Story of the Sea
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Music
Press
"There seems to be a plethora of bands that could be the "next big thing" cropping up lately in Minneapolis, and Story of the Sea are no exception. They celebrated the release of their sophomore effort, Lunar Co., on Friday to a crowd at the Turf Club that was packed[...]
[...]The '90s revival continued with Story of the Sea, who weld that era's grimy pop (Pixies, Nirvana, et al) onto intricate math-rock constructions and make it both intriguing and easily digestible. Some of the set veered into sad-bastard territory (not always a bad thing) and a couple of the songs had passages that reminded of early-'80s post-punk, with angular riffs and galloping bass lines. Overall they are shaping up to be a band to reckon with in the early days of 2009. They seem to have come out of nowhere to suddenly be a must-see band and it's not hype, these guys are the real deal. It's all cohesive, flows well, and while math-rock is often cringe-inducing in its pretentiousness and over-the-top complexity (see: Frank Zappa), the poppy core of each song made me shed any previously held reservations and melted my cold, cold heart."
Pat O'Brien
2/2/2009 - City Pages Online (Gimme Noise)
"Whether people realize it or not, the Minneapolis music scene has been churning out consistently solid music for the better part of two decades and Lunar Co., the sophomore release from Story of the Sea is proof of this. From the very first note, vocalist Adam Prince, his brother/drummer Ian Prince, bassist John McEwen and guitarist Damon Kaler, work themselves into a lather in a way that would make Kurt Cobain proud. Utilizing dizzying, math-rock constructions, the songs veer towards post-punk with angular riffs and thumping bass. On songs like the should-be single "Smoking," there's an obvious penchant for melody and wordplay that's certainly worthy of the highest libations. Lines like, "If I didn't start smoking, I might have been a millionaire," isn't exactly the stuff of legends, but then again, when else have you heard such a candid reflection about a vice, and when has it ever sounded this buoyant? Make no mistake about it, everything about Lunar Co. is substantial[...]“
"[SOTS] work themselves into a lather in a way that would make Kurt Cobain proud....Lunar Co. is an underrated, undettered splash of brawny rock songs, jazz-tinged ballads, and moody distortion pop that’s as good as anything released so far this year.... these 10 songs highlight everything that’s good about rock music. There’s nothing cheesy or derivative here, it’s one earnest effort after another, and when it sounds this good, it’s hard to not be impressed.”"
Gregory Robson
3/21/2009 - absolutepunk.net
“Lunar Co. [...] is musically substantial and overall quite a fine display of songwriting and musicianship. [...] for those times when you need to unleash some sort of inner beast, [the album] works itself into a tizzy of satisfaction.” - 30Music
“...meshing the wanna-just-pogo vibes of our favorite mid-90s alternative rock with the tense, textured structures of today’s finest.” - Culture of Me
One of the top eight unsigned bands of 2009! - Alternative Press
Discography
Enjoying Fire
1. Bubblegum
2. Couch
3. Stylish and Romantic
4. Future Subterfuge
5.Free to Go
6. Distillerie
7. Snarey X-Mas
8. Well Adjusted
9. Someone I Know
10. Karma
Lunar Co.
1. I'd Like to Meet You
2. Smoking
3. Downtown
4. Sway
5. Beast
6. Own Devices
7. Royal Blues
8. Away it Goes
9. Short Rocker
10. From Now On
Instrumental EP (TBR Summer/Fall 2009)
Photos
Bio
Do brothers make bands better?
The Beach Boys? Sure. Oasis? Wellll
No matter the verdict, in the case of Minneapolis Story of the Sea, whatever patented sibling telepathy a quartet can benefit from, the Prince brothers have it in spades.
Bandmates since childhood, Singer/Guitarist/Frontman Adam Prince and kid brother/drummer Ian Prince grew up in a musical family in Michigans Upper Peninsula. A grown-up move to the Twin Cities and various stints in well-known local bands (Manplanet and Houston) eventually led them back to what they know best: each other.
They began Story of the Sea as a guitar and drums two-piece, initially noted for Ians famous airtight skills on the kit. The brothers then added stand-out bass talent Jon McEwen from Align to record their first LP, and brought in a second guitarist Damon Kalar to complete the band for the time being.
Lunar Co. is a darker, richer collection of songs than the groups lauded debut effort Enjoying Fire. No sophomore slump, its smartly mixed by J. Robbins, complete with donated tambourine and satisfying, feel-good handclaps over Own Devices plinky coda. The new line-up adds more depth and texture, as expected; a more melodic resonance including some terrific 70s three-part vocal harmonies and keyboards.
The new songs jump around the dial like a best-of mixtape. Adam adeptly directs his band from jagged and urgent (Id Like to Meet You), out through chimey choruses (Downtown, Short Rocker), and back around to isolated, lush ballads (Sway, Royal Blue).
So who do they sound like?
No one else specifically, really. Refreshingly.
Theyve been referred to as genre-hopping which is true enough, I suppose. There are shades of Jawboxs trademark onslaught and the similar stage power of frequent bill-mates The Life and Times. But theres also The Nationals remote, murky lyrics, and Nada Surfs soft shimmer, even a Strokes-esque bounce here and there. Their sound is more an amalgamation of their vast personal influences than a pinpointed pre-existing one. At times propulsive and anthemic, perfecting the tension and release of great 90s rock. Other times studded with bouncy Cure-like keyboards or a winning Squeeze cover. Chewy pop nuggets to soothe even the most jaded indie critic.
In different hands, for example, a favorite SOTS live staple Pipe Dreams (as yet unrecorded) might have been a simpler emo crescendo (with its windmill-worthy brwaaaang! chords), but its unexpected doo-wop undercurrent sweeps you away, begging the question: are you a badass enough hipster to shoop like a Pip in a rock club?
And that, it seems, then, is their trademark the sparkle and magic of two songs in one. A bargain at any price. At heart theyre a capital-R rock band; further blessed with shiny pop refinement, subtle soul roots and grooves, and geeky music-store talent.
And at their best, theyre a capital-L live band. Ians knack for crafting perfect setlists makes for a brawny rumble of a show: each one different from the next, crowd-winning all.
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