The Distants

LOS ANGELES TIMES - "BUZZ BAND" CALENDAR ARTICLE - JULY 27TH!
Category: Music

BUZZ BANDS
July 27, 2006
THE DISTANTS: ASPIRING TO JOIN ROCK'S ROYALTY

Singer Guinevere King knows about rock stars. She worked in client services at the Record Plant, catering to the needs of rock royalty when they visited the Hollywood studio. There, she met guitarist David Kelly, an aspiring engineer, and two years later, as half of the L.A. quartet the Distants, they have designs on taking a bigger stage themselves.

Their debut, "Broken Gold" (out Aug. 15 on indie Blue Cave Records), harbors similarly lofty ambitions, with King's siren vocals riding the waves of Kelly's sprawling guitar. Not surprisingly, the result sounds like a fusion of some of King's favorite bands the Sundays, early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, My Bloody Valentine and Blondie.

"When David and I first started collaborating, we thought, 'Let's space it out and not try to write verse-chorus-verse,' " King says of the Distants' evolution, which kicked into gear when the duo met bassist Steve Alderfer and drummer Jamie Douglass through friends.

Though Kelly, who produced the album, is the "musical mastermind" behind the Distants' sound, King says much of the content was influenced by her experiences, including the death of her brother a couple of years ago.

"There are songs about loss and abandonment and those kind of issues, but some are on the happier tip," she says. "A lot are just an expression of what it's like in L.A."

The Distants play Tuesday at the Silverlake Lounge.

Kevin Bronson


Recommended downloads

Stream the Distants' "The Further the Earth Gets From the Sun" at http://www.myspace.com/thedistants.


Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles Times

Monday, August 07, 2006

Category: Music

CD Review: The Distants - Broken Gold
August 06, 2006
Cool Noise
Broken Gold
The Distants


The Distants' debut album Broken Gold is not pandering to any current fashion. It draws on classic alternative guitar bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth to reproduce a wall of sound of dense guitar. And then they throw a magnificent female vocalist into the mix.

They do a version of The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" and thankfully they do it straight - the powerful guitar sounds are probably even improved on. I don't have a copy of the song (The Cult were a bit rockist for me) so I'm very pleased and anyone who has a copy can just sit back admire the sheer affrontery and twist from having female vocals. And think about it, who would cover such a classic song unless they believed the rest of the material matched? The Distants don't lack confidence in their abilities.

For me, the songs that match "Sanctuary" are "Falling Apart", a majestic pop/rock work; "Apparent Silence" is like Blondie being ravaged by an evil horde of guitar heroes; and "The Following" is a stunning example of controlled noise - the prefect climax of an album. But what really impresses me is I am annoyed "Sanctuary" interrupts the flow of the album because that song has an inner response from me ... and I would rather the excitement of listening to The Distants' own songs as their music buries itself deep under my skin.

The singer Guinevere doesn't have the range of Siouxie Sioux but does have that rock raspiness that Courtney Love exhibits, as well as the melodic charms of softer voiced female singers. She doesn't miss any notes even at full stretch and can move from sultry singing to an all out clarion call loud enough to wake the dead. The guitar, drums, and bass unit are magnificently able to make such dense aural attacks and stay tight.
When reviewing an album, I often make a comparison to a band even less people have heard of. In this case, I will say The Distants have come close to the sheer power and aural assault of another female fronted band, the now defunct Solar Race who made the astonishing Homespun back in 1997. With more feedback and more discord they might have matched it. Instead they have drawn back from the brink and added many pop and melodic elements that and could take them onto the iPods of a lot of people. By the time they produce their next album I expect them to be much too big to send me a copy for review.



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Cool Noise is a blog and website devoted to discovering the best in new music. - Cool Noise.co.uk / Blogcritic.org

Thursday, August 17, 2006
Berkeleyplace.blogspot.com

THE DISTANTS-BROKEN GOLD

The Distants are an L.A. band with a hard-edge 1980s New Wave sound. Their press release compares them to Blondie and Jane's Addiction, but I'm hearing more Pat Benetar. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I mean, imagine Pat in her prime with Karen O's attitude.

Broken Gold is a solid debut. They've got the obligatory cover song, to get press, but how many bands have ever covered The Cult's She Sells Sanctuary? None I know of. And Guinevere King's vocals add an interesting twist to this cock rock classic.

