Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Cold, Cold Bleachers; Warm Music
By Lavinia Jones Wright | Dig & Scratch staff writer
Sage New York folker Clare Burson assembled a sweet and sultry lineup of friends to play the Brooklyn Lyceum on Jan. 12. While the winter wind shook the rafters of the huge, unfinished space, the bands gave off more warmth than the heaters with the subtle romance of Roomtone’s cello-laced set and Burson’s summery voice. Lucinda Black Bear, a smoky supergroup of Brooklyn instrumentalists that includes Burson on violin, was the evening’s soothing nightcap.
Both Roomtone and Lucinda Black Bear are composed of members of other locally loved bands in their respective hometowns, but both avoid the combo-act cliché by making music that stands apart from their regular projects.
What most stood out at the show was the warm, woozy music of all three bands. As the audience shivered, bundled up in coats and scarves, perched on cold metal chairs and high-school-dance-style bleachers, the three bands took turns singing affectionate lullabies.
Roomtone: Alex Yaker’s soft voice married Allison Polans’ pained harmonies. In Philadelphia, members of Roomtone are important parts of other bands (Yaker plays bass in a power-pop outfit), but Roomtone’s sound is softer than pop and more bossanova than bland, old-timey folk. - Digandscratch.com
Discography
Currently, Roomtone is in the studio working on his first debut record, tentatively entitled "Hits&Mrs." due out this Summer 2007.
Roomtone was recently featured on WPKN Radio in CT/NY, as well as Radyo ODTU (Ankara, Turkey) and Twin Cities FM (Perth, Western Australia) and WXPN's World Cafe Live Podcast and WXPN's Sleepy Hollow program with Chuck Elliot.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Roomtone began its existence in a room full of keyboards, guitars, a bass, a computer, and a glass of cognac.
"Multi-instrumentalist and song-writer Alexander Yaker, aka Roomtone, was born in Eastern Europe but spent much of his life in Birmingham, Alabama where his musical career began as a keyboard player.
He performed and/or collaborated with Duquette Johnston (Verbena, Cutgrass), Bo Butler (the Saturdays), the Silos (NYC), as well as recorded and toured with John P. Strohm (Blake Babies, the Lemonheads, Antenna).
After relocating to Philadelphia in 2003, Alexander began integrating into the local scene, playing keyboards, guitar and bass with a one-time successful Philadelphia band, the Northern Hues. After its demise, he joined and soon toured with Philadelphia's Power-Pop band Grammar Debate! and soon began writing a collection of songs that were later organized under the name Roomtone.
Roomtone's music has its roots in melodic pop and Bossa Nova, drawing comparisons to Jim O'Rourke, Nick Drake, Sam Prekop and Kings of Convenience, consists of rich layers and warm textures of classical and electric guitars, keyboards, cello, percussion and bass as well as lush vocal harmonies - all perfectly blending together to produce a very unique style and cozy sound..."
Roomtone has recently shared the stage with Amy Millan (STARS, Broken Social Scene), Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf, Crooked Fingers), Fiery Furnaces, Lisa Germano, Tara Jane O'Neil, Nick Krill (Spinto Band), Nicole Atkins and Let's Go Sailing.
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