SOLARE

I have to confess that Solare's greatness kind of snuck up on me, and I feel like a loser for failing to recognize their potential earlier. The band has not been in existence for that long, yet their musical vocabulary is already incredibly refined. I almost feel that should their sonic palette become any more expansive, it will literally be too enormous to be processed by anything as laughably inadequate as the human ear. Solare's accessibility will, I'm sure, cause them to be plagued with mind-numbingly obvious Smashing Pumpkins comparisons for the foreseeable future. is it even worth mentioning that guitarist/singer Josh Johnson toured with Auf De Maur? Or that their bass player is a girl? Screw that. The vocal hooks are insanely catchy. Christine Bruton's bass lines are just busy enough to keep things moving along, yet tasteful enough to steer clear of dreaded prog territory. Similarly, mind-bending drum patterns somehow translate into face-melting rock, rather than bringing up terrifying flashbacks to college-era Medeski Martin & Wood shows. "Winners" is glorious in its thick, grinding sludginess; the glacial, twinkling synth line in "The Story Of The Moon" literally gave me goosebumps, while "Every Day" is pure uncensored spleen-venting at its best. Sounding stalker-ish enough for you already? But never mind that. I dare you to go ahead and make that pathetically uninspired Smashing Pumpkins comparison after seeing them. These guys are about to start making serious inroads into the L.A. music scene. - The LA Record

Solare is a Los Angeles based trio who thrive on creating giant hook filled rock music that is layered with sonic and atmospheric textures. The subject matter of Solare's music primarily includes scientific phenomena and things one might learn about on the Discovery Channel, displaying that much thought goes into everything they write. Currently the band is relatively unknown, even in their locale, but with a shimmering new EP , The Story Of The Moon, and a rampant desire to tour, their should be no holding them back.

- decoymusic.com

Solare’s new EP, The Story of the Moon, is only five songs long, but they’ve got you hooked. You want more. You say to yourself, “Hmm, I wonder what this three-piece could accomplish given more songs to show off?”

They’re comparable to The Flaming Lips, but really they go one step further—they’re a more approachable Flaming Lips. Instead of thirty-minute tracks that are finished with a gong, Solare reminds you of the Lips, but in a miniature way. Which isn’t to say they sound small; they certainly make a lot of sound for just three people, but they’re very neat and tidy with that sound.

The Story of the Moon starts out with an instrumental track. You start to think of Smashing Pumpkins—lead singer Joshua Johnson has been a guitarist for former Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, so there is a connection—and, again, The Flaming Lips, but in the time it took me to write that sentence, the song is over. So now you’re on to the title track, on which Johnson sounds so young, and even reminiscent of those bands that are all over MTV—except Solare are good. Before I go further, let me say that the band has a female bassist and, yes, she’s hot. I guess there’s some sort of law. Also, the whole band has the same shoulder-length haircut.

On to track three, “Every Day,” which could almost be mistaken for a Weezer song, and then the great, paranoid-sounding “Your Backyard at Night,” which is like a modern-day cowboy song, full of mystic voices and falsettos. But then it’s over, and you find yourself scrambling to find a piece of paper to write down their name to share with your friends while you start the EP all over again.

by Amber Henson - The Red Alert

The dreamy, atmospheric pop stylings of Los Angeles based band Solare are begging to be heard. I've mentioned before that my summer listening consists mostly of alt-country, roots rock, or music of a more organic nature. While Solare isn't exactly a slice of Americana, their experimentation is certainly a welcome little distraction. I should've picked up on them sooner. Head on over to the band's myspace page to pick up their EP The Story Of The Moon. - Come Pick Me up

LA-based trio known as Solare features Joshua Johnson on guitar and vocals whose recent claim to fame was touring with Auf Der Maur. The subject matter of their songs is tre nerdyI bet these guys got the HD package with their cable company for the express purpose of watching the Discovery Channel in High Definition. Their songs are catchy with shoegazing guitar laid out neatly and folded amid hypnotic rhythms. Good stuff. - - SMOTHER.NET

For starters, listening to the space-rockish "Story of the Moon" with Joshua's soothing vocals, it almost feels spiritual with a slight hint of The Flaming Lips. I'm not sure if it's the Melissa Auf De Maur reference, "Winners" made me think of The Smashing Pumpkins, and inevitably, the Mellon Collie era. The upbeat, indie-poppy "Fight" sounds like my kind of music - catchy bass hooks, toe-tapping intro, a rockin' chorus and synth effects done so tastefully. "Spiral Out" is a feel-good track with steady basslines, strong rhythmic guitars and just hearing Joshua sing his heart out makes you want to pump your fist in the air. I certainly look forward to a full length album from the band, judging by their versatility and style. - INDIEPENDANT MUSIC