Eula

Six to Watch in '08
Expecting great things this year from a short list of bands, record labels and promoters.
By David McMahon

Eula

After repeated bookings at Milford's Daniel Street and the forthcoming release of a second EP, Fill Your Heart, the stripped-down trio is in a good place to attract a lot of attention. They sound like early PJ Harvey or Sonic Youth and have good stage charisma. If we don't show our appreciation we might lose them to New York. Look for the band at Cafe Nine on Jan. 11 for their EP release party.

- New Haven Advocate

http://www.independ isc.com/sotw/ sotw007.m3u

Issue #102 Feb. ‘08
Eula – Fill Your Heart

I’ve been listening to music a long time, but in ’76 –’77 my senses were awakened to the artistry behind the artistry of creating a song through the mastery of instruments and the studio. Rock-n-Roll was born of rebellion in the 50’s; it had an attitude and aura, two attributes which would eventually fade into the background and allow the talented to create even more – Bigger, better. As Rock-n-Roll grew, so did its primary audience. As Rock-n-Roll refined, aged, and became more professional, so did its audience. What was once rebellion and proletarian art became a culture statement and so did its audience. Eventually the commercialization of that culture statement, of Rock-n-Roll and its audience, simultaneously signaled the death of the rebellion of the youth. But it was that youth that suffered the death, so it was time for Rock-n-Roll to be reborn among the young again.

Although the cycle can be adjusted to individual perspective, I discount the British Invasion & Garage Rock of the 60’s as a direct result/off-shoot of the 50’s. To me the Punk/New Wave movement of ’76 – ’80 was the first major upheaval. That’s when I discovered that the rebellion of youth expressed through Rock-n-Roll in all its ragged glory is an artistry to be savored. I began to search out not those who major record labels were bringing into studios and spending big dollars on to produce some of the slickest Rock-n-Roll to date; instead, I searched out the D.I.Y (Do It Yourself) bands. Granted, in a time without the internet it was a hard process, but having a local record store that would import singles from England that the band (or some indie label) had recorded, produced, and actually made and distributed themselves – along with local and regional acts as well – well, that was where the bliss was.

It’s been many years since I was able to crawl into the attitude and rebellion of Rock-n-Roll as a youth. But I still recognize, appreciate, and totally get into it when a band comes along and allows me to find my fountain of youth through their complete artistry of the genre. Rock-n-Roll belongs to youth, Rock-n-Roll is defined in its art by youth, and as long as there is youth who want to express themselves through Rock-n-Roll as an art form, the world will be better for it.

Eula is youth, Eula is attitude, Eula is art, Eula is D.I.Y., Eula is Rock-n-Roll, Eula is rebellion.

Fill Your Heart is a 5 song EP that has completely captured youth and Rock-n-Roll. Owing a ton to the Punk/New Wave movement of the late 70’s (as opposed to the grunge movement of the early 90’s – though grunge is certainly represented throughout – just more in a backseat roll to Punk/New Wave), Fight Riff and Rosie are the show-stopping manic dance floor/mosh pit, backbeat-heavy, distortion-pounders (think Sex Pistols, Sonic Youth and The Breeders) that make you want to tear down everything – and isn’t that what youthful rebellion embraces? A Hold and I Could Cry mix a bit of maturity and refinement a la` Romeo Void’s sound and Bettie Serveert’s Carol van Dijk’s vocals (not to mention Patti Smith as well). Who says you can’t be talented and historically well-versed in the artistry of all of Rock-n-Roll’s youth’s past?

Eula one-ups its own youth with Bee Song. An acoustic romp that you can whistle along to, it smacks us upside the head more so than the hook-filled, fuzz-toned, distortion drenched, death-emo opener, Fight Riff. Totally out of context, Bee Song blends perfectly with the other 4 songs to show it belongs. While the musical departure is so evident, Eula pulls if off with a natural talent that fits right across the board. And that is the X-Factor here: Alyse Lamb (guitar, vocals), Nate Rose (drums), and Jeff Maleri (bass) ace all the chops that should have them content to head into the studio and create the slick Rock-n-Roll that the majors love to spend money on (hoping to get the audience to spend their money on). Instead, as Eula, they are focused on an attitude, a rebellion; they are D.I.Y. and they are locked into the youthful artistry of Rock-n-Roll. Crawl in, let your senses awaken, and listen to what it’s all about.

