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Written by Kaylen Hoffman
Thursday, 30 March 2006
The Inklings, a Williamsburg, Brooklyn indie-rock quartet, first formed in the winter of 2004 when singer-songwriter Dani Linnetz met up with guitarist Peter Imbres (from folk band Royal Nonesuch) and bassist Eli Schneider (also from Royal Nonesuch) to collaborate on Linnetz's first full-band recording, Caller Seventeen. Linnetz soon after reconnected with drummer Mark Willey, who was then in a band called Lojazar. The band had a somewhat rocky start, as they were all working around Linnetz's touring schedule and other side projects, but eventually it was decided that the group would take on a different sound than Linnetz's previous projects. Thus, the Inklings were formed...a name taken from the shadowy creatures that live under Tokyo in Haruki Murakami's book, Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World which represents the new, decidedly darker sound Linnetz wanted to emulate.
Almost any song on Rhizomes could be on the soundtrack of Empire Records. Though at first listen the songs seem somewhat simple, the lyrics are complex and sometimes difficult to understand or analyze. With a sound reminiscent of Dolores O'Riordan, Linnetz has a very smooth, slick voice when the music isn't drowning it out, as the guitar seems to be a bit louder than it should be on the majority of the tracks.
With songs such as The Challenger, Burning Edge, and Break You, there is a tinkling Moog Rogue keyboard that was repeatedly fixed with ProTools trickery. This is only one example of the intricacies of this album. Break You, perhaps the albums most haunting track, is full of chilling vocals paired with screeching guitar feedback, with the opening line, "You will pay."
The Inklings are definitely an amazing indie-rock band that sounds as if they could have been cultivated in the early 90s. Their music has a haunting edge, but it keeps the listener captivated until the end of the album.
- Playback:St Louis
The Inklings Rhizomes
Poppy garage rock in the vein of Dressy Bessy. The guitar work is interesting, the choruses catchy, but the Inklings would greatly benefit from a shot of Dexedrine.
Just try and resist the opening track, "Eliza." You will happily submit.
- Boulder Weekly (CO)
The music has a fuzzy-yet-bouncy quality, but more in an indie vein than garagey …the shuffling, hypnotic drums & keys will bring to mind bands like Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade…I'm glad they're not trying to sound like everyone else. - READ Magazine (National)
...Things start off well on The Inklings debut LP, Rhizomes. The opening track, "Eliza," is a driving, catchy, and deftly instrumented alternative rock number with twinges of country. The element that stands out most is the sharp, staccato guitars, reminiscent of The Jam's "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street."... - Tiny Mix Tapes (Blog)
Imagine 10,000 Maniacs as a smart rocking 21st-century Brooklyn quintet, and you've got an inklings - or maybe just a lazy soundbite - about the Inklings...even if Rhizomes isn't candy everybody wants, it's still pretty sweet. - Magnet
Named after a reference to critters living under Tokyo in Haruki Murakami’s Hard Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World, the Williamsburg-based Inklings shape melodies that explode between pop-rock riffs like fruit-filling in turnovers. The result is Rhizomes, a debut album that combines the gusto of such female-powered acts as Eve’s Plum with enough grit-rock to stick between your teeth. Dani Linnetz voice commands attention, especially on “The Challenger”—a tribute to her summer camp mentor, where she shines like the stars she references. Where “The Challenger” soars, “Lady Luck” digs deep with a heap of dirty guitar riffs that will pull you down until Linnetz declares “I don’t have the strength to fight it this time / She’s taking me down, down, down / I need you to find me and save me, he pleads with his eyes / I can’t do this again.”
If Linnetz is the angel of Rhizomes, Peter Imbres (guitarist/Royal Nonesuch, The No-Name All Stars), Eli Schneider (bass/Royal Nonesuch) and Mark Willey (drums) are the pristine sky backdrop, with their rhythm section as tight as impenetrable blue. - Jim Keller - The Deli Magazine
Discography
Band members played on the 2004 Sly Dog Records release "Caller Seventeen" by Dani Linnetz (lead singer of The Inklings)
Debut album Rhizomes released March 5, 2006.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The Williamsburg, Brooklyn, indie rock quartet The Inklings began in the winter of 2004 as the band behind the music of Dani Linnetz, who had already achieved a degree of notoriety as a nationally touring singer/songwriter. Guitarist Peter Imbres, a member of the Williamsburg-based avant folk band Royal Nonesuch and leader of The No Name All-Stars recording project, and bassist Eli Schneider, formerly of Zealrecords' Timesbold and also in Royal Nonesuch, had previously collaborated with Linnetz on her first full band recording, Caller Seventeen (Sly Dog Records, 2004), and Imbres had toured with her briefly on lead guitar. The move from backing up Linnetz's solo project and forming The Inklings came to fruition when she reconnected with a friend she knew from her time living in San Francisco, drummer Mark Willey, who was then playing with the NYC jazz group Lojazar.
The band got off to a precarious start as rehearsals had to be scheduled around Linnetz's full-time touring schedule and the band members' various other projects, but soon they started squeezing in rehearsal time at odd hours and while Linnetz was on the road and spontaneously collaborating on new songs. The songs tended towards a departure from Linnetz's solo sound and so the decision was made to separate the two projects and The Inklings were formed. The name The Inklings is a reference to the shadowy creatures that live under Tokyo in Haruki Murakami's book "Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World," which is a reflection of the new slightly darker, but yet decidedly unpretentious, sound. Gigs were rescheduled and, within a few months of forming, the band played their first showcases in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco to enthusiastic audiences.
The Inklings are currently finishing up their debut CD 'Rhizomes' and it will be available early March 2006. The band will also be playing Sly Dog Records showcases at the upcoming CMJ Music Marathon in New York and South by Southwest in Austin. There are tentative plans for a European tour in the Summer of 2006.
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