Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Strangers Die Everday is the most recent addition to the This Generation Tapes lineup, which dazzled in 2005 with releases from Subtract by Two and Crombie. This Generation Tapes will be releasing the band's first proper release this year, after Strangers Die Everday impressed with its 2005 self-released They Have Already Defeated Us At What We Know Best. So what can you expect from this blooming band? How about pop-oriented orchestral/chamber rock akin to Bright Red Paper or Cue. There is a sense of urgency in They Have Already Defeated Us... that carries throughout the album and allows it to get away with the theatrics in songs such as "The Romanticism of Things". Whether it be due to poor recording or just the band's preference for a gritty sound, They Have Defeated Us... is a bit rough -- not the polished, shiny piece of art you'd expect in the genre and received from the aforementioned artists. The music cracks, the violin screeches, and the bass undercuts the music in some spaces, but on the whole it does give it a very warm, homey feel. As for the music itself, Strangers Die Everyday shows that its probably one of the better musicians to succeed at infusing rock into the chamber rock genre. In fact, Cue may be the only band I've heard that's done it better, but whereas Cue's music is very upbeat and hopeful, Strangers Die Everday nail it on the head with the obviously bleak message and atmosphere. The music lurches forward, chillingly recounting a haunting story that has no positive ending in sight. You get what you pay for, and with Strangers Die Everyday, it is not a happy ride. I'm very curious to see where This Generation Tapes goes with this band. As I've been happy with the work this label has done before, as well as my appreciation for the music made by Strangers Die Everyday, I'm hoping TGT is able to extract the positive qualities of this band and really allow them to demonstrate the talent at work behind They Have Already Defeated Us At What We Know Best. It would be a shame to let the band waste it's talent on a self-indulgent excursion, but I do believe much different plans are in store for Strangers Die Everyday. - DECOY MUSIC - Decoymusic.com
"Atmosphere and gravity: two invisible, intangible things that keep us alive even as they imprison us. Strangers Die Everyday is well versed in this contradiction; the Boulder quartet uses bass, drums, cello and violin in its attempt to simultaneously harness and succumb to these vast, pervasive forces. Begun in late 2003 as a trio comprising Stirling Myles, Scott Wilkinson and Lawrence Armstrong, Strangers recorded a three-song demo last summer that, while shaky and unsure, hinted at greater things on the horizon. With the subseguent addition of cellist Jessie Dettwiler, the group became complete, honing its Rachel's-meets-Explosions in the Sky majesty via and penchant for crackle, groan and echo that builds and subsides like cycles of the earth itself." - CRITIC'S CHOICE in the THE WESTWORD - The Westword
"Strangers Die Everyday is the rockinist outfit to come out of Boulder in a long, long, long, long, long time. S.D.E. have been compared to the likes of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Hanged Up, and Mogwai. Personally, I think they're better..." - DENVEREVOLUTION - DENVEREVOLUTION
Discography
Strangers Die Everyday is a haunting 5 piece instrumental outfit hailing from Denver, CO. They have recently relocated to Portland, OR to thrive in the lush dark beauty of the pacific northwest. Consisting
of violin, viola, cello, electric bass and drums,
they combine equal parts romantic melodies alonside tragic downpours of charged emotion.
Strangers Die Everyday passionate, powerful melodies
that have the tendency to ignite into a breathtaking flurry and frenzy. their live
intensity has proven that they are every bit as striking as their name implies.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Equal parts Bernard Herrmann, John Zorn and Jim O'Rourke, Strangers Die Every Day makes cinematic, esoteric chamber punk that never forgets to rock. Bassist Stirling Myles and drummer Lawrence Armstrong thunder away like an indie-rock rhythm section that fell into the orchestra pit, while violinist Scott Wilkinson and cellist Jessie Dettwiler shred their instruments of choice with avant abandon. Whereas Louisville sluggers such as Slint, Rodan and especially Rachel's blazed the trail, this intrepid quartet wanders giddily off course, indulging in dissonant, cathartic and downright spooky reveries that would make Stravinsky smile. Still, there's just enough straightforward rock sensibility preserved to make the most classical-phobic scenester nod along.
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