Youth? Check.
Attitude? Check.
Rebellion? Check.
Rock-n-Roll? Check.
D.I.Y.? Check.
Art? Check.
Eula. Check.



- Independisc Music Club

Local CDs
Eula.
By New Haven Advocate Editorial

Eula, Fill Your Heart EP
(eulamusic.com). Eula reminds me of a whole school of mid-'80s Boston female rock bands that this young Connecticut outfit probably never heard of: Salem 66 and Uzi foremost among them. The mix of higher-register vocals and dark chords can be hypnotic, and is captured on this disc with a welcome directness and simplicity. The transitions from ethereal and nightmarish ("A Hold") to childlike ("A Bee Song") make the songs seem like part of an extended dreamscape. The wake-up call is "Rosie the Riveter," which shows how much the rudiments of rootsy rock & roll, namely a tough spare drumbeat, can add to postmodern mood-rock.
—Christopher Arnott
Eula play an EP release show at Cafe Nine Jan. 11, with Singing Bridges.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- New Haven Advocate

Posted on Fri, Jan 11, 2008

'Fill Your Heart'
With the unstable sound of Eula
By Patrick Ferrucci, Register Entertainment Editor

Nathan Rose, left, Alyse Lamb and Jeff Maleri make up the New Haven-based trio Eula, which releases an EP at a party at Cafe Nine tonight. (Contributed photo)NEW HAVEN — The trio sitting around the table at Cosi in New Haven has been called Eula for a long time, for more than four years. But like many local groups, Alyse Lamb, Nathan Rose and Jeff Maleri have had their Spinal Tap moments with drummers.

“It seemed like every time we got one, things would start to work and then they’d quit,” laments Rose, who stopped being Eula’s guitar player a couple years back just so the band could have a transitional drummer. “I went out and bought this small little kit, just because I thought if we keep losing drummers, I’ll just do it while we look for another one. It wasn’t fun to keep starting over.”

“We didn’t know if it would be permanent,” recalls singer/guitarist Lamb, “but Nate started playing, then he got a regular drum kit and we just decided to stay as a trio. It kind of felt right. I think, with us three, this is the best we’ve ever been as a band. I don’t even think of the other versions as Eula, even though we used the same name.”

Eula formed at the University of New Haven, but only Rose and Lamb remain from that original incarnation. Bassist Maleri joined the fold in early 2006, back when the band was still a quartet, but soon after another in the long line of drummers quit, Rose grabbed some sticks and the most permanent Eula was born.

“It really opens things up for me,” says Maleri. “There’s a lot more room for me to play. It makes us write in a different way, too.”

The evidence is clear. Tonight at Cafe Nine Eula will release its new EP, “Fill Your Heart.” Take a quick listen to “AHold,” one of six tunes on “Fill,” and you’ll hear a whole different group than the one many locals remember seeing when the “Thoughts to Taste” EP came out in 2005. Maleri’s bass line drives “AHold” forward with an almost bouncy rhythm that rides behind Lamb’s driving guitar.

Eula’s music defies traditional categorization. It’s bland to just label something indie rock, but that’s what we have here. Oh, sure, there’s some elements of Sonic Youth’s fascination with reverb and repeated measures. “Fight Riff” consistently repeats a strong tube-drenched progression, with Lamb’s high-pitched voice singing over Rose’s pounding drums and Maleri’s exciting bass lines. But unlike Sonic Youth, Eula also utilizes a strong sense of songcraft, with choruses very reminiscent of an unstable Pixies, with poppy moments interspersed with bursts of noise. So maybe we should just say Eula most closely resembles The Breeders?

The beautiful thing about music, though, is that if it’s good, it’s good, and Eula clearly knows what it’s aiming for, even if the members aren’t exactly sure how to get there.

“We have a dream to do this for good,” says Lamb. “You try not to get discouraged. The goal you have in mind, you just have to stick with it. So many of my friends are having babies, getting married, getting houses. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m sticking with my goal.’”

