Santah
Chicago, Illinois, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2010 | INDIE
Music
Press
After a brief rest, Santah have returned with another batch of brand new soulful indie-rock. The latest to come from the Chicago five-piece is “Awwh Man,” the first taste of a new, self-described “thicker, stickier” sound. The song still feels inherently Santah, with Stan and Vivian McConnell’s brother-sister vocals shining above an organic combo of guitar, keys and percussion, but with a bit of an edge this time around. We’re liking what we hear. Give “Awwh Man” a listen below.
Santah is currently putting the finishing touches on their sophomore LP, which will see a special limited vinyl release on May 6th. Pre-order it here. - All Things Go
Spawning from heartland of America’s Midwest, Chicago-based Santah know how to play off of their strengths by seamlessly blending quiet melodies with equally soft instrumentation to form a well-rounded sound. You’re Still a Lover offers a great look into a band content to discuss relatable material amid catchy and easygoing tunes.
As varied as a five-song sample can offer, Santah manages to show a wide range of depth that seems to escape many contemporary indie bands who are bent on crafting a singular and recognizable sound. Santah manages to build a unifying sound that captures a wide range of instruments and vocal arrangements.
Elements of classic rock influences shine through, particularly on “Indigo,” a slow-driving ballad complete with organ tones and melodic guitar riffs. With a bass line that reinforces the melody, a layered atmosphere develops that seemingly lifts the song off of the ground.
Subtle intricacies demand multiple listens to this EP. It takes numerous run-throughs to catch everything this collection of songs has to offer, from quiet piano key strikes to admirable, well-thought harmonies that transcend simple deliverance of the lyrics and in fact add to their depth. - Paste Magazine
Chicago piano-rock outfit Santah have a talent for making breakup songs that aren’t total downers. One of them, “Indigo” — the single from their sophomore album You’re Still a Lover — is a catchy open-hearted goodbye that you could even throw on at a party. With its lovelorn narrative buried beneath clinking keys and reverb, the song has a duality that is both somber and escapist. “It’s a dark wedding march about watching the person you love walk down the aisle with someone else and trying to come to terms with it,” singer Stanton McConnell tells Hive. “You cannot accept it yet you completely love this person. The song captures the pushing and pulling of these two sentiments and the mechanisms you employ to help deal with it: escapism, rationalization, and downright begging.” Yet, McConnell delivers the lyrics with an enviable ease. It’s not often that songs this versatile come along. - MTV Hive
Formed while they were supposed to be studying at the University of Illinois, Santah have been hard at work preparing to release their debut album, White Noise Bed, on No Sleep Records. Lucky for you, FILTER has one of those new tunes to share with you today.
"No Other Women" is quite the ballad of a tune with commanding vocals and soaring riffs by Stanton McConnell, piano runs that are littered all over the place and smashing drums that keep the tune from flying too far into the abyss.
| Santah - "No Other Women' MP3 |
"No Other Women" is off Santah's forthcoming White Noise Bed album which arrives June 7th via No Sleep Records.
Pre-orders are available here.
Catch Santah at the dates below.
Tour Dates:
May
10-Milwaukee, WI Cactus Club
11-Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
12-Iowa, City, IA The Blue Moose Tap House
14-Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
16-St, Louis, MO Off Broadway
20-Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlie's
21-Chattanooga, TN Collective Warehouse
23-Columbus, OH Rumba Café
24-Detroit, MI Lager House
June
1-Indianapolis, IN White Rabbit
3-Pittsburgh 31st Street Pub
4-New York City, NY Piano's w/ The Dig and Dinosaur Bones
7-Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory w/ Brian Bonz and Stationary Set
8-Cambridge, MA TT Bear's
10-Charlottesville, VA Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
13-Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar
16-Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
17-Champaign, IL Cowboy Monkey
18-Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen
- See more at: http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/media/entry/mp3_santah_want_no_other_women_filter_exclusive#sthash.lhXMCLaF.dpuf - Filter Magazine
Artist: Santah
Song: "I Love the Way You Seal a Deal"
Album: You're Still a Lover EP
"I was pretty disoriented with my own love life, so I wrote this song to play out a fantasy and to fiercely commit to whatever that was and whatever that entailed. It's like 'A Whole New World' with a little more thunder and darkness," Santah's lead singer Stan McConnell tells Rolling Stone. "With the fantasy comes the good, the bad, and perhaps even more disillusionment twenty years down the road. You can't control it, but it feels good to commit to something even if you're scared."
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/i-love-the-way-you-seal-a-deal-by-santah-free-mp3-20121107#ixzz3KtTooKxP
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook - Rolling Stone
The modern college experience is one marked by imbibing enough booze to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool for four years on a nearly daily basis and a feeling of uncertainty regarding just what kind of life a degree in philosophy can earn a recent graduate. However, college does have its unexpected benefits, like being a great place for bands to meet and form.
Thanks to the University of Illinois, the five-piece that is Santah (guitarist/vocalist Stanton McConnell, drummer Steven Plock, bassist Otto Stuparitz, keyboard player Tommy Trafton, and late joiner/McConnell’s sister Vivian) got together to form this psychedelic Americana outfit (combining those genres probably required some advanced college coursework.) So, as they prepare to drop their debut album, White Noise Bed, this June, the band are premiering the title track right here, right now to get everyone ready for the big test.
While the title immediately brings to mind images of explosive noise, the song is a restrained and tightly constructed track of pure ’70s influence. With a hazy kind of twang, it should also garner comparisons to a more folksy version of Vampire Weekend or a younger, slightly more poppy Wilco and/or Whiskytown. However they got their sound, it’s definitely one worthy of lengthy exploration.
Check out the track and the tracklist below. White Noise Bed hits stores June 7th via No Sleep Records.
“White Noise Bed”
White Noise Bed Tracklist:
01. Irish Wristwatch
02. No Other Women
03. Chips of Paint
04. Cold Wave
05. White Noise Bed
06. Overgrown
07. When I Couldn’t Move
08. Merry Ann
09. Bat Suite
10. Dragonfly Papers
11. Neighbors and Cousins - Consequence of Sound
Discography
White Noise Bed LP - June 2011, No Sleep Records
You're Still A Lover EP - October 2012, Self Released
Photos
Bio
Since the 2010 self-release of White Noise Bed (later re-released on No Sleep Records), Santah has played hundreds of shows and traveled to some strange corners of the country. They also moved to Chicago, leaving behind their old pastoral haunt of Urbana, IL. Despite the new addresses, they perhaps became more acquainted with life on the road, living the last two years in a virtual limbo. They countered this by exploring the depths of atmospheric pop rock together and writing nearly twenty new songs. On You're Still a Lover, recorded at Chicago's Pieholden Suite Sound, Santah creates and couches themselves in a new sonic home, the first warm wave of many to come.
Like the title proclaims, Santah fearlessly commits themselves in their newest batch of songs. If White Noise Bed saw the young band navigating an undulating ocean of heartbreak, You're Still a Lover sees them sinking head over heels into bliss. Dreamy love songs like "Indigo" and "Teeth" wade into warm waters, showcasing the vocal chemistry between lead singer Stanton McConnell and sister Vivian, now fully acclimated into the group. Sprawling anthems "Springfield", "North Coast", and "I Love the Way You Seal a Deal" balance out the slower tunes, all while contributing to the simple self-prescribed reaffirmation: You're Still a Lover.
Band Members
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