The lost lovers brigade

By Andrew Sisk

I listen to music when I go for walks, it allows me the rare chance to choose my own soundtrack. Full moon nights can send tingles down my spine with the right melody in my headphones. If I let my imagination wander than I can see the music play out as scenes in my mind, affecting the music as much as the music affects me. I took this album for a walk to see where it would take me.

I began to saunter as the first bars of Little Skeletons jangled in my ear. Like a post-modern Western, the Lost Lover’s Brigade draw quick and shoot straight for the heart with the crooning opening track “Tigers”. Tremolo guitars and vibrato voices team up on an adventure into new territory with songs like “Lost Lovers” while “Little skeletons” appears on the horizon, sending smoky promises into the air. “Lonely Neighbour” picks up with a pristine grimaced chorus taking your heart with it as it rides into the sunset but then “Black Notes on a Tight Reel” sparkles like a story playing out in the stars, too beautiful to sleep through.

These songs seem to present themselves as both nostalgic and prophetic in nature and, for whatever reason, inspired visions of heartbreaking dance scenes in soft light. The album is sinewy and journeyed while resting close to the warmth of inspiration.

http://thelostloversbrigade.bandcamp.com/ - Southern Souls

It may have been a typical chilly and wet February night out for Vancouver, but inside the natty and nimble Biltmore basement, the mood was tender and welcoming for Chains of Love. Headlining a busy bill, and keenly aware of the buzz that’s been building behind them for a year now, Chains and their musical playmates were poised to melt the winter tide.

Admittedly, my tardiness caused me to miss the first couple of acts—a shame as Slim Fathers made their live debut and Villa Kulla had previously left a lively impression on me in—I really had no one to blame but myself. But I arrived as the Lost Lovers Brigade claimed the stage and I was quickly smitten by the eclectic ensemble, who offered instant gratification. Normally a four-piece, and adding a violinist for a few numbers, their earthy post-rock-steeped-in-country zeal was playful and excited.
With a new LP, Little Skeletons, to hawk and with lead vocalist Elisha May Rembold channelling the grit of Buffy Sainte-Marie and Patsy Cline, the Lost Lovers Brigade are a band to keep a close watch on. Their songs of insomnia, heartbreak and shadows, occasionally in three-part harmonies (Rembold, joined by drummer Adrian Burrus and keyboardist Larissa Loyva), up the choral ante considerably. Closing their set with a shout out and dedication to Phil Spector, complete with a “Be My Baby” drum intro homage, the Brigade segued pitch-perfectly into Chains of Love’s main attraction.
It’s been exciting to watch Chains of Love grow, in a relatively short period of time, into one of the city’s sans pareil performers. It wasn’t that long ago that they made their live inauguration on the same stage they graced this night, and in the months since they haven’t missed a move.
What’s immediately apparent from this snappy six-piece is their flare for the dramatic. Vocalist Nathalia Pizzaro’s arresting presence and stirring, red-hot vocals, were rife with tremor and sensitivity, and kept the band in motion. Chains of Love doesn’t do anything in halves; they go all out, near-symphonic and full tilt for the duration. Any ink that’s spilled on them invariably mentions the girl groups they carefully emulate; the Ronettes, the Chiffons, that whole marvellous milieu. Tracks like “Breaking My Heart” and “All the Time” certainly hold a strong Wrecking Crew tactility to them that’s fully realized by the momentum behind their stage show. Playing songs mostly from their forthcoming release on Dine Alone Records, Strange Grey Days, the presence of Phil Spector loomed over much of their performance.
In a live context, seeing Pizzaro and guitarist/vocalist Rebecca Law Gray together, radiant and bewitching, with locks flowing to match their moving harmonies, it’s easy to fall under their spell. Combined with Steve Ferreira’s brash and buoyant drumming, it’s a nostalgic throwback, sure, but not camp, and not the least bit pedestrian. There will always be a musical revival of some sort taking place, however, it would be a mistake to lump Chains of Love in with anything that’s superseded or passé. This is one chain you’ll be thrilled to be tethered to.
- Discorder Magazine

