Isle of Rhodes
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Isle of Rhodes

Brooklyn, New York, United States | SELF

Brooklyn, New York, United States | SELF
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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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Press


"Isle of Rhodes: Local Brooklyn Band Hits the Ground Running"

Everyone loves DJ's but what happened to good old fashion instruments? Well if you're like us then you look to Brooklyn as the beacon of hope. Isle of Rhodes is one such band that engages with the quirky but cool side of Brooklyn. They have a fun up beat sound that will make any grumpy old man tap his feet. Though it may be apparent from their title, Isle of Rhodes is centered around a rhodes, which is an old electro/mechanical keyboard. The bands lead performer Rob Farren is an extremely passionate musician, whose musical influences, ranging from Mozart to Radiohead, add to the group's killer sound. - Frequency Blog, Joonbug.com


"Isle of Rhodes: Local Brooklyn Band Hits the Ground Running"

Everyone loves DJ's but what happened to good old fashion instruments? Well if you're like us then you look to Brooklyn as the beacon of hope. Isle of Rhodes is one such band that engages with the quirky but cool side of Brooklyn. They have a fun up beat sound that will make any grumpy old man tap his feet. Though it may be apparent from their title, Isle of Rhodes is centered around a rhodes, which is an old electro/mechanical keyboard. The bands lead performer Rob Farren is an extremely passionate musician, whose musical influences, ranging from Mozart to Radiohead, add to the group's killer sound. - Frequency Blog, Joonbug.com


"Wherever Isle of Rhodes take you, it's usually an elevated place to match the screeching alto Farren has mastered"

From opener 'Oceans' (streaming) to the stomping 'Eyes Like The Sun,' Farren paints a world of surf and sand where one experience melts into the next, and innocent pleas against change get washed away with the next tide. Wherever Isle of Rhodes take you, it's usually an elevated place to match the screeching alto Farren has mastered. - The Deli Magazine


"Wherever Isle of Rhodes take you, it's usually an elevated place to match the screeching alto Farren has mastered"

From opener 'Oceans' (streaming) to the stomping 'Eyes Like The Sun,' Farren paints a world of surf and sand where one experience melts into the next, and innocent pleas against change get washed away with the next tide. Wherever Isle of Rhodes take you, it's usually an elevated place to match the screeching alto Farren has mastered. - The Deli Magazine


"What the Funk?"

What the Funk? - FreeIndie


"What the Funk?"

What the Funk? - FreeIndie


"If you’ve been jonesing some fresh indie rock then look no further because Isle of Rhodes is it."

If you’ve been jonesing some fresh indie rock then look no further because Isle of Rhodes is it. “All Rivers and Oceans” is an excellent & well structured debut that plays like a greatest hits set. Frontman Robert Farren’s vocals & lyrics channel The Smiths’ Morrissey & Morphine’s Mark Sandman, producing a uniquely versatile and mature vintage sound.

“Oceans” is a melodic uptempo ballad serving as an excellent opening track with its Modest Mouse vibe, leading right into radio-ready “Tic Toc” which will find you singing along to its refreshingly simple usage of lyrics, “The clock went tic tic toc…” Following two tracks, “Islands” and “Young Love,” are classic rock standards echoing Morrissey’s storytelling delivery. Then comes the adventurous “So Easy,” which I can’t help but compare to the twelve-minute-epic “The End” by The Doors for its jazzy variations, and it’s only six minutes long, leading right into a pair of more radio-ready tracks, the beautiful down-tempo “She’ll Dance Alone,” which winks at The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?” and the upbeat storyteller “Grass.” Next comes a gorgeous ballad “Endings,” which channels Interpol on the guitars in the verses and Aerosmith’s “Dream On” in its beautifully melodic chorus. The ninth track is a real wild card on the album - Farren’s vocals get so playful in the swing composition of “Cake Eater!” that he channels Elvis Presley! Second to last track is “I Will Hold You Up,” also kind of a wild card - while a simple ballad it softly recalls Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound on the piano with shades of “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes. “Eyes Like The Sun” is another downtempo ballad, with a slight Modest Mouse vibe like the opening track, and is a perfect closing track with some dreamy poetry at the very end read by Robert Farren’s wife, Nikki, creating a film-noir atmosphere. - iPaul's Most Played


"If you’ve been jonesing some fresh indie rock then look no further because Isle of Rhodes is it."

