LEDASWAN

Best Album of 2007
Verse of Truth Trash and Beauty,
Ledaswan
This moody, enigmatic collection bested worthy efforts from Druggist and Dog Men Poets. - the San Antonio Current

By Ryan Markmann/Gilbert Garcia

Verse of Truth Trash and Beauty
Ledaswan
(Self-released)

Sometime in the 1990s, the semi-sleazy cable channel, USA Network, got into the business of producing made-for-TV movies (sort of anti-After-School-Specials) starring some of the legendary teen TV stars of the day. But in 1997, USA created a true gem with Friends ’Til the End, starring 90210 “party-bitch” Shannen Doherty.

She was actually the good girl this time around, playing in a college rock band à la Mazzy Star and the Cranberries. Unfortunately for Doherty’s character, a childhood friend became obsessed with her singing and people started dying as the psycho vied for her spot on the stage.

Disregarding the violent plot twist, San Antonio’s own Ledaswan could have scored that small-screen sucker itself. On the group’s new seven-song EP, Verse of Truth Trash and Beauty, singer Erica Gutierrez, bassist Amanda Flores, drummer Delrick Colwell and brothers/guitarists Jaime and David Monzon induce the TV movie’s same sentiments of heartbreak, frustration, and missed chances. (Full disclosure: Jaime is the Current’s web coordinator.)

The songs are slow and swaying and they’re meant to be. The opener “U vs The City” is a possible ode to SA: “Everyday is not the same in the city (Everyday is the same).” While the song is beautiful in its brevity, tracks such as “Closure” and “The Art of Goodbye” meander off too far with one another. But the rock breaks the monotony as delivered on The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On.” The song is probably best remembered as an iconic Pixies cover, but Ledaswan creates its own imaginative version with female harmonies and interesting TJMC radio feeds.

A comparison between anyone’s voice and Doherty’s should be taken with a grain of salt, but the Mazzy Star connection is apropos for Gutierrez, especially on the suicide-laden “.357.” Flores’s backup vocals bring some balance to Erica’s sharper voice while the Monzon brothers lay the guitar layers down thicker than a soupy fog.

With a lineup and collective personality eerily similar to Fleetwood Mac on Quaaludes, Ledaswan should only get better as it ventures on to the wider scope of a full-length album. And to the people at USA, Verse of Truth Trash and Beauty is a much better title than Friends ’Til the End.

- San Antonio Current

Formed in 2004, Ledaswan is a fledgling San Antonio-based group who’ve recently released their 2nd EP. The new 7-song EP, Verse of Truth, Trash, and Beauty, is a gentle blend of The Cure and Trespassers William.

Lead vocalist Erica Gutierrez sounds like Hope Sandoval and, to a lesser degree, Alison Shaw. Guitarists Jaime Monzon, David Monzon and bassist/keyboardist Amanda Flores are essentially the Ledeswan sound, and are adept in creating a layered, atmospheric soundscape. Though he seems relegated to the background, drummer Delrick Colwell supports the group well while adding his own element of rhythmic style.

Most of he songs dwell in the sleepy, guitar-driven realm of reflection. But there are a couple of uptempo numbers to break the dour mood. “How to Rearrange the World in 7 Days” opens with fast, cure-esque guitars that soon slows down to brood. “Closure” is slow and relaxing and reminiscent of a Trespassers William number — easily my favorite track on this release. The highlight of the EP has the band paying tribute to one of their influences, The Jesus and Mary Chain, with a great rendition of “Head On”. Gutierrez’s vocals tends to veer a little sharp in places, but I’m sure that’ll get ironed out in time. The group’s strongest point are the atmospherics; it’s always melodic, layered, and with a hint of 90’s alt-rock.

by: the Mozzer - The Plugg "Music and Entertainment Community"

Good looks are an obvious advantage for anyone performing on stage, so it's no coincidence that singers are usually above-average in the looks department. It's rarer to find all four members of a band in the upper quartile of attractiveness. Add singular musicianship, throw in an endearing lack of ego, and San Antonio band Ledaswan has pretty much hit the rock-band jackpot. The video on the band's website only hints at the charisma the band exudes on stage.