I instantly fell in love with Vancouver’s Lost Lovers Brigade. The group is fronted by Elisha May Rembold with members of Apollo Ghosts so LLB’s simple blend of guitar-pop and country textures are only made better with the lo-fi recording techniques that manages to flourish rather than distort. Opening track “Tiger” is an intimate introduction that begins with guitar plucks and tambourine before picking up tempo into an intense garage jam. Follow-up tracks “Lost Lovers” and “Morning Birds” will get plenty of comparisons to Neko Case as Rembold has the same timbre in her voice – but they are no less beautiful because of this. As I said before, this is not a one lady show; LLB are a cohesive group that grooves with tight melodies and wonderful layers of harmonies especially on highlights, “Black Notes on a Tight Reel”, “Lights and Shadows” and “Picture”. Little Skeletons is my favourite lost album of 2011, and as this band tours the brigade will only grow in numbers. (Independent)
- Stage Door Music Reviews

A late Vancouver entry with a November release. A compilation of singer / songwriter Elisha Rembold’s songs written over the last ten years finally being released. Little Skeletons is a beautifully haunting play from start to finish. It will take you away to a windy cabin the woods. At times surf rock ish with two of the Apollo Ghost gents in the band backing Elisha’s country / Wanda Jackson-esque vocals. - Winnie Cooper

The debut LP from Vancouver’s The Lost Lovers Brigade, consisting of members from Apollo Ghosts — guitarist Jason Clisby and drummer Adrian Burrus — along with lead vocalist Elisha May Rembold and organist/back-up vocalist Jenny Morgan falls in line with a litany of albums that have begotten the surf-tinged tag over the last year or so. But this record is pleasingly different. The group dabbles with country melancholia, galvanized lo-fi and Phil Spector-inspired '60s pop-style, eliciting something far more awesome. Rembold’s potent, quivering belts sound like Patsy Cline metamorphosing into Neko Case before your bewildered eyes, her billowing voice building upon wisps of shimmering strums and the occasional blizzard of guitar intensity fit for full-on hair-flailing wig-outs (Tigers). Desperado-riffs ooze with melodrama, painting audio portraits of Stevie Nicks wailing over the score of an exploitation film (Lonely Neighbour, All the Stars). Down-home and slightly dangerous, blissful and bold, sometimes quiet and other times downright raucous: songs for the wayward. - UPTOWN

reviewed by Michael

If you have a band name like Lost Lovers Brigade you’d better be ready to be emotional and honest. Elisha May Rembold, the driving force behind the band, does just that. Beefing up Rembold are a few members of Apollo Ghosts, plus organist and back-up vocalist Jenny Morgan.

One of the most immediate strengths of Little Skeletons is Rembold’s vocal range. She has the obvious ability to sing in multiple registers and can hit especially high notes with apparent ease. Her vocal style also seems to change depending on the mood of the song. In songs like “Lost Lovers” the passion is quite apparent, while in songs like “Picture” her vocals take on a more roots-like “pining” sort of tone.

Rembold’s vocals asides, there are also harmonies and group vocals abound, and if it wasn’t already immediately clear I am a huge fan of those.

The album is introduced well by “Tigers” which features a very audible tambourine, dreamy electric guitar chords and beautiful vocal harmonies. The melody changes toward the end with great flourish.

It is followed by “Lost Lovers” which, as I mentioned previously, is passionately sung. The song reminded me a bit of Tegan and Sara, which is very much a compliment.

Some other highlights include the heavenly track “Morning Birds” which features bells in the background combined with high-pitched notes on the guitar. It also features such poetic lines as “With the curve of the moon you brought me your life.”

“Dark Nights” shows that the band can also hit a slightly more sombre note, and “All the Stars” is another dream-like song which also more audibly features Morgan on the organ (rhyme not intended).

Little Skeletons draws to a close with the track “The Softest Glow” which sounds like it was recorded poorly, though I have my suspicions that the quality might be purposeful. The vocals are very echo-y and ethereal.