If you’ve been jonesing some fresh indie rock then look no further because Isle of Rhodes is it. “All Rivers and Oceans” is an excellent & well structured debut that plays like a greatest hits set. Frontman Robert Farren’s vocals & lyrics channel The Smiths’ Morrissey & Morphine’s Mark Sandman, producing a uniquely versatile and mature vintage sound.

“Oceans” is a melodic uptempo ballad serving as an excellent opening track with its Modest Mouse vibe, leading right into radio-ready “Tic Toc” which will find you singing along to its refreshingly simple usage of lyrics, “The clock went tic tic toc…” Following two tracks, “Islands” and “Young Love,” are classic rock standards echoing Morrissey’s storytelling delivery. Then comes the adventurous “So Easy,” which I can’t help but compare to the twelve-minute-epic “The End” by The Doors for its jazzy variations, and it’s only six minutes long, leading right into a pair of more radio-ready tracks, the beautiful down-tempo “She’ll Dance Alone,” which winks at The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?” and the upbeat storyteller “Grass.” Next comes a gorgeous ballad “Endings,” which channels Interpol on the guitars in the verses and Aerosmith’s “Dream On” in its beautifully melodic chorus. The ninth track is a real wild card on the album - Farren’s vocals get so playful in the swing composition of “Cake Eater!” that he channels Elvis Presley! Second to last track is “I Will Hold You Up,” also kind of a wild card - while a simple ballad it softly recalls Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound on the piano with shades of “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes. “Eyes Like The Sun” is another downtempo ballad, with a slight Modest Mouse vibe like the opening track, and is a perfect closing track with some dreamy poetry at the very end read by Robert Farren’s wife, Nikki, creating a film-noir atmosphere. - iPaul's Most Played


"So what's rock without the jamming guitars, you ask?"

Dip your feet into the rivers and oceans of Isle of Rhodes and you'll find yourself embarking on a surprising expedition with this nautical indie alt-pop and rock two-piece from Brooklyn. Since surprises aren't our strong suit, we begin with their dynamic melodies, lush reverb, and eclectic vocal style evoking a chilled out, nostalgic rock sound that, believe it or not, is created without a single guitar! So what's rock without the jamming guitars, you ask?


Robert Farren is the vision behind the project and a classically trained pianist with an abundance of passion for and knowledge of music, vintage keyboards and analog equipment. Enter the band's namesake - a vintage keyboard made during the 1960s-80s and weighing in at 140 pounds - the Rhodes. With similar circuitry to the electric guitar, he need only the Rhodes and some help from his collection of old school analog equipment, including a 1973 tape box, delay box and pedals, and we're none the wiser of the guitar's absence. Sure, the Rhodes "is a physical, functioning thing" subject to the weather's wonky temperament. Where others consider it weary and antiquated, Rob sees as a storied soul to guide beyond perceived boundaries. Having such wide-ranging influences that include: Wagner's the Ring Cycle, Mozart, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Phil Spektor, the Smashing Pumpkins, the White Stripes, the Ronnets and the Crystals, it makes sense to say, "We have so many great things in the past that have been done - that, to just do one thing, for me, would be limiting".