Ledaswan has been performing as a band for two years, but it took a lot of time and shuffling of members to come up with the current line-up. Singer–songwriter Erica Gutierrez began by performing solo under the name Leaves and later paired with a viola player under the name Ledaswan. She made a tape of her music and passed out 50 copies to people she thought might be interested. One of those copies landed in the hands of guitarist Jaime Monzon, who was then in the band Drughoney. He remembers listening to it over and over again after one of his shows. Monzon says what captured his attention was the feeling Gutierrez put into her songs. "I've always been about music that makes me feel something. It gave me chills when I first heard it. You hear lots of bands and they're pretty good, but it's pretty much background music. But when someone actually makes you stop because they're putting their heart and soul into it . . . " Monzon trails off in wonder.

Gutierrez felt a connection with Monzon because he seemed to understand her music. She says simply, "He appreciated what I did." It might sound like musical kismet, but it took two years of sporadically running into each other before Gutierrez and Monzon finally got together to play music as Ledaswan. Now they're on the band's second bassist, the poised Amanda Flores, and third drummer, the very colorful Delrick Colwell.

Monzon recalls Flores's audition for the band. Flores had seen Ledaswan once at Salute and had never been in a band before. They gave her tapes of the band's songs to prepare. "She played kind of the right thing," Monzon says, emphasizing "kind of". "You could tell there was something more to her. She really loved it. That's what we picked up on. In a couple of months, she had improved 500 times." But Monzon warns her with a laugh not to let the praise go to her head.

Colwell is the most recent addition to Ledaswan (and not the drummer in online video). The band has gathered a cadre of regular fans, but Colwell regrets that he hasn't had a chance to meet many of them. He doesn't get a chance to hang out before or after shows because he's usually guarding his set, setting up his drums, or packing them up. But he doesn't mind the relative isolation. "I like to be at one with my drums before I play," he says. "I like to play every show like it's my last."

Flores recalls Colwell's first gig with the band: "Before the first show he asked us what he should wear. We were like, 'I don't know. We never talked about it before.' We said he could wear whatever he wanted." But they regretted the lack of direction when he arrived in a Hawaiian shirt. He has since converted to what he calls basic "rock-show" black, which suits the other band members' aesthetic.

Although the four musicians are not oblivious to their visual impact, they haven't made it a priority or capitalized on it the way they could if they were more mercenary. They're focused on the music first. Watching the band perform for a crowd at Ruta Maya – with a significant number of heads bowed to laptops – proves that guitarist Monzon is serious when he says that no matter what the sound or the crowd is like, they aim to put on a good show.

"The reason I started to play music is because it's fun," says Monzon, who has been in bands for more than 10 years. "I don't ever want it to stop being fun. It is a business, but I need to enjoy myself." Gutierrez agrees. "There is a lot of competition, but you try to remember why you started playing in the first place – because you like it."

But on stage, Gutierrez on acoustic guitar and Monzon on electric, the two don't look as if they enjoy playing music so much as have an urgent need to play, to communicate. They have a focused intensity that matches the band's sound, which is a thoughtful, guitar-heavy rock that draws obvious, too-simple comparisons to a more energetic Mazzy Star. But Ledaswan isn't afraid to push in a new direction. Gutierrez sometimes straps on a harmonica, and Flores adds backup vocals that meld beautifully with Gutierrez's lead.

Ledaswan recently began recording an EP with the new San Antonio-based First Amendment Records. Fans taking it home after a show may well be able to experience the same wondrous emotional connection that Monzon did when he first heard Gutierrez.

- ©San Antonio Current 2007

Ledaswan was next and played a set that displayed their unique style of alternative rock with true rock and roll bombast added for flavor. Led by singer/guitarist Erica, the band reminded me of the big guitar hooks and intelligent lyrics of the 90s alternative nation—bands such as the Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, and Collective Soul, among others. However, the band does have more influences than what you would find on the Singles soundtrack and, with the help of guitarist Jaime and drummer Delrick, also adds a bit of rock and roll crunch to the sound.

