Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
new roman times strike with the kind of angularly danceable music that has made both Q and not U and Enon household name the gated community of indie rock; like those bands, they haven't forgotten that strong melodies, stronger rhytyms and electric guitars are still the essential elements of just about anything worth hearing more than once, with the intermittent application of digital sounds keeping things interesting. at best, the trade-off boy/girl vocals recall punk for grownups of Versus or the Pixies..... - under the radar
It’s pretty easy to find bands with dueling male/female vocals who draw comparisons to X and Sonic Youth from unimaginative writers. It’s another thing entirely to find a band who deserves such association past the guy/girl vocal thing. New Roman Times is of the latter sort of band.
While International Affairs earns the nod toward the male/female all-star list because of the one-two vocal punch of Josie Fluri and Dan Owens, New Roman Times has more in common with the aforementioned rockers than just a bi-gendered vocal assault. In fact, with a style that bucks easy “recommended if you like” comparisons, International Affiars shows glimpses of the inventive streak that made Sonic Youth, X and The Pixies so important (and handy) references in the first place.
New Roman Times isn’t as staggeringly creative as those bands, of course, but that doesn’t stop it from shaking up a few long-held conceptions about independent rock. Picking up the same sort of keyboard that have become the tres chic badge of distinction in the dance-punk revival, New Roman Times aims them in a completely different direction. Instead of the kitsch-crippled old-new-wave noise, International Affairs puts washes of synth-pop over the jagged, acute melodies of D.C.-styled post-hardcore. It’s enough to win the Orlando, Fla. band enough space upon which to homestead and raise a few head of cattle. Fans of Sonic Youth and Fugazi alike will agree upon “Dis-Viscount,” which wrestles with pointed guitar leads and swooshes of keyboard melodies. Although “The Patient” features easygoing programming and Owens’ indie-kid flatlined delivery, gorilla-sized beats pound through the melodies to constantly remind listeners that New Roman Times is a band that knows how to rock. If that’s not enough to convince anyone of the band’s rock quotient, “French Prison Haricut” features a bit of vocal give-and-take that suggests Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, plus a searing guitar solo. Likewise, the distorted vocals on “Consequences,” which sound like a Dalek singing karaoke through a moving fan blade, are anything but chic and cutesy.
Along the way, the band takes a few odd detours. Sometimes they satisfy while they puzzle: “Reversion Therapy” relaxes the band’s punchy demeanor for a track that saddles up next to slick indie pop. Other experiments, such as the synth-heavy “Absolute Beginners,” get too slippery in a sea of K-Y electronic melodies that reduce the friction that makes most of International Affairs so exciting.
Nonetheless, New Roman Times shows it’s able to keep up with the post-hardcore and pop trends without catering to either one. That alone should make International Affairs worth checking out, and the act’s ability to squeeze melodies into a four-on-the-floor rocker won’t hurt either. - aversion.com
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Orlando band New Roman Times’ album, International Affairs, is the back and forth, bi-gender vocal arrangements by its lead singers. The album, which mostly deals with issues of love — and the lack thereof, in this case — and not political or cultural discussions as the title suggests, has an indie-rock sound reminiscent of Sonic Youth or The Pixies. Heavy guitar riffs and waves of strong keyboards tend to overwhelm the appealing vocals throughout the album. The fast-paced “Reversion Therapy” and the catchy “A Scene From The Disco Era” stand out among the more mellow tracks. The bottom line: it’s a lot like any affair — - synthesis.net
Florida's New Roman Times may be the missing link between T-shirted indie rockers and slightly more angular post-punks. Spindly post-rock guitar lines and traded boy/girl vocals bounce atop a bed of dance-friendly beats as the earnest search for true love continues. - download.com
Discography
"international affairs" out now on social recordings
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
new roman times are fans of music. that is what makes them unique. they blend stlyes from the last 20 years to form their niche. deriving from seminal bands of the 80's like the fall, sonic youth and the pixies, new roman times have set their standards high. not trying to emulate the status quo of the indie punk dance blow out, they have drawn from their influences, instead of copying, to make something their own. new roman times makes music that they want to hear.
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