The Laureates
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The Laureates

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago, Illinois, United States
Band Rock Pop

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"The Laureates "I Want To Miss You" ep"

Resonant, strong vocals anchor this marriage of 60's Brit jangle and modern indie rock, making this a bit of a joy. New bands take note: see...you are not required to get a whiny singer. - Roctober Magazine


"The Unblinking Ear's 2007 Year in Review"

The Laureates "Witching Boots." MP3s of all the songs from the Laureates' 4 song 7" EP are available for free on their website but I was so floored by this track I needed it in a hard format as well. Anytime I've played it for anyone since they've immediately perked up with 'Who is this?' Yes, it's that good. Go show them some love - The Unblinking Ear (http://theunblinkingear.blogspot.com)


"The Laureates - Self-titled Seven Inch"

The Laureates were kind enough to send me their latest single on Funambulist recording company. I finally got around to giving it a spin this weekend:
This could easily have been recorded a few decades ago in the wall of sound tradition of bands like The Crystals, in fact this opening riff on the first track "I want to miss you' reminds me so much of their track 'Then he kissed me' that it was one of those 'what's the name of that song' moments which, thanks to the internet only lasts a minute.
From there the EP keeps this 60's garage feel, complete with rhythm guitar lines, and chorus changes, and harmonizing. There is heavy reverb/echo on everything, including Chad's vocals, down to the drum kit. I like the distance vocally, placed somewhere in the middle of the mix and sounding a bit like an upbeat Paul Banks from Interpol, that deep, half talking, kind of holding back emotionally, saving it up to lay it on if and when it's called for.
It's not far from early Rolling Stones, or the Kinks, like 'Mother's little helper' when the distortion was novel and incorporated into little pop jems. The guitar on 'Hello, Hello' really reminded me specifically of 'Can't get no satisfaction' that up the scale chord and even blues-ish influenced riffs.
This recording lends itself perfectly to the seven inch format, I'm a huge fan of mini EP's like this where you can really get a feeling for the band. How they fit these 4 tracks on a single I still don't understand, they don't feel short, this is like one of those unearthed gems that collectors drool over finding a copy, a misplaced garage band like the Zombies that is mentioned repeatedly as influencing all kinds of people to pick up a guitar. It's stripped down, I'd believe it if you told me it was recorded fairly live in the studio. It's just successful rock period.
They reference the spectrum from The Jam and Spoon as independent contemporaries and I can hear that, the structures, the songwriting, and honest rock sound, no gimmicks. Witching Boots starts out with bass line which is joined by a fuzz guitar single string melody and another layer of guitar comes in over that. I like this two rhythm guitar sound, they're always working together. They never drown each other, they're both necessary. There isn't a lead, both working towards the same end, that arm windmill energy. Chad's vocals are echoed and in traditional wall of sound style, all the sounds bleeding into each other. There's a lot of capable harmonizing on all tracks, which at first I don't even think I noticed right away.
This single is an impressive first EP in this balanced, timeless sound. A modern take on the infancy of straight ahead rock and roll.

It's great that this is available for free on laureates.com, but do your best to track it down and buy the 7" at Permanent Records, Laurie's Planet of Sound, or Reckless Records. - Seven Inches Every Day (http://7inches.blogspot.com)


Discography

S/T 7" EP

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Bio

The Laureates met by accident in late 2005, answering each other's calls for like-minded musicians to play this new form of 21st Century music enigmatically called "Rock and Roll". Chad Preston (The Nouns, The Reaction) had written and recorded an album all on his lonesome, aiming to self-release it and never promote it by playing live until he realized that it was a lonely and unwise plan. Did I mention it was lonely? He was about to give up completely on any more musical adventures in earnest when he met up with a rhythm section called Crawfie Ward (Chalet Chalet) and Pete Gray (Chalet Chalet). The band met Nick Gage, who joined on guitar and vocals just in time to play a handful of shows, but left the band right before they needed to pay for their debut 7". He still pays to come to the shows though, which displays an upright and respectable character. The band then added guitarist Adam Penly (Alto Heceta, The Gunshy) solidifying the lineup and has of late been gathering solid support from friends and strangers alike and making their enemies tear up and say "You know, you're alright, let's be mates."

The Laureates' debut 7" was recorded above Nick's garage in Humboldt Park by a guy who goes barefoot even in a Chicago winter. The tracks were recorded live and quickly, channeling the spirits of 60's freakbeat, pop, and garage, indie rock, psychedelia, and post-punk. The resulting EP displays a sound that has roots in the history of rock and should find the band a place in today's independent community, with a blend of influences as dusty as The Creation or The Kinks and as modern as Spoon or Guided by Voices.

Even though The Laureates are figuratively young with only a few shows and one EP release under their belt, their live performances pull from a wide range of released and unreleased material, and they're still busy writing and recording.