Erica and bassist Amanda, who I actually thought were sisters, occasionally share vocals and complement each other very well, especially on a song like "Discover." And "the Art of Goodbye" was the perfect marriage between the band's rock and alternative styles and was, I think, the best representation of what the band had to offer. Gentle and shimmering, this song steps off the accelerator and allows this near-ballad room to breathe and give Erica's vocals as well as everyone's musicianship a chance to shine. - www.sarocks.blogspot.com

Ledaswan is Erica Gutierrez (vocals, guitar, harmonica and keyboards), Jaime Monzon (guitar, keyboards), David Monzon (guitar), Amanda Flores (bass, backing vocals) and Delrick Colwell (drums). With songs penned by Gutierrez and Monzon, Ledaswan plays a dreamy, sometimes spacey, blend of folk and pop that's built upon a foundation of trippy lyrics and atmospheric music.
If you're looking for simplistic, three-chord rock 'n' roll, you won't find it in the music of Ledaswan, though the band can rock and roll. A listen to the song "Darker Shade Of" will prove that. Ledaswan is at its best when the lyrics are wrapped with music that makes surprising twists and turns.--Jim Beal/San Antonio Express News - San Antonio Express News

THE SOUND: Dreamy melodic pop. Gutierrez's hauntingly beautiful alto drifts over richly textured guitars, delivering lyrics such as “I dreamt of a gun and a dead friend” and “I'm sorry I let you believe me/I've got a pocket full of charm.” Guiterrez calls the sound “modern, but trying to stay true to a songwriter's roots.”

THE WEB: ledaswanmusic.net, myspace.com/ledaswan

ALBUMS: How to Rearrange the World in 7 Days (2006); Verse of Truth Trash and Beauty (2007)

THE BACKGROUND: Ledaswan formed in 2004 when Guiterrez and Jaime Monzon, the primary songwriters, began collaborating. They formed a foursome with a bassist and drummer who were later replaced by Flores and Colwell. “We sort of stalked Amanda on MySpace. She was actually a huge fan of Ledaswan,” Guiterrez said. They recently added David Monzon, Jaime's brother, in the middle of recording their forthcoming album, to add more intricate guitars and allow Gutierrez to concentrate on vocals.

THEIR WORDS: “Having guys and girls in the band is a nice, cool balance,” Gutierrez said. What about the fact that the men now outnumber the women? “It's OK; we're still the bosses.”

WHERE TO SEE THEM: The CD release party for Verse is Friday, Nov. 16, at Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar, 1033 Avenue B.

THE 210 TAKE: Ledaswan pulls you in with Gutierrez's voice, but underneath the sweetness is a darker edge, with pensive lyrics and a complex framework. “We layered so many instruments, when you hear it five years from now, you'll say, ‘Wow, I never noticed that part’,” Gutierrez said. There are some unexpected sounds, too — Ledaswan recorded much of the new album in a cabin in Boerne. “If you listen really closely, you can hear the chicharras,” Jaime Monzon said.
- 210SA

San Antonio band, Ledaswan is fresh from the studio with a seven song EP to be released this Friday the 16th at the Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar.

Ledaswan is Erica Guitierrez on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards, Jaime Monzon and David Monzon on guitars, Amanda Flores on bass and Delrick Colwell on drums.


You'll hear a distinctive nod to Mazzy Star and the Pixies in their music but they claim a much wider range of influences. When I hear Erica's voice I think of Lisa Loeb with a much wilder edge. There is a strong literary quality to their music and you'll hear an array of textures complete with samples and audio clips that punctuate Erica and Jaime's collaborations. A nice addition to the EP is Ledaswan's rendition of 'Head On' by the Jesus and Mary Chain. They draw it out and add a bit of their own 'texture' that will grab the attention of fellow JAMC fans. But, of the originals, I'd have to choose '357' as the single on the EP. I like the clarity of the lyrics that come through nicely over subdued guitars.



It's been a long time since I've seen the band perform live but I look forward to going out and supporting a band that gives their all for their local scene. Chances are, you will see them featured in several of the local magazines so be sure to take notice. Transfers and Meryll will be joining them for the release. For a preview of the music visit them on myspace at myspace.com/ledaswan .

Laura Marie
lauramarie@igosa.com - IGOSA.COM

Ledaswan does an excellent job of crafting trippy, ethereal rock that's powered by Gutierrez's voice but includes enough hot guitar licks to make S.A. rockers pay attention.

Friday night Ledaswan will celebrate the release of a new EP, "Verse of Truth Trash and Beauty" at Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar with support from Meryll and Transfers.

- S.A. Express News

The band steers their music into the less genre-specific realms of interpretation, translation, and raw emotion, their music ostensibly geared toward the abstract dynamics of the heart and soul where music is not only heard but also felt. - S.A. Current