Dinosaur Feathers

There’s a real danger in taking two overused band-name components—”Dinosaur” and “Feathers”—and naming a group after them. Luckily, the downside is more than made up for by Brooklyn-based Dinosaur Feathers’ songs, which meld soaring vocal harmonies to an aesthetic that’s at once synthetic and tribal. That means skewed electronic beats hanging out with an acoustic guitar, gorgeous melodies peering out from layers of noise, and singers Greg Sullo and Derek Zimmerman—both of whose voices trump those of most of their peers—playing vocal games with lots of woozy vibrato. - The Onion AV Club

Dinosaur Feathers’ charmer of a debut single is called “History Lessons,” and true to its name, the tune is a primer on good sounds past. With its Beach Boys harmonies and clap-along beat, the song starts in the early ‘60s, as blue and refreshing as Pacific Ocean surf. Later, it leaps the Atlantic—and a few centuries—and lands in Africa, where the Brooklyn trio pays its respects to the roots of American pop. The flipside, “Know Your Strength,” lingers on the Dark Continent, or at least someplace with a tropical climate. Over springy guitars and snatches of electronic percussion, singer Greg Sullo makes a bold claim his music more than backs up: “I will knock you off your feet/ I’ve gotimagination." - The Deli Magaine

Incessant pop hooks and immaculate vocals, recalling Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook, are paired with a drum machine that points in the direction of Animal Collective. Animal Collective meets Squeeze. We never thought it would happen. With tribal drum patterns and intricate dance rhythms at their forefront, Dinosaur Feathers manage to take a sound typically tagged “experimental” and turn it into something warm and accessible. - The L Magazine

Dinosaur Feathers earns a secure spot here on raw potential alone. With little more than a drum machine, acoustic guitar, and keys, this duo spins a skewed funhouse of pop music that’s more deranged, more fun, and more groovy than the sum of its parts. Here’s a question for the audience: if Animal Collective and the Unicorns were doused with tar and feathered and then left on a perilous island with Sir Richard Attenborough and Jeff Goldblum, would we not be left with Dinosaur Feathers? Discuss. - Earfarm

Dinosaur Feathers are a band that changes your perception from what you’d expect to the new actuality of things. When you hear the idea of a duo that uses a drum machine you might have a certain image in your head, but this Brooklyn duo exceeds any and all expectations with music that is the purest form of pop perfection. - Poptarts Suck Toasted

I was really impressed with Dinosaur Feathers' set last night at Public Assembly. With tight poppy songwriting, along with the type of light tropical vibes that make Ruby Suns and High Places so pleasant, Dinosaur Feathers look like they'll be one of Brooklyn's best bands in no time. - New York Press

Listening to Dinosaur Feather’s debut EP, Early Morning Risers, is like rolling out of bed into a jungle filled with palms ripe with tropicaila and drum machines chirping away like mating crickets. If there were a hammock in the equation it would be close to heaven. - Breakthru Radio

Every now and then you hear a band that makes you pause for a few minutes or so to truly take their sound in. It’s new. It’s catchy. It’s a surprise. Today it’s Dinosaur Feathers. This band from New York does a lot with just a guitar, keys, and drum machine. Some facets of the Beach Boys, The Walkmen, and The Dodos come across when I listen. Pretty exciting stuff I must admit...Dinosaur Feathers definitely deserve an audience. - Pasta Primavera

They are making the kind of lo-fi pop I think we're going to be seeing a lot of this year. Except they're doing it better than the majority of the bands out there. Their first single Teenage Whore is deceptively tender despite it's title. - The World in a Paper Cup

Dinosaur Feathers offers skewed yet joyous avant-pop that nods to the likes of Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors - Timeout New York

This Brooklyn band has one of the year’s quirkiest and most charming debut albums in “Fantasy Memorial” (self-released), a garage-sale jumble of styles — 1960s pop, surf-rock guitar, mild tropical flourishes, maybe the B-52s — anchored by sinisterly effective pop melodies. “Family Waves,” one of several great ones here, moves many directions at once, with pummeling drums, plaintive harmony singing and frontman Greg Sullo, with the slickly twee voice of a 1950s teenage heartthrob, singing about the love that’s never coming back: “Family waves are coming and I’m dreaming of our sons and daughters/Family waves are coming and you’re heading for the open waters.” - New York Times

(Dinosaur Feathers) use their voices like instruments, stacking and weaving them into a textured sonic tapestry that drips with 60s nostalgia. - Paste Magazine

Captures the incredibly catchy world sound of Vampire Weekend with the tropical warmth of the Beach Boys. - Magnet Magazine

This is great. Dinosaur Feathers are a Brooklyn trio who are super quick to dive into afropop and Tropicalia, but never at the expense of a good old-fashioned blurry indie hookfest. - The Village Voice

Possibly the most notable thing about Dinosaur Feathers is their combination of indie rock listenability with experimental complexity. They seamlessly integrate multiple genres and intriguing sound samples into rich, island influenced jams. - KEXP