And that means working full-time jobs along with trying to nurture a music career. “Booking shows, making friends, that’s a lot to do,” says Lamb. “It would be nice to pay a promotion company that would believe in you and help you do that, too. But we haven’t found one yet.”

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“It sounds crappy, but after a long day at work,” explains Rose, “it’s tough to come home and then go to a bar and promote yourself. It’s tough.”

“But you have to do it,” adds Lamb.

Eula is doing it. The trio has been steadily playing out locally and in other states, hoping for a break. “Fill Your Heart” may come get an official release tonight, but the band is already hard at work on another EP.

“I don’t do much of the writing at first,” says Maleri, “but Nate and Alyse write quickly. They write a lot and then I come in and work on my parts. It’s good because it lets us keep growing.”

The new EP shows a band growing. Two tunes are from a previous EP, and both are better, even though they’ve only undergone minimal tweaks. Besides the cost associated with recording a full-length, Eula enjoys putting out shorter discs so they get the new music out there and somewhat capture where they are as a band at the time.

“Who’s going to buy a full-length album from a local band?” asks Lamb. “We can just make EPs with good songs on them and keep moving forward.”

Patrick Ferrucci can be reached at pferrucci@nhregister.com or (203) 789-5678.



if you go

Event: Eula with Singing Bridges, Horsefeathers, Puzzle People

When: 9 tonight (Friday, Jan. 11)

Place: Cafe Nine, 250 State St., New Haven

Tickets: $5

Info: (203) 789-8281








- New Haven Register

The People's Choice

Manic delights at the New Haven People's Center.

Thursday, March 27, 2008
By David McMahon

On March 16, Manic Productions once again took over The People's Center (yes, the meeting place of the local branch of the Communist Party) with great success. The local promotion company's shows there combine house-show intimacy and chaos with professional ambition. There's no stage and nobody running the boards, but the promotional machine is well-organized and the merch is on display.

Brava Spectre embodies all that is good in the underground right now. They're adventurous, sprawling and earnest. The music is noisy but focused. Post-rock and hardcore with guitar, bass, drums, vocal effects and a girl on saxophone. Complicated song structures and interesting rhythm changes that leave no time for clapping. They come from the far eastern lands of Montville and will, hopefully, make big noise in the New London fold.

After the expansive noise of Brava Spectre, Eula's straightforward three-piece seemed minimalist by comparison. It's a deceptive simplicity, though. There's evidence of a developed, crafted songwriting sensibility. The pronounced tremolo in Alyse Lamb's voice is at turns unnerving and vulnerable while her guitar playing is rough and angular. If Toad's Place had any sense, they would get Eula to open up for The Breeders in June.

The main characteristics of The Chinese Stars are a pulsing, near monotonous dance beat and squealing vocals. You might want to call it garage disco; The Simple Pleasure could open for this band, except they'd have blown them off the stage at this gig. The Chinese Stars come from nearby Providence, R.I., but this was the final stop on their national tour. They were intense, if a little ragged from the road. They sure got the kids moving anyway.

As usual, Manic Productions did a fine job bringing like-minded locals from disparate scenes together to play with a touring group that has significant drawing power. Brava Spectre's fanbase was younger and music-obsessive. Their crowd looked like a bunch of old-school dorks; whether the thick-rimmed glasses and bad hair was all a put-on couldn't be determined. But they were into it, anyway—not just a bunch of too-cool hipsters, these. Eula's followers were more mature and reserved. They seemed uncomfortable with the intimacy and energy of The People's Center, standing a few feet back. In spite of Manic Productions' unifying capabilities, it is still easy to spot each band's loyalists. Everybody who stuck around crowded together to get close to The Chinese Stars, though.

The show was hopeful. Manic Productions shows have a tremendous capability to revitalize and invigorate and, with any luck, that spirit will disperse through the ether and ignite the bands and clubs in town to some serious action.

Brava Spectre will return to The People's Center (37 Howe St., New Haven) on April 26. Eula will be at Daniel Street on April 1 with Bloarzeyed, Myty Konkeror and Welcome. Manic returns to The People's Center April 13 with Pissed Jeans, Daniel Striped Tiger and Sea Legs.

