a great rooftop view making it unmistakably DC. - Hometown Sounds
My friends Constant Alarm, provided me with a early copy of their new album entitled Atlas. The album will be released next week.
For those of you who don’t know, for years I worked on political campaigns across the country. This album could have served as the soundtrack to those sleep deprived years of my life. There is no other band that addresses the strange and obscure feelings that come from working on political campaigns.
The album features strong bass rifts mixed with the Dar Williams style vocals that helps to provide a unique sound. Some favorite songs from this album include If We Never Met, Jesus on the Brain and Privy to your Pain. What I enjoy about Constant Alarm the most is the local flavor. There is a reference to the steps of the Cairo in one of the songs and the placement the Atlas marquee as the cover art was a nice touch. - Jess Garson
"The world don't remember Henry Clay, so here is what I have to say" is the lyric that turned my head in this local band's appropriately titled song, "Henry Clay". Thankfully, the cleverness of this band is not restricted to finding odd lyrical subject matter, but spreads out deep and far into their music. They mix up heavy sounds with atmospheric rock landscapes while keeping pop hooks at the fore. They remind me of one of my favorite west coast bands, Lovelikefire, although they are not quite as dynamic. But this young outfit is getting there as they show some ability here to craft intricate vocal harmonies while they keep things rocking. Their live shows have been interesting, but this recording shows a bit more depth than I expected out of them. They have made a fun and engaging album here and I look forward to their next live outing.
And why not head to the album release party at the DC9 on Saturday, July 14th.
Songs to try first...
Breathe You - Very catchy opening cut that immediately pulled me into their sound.
For Me to Reach out to You - This lower key song with good male and female vocals and stinging acoustic guitar strikes perfectly hits the psyche folk portion of my brain.
Iowa - But after a psyche folk song, it's a welcome contrast to hear a scorching rocker with punk attitude and pop hooks. - DC Rocks Live - David Hintz
Discography
2011 - Code Orange Days - EP, Red Stapler Records
2012 - Atlas - LP, Red Stapler Records
Photos
Bio
Constant Alarm is a 4-piece Washington, DC based alt-rock band comprised of Mia Cambronero, Marshall Miller, Mike Sager, and Shawn Sukumar. The band was originally founded by Sager and Eric Dillon (who is still part of the family but moved to Chicago). Guitarists Sager and Dillon started writing together in the spring of 2010 following Sager’s frequent collaboration with DC funk band Bonjour, Ganesh! On the recommendation of a friend they quickly added Costa Rican vocalist Cambronero, and rounded out the lineup in the summer with bassist Miller and drummer Sukumar. Three of the four members are professional lefty political hacks (one's a lawyer.) The band was formed so that the various members would have something other than politics to talk about at parties. They released their debut LP "Atlas" in July 2012 on Red Stapler Records, which was recorded at DC's Inner Ear Studios. Atlas was funded through a successful KickStarter campaign. They had previously released an EP "Code Orange Days". The band has played many venues around Washington DC including the Rock n' Roll Hotel and DC9, as well as in New York.
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