The recent release of their debut album, All Rivers and Oceans, transforms the rawness of the vintage analog sounds Isle of Rhodes achieves into a cohesive and fluid exploration of connectivity, continuity and the human experience through the overarching thematic of waters. It's more than sound and music - it's a body of art encompassing facets of their creative imagination and inspirations. They're drawn to the Ocean as "the only part of the earth that you can literally float from one place to the next" and Melville's allegories throughout Moby Dick of rebirth. While the lyrics speak of challenges, heart break, doubt and angst, their tracks emote a positivity from acceptance and resilience that are just part of the ebbs and flows within the universe. It's quite the adventure, isn't it? Time to get those flippy floppies on, a Red Hook Lobster Roll in hand, and head on over to The Knitting Factory this Friday 5/25 at 8PM to rock with and in the Isle of Rhodes. - Become Your Drum


"So what's rock without the jamming guitars, you ask?"

Dip your feet into the rivers and oceans of Isle of Rhodes and you'll find yourself embarking on a surprising expedition with this nautical indie alt-pop and rock two-piece from Brooklyn. Since surprises aren't our strong suit, we begin with their dynamic melodies, lush reverb, and eclectic vocal style evoking a chilled out, nostalgic rock sound that, believe it or not, is created without a single guitar! So what's rock without the jamming guitars, you ask?


Robert Farren is the vision behind the project and a classically trained pianist with an abundance of passion for and knowledge of music, vintage keyboards and analog equipment. Enter the band's namesake - a vintage keyboard made during the 1960s-80s and weighing in at 140 pounds - the Rhodes. With similar circuitry to the electric guitar, he need only the Rhodes and some help from his collection of old school analog equipment, including a 1973 tape box, delay box and pedals, and we're none the wiser of the guitar's absence. Sure, the Rhodes "is a physical, functioning thing" subject to the weather's wonky temperament. Where others consider it weary and antiquated, Rob sees as a storied soul to guide beyond perceived boundaries. Having such wide-ranging influences that include: Wagner's the Ring Cycle, Mozart, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Phil Spektor, the Smashing Pumpkins, the White Stripes, the Ronnets and the Crystals, it makes sense to say, "We have so many great things in the past that have been done - that, to just do one thing, for me, would be limiting".


The recent release of their debut album, All Rivers and Oceans, transforms the rawness of the vintage analog sounds Isle of Rhodes achieves into a cohesive and fluid exploration of connectivity, continuity and the human experience through the overarching thematic of waters. It's more than sound and music - it's a body of art encompassing facets of their creative imagination and inspirations. They're drawn to the Ocean as "the only part of the earth that you can literally float from one place to the next" and Melville's allegories throughout Moby Dick of rebirth. While the lyrics speak of challenges, heart break, doubt and angst, their tracks emote a positivity from acceptance and resilience that are just part of the ebbs and flows within the universe. It's quite the adventure, isn't it? Time to get those flippy floppies on, a Red Hook Lobster Roll in hand, and head on over to The Knitting Factory this Friday 5/25 at 8PM to rock with and in the Isle of Rhodes. - Become Your Drum


Discography

"All Rivers and Oceans"

Photos

Bio

Adopting their name from the rhodes keyboard that sits at the center of their sound, Isle of Rhodes set the bar high for power duos.  One the hardest hitting keyboard pairs out of Brooklyn, Rob Farren (vocals/rhodes) and Colin Behram (drums) interweave their dynamic stylings and virtuosic abilities,  fashioning rock with ensemble flair, drawing on blues, funk, and classical elements, with influences ranging from Gershwin, Beethoven, Radiohead, The Beatles, Arcade Fire, to Roy Orbison.

 

Started in 2011 under the name  Seafarers Union by Farren, the band officially became  Isle of Rhodes  in the spring of 2012 with a release of a full-length LP,  All Rivers and Oceans. After a national summer tour,  Behram joined in October of 2012, and the pair embarked on two more national tours in the first half of 2013 in support of their self-titled EP, and lent their music to Zach Braffs Kickstarter campaign for his 2013  film Wish I Was Here. Striking the perfect balance between hipster and rock, Isle of Rhodes just released their new EP Affirmation Caravan this past February.

Band Members