The album's sex factor kicks in harder with "Girl on Girl," which is borderline pornographic. I'm sure if you wrote all the lyrics out, it would look corny,but trust me, it works. When she shouts, "Hey, girl! Don't try to fight it! Let the boys get excited!" and "Just one taste and you will see just how could it can be!", you'll be imagining yourself in a crowded club while some brunette you've been making time with takes a break on the floor with a clubrat blonde who's belly shirt barely fits her.

If I have one complaint about the album, it's that neither the musicians nor the vocalist seem to push themselves as far as they can go. The album crackles with potential energy, and in many songs it's realized, but in a few others I found myself wishing they'd crank it up to eleven. Still, it's a minor flaw and one that may lie more with the producer or the label than with the band itself. This is their opening salvo, and it sounds to me like we can expect more great music from this band.

Perhaps that's why my personal favorite tune is Vertigo. Here, the band lets itself go. The vocals get scratchy and raw, bass creeps through guitar fuzz in a 90s grunge moment, and then the singer returns, screaming, "I hope you get over it! I hope you get off on it!" This is a powerful song that's as good as anything off Show Your Bones.

I hope you'll check this out, and buy the record when it hits the streets on August 15th.

Cuts:

She Sells Sanctuary (The Cult cover)-The Distants.

Vertigo-The Distants.

THE LAST WORD;

"I fantasize one day she will kidnap me and take me for granted."
- The Distants, "Girl on Girl."

posted by Ekko @ 6:03 AM - Berkeleyplace.blogspot.com

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Smother Magazine
The Distants - Broken Gold

Rising tides of guitar avalanched amid sweet female vocals and a torrential downpour of harmony, "Broken Gold" is an indie modern rock adventure best heard in the late hours of the evening. Huge guitar noise that recalls My Bloody Valentine with ruthless precision. Imagine if the Breeders joined forces with a drugged out college crew of musicians, all doped up with acid and pot, with plenty of distortion pedals and loud clanking drumming. Fun!

- J-Sin - Smother Magazine

REVIEW
Music Review: The Distants - Broken Gold
October 09, 2006
Benjamin Cossel
Broken Gold
The Distants


Filling the void left when Lush dropped off the musical radar around 1998 comes the four-piece, Los Angeles-based The Distants. Their debut album Broken Gold dropped August 15, 2006 solidifying an already growing reputation in the greater Los Angeles area.

Established in 2004 when lead singer Guinevere King met guitarist David Kelly while working at The Record Plant in Hollywood, the two quickly added drummer Jamie Douglass and bassist Steve Alderfer to the line-up. The band would go on and establish themselves as one of the must-see acts in Los Angeles with performances at the legendary Viper Room, residency at the King King and a summer stint at Canter’s famous Kibitz Room. Fueled by airplay from LA's indie 103.1 and 88.9 KXLU, as well as an appearance in The Vines video “Ride,” all worked to make Broken Gold one of the most anticipated releases in recent LA memory.

Fans of the band will not be disappointed, new listeners will be converted. From start to finish, Broken Gold sucks you in and doesn’t let go. The opening, jangling guitar riff of “The Further The Earth Gets From The Sun” lulls you melodic until you are met by the wall of sound that explodes in your eardrums without warning. While forceful, the sound isn’t overpowering as King slithers her vocals into the song in a perfect counterpoint to the guitars. From this point on, The Distants own you. The edgy pop sound continues with splashes of Sonic Youth distortion thrown into the mix for good measure.

Included in the album is a cover of The Cult’s classic “She Sells Sanctuary,” with King’s vocal styling - ranging from Courtney Love-like wailing to P.J. Harvey huskiness - and the overall feel of the album, the track fits right in. Too often bands throw a cover into the mix only to have it break the flow of the album or they outright fail in doing the original justice. Such is not the case here — the Distants put their unique stamp on the song making it “theirs.”

Like Lush, The Distants’ lyrical content deals in the fairly typical topics of young love, heartache, and having a good time. What sets them apart in their treatment of such themes is the choice to phrase their lyrics a bit more subtly than most of their peers.

Standout tracks include the aforementioned “The Further The Earth Gets From The Sun,” “It’s Over,” and “Vertigo.”

My only real complaint is that at ten songs for a running time of 40:29, the album is entirely too short. I eagerly await this bands next release anticipating artistic growth and maturity that will catapult them to the next level.

