Keeping Quiet

Rarely would I think to recommend a single song in place of a whole album but rarely is a single song this good. Standard Of Living is an up and coming piano rock band out of New York who clearly have their stuff together.

Even if you don't want to it, it's hard not to start singing along when Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" comes on the radio, and much like that Autumn In Amherst has that catchy quality. The song quickly pulls you in from the start as it paints vivid images of the season it sings about.

This is a must listen.


http://amiestreet.com/blog/post/the-album-project-standard-of-living
- Amie Street

By this point it was after 9, and while fans might have lost interest at any other show, no one was leaving the Icon quite yet. If they had, they would have missed Standard of
Living, quite possibly Buffalo's best unsigned band. With a refined, piano-driven sound comparable to an East Coast Something Corporate, Standard of Living makes the kind of music that you can adore at a show and then still play for your parents on the drive back home.

Every song is addictive, and every word from Josh Rabenold's lips is perfectly written and sung; in fact, I can't praise songs like "The Drive," "You Change Like Seasons" or
"Autumn in Amherst" -- with its amazing three-part harmony -- enough. Unsurprisingly, every song drew loud applause from the crowd. If you see any bands in the coming year, make sure Standard of Living is one of them.

- The Buffalo News

The Town Ballroom Sunday played host to a long overdue celebration of the Buffalo music scene headlined by natives Cute Is What We Aim For.

Local radio station Z101 presented the sold-out event that snagged tons of donations for the Food bank of Western New York. The show kicked off with band Venona, led by singer Breanna Broghamer. As someone who normally has little admiration for bands with female singers, I felt Broghamer's vocals were strong and suited the band's sound perfectly. Venona set a fun filled tone for the rest of the evening.

Next up was Crush, the Everlasting. The band played songs such as "All We Do Is Get Down" and a new Christmas tune called "My Mrs. Claus" in which a rather svelte Santa danced around the stage for the duration of the song. Anyone who has seen Crush perform knows its flair for danceable songs, pure energy, and ability to get a crowd moving, consequently a perfect choice as an opener to this show.

Next on stage were six incredibly well-dressed musicians with matching faux-hawks who could only be local favorites The Common Kings. They brought to the table their traditional, yet enjoyable pop-rock sound with some jazz influences (a saxophone). Their ease with the crowd made it feel like coming to watch old friends play.

The show's energy really started to pick up when Settings' set began. Fog filled the air and the seizure-inducing lights comparable to that of a Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance set the atmosphere for the crowd. The band's edgy, electronica sound led to a lot of moshing/trashing, crowd surfing, and jumping.

Next up was Standard Of Living, and I have to say they were the best of the night. The set began with a handcrafted robot suit worn by their guitarist who told the heartwarming story of "The Christmas Robot" while the "Jurassic Park" theme song played in the background. But all comedic antics aside, they played an incredible set that began with a medley of Christmas songs such as "Feliz Navidad" and George Michael's "Last Christmas." They also played songs of thier own such as fan favorites "Autumn In Amherst" and "The Drive." Thier catchy piano-driven rock (like a budding Jack's Mannequin) and great stage presence proves, undeniably, that they are one of the best and most promising bands in the area.

Then the butterfly banner was set up, the screaming began, and Cute Is What We Aim For finally took the stage. They came out to a Beastie Boys-style intro and rolled immediately into a song from thier new album "Rotation" followed by "Newport Living" off thier debut album "Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch." Perhaps it's just because I hadn't seen them play in about two years, but Cute seemed kind of arrogant and singer Shaant Hacikyan appeared to be a bit self-indulgent. They weren't the same band I used to go see almost every month. But musically speaking they played very well, (due in part to the addition of Dave Melillo to the band lineup) and the majority of the crowd enjoyed their performance and the entire show as a whole.



Written by Caitlin Manley




- The Buffalo News

By REBECCA KUJAWA

In Buffalo, it is a rare occasion to find more than 40 people in a crowd at a local show. However, the Common Kings, along with the help of Standard of Living, Dan Erickson, the Hoodies and the Innocent Bystanders, were able to create one of these rare occasions with an almost sold-out crowd at their CD release show Saturday night at Club Infinity...