The more I wrote in this review the more I became convinced that listening to Little Skeletons is trying to mimic a dream. And it’s certainly a dream I’d like to have over and over.

Get the album via Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “Morning Birds”; “Black Notes on a Tight Reel”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good)
- Grayowl Point

Lost Lovers Brigade – Lonely Neighbour
by Gabe & Gideon Jacobs

If Victoria Legrand caught a cold and decided to collaborate with the guys of Real Estate, it would probably sound something like Lost Lovers Brigade. The fuzzed-out, trudging-through-the-mud guitar combined with Elisha May Rembold’s nasal delivery makes for a bright indie-pop sound that has just the right amount of emotional energy and sonic malaise. “Lonely Neighbour” is off of Little Skeletons, and is one of the warmer tracks on an album that is at its best when it inhabits a generic nook that lies somewhere between surf-pop and country-pop. Lost Lovers Brigade hails from Canada and their whole album is available at their bandcamp page - Lower Frequencies

When I was young, I wanted to be in a rock band, write novels, and be an actor on Broadway. The rock band was always a pipe dream, as I can’t play a musical note to save my life, and though I studied acting in university (and was pretty good at it, I might add!), the actor’s life was definitely not for me, so that just left the writing novels dream.
Thing is, I forget all the great ideas I have for books because I don’t write them down at the moment of inspiration. That’s why I’m a little envious of Elisha May Rembold of The Lost Lovers Brigade. Since 2006, Rembold has been making home recordings using her grandmother’s Sears tape recorder, capturing her songwriting inspirations at the moment they arrive. She’s amassed cupboards full of tapes, holding grainy, lo-fi sketches of songs and ideas, and together with guitarist Jason Clisby and drummer Adrian Burrus (both formerly of Apollo Ghosts) and support from organist and back-up vocalist Jenny Morgan, Rembold delved into the archives to find those flashes of brilliance just waiting to be fleshed out.
The result is Little Skeletons, a curious record that crackles with with electrified pop melodies, swaggers with a countrified attitude, and blends the charms of Rembold’s original lo-fi recordings with more polished studio work. Through it all is Rembold’s voice, gorgeous and often times haunting, breathing life into her lyrics as only the person who wrote them can. Little Skeletons was independently released on November 27, and available for purchase from Bandcamp. They have been gigging around their hometown of Vancouver, and hopefully will be taking these Littel Skeletons out of the closet and into a ton near you soon. As for me, I think I’m going to start writing a novel about how this wanna-be-novelist keeps forgetting all his ideas for books and instead writes a music blog as a way of complaining about all his shortcomings to the world.
Or something like that.
- Quick Before It Melts.

En guise de biographie, The Lost Lovers Brigade se présente d’une façon sincère et banale: l’auteur-compositeur-interprète Elisha Rembold a pris une guitare entre ses mains il y a cinq ans et elle s’est mise à enregistrer ses compositions sur des cassettes. À elle s’est joint deux membres d’Apollo Ghosts et une claviériste. Les quatre vancouverois présentent leur premier album, “Little Skeletons”.

The Lost Lovers Brigade est une des très belles découvertes de l’année. Ils font de la musique pop minimaliste avec des sonorités lo-fi et parfois un brin outsider. Autour d’Elisha Rembold est regroupé des arrangements de guitares, un peu de batterie, quelques notes de claviers, mais surtout de très belles harmonies vocales. On peut dire que “Little Skeletons” est parfois rétro dans ses sonorités. Ce n’est pas par nostalgie ou par esthétique, mais bien comme moyen d’expression. Les influences pop et country du groupe s’amalgament pour donner un mélange indé, inspirant et profond. Malgré le côté minimaliste de The Lost Lovers Brigade, la définition sonore est très précise.

La voix de Elisha Rembold laisse transparaître énormément d’émotions et de vécu. C’est son interprétation qui fait que The Lost Lovers Brigade est aussi bon et attachant. Autant qu’elle va parfois être honnête dans sa livraison, autant qu’elle peut faire preuve de retenue et de maîtrise. On sent énormément de peine, de chagrin et d’authenticité à travers son interprétation. Chaque intervention est bien mesurée et a le potentiel de réparer tous les coeurs amochés.

