Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"I'm not saying that all college students are subhuman. I'm just saying that if you aim to spend a few years mastering the art of pomposity, these are places where you can be taught by undisputed experts. And everyone in Normandy went to college." - Creem Magazine
Last week, I had the pleasure of checking out NYC-based-indie rockers Normandy at Cake Shop. The band takes a bit of Guided By Voices, Pavement, The Thermals (Sans Hutch Harris' vocals) and Paul Westerberg and mixes it with some Brian Wilson- obsessed melodies and loads of sped-up, lo-fi charm.
The alt-pop-I-love-Chucks-and-sweater-vests-rock shines through on their debut EP Time I've Wasted, which was self-released in March. My favorite is "Sweatshop," but all the songs blend seamlessly together on their first release. - Late Night Wallflower
Sometimes great stuff somehow sneaks its way into my inbox. A recent find was the Time I've Wasted EP from the New York band Normandy. It bustles forth with four songs full of energy and melody. It is untamed indie pop that dares to be a little noisy as well as catchy. The result is something akin to a much less dangerous and kid-friendly version of Parts And Labor. Like wearing sunscreen and staying out in the sun a little too long, it might hurt a little, but its not a bad burn and the tan you're gonna get is totally worth it.
Although singer Vincent Dee claims that the Shins didn't change his life, I think that fans of that band would also enjoy Normandy as would any fan of catchy upbeat indie pop-rock. Normandy has graciously made the entire Time I've Wasted EP available for download from their myspace site. Load it up on your iPod or your Zune, plug it into your MP3 player equipped automobile, roll down the windows, and head out for a drive. Or just listen on the train to work. Good stuff. - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
Normandy are a New York based quintet in a search of the perfect indie pop thrill. Their new 'Time I've Wasted' EP is their first attempt at capturing the holy grail and while they still have a bit to go there is every reason to expect that Normandy will one day be wrestling the initiative from James Mercer and co. Their EP boasts 4 strong tracks with 'Her Eyes Don't Water' and 'Kentucky Isolation' (...the backing vocals add a neat dimension) taking home the laurels for most fulfilling tracks. Normandy have geeky charm in spades which should see them appealing to the Weezer set as well as the aforementioned Shins. But, outside of all the inevitable comparisons you can't get away from the fact that Vincent Dee's gang write tunes built for joyous occasions crying out for an upbeat soundtrack. KD - MP3 Hugger
"This song blares at whatever volume you set it. It doesn't wear a seatbelt. It's like writing an exam you know you've failed; it's oddly satisfying. It's just got some good vibrations in it, that's all." http://www.saidthegramophone.com/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=normandy&IncludeBlogs=1 - Said the Gramophone
"New York-based Normandy's lead singer sounds kind of like the lead singer of Ambulance LTD -- but in a good way. We're particularly taken with their song "Her Eyes Don't Water" and have been humming it all morning." - Paper Magazine
"Time I've Wasted is a fun-filled romp through all the things that made Weezer and Pavement such an enjoyable listen in the '90s... Main songwriter Vincent Dee... share[s] a pretty strong pop sensibility with the Shins, although his own band prefers crunchier guitars and a much brisker tempo. Their debut EP was self-produced, which gives it a charmingly lo-fi flavor... "Sweatshop" actually feels like a much more rockin' version of Belle & Sebastian in the beginning, with Dee's staccato vocal delivery and a sing-along melody. Once the guitars crash in, all thoughts of Belle are eliminated in an instant. "Her Eyes Don't Water" is possibly the strongest track on the album, showing a greater use of dynamics using the quiet intro - loud chorus formula of indie pop. On this, the musicianship of the rest of the band is allowed to shine, with layers soaring vocal harmonies. This is one of those tracks that you'd swear you heard back during your Gen X college radio days." http://www.thetripwire.com/reviews/2007/3/21/time-ive-wasted - The TripWire
Discography
"Time I've Wasted" EP (March 24, 2007)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Normandy is a Brooklyn-based rock band who, at particularly boozy or vulnerable moments, will admit that it has borrowed some of its choicest moves from Wire, The Replacements, the Soft Boys and the Pixies--the smooth sounds of 80's college radio. Normandy always regrets such outbursts in the morning. Listeners may also detect a bit of the Beach Boys in the band's insistent melodicism and clever chord changes--a comparison that Normandy finds a bit of a stretch, personally, but can, like, sort of see. God only knows.
Normandy is all Vincent Dee's fault. Dejected because the Shins did not, in fact, change his life, he started recording Normandy songs in the living room of his parents' Long Island home. However, Vincent's mom Camille began to worry that Vincent was wasting his life. "You write all of these songs," said Camille, "but you never do anything with them." So he formed a band. Hilarity ensued, and Normandy is now Vincent Dee on lead vocals and guitar, Andrew Romano on rhythm guitar, Marc Bain on bass and Janine Yoong on backup vocals and keyboard. Don't ask about the drummer. The band has since graced the stages of New York's Mercury Lounge, The Annex, Cake Shop, The Knitting Factory, Pianos, the Delancey and others, sharing the stage with acts such as Elvis Perkins, The M's, Domino and Tigercity.
Normandy released its debut EP, "Time I've Wasted," on March 24, 2007. It was recorded with microphones and amplifiers in July 2006 at 3rd Ward in East Williamsburg, and mastered with magical love by Emily Lazar at The Lodge. It features the songs "Time I've Wasted," "Sweatshop," Her Eyes Don't Water," "Kentucky Isolation" and "Do I Make You Proud?" In that order. Except for "Do I Make You Proud," which is, thankfully, inaudible to human ears.
The EP has received favorable reviews from the good people at (among others) Paper Magazine, Said the Gramophone, The Tripwire and Hits in the Car. This quote, from the MP3 blog Can You See The Sunset From The Southside?, is the band's favorite:
"[Time I've Wasted] bustles forth with four songs full of energy and melody. It is untamed indie pop that dares to be a little noisy as well as catchy. The result is something akin to a much less dangerous and kid-friendly version of Parts And Labor. Like wearing sunscreen and staying out in the sun a little too long, it might hurt a little, but it's not a bad burn and the tan you're gonna get is totally worth it."
The band is, incidentally, quite pale.
To say hello, email normandyband@gmail.com.
To glance from afar, check out www.myspace.com/normandy
Links