For now, only those in California are able to see the band perform live. As Broken Gold picks up more and more steam, let’s hope that trend ceases and they hit the road on a national tour, spreading their gospel. - Mr. B Show and Review

OCTOBER 12, 2006
New Music Reviews
BY WILLIAM ALEXANDER
The Distants
Broken Gold

Blue Cave Records

Los Angeles indie darlings The Distants release their debut album, Broken Gold which features an onslaught of guitars, a pounding drum beat and female vocals that bring to mind some of the greatest alt-rock/new waves divas of the past quarter of a century.

While a sound that sounds familiar, it attacks the senses with a wall of sound that would make Phil Spector proud. Very independent, very polished at the same time, Broken Gold has its moments in the sun. “The Moth Song” features some great harmonies and a driving beat that would make Deborah Harry yearn for her earlier punk roots instead of the disco diva she has become in recent years when not playing “the hits”.

Interestingly thrown into the mix is a cover of The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary”. The Distants’ version is a straight off cover of the original, thankfully, as they did not attempt to do “their own take” on this now classic alt-rock song of the mid/late ‘80s.

The album starts to drag a little in the center, especially with “Vertigo”, but soon gets back on track with “February”, a kind of dreamy little number.

All in all Broken Gold is a pretty good release. I enjoy a woman who can belt out a good rock song without trying to be “one of the boys”. The Distants are definitely a band worthy of being on anyone’s radar.

- Wm. Alexander

- Enigma Magazine

November 1, 2006
FMQB Specialty Radio
Sub Modern Buzz Band

The Distants
Broken Gold
(Blue Cave)

Coming out of the Los Angeles Rock scene, we meet The Distants on their full length debut Broken Gold. Frontwoman Guinevere King and guitarist/producer David Kelly began working together early in 2004, writing material and playing as an acoustic duo in L.A. They rounded out the lineup as a full band by that summer, bringing aboard Jamie Douglass on drums and Steve Alderfer on bass. The band played a number of gigs and residencies throughout the famed L.A. club scene and now are ready to bring their album Broken Gold to the masses. The Distants’ sound is marked by the juxtaposition of Kelly’s atmospheric, ‘80’s indie rock guitar sound and King’s powerful vocals. Lead single “The Moth Song” can also be found on the new FMQB SubModern sampler #009, and received spins this week from KPNT/St. Louis, KTEG/Albuquerque, KTCL/Denver and others. Also check out the band’s cover of The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Vertigo,” which is not the U2 song but instead the track where King comes closest to channeling Courtney Love (in a good way). The Distants can be found online at www.thedistants.net or www.bceg.net.

~ Joey Odorisio


Updated: 11.01.06
# Artist Track Label
1. Kasabian “Shoot The Runner” (RCA)
2. The Twilight Singers “Live With Me” (One Little Indian)
3t. Arctic Monkeys “Leave Before The Lights Come On” (Domino)
The Decemberists “O Valencia!” (Capitol)
5t. Graham Coxon “Standing On My Own Again” (Parlophone)
¡Forward, Russia! “Nine” (Mute)
Sparta “Taking Back Control” (Hollywood)
8t. The Black Keys “Your Touch” (Nonesuch)
Miho Hatori “Barracuda” (Rykodisc)
The North Atlantic “Scientist Girl” (We Put Out/East West)
11t. Blowoff “Hormone Love” (FFM)
Clinic “Harvest” (Domino)
The Distants “The Moth Song” (Blue Cave)
The Living End “Wake Up” (Adeline/East West)
Muse “Starlight” (Warner Bros.)
Patent Pending “Cheer Up Emo Kid” (We Put Out/East West)
Tokyo Police Club “Nature Of The Experiment” (Paperbag)
TV On The Radio “Wolf Like Me” (Interscope)
19t. Be Your Own Pet “October, First Account” (Universal Motown)
Citizen Cope “Back Together” (RCA)
Depeche Mode “Martyr” (Reprise)
The Hold Steady “Chips Ahoy!” (Vagrant)
Hot One “U Got The Joy” (Modern Imperial/Dead Daisy)
Madina Lake “House Of Cards” (Roadrunner)
MXPX “Breathe Deep” (Side One Dummy)
Osaka Popstar “Insects” (Rykodisc)
P.O.D. “Going In Blind” (Rhino)
Placebo “Meds” (Astralwerks)
Saosin “Voices” (Capitol)
Tenacious D “The Pick Of Destiny” (Epic)



- FMQB Specialty Radio