“Little Skeletons” est un très bon disque sobre, concis et rêveur.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-lost-lovers-brigade/243231175042

Rédigé par 500khz
décembre 7, 2011 à 14:08
Publié dans Critiques - Disques

Tag(s) associé(s): Apollo Ghosts, colombie-britannique, critique, french immersion, indie, Musique Indépendante Canadienne, pop, The Lost Lovers Brigade, Vancouver
. - 500khz – Tounes, musique et tout le reste

If it’s true that things get better with age, then The Lost Lovers Brigade is of a fine vintage. That’s not to say that seasoned musicians Elisha Rembold, Jason Oliver and Adrian Teacher are old, but the music and talent that composes them clearly adds to a tidy sum. As on-and-off musical partners over the past decade, Rembold now coalesces her talents with the two Apollo Ghosts members, who join her with a simmering musical chemistry.

“We’ve been, kind of been, in a whole bunch of projects together and after our first project ended, I started tinkering around and started to write more songs on the guitar, and Lost Lovers kind of was created,” she explains.

As The Lost Lovers Brigade’s primary songwriter, Rembold speaks honestly and her ideas flow easily through the translucency of her voice. Their debut album, Little Skeletons, will be released in December and the offering is a reverb-drenched perspective on Rembold, rich with harmonies and carefully balanced layers. “I don’t know, I think that’s my sound. It comes out in kind of anything I write. Mostly to do with melody - my voice.”

Little Skeletons was recorded at JC/DC Studios with Dave Carswell and John Collins sitting behind the board. It has a lush blend of grace and bravado that burgeons forth, nearly bursting at the seams with warmth and a delicate soulfulness. Speaking about the producers, Oliver says, “We used to share the floor with them at Red Gate. So, they’d hear us and have done a few recordings for us.” Elisha adds, laughing, “We’ve recorded a lot with them - mostly whiskey induced.”

Their material is worked on slowly and to perfection. “It’s mostly me,” she says, maybe a little bashfully, “but you know, Jay and I work out stuff [together] too. I usually come up with a lot of the songs, or I’ll bring ideas in and we just work through it and everybody sort of bring their parts. It’s a good mix.” Oliver adds, “It’s good band chemistry.”

The result is honest music with a clear voice. Rembold tells me, “I think the writing process for a musician is the most interesting thing that you don’t realize. For me, I don’t really think of myself in any certain way, and if you stop for a second and think, ‘this is what I do,’ it’s a weird moment.”



- Beat Route Magazine

I have been a secret admirer of Lost Lover’s Brigade for a while. They have mainly been playing small underground shows in Vancouver and not many. I was attracted by the lo-fi county infused songs on “the groups” myspace that I found myself listening to on repeat.
The project has been mostly a solo project by Singer-songwriter Elisha May Rembold who recorded on a Sears tape recorder she got from her grandmother. Now playing as a group with members of Polaris Prize nominees, Apollo Ghosts they have recorded their an album at JC/DC studio (Destroyer, New Pornographers). Exciting stuff.
The Lost Lover’s Brigade celebrate the release of their long awaited debut, Little Skeletons, on Friday, December 16 at Interurban Gallery (1 East Hastings Street). The show starts at 8pm and also features performances from Shimmering Stars and Kellarissa. - Winnie Cooper

Vancouver's The Lost Lovers Brigade release their highly anticipated debut album, Little Skeletons, on Tuesday, November 29. The LP was recorded by Dave Carswell at JC/DC and features Elisha May Rembold backed up by Jason Clisby (A Virgin in Hollywood, Apollo Ghosts), Adrian Burrus (Caravan, Apollo Ghosts), and Jenny Morgan. We have digital and physical copies available upon request. - Noisographyreviews.blogspot.com

Vancouver's The Lost Lovers Brigade are set to release a new album in two week's time. The project, the brainchild of Elisha May Rembold, will drop Little Skeletons on November 29th.