Local favorites Standard of Living came to the stage after an unbearably long wait. It was clear that SOL was the crowd favorite on Saturday, and the band did not disappoint with an amazing set of old and new material. With great rock songs like, “Without You,” “Autumn in Amherst,” “The Drive,” and the new “East Coast Dreams,” SOL performed perfectly together. And while singer/pianist Josh Rabenold could use a haircut, his voice and stage presence certainly make up for it.

http://www.buffalonews.com/lifearts/next/story/372991.html
- The Buffalo News

Written by - Jillian Smolinski
Link - http://www.examiner.com/x-12114-Buffalo-Music-Examiner~y2009m6d3-Standard-Of-Living-CD-release-show-at-Mohawk-Place

Formed in 2004, Standard Of Living is comprised of five individuals who have managed to conceive, create, and perfect a harmonious dynamic. Singer/songwriter Josh Rabenold is the driving force in the band with his intense vocal range and equally powerful words. Rabenold, who also plays piano, is joined by Clayton Cobb, Ken Stiver, Dan Reedy and Mike Lindstrom. Thanks to their infectious melodies that will stick in your head for days, Standard Of Living offer a refreshing take on piano-driven rock.

Standard Of Living, having more or less conquered the Buffalo music scene, has toured extensively playing some of the countries most famous venues while opening for bands like Hanson, The Click 5, Teddy Geiger, and Ben Jelen.

Recently, Standard Of Living began recording covers of their favorite tracks as well as some of pop music's biggest hits. The band posted a new cover every week on their YouTube. Sure the idea of recording cover songs is nothing new, but Standard Of Living manages to put together recordings that rival the original artist's track. That, my friends, is no easy task.

Standard Of Living will celebrate the release of their latest effort Paint The Night this Friday, June 5 at the Mohawk Place in Buffalo. For the past few weeks the band has personally delievered tickets to fans all across Western New York - a perfect example of why this band has found so much success. Standard Of Living is easily one of the most fan-friendly bands in Buffalo.

Over the past several weeks Standard Of Living has hand-delievered tickets to their fans all across Western New York. There is a reason they are one of the most fan-friendly bands in the area, if not the entire country.
I first met Standard Of Living five years ago when I was booking a show for our mutual friends, Race The Sun, from Richmond, Virginia. Members of Race The Sun asked me to book Standard Of Living on their show at the Sapphire Lounge on Pearl Street. I ran into Standard Of Living about a year later when I was working at local college radio station WBNY. The band was the featured guests on the WBNY Local Show's Glorifed Rehersal.
Since their appearence on the Glorified Rehersal I've had the pleasure of seeing Standard Of Living perform around the area several times. The band is always gracious and they always thank you for coming to see them. It doesn't matter how many times you've been there to show your support. When they aren't playing a show chances are a member of Standard Of Living can be found promoting the band and talking to fans at a local venue. It's the little things that set Standard Of Living apart from everyone else.

Two days after their CD release show, Standard Of Living, will be hitting the road to play a small string of mall shows at Hot Topic in support of Paint The Night.
Standard of Living will be appearing at the following Hot Topic stores:
6/7 - Millcreek Mall in Erie, Pennsylvania at 7:00 p.m.
6/8 - Southern Park Mall in Youngstown, Ohio at 7:00 p.m.
6/9 - Dayton Mall in Dayton, Ohio at 7:00 p.m.
6/10 - Chapel Hill Mall in Akron, Ohio at 7:00 p.m.
6/11 - Sandusky Mall in Sandusky, Ohio at 7:00 p.m.

Also appearing with Standard Of Living are Erickson, The Hoodies, The Hello Approach, and Sunday Radio. Tickets are $13 pre-sale and $15 at the door. You It might be wise to pick up your tickets in advance as the show is expected to sell-out. Doors open on Friday at 6 p.m. at Mohawk Place (47 E. Mohawk Street) in Buffalo.

A sample of each song from the new album can be heard on the E.P. teaser track that is currently available on the band's myspace music player. A national release of Paint The Night is scheduled for iTunes in early July 2009. Starting June 5th Standard Of Living will release a new track from Paint The Night on their myspace each week until July 3. - Examiner.com