- David McMahon - New Haven Advocate

New Haven indie rockers Eula take the Acoustic Café stage this Friday as part of what they're calling "An Evening of Noise." And all the bands except one have at least one female member, according to Eula singer Alyse Lamb. "It's all completely selfish," she says. "The show is bands that we like to listen to and like to go see."

Eula, a trio, is a fun, hard-hitting rock band with an eerie twist—Lamb's voice can sound distraught even as the music remains upbeat. She's backed by Jeff Maleri on bass and Nate Rose on drums, and, the weird thing is, as you listen to the EP "Up in Arms," it sounds as though Alyse sings her songs with a permanent smirk on her face.

Smirks are the shit. Sarcasm, satire, not taking yourself too seriously, the whole deal. And Eula agrees. There's an overwhelming feeling of playful anxiety in the music. But no matter how distressed they sound, it's still upbeat. Alyse lets out the sadness through fun riffs, a rockabilly style and a friendly punk feel.

The key is that Eula does a good job of balancing contrasting emotions; this emotional control defines the band as one that, while an "up-and-comer," can lay claim to some songwriting maturity.

You relate to the sadness in their music with a smile as you ride the driving bass line. You like the lovely little torn voice and you love that the music is loud and kick-ass. It's not foolish and it's not exactly dark. You feel it when you watch a love story like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and realize that it's not at all cheesy. I'm not saying Eula is the musical equivalent of the visual masterpiece that is Eternal Sunshine, but their ability to mash the eerie with the adorable, sans cheese, is as important as it is impressive

My favorite Eula song is "Rosie the Riveter (Single Barrel)," for which Nate wrote the music and Alyse wrote the lyrics. "I just wanted to think of something that was as ballsy as his riff...I guess," says Alyse. "So I was thinking of guns and shooting and—I don't know." The result is a creepy and noirish surf-rock riff and lyrics that shine a strong spotlight on the strength of women; "Take the path unknown/tread it 'til it's sore/I promise not to make a sound/as she hits the ground/one of these days, she'll learn/she'll learn the hard way/HEY!"

Eula often wonders what it means to be identified as an as "indie rock" band. "It was about independence, and now it's like the cool thing," says Nate. "It's hard to describe some bands without saying indie, and then everyone says 'oh, I don't like to be labeled.' It's cool to be on stage with eight people, switching instruments. But what's next?"

Alyse has a possible answer: "I heard Matchbox 20 is coming out with a new style. I read it on CNN.com."

On Friday Eula will be joined by Saint Bernadette (who'll have a new CD for sale at the show), Electric Bucket, Electrajet and Fay Rey.

Every band but the last has at least one woman in it. "I thought it would be cool to get some girlies up in there," says Alyse.
- Fairfield County Weekly

After years of watching drummers come and go (I think they've gone through something like four), Eula did something pretty remarkable. Founding member Nate Rose, who for years had played lead guitar, started teaching himself drums and took over the kit. "At least we don't have to worry about me showing up for practice," he says.


It's a pretty radical reconfiguration for any band, but for Eula in particular, some strange differences emerge. Most notable is bassist Jeff Maleri, whose virtuosity is a major portion of the band's new sound. He handles most of the lead melody, placing him squarely where Rose stood. His tone is beefy and well-defined, enabling him to run down complex flourishes with clarity.

But Eula's material is still in the hands of frontwoman Alyse Lamb. Their latest (from this year's Lovely Disaster EP) may feature faster tempos and punkier motifs, but the overall sound is still unnerving. Lamb's vibrato is kind of like the quaver that sneaks into your voice right before you cry, like a woman on the verge of unraveling; even her guitar sounds frayed and distressed, as though its distortion was distorted. This shit is not a casual listen. - Hartford Advocate

Eula isn't a new band, but they seem like one.

"Eula's been around for four years, but this almost seems like our first year. We've only had the three-piece going for a little over a year and we've released the EP, and we're going to record the full-length ." drummer Nathan Rose finishes, "So it's almost like we're doing it all again for the first time.

