Lotus Child
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Lotus Child

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"Gossip Diet Album Review"

Lotus Child
By John Lucas
Publish Date: 20-Jul-2006

Gossip Diet (Independent)

This intelligent, immaculately arranged, piano-infused alt-pop should appeal to fans of Ben Folds, Bright Eyes, and especially Spoon. Howard Redekopp’s sparkling production befits a disc put out by a major label (or at least a decent-sized indie), so it’s surprising that this is a self-released effort. Oh well. With songs this cleverly written (by guitarist Zachary Gray and pianist Tom Dobrzanski) and this artfully played, it’s only a matter of time before the A&R hyenas start circling. Catch Lotus Child’s CD-release show and tour kick-off party at the Media Club on Friday (July 21) before the band gets too big for this town.
- Georgia Straight, Vancouver


"Lotus Child Live Show Review"

Lotus Child
The Palomino
Saturday, July 29, 2006

Halfway through a 17-stop tour across Western Canada to promote the release of their new full-length album, Gossip Diet, Vancouver's Lotus Child are attracting a lot of good buzz. The band is making pit stops everywhere from Calgary's Palomino and Edmonton's Velvet Underground to smaller centres like Salmon Arm and Kelowna.

Despite Calgary being the seventh stop on their tour, the band appeared to be full of steam, delivering a powerful, upbeat set to the crowded room at the Palomino that proved the media buzz right. Due to a last minute cancellation from the Pants Situation, Lotus Child headlined the show after an energetic set from Calgary band Seven Storey Redhead, which had some hipsters hitting the dance floor.

From catchy dancable tunes reminiscent of Spoon with their staccato piano pop melodies, to dramatic, swelling Muse-like rock songs complete with keyboard solos, to simple acoustic guitar ballads with Bright Eyes-like vocals, Lotus Child's versatile musical talents are impressive.

Songwriting duo Zachary Gray and Tom Dobrzanski (on lead guitar and keyboards) dominated the stage with layed vocals and powerful piano melodies and guitar riffs, while bass player [Peter Carruthers] and drummer [Miles Bruce] filled out the rhythm section.

The only unfortunate thing about this energetic performance was that it seemed to end too quickly. It appears that this young, talented group is definitely one to watch. - Beat Route Magazine, Calgary


"Gossip Diet Album Review"

Lotus Child
Gossip Diet
Independent

BRYAN BIRTLES / bryan@vueweekly.com

In the past I’ve been known to really lay into a band like this, seemingly indiscriminately at times. Lotus Child seem ripe for a good bring down, and they’ve opened themselves to ridicule on a lot of fronts. For one thing, hailing from Vancouver and making reference to the idea of a “Lotus Child,” an idea that the rest of the country uses to make fun of the flakes and hippies from the left coast, might not be their smartest move. Then there are the heartfelt lyrics, piano driven sound and the archetypical minimalist artwork. If it wasn’t such a together album, I might not know where to begin.

But it’s excellent. At times flowing, at times stunted enough to relay the lyrical ideas through music (like a good Randy Newman kind of stunted), and then rocking out choruses that you could drive down Whyte Avenue to, this album is, like I said, completely together. And that piano player is amazing. Usually rock piano players bang out jingly chords or provide some background atmosphere but Tom Dobrzanski (sounds like a good Edmonton name, eh?) has a melodic style that demands to be at the forefront of the music, but not in a pushy way.

Overall, the whole thing is really good and, despite some of the things I may have said in the past, I would recommend this album. So let that be a lesson to all the slightly wussy West Coast bands out there; all you’ve got to do for a good review is overcome the mountain of strikes already against you. It’s not so hard. - Vue Weekly, Edmonton


"Gossip Diet CD Release Review"

Discorder - August 2006 Issue
Lotus Child
July 21 - The Media Club

Floors rumbled at the Lotus Child Gossip Diet CD release party. The show kicked off the Vancouver piano-based indie band’s West Coast tour with one hot hullabaloo. I mean sauna hot. Dan Mangan opened, setting an intimate mood with the crowd seated cross-legged on the floor, everyone agog at the levels of his guttural sound. Next up, Mother had the house abuzz with their folkie-funky crisp-clean quality. If the crowd wasn’t dancing by that point, Lotus Child got them jumpin’ (literally).