Listen to the track "Tigers".

Here's the track list for the album:
Tigers
Lost Lovers
Morning Birds
Lonely Neighbour
Golden Cowboy
Black Notes on a Tight Reel
Dark Nights
Lights and Shadow
Picture
All the Stars
The Softest Glow - Snobsmusic.net

My favourite local band has another spinoff band. Two members of Apollo Ghosts (Adrian and Jay) also play in a group called the Lost Lovers Brigade that has actually been around for longer than the more established project. But the Lost Lovers are only now releasing their debut album, Little Skeletons. Go to Exclaim! to learn more.

Below, listen to the reverb-drenched “All the Stars,” which could have been an upbeat rocker if it had a rhythm section. As a strummed ballad, it sounds a lot like Neko Case. - Chipped Hip

My favourite local band has another spinoff band. Two members of Apollo Ghosts (Adrian and Jay) also play in a group called the Lost Lovers Brigade that has actually been around for longer than the more established project. But the Lost Lovers are only now releasing their debut album, Little Skeletons. Go to Exclaim! to learn more.

Below, listen to the reverb-drenched “All the Stars,” which could have been an upbeat rocker if it had a rhythm section. As a strummed ballad, it sounds a lot like Neko Case. - Chipped Hip

By Alex Hudson
When we spoke with Vancouver jangle punks Apollo Ghosts back in June, frontman Adrian Teacher explained that the group would be moving towards open-sourced membership and unconventional releases. While we wait to see exactly how this is going to unfold, Teacher and bandmate Jay Oliver have turned their attention to a different project: the Lost Lovers Brigade, who will release their debut album Little Skeletons on December 16.

In this band, Teacher plays drums while Oliver handles guitar, and frontwoman duties are fulfilled by Elisha May Rembold. The group recorded their album with producer David Carswell (Destroyer, the New Porngraophers) at Vancouver's esteemed JC/DC Studios.

You can see the tracklist for the ten-song offering below and check out the album cover above. For a preview of the disc, stream the Neko Case-esque belter "All the Stars" and the gentle "Tigers" at the bottom of this page.

The Lost Lovers Brigade will be letting their Little Skeletons out of the closet with a Vancouver release show at Interurban Gallery on December 16. The bill also features Kellarissa (who plays with the Lost Lovers Brigade on keys) and Shimmering Stars. According to the Lost Lovers Brigade biography, a follow-up record and a split seven-inch are already in the works.

Little Skeletons:

1. "Tigers"
2. "Lost Lovers"
3. "Morning Birds"
4. "Lonely Neighbor"
5. "Golden Cowboy"
6. "Black Notes on a Tight Reel"
7. "Dark Nights"
8. "Lights and Shadows"
9. "Picture"
10. "All the Stars"
11. "The Softest Glow"
- Exclaim Magazine

This is an excerpt from a longer piece in Megaphone magazine. The issue hits the streets today, so pick up a copy from your local vendor for the full story.

Just over a month after the New Pornographers headlined a free concert in Stanley Park celebrating Vancouver’s 125th birthday, the band’s recording studio and rehearsal space—located on the third floor of Red Gate studios—has packed up permanently.

“We’re almost entirely moved out, sadly, but we’ve been there over six years,” says John Collins, bassist and multi-instrumentalist for the New Pornographers. “When Jim [Carrico] found the place we were the first people to get in there—before there was any electricity or water.”

Collins is a veteran member of Vancouver’s independent music scene and co-owner of the revered JC/DC recording studios. The space regularly hosts local talents, including Destroyer, Nardwuar & the Evaporators, Apollo Ghosts and the Lost Lovers Brigade.

“We’ve done a lot of practicing there, and made our third record, Twin Cinema,” recalls Collins. “The colour theme of that record is actually taken from the yellow and green checkered linoleum on the floor of our studio.”

