MIRANDA SOUND
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MIRANDA SOUND

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Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Denver Post"

“Western Reserve” finds Miranda Sound fulfilling its considerable potential amid the white noise of so many other post-punk poseurs. - Denver Post


"The Other Paper (Columbus)"

“Western Reserve is by far the best release by one of Columbus’s best bands.” - The Other Paper - The Other Paper (Columbus)


"Columbus Alive (cover story)"

“The record bests its predecessors not only through increased musicianship, but also by wedding the complexities of the band’s material with the kinetic energy of its performances.” — - Columbus Alive (cover story)


"Fugazi for the next gen..."

“A Fugazi for the next generation. Stand back, because the sweat is going to fly.” — Playback St Louis - Playback St Louis


"Hitch Magazine"

“From start to finish, the album is quality – big, full-sounding, indie-rock anthems, written with intelligence and sung in earnest. The band is polished, driven by excellent guitar work and drumming, but never sacrificing sound over substance, as the four craft meaningful, listenable lyrics rather than some inane catchphrase geared to sell phone plans. What a concept! As the title promises, the album is rich in melody, majestic in scope and honest in all.” - Hitch Magazine


"Action Man Magazine"

“Miranda Sound are good enough to cure a hundred thousand indie rockers of their jadedness...(the album) is the complete package: unmatchable pop hooks, compelling lyrics, pristine production, glorious harmonies. You
name it, Miranda Sound have got it. ” - Michael Wojtasiak


"Skyscraper Magazine"

“When you have wonderfully delivered lyrics like this bundled up in some of the most vibrant and interesting music released this year, all signs are good. Very, very good.” - Skyscraper Magazine - Michael Hukin


"Big Takeover - Jack Rabid"

“Like their 2001 debut Baby Inertia, Columbus, OH's Miranda Sound are the real deal. Breaking out of the indie ghetto with charging tunes and
variety, the foursome sound like Lotion if they borrowed Fugazi's or Poster Children's rhythm
section.”
- Big Takeover - Jack Rabid


"City Beat"

Counter melodies intertwined with constant rhythmic changes make for a very complex and interesting listening experience when checking out Columbus-based Miranda Sound's latest, Engaged In Labor. Creative and catchy Pop hooks, compelling lyrics and some beautiful harmonies combine to form one of the best new-ish bands of late. Guitarists/vocalists Dan Gerken and Billy Peake's unique way of merging their voices is a perfect blend, but their ability to be completely off and opposite also adds to the success of their sound. Backing them up is bassist Sean Sefcik and drummer Scott Haynes with some of the most powerful and entrancing rhythms you'll ever hear. From lighthearted to intense, Miranda Sound has found something that very few groups will ever find anytime in their careers -- truly inspirational creativity and imagination. - Nathan Linville


Discography

http://www.mirandasound.com/discography.php

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Being unique in a field of pretenders is certainly
an accomplishment, and testimony to the fact
that Billy Peake (voc/guitar), Dan Gerken
(voc/guitar/cello/keys), Sean Sefcik (bass/keys),
and Dan Bell (drums) have forged their own
distinct sound. But it’s a curse because you,
dear writers, can’t conscionably attest that “This
Columbus, Ohio four-piece sounds like [insert
current indie darling here]� and be done with it.
You’re just going to have to give Western
Reserve repeated listens. (Don’t worry: you’ll
want to anyway.)

Western Reserve is Miranda Sound’s third full-length since 2001. The band’s albums have continuously
met with favorable reviews, and their dedication to using every non-working, non-school-attending
moment to hop in a van and play shows throughout the Midwest has earned them a respectable following in cities from Chicago to Boston.

However, minor success hasn’t come without some setbacks and freak accidents. They were hampered
by the departure of their original drummer during the height of Engaged in Labor. They were also slowed
down when their touring van was smashed by a tree during an electrical storm. The biggest setback, a
car-on-bike accident involving multi-instrumentalist Dan Gerken during the summer of 2003, wound up
providing the band with new breath and new inspiration. The accident is documented in the song, “Close Calls.� With the rare distinction of having co-lead vocalists, Miranda Sound is often able to tell a story from two different points of view; “Close Calls� is one of those songs. Peake recalls, through his lyrics, the accident which nearly cost his bandmate his life: “Dan destroyed an Oldsmobile / with his forehead / His bike’s crushed, his head’s a crimson mess / When he wakes up he will guess / how he got there.� Gerken recollects in first-person: “You should have seen me when they strapped me in / Blood in my hair, with beet-red irises.�

To document these poignant moments on Western Reserve, Miranda Sound enlisted the talents of
J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Government Issue) who has previously lent production talent to the likes of The Promise Ring, Clutch, The Dismemberment Plan, and Shiner. The band met Robbins at Workbook Studio in Columbus during summer 2005 to start recording, with engineering help from Neal Schmitt and Jon Chinn (The Sun, New Bomb Turks). Robbins’ influence both as a producer and musician can he heard on such standout tracks as Western Reserve’s opener “Jackson Milton,� “The Lull of Youngstown� and “Control� which features Gerken on cello. As much as Robbins played an integral part in the final output, the band retains its own clear sound throughout the dozen tracks. In all, Western Reserve is as honest and real as it gets. It’s a true, thoughtful, yet accessible record with dark and memorable riffs, appealing melodies, and lyrics that accurately but obliquely reflect what it’s like to realize that you’re an adult.