During songs such as “Archaeologists,” a few surprise voices joined in, as members from Hey Ocean! and The Painted Birds jumped on stage. The surprises continued into “Gossip Diet” with vocal group Aliqua joining the euphony, reproducing the CD sound as much as possible. Guitarist and lead singer Zachary Gray struck up a roundelay of “We’re not perfect!” booming through the crowd. Difficult to peg down style-wise, Gossip Diet ranges from funky numbers like “Archaeologists” to foot-stomping rockout “Lids” to calm but elating “Coelacanth,” withal remaining musically exoteric, and yet distinguishing its dancy demiurgic self in the indie rock genre. The night was somewhat of a family affair, as Mother’s self-titled CD is also Howard Redekopp produced. Castle Project topped off the night with a din of songs sounding more or less the same. Nonetheless, the sauna cooled at 1am and we were all dog-tired and ready for a shower. You can catch Lotus Child playing their homecoming show August 6th at the Backstage Lounge.
—Marlaina Mah - Discorder, Vancouver


"LOTUS CHILD, "LIDS""

LOTUS CHILD, "LIDS"

Already a known quantity in Vancouver, this debut full-length is about to get a well-deserved push outside of Western Canada, which means the rest of us can catch up on idiosyncratic piano tunes like this one. "Lids. They're sewn into your clothes, they never decompose/ Picked apart by worms and crows, only tags remain." A top? A seal? Something that covers our eyes so we can't see? We're happily still trying to figure that one out. - Toronto Star, John Sakamoto


"Lotus Child - Gossip Diet"

A band's debut album is crucial. Not only as a possible launching pad for their music career but also as a definitive statement of their sound. Fortunately for Vancouver-based quartet Lotus Child, this is a good thing; the eleven songs on Gossip Diet are diverse and well-crafted, the production both accessible and adventurous.

Soft, frolicking piano opens the album, but all expectations of a tender ballad are quashed by singer Zachary Gray's lyrical imaginings: "Lids / they're found in magazines / they hang like guillotines / daunting over perfect scenes / poised above my head." Such strange and clever ideas are found throughout "Lids," only to be overpowered in the song's final minute by and onslaught of ohh-ing and aah-ing; power pop posturing that the band does convincingly, though its placement at the end of the song is extraneous.

The album's slick, radio-friendly sound is owing to Producer Howard Redekopp, who engineered and mixed the last two albums by the New Pornographers. Most of the time, Redekopp's pop production is appropriate, such as on the light-hearted piano romp "Kate" and the jazzy, infectiously catchy "A Night Blade." The best moments on the album are when the songs veer into more adventurous territory, most notably on the title track. A poignant social commentary without seeming contrived or clichéd, "Gossip Diet" is backed by aggressive piano and bass lines, accented by sporadic hand claps and stomps, not to mention a female choir. The song closes with a barrage of voices shouting "We're not perfect!" and the implications of one day hearing a stadium of fans singing along to these words is profound. Since Gossip Diet is our first indication of Lotus Child's talent, it's also inevitable. - Grounder Magazine, Vancouver


Discography

"No Talking" Single (2007)
Gossip Diet (2006)
Lotus Child EP (2003)

Photos

Bio

Hailing from the city of Vancouver, the band Lotus Child has emerged to captivate audiences with their sophisticated brand of piano-infused alt-pop. During 2006 Lotus Child balanced sold-out headlining shows throughout Western Canada, opening slots for some of the country’s hottest acts and recording and releasing their debut album with producer Howard Redekopp (Tegan and Sara, New Pornographers, Mother Mother). The album, titled Gossip Diet, has independently sold over 3,000 units and fielded rave reviews from critics across Canada.

Lotus Child was born when Zach Gray and Tom Dobrzanski met in a touring choir as teenagers, becoming friends while killing time in the green room before concerts on a tour of Europe. Back home in Vancouver, they began writing simple guitar and piano songs, making lo-fi tapes on Zach's dad’s 4-track. Eventually the desire for something more elaborate prevailed and while attending university in mid-2006 they were joined by music student Peter Carruthers on bass and Miles Bruce on drums. The new band immediately released their debut album, Gossip Diet, nationally on October 3rd, 2006.

Gossip Diet's release was an overcrowded affair at Vancouver's Media Club, supported by two other local success stories: Mother Mother and Dan Mangan. Months later, the band played to a sold out Richard's on Richards in Vancouver and were also selected to showcase with Apostle of Hustle and Memphis at the 2007 New Music West Wrap Party. After three quick tours of Western Canada they'd already started selling out 200-person rooms in Kelowna, Calgary, and Edmonton and independent sales of Gossip Diet hit the 3,000 unit mark, including many digital sales from iTunes and SnoCap.

In June 2007 Lotus Child followed that up by embarking on what was surprisingly their first tour to Eastern Canada. They were greeted by a packed house at Montreal’s Petit Campus, showcased in Toronto as part of the North by Northeast music festival, and returned home to a headlining showcase at Vancouver’s International Jazz Festival.

On top of the overwhelming popular support, the band and their album received high praise from the media. They were featured numerous times on CBC Radio3's podcast, interviewed on the station's national broadcast, received heavy airplay on XM Radio station The Verge, and were added to countless radio playlists across the country. In print, The Georgia Straight remarked "with songs this cleverly written and this artfully played it's only a matter of time before the A&R hyenas start circling", a report which would prove prophetic.

The live show is yet another component to the rising success of Lotus Child. Frontmen Gray and Dobrzanski have been best friends for 10 years and their chemistry is apparent in their high energy, stage show. Lotus Child's performances are spectacular, in-the-moment, and constantly evolving. Armed with a new batch of their strongest songs to date, the band is heading into the studio to begin work on a new album to be released in 2008.