Loud Valley

The Orlando Weekly-
Absolutely radioactive with potential is new local band Bananafish (Oct. 22, Back Booth). This brainchild of principal Travis Reed – also of outstanding new local act the Tenant – deals in a modern brand of cloud-riding symphonic folk that, in its best moments, claims prime property between Fleet Foxes and Port O’Brien. Despite a full five-member presence onstage, their instrumental makeup is actually rather minimal (acoustic guitar, bass, trumpet and a single floor tom). But through masterful arrangements, they achieve something lush, massive and melodically transcendental. It’s a sound that envelops and transports. If they can pen more songs like the melodically wedded “The Owl’s Refrain” and “The Owl’s Lament,” this band will attract some heavyweight attention. Get to know them now, because Bananafish is the region’s next truly serious contender.
Bao Le-Huu

A recent bill (Dec. 13, Back Booth) reaffirmed a couple exciting Florida truths. First, local symphonic folk outfit Bananafish – named after a deliciously jarring J.D. Salinger short story (“A Perfect Day for Bananafish”) that you really should read – looms large with real potential.


Orlando Sentinel-Jim Abbots 2009 show spotlights
•Bananafish (Nov. 14, Tanqueray's): Like Hank Williams on Quaaludes, Travis Reed's band stirred together a faint, lonesome country vibe, stately brass and an ethereal wall of sound in its all-too-brief Anti*Pop Music festival slot. You can't dance to it, but it's ultimately compelling.

Flagpole (Athens GA)
BANANAFISH
Rye Bar, 10 p.m.

Named after a deliciously wicked J.D. Salinger short story, this rising Orlando band crafts symphonic folk that’s in line with premier acts like Fleet Foxes and Le Loup. Though it’s a young outfit, its background is rich with the essence of Orlando indie-rock royalty; bandleader Travis Reed also plays guitar and keyboards in The Tenant alongside Brad Register, ex-frontman for Summerbirds in the Cellar, and both are former Georgia residents. Truly immersive live, Bananafish’s rustic and noble sound is a huge under-the-radar gem that could soon have much broader regional impact. [Bao Le-Huu]

With expanded harmonic dimension and improved ensemble cohesion, the already rich music of local indie-folk band Bananafish now pumps with much more blood. They still have acres of lush atmosphere; it’s just delivered with more brawn. Once Futurebirds joined them onstage, it became a nine-person, Spector-worthy wall of sound.

Oct 1 2010
For lead act Bananafish at least, this was the case, and it’s truly a shame because they took that dead space and turned it into pure magic.

Hailing from Orlando, this sextet traffics in epic builds, and beautiful harmonies, as it promenades from swingin’ Western folk tunes to more ambitious, grand scale indie rock. A basic guitar/bass/drums setup occupied one side of the stage, while the other was taken up by three trumpet players, whose bright, intricate harmonies recalled by turns both the Balkan strains of Beirut, and the classic Athenian sounds of early Elephant 6 bands. The group’s lead singer had a set of pipes for blowing walls down – not unlike a countrified Chris Cornell – but it was on several stirring, gang vocal choruses that Bananafish really shined. They may not have had much of an audience, but those who were there saw something truly special.
-David Fitzgerald

Thepopcouture.com
Bananafish (Rye Bar, 10 pm, 21+)
Hailing from the land of Mickey (Orlando, FL), Bananafish sounds more Pacific Northwest than Florida orange groves. They’re often compared to Fleet Foxes, and there’s some truth to that reference. Our favorite track is “Walden Pond”, which evokes the exotic gypsy-folk tones of Beirut. Bananafish is in control of its own sound and is in no way a poor imitation of artists its compared to. In fact, one of the most refreshing things about these guys is that with a name like Bananafish, its clear that they aren’t taking themselves too seriously. - from the past year and a half