The band has gone through numerous line-up changes, and within the last year and a half, they've become a power trio. "It gives me a lot more room to play around, I don't just have to play the root note." explains bassist Jeff Maleri about the most current and seemingly permanent line-up.
Eula formed in 2003, but the band has had problems keeping drummers, "Everytime a drummer left we'd end up taking a six month break." explains Rose. Front woman Alyse Lamb adds that between drumers, "We would either try to get our shit together, or find a new drummer." The band got so sick of looking for a new drummer, Rose decided to put down the guitar and get behind the kit himself. "Nate's actually our third drummer since I joined the band two years ago," explains Maleri.
With line-up intact, Eula has been working on crafting their sound. Eula has been flexing their indie chops, creating a style of music that is artsy yet accessible. Their sound is pretty unique within the New Haven music scene. While a fair portion of bands in the scene draw comparisons to classic rock bands, Eula has garnered comparisons to The Pixies to Sonic Youth to Blonde Redhead. Ironically, the band is often compared to bands the trio is unaware of. "We always get referenced to bands that we really don't listen to, but somehow they filter in." says Rose.
The band says they draw inspiration from varied sources. Maleri is into the indie scene "I love Spoon, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket and Wilco" listing off some of his influences. Nathan on the other hand seems to prefer more classic stuff, "I like The Beatles, I could listen to them all day everyday. I also like Radiohead and Marvin Gaye... It's hard for me to find new bands i like a lot." Lamb, who says she listens to everything, believes what makes a band good is "really
It's this belief that makes the band almost hesitant to release a full length. "I don't know how we would approach a full-length" explains Lamb. Rose adds, "it's a lot of information, so it has to be all good songs." Lamb says that she's not sure a full length is a necessity for the band in their new beginning stage, "I think once you get to a certain point full lengths are good, but right now starting out, you spend all this money and all this time on recording, and who's going to buy it?"

So while a full length seems a ways off, the band continues to write new music for an upcoming Ep, a follow up to their most recent effort Up In Arms. "We have four newer ones and two in the works." Lamb explains, "We're trying to get enough [music] to play a longer set, because right now we only have about 30-35 minutes, which is nice because it's short and compact." And while the brief set is nice, Maleri is quick to add, "I want to get to 45 minutes."

The band is most comfortable playing in a live setting, so much so that Lamb admits, "I always hate recording individually, laying down drums, then bass, then guitar." Luckily for Lamb and the boys, shows appear to be happening on a regular basis. With two shows this week, and upcoming shows out of state, the band seems to be on a roll; something they've had problems sustaining in the past.
The band hits Daniel Street in Milford as well as the Acoustic Café in Bridgeport. While a place called the Acoustic Café seems like an unlikely place for a band that likes to rock, Lamb informs, "We're going to be loud, its called the Acoustic Cafe, but there's not too much acoustic about it." Maleri adds, "they do full rock bands all the time."
Lamb says she enjoys the Acoustic Café in particular because the band gets to pick and choose who they want to play with. Fay Rey, Electra Jet and Saint Bernadette will share the stage with Eula for this upcoming show, making the night a predominantly female night. Eula isn't a band that worries about being stereotyped because of a female lead singer, "I definitely don't want to avoid it, embracing it is cool. Whatever opportunities we can get from having a female singer- we're all for it. But we don't want to be labeled a girl band, or hear people saying 'they're doing the girl thing.'"
For the band, having a female in the lead role is one of the only things they have found in common with the bands in the Connecticut scene. "I like the scene, there's bands we play with, but we haven't found our niche yet." Explains Rose, "We're not trying to start a scene, but it would be nice if there was a group of bands... I don't know if we just don't fit in, but there doesn't seem to be the support."

With or without support from a scene, at least the 5-year-old "brand new band" appears to heading in a positive direction.



- PLAY Magazine

"Three-song EP full of lilting vocals and minimalist guitar work. The vocals are sweetly ethereal and elfin at times. Harmonies like on "Rosie the Riveter" are wonderfully unattached (a la X). There's a bit of uneasiness about the melodies that's not off-setting but pleasantly noticeable, like a lullabye from Twin Peaks . The simplicity of these songs swirled with the vocals is what makes this disc float and do so well. Moody but not mopey. Sincere without the sap."

- New Haven Advocate