The New Pornos—who are celebrated as an icon in Canada’s indie music canon—were on tour when they found out about the eviction. “I was in Connecticut with the Pornographers when I got a call from Dave [Carswell],” Collins explains. “It was sad news, but we didn’t know what was really going to come of it at that point.”

When the 60-day extension expired on August 24, Collins and his bandmates decided to leave. “The Red Gate was great—the building’s got a huge history,” Collins says. “That address has had a lot of heydays. It’s been record stores, theatres... I went to a gig once in the basement.”

“I think that building could hold another Red Gate at any time in the future as long as a miracle happens,” he adds.

But despite leaving a beloved jam space and recording studio behind, Collins says the New Pornographers will continue making and recording music in the band’s hometown of Vancouver. “We’ve been operating our business out of various locations for 15 years. Making records that long, we’re not just going to stop there.”
- Megaphone Magazine

On the edge of the Downtown Eastside, up a musty old staircase above the Red Gate gallery, hides a handful of humble, ramshackle rooms. Home to artists’ workshops, recording studios and rehearsal spaces, a heady atmosphere of creativity and history hangs in the air. Among these rooms is the rehearsal space of the Lost Lovers Brigade. This is where magic happens.

Just across the hall at JC/DC Studios, the band recorded their forthcoming album, Little Skeletons, with experienced local producer and studio co-owner Dave Carswell. The New Pornographers’ bassist John Collins, the other owner of JC/DC, also lent a hand production-wise.

“It was great to have both of them in there because they had a lot of input,” explains singer/guitarist Elisha Rembold from the comfort of the band’s jam space. Though Rembold was at first unsure about the sessions, the result, she says, was a pleasant surprise. “After we recorded I took a long break from listening to it. Dave went away and when he came back he said, ‘Come into the studio and we’ll take another listen together,’ so I went in and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this sounds glorious!’”

Among Little Skeletons’ many highlights is “Lonely Neighbour,” a track that marries heart-aching melodies to longingly romantic lyrics. “Tonight’s the night I’ll call to you / The moment that I see darkness / Arms open, the alley, don’t forget the door,” sings Rembold, her powerful voice as evocative and affecting as Joni Mitchell’s or Patsy Cline’s.

Elsewhere, the iridescent lilt of “Tigers” exemplifies the band’s flair for crafting all their influences—from the dusty, old-time country of Dolly Parton to the angular indie stylings of Guided By Voices and Sleater-Kinney—into a sound that has both the worn character of the old and the bright lustre of the new.

Considering that the band’s current lineup first met in 2001 (completed by Adrian Teacher on drums and Jason Oliver on guitar), their debut full-length has been a long time coming. Having played together in various guises—including the wildly exciting, though short-lived Eastern European folk ensemble Caravan—the group didn’t begin writing songs as the Lost Lovers Brigade until around 2005.

Live performances have always been sporadic and until now the only available recording of the band was a CD-R of some basic four-track recordings distributed at shows. Following that, Rembold briefly retreated from the Vancouver music scene. “I felt like hibernating for a while… I’m a little bit shy, a little bit nervous,” she admits. Her reprieve led Teacher and Oliver to start rambunctious local favourites, Apollo Ghosts. While Rembold is now back in action, the band recently suffered the departure of a fourth member, Jenny Morgan, who contributes organ and backing vox on the album but made her exit to start a family. Despite all of these diversions, the remaining trio’s love of playing together, not to mention their friendship, has kept the band going.

With work on Little Skeletons now complete, the band is looking towards the future. A split seven-inch with fellow locals Shimmering Stars is set for release sometime this fall, and there are also plans for a short tour of the Pacific Northwest. Considering all of their previous setbacks, the band is ready to go full force. “I wanna do another record and just keep it going, instead of pausing,” Rembold says with a laugh. “We’ve already done the pause, there’s only room for one of those!”

Unfortunately, there are other concerns the band has to face, as the future of their beloved jam space is in jeopardy. Due to numerous building code violations, the city has issued the Red Gate an order to vacate. The spot is currently fixing itself up to avoid eviction. “If we lose this space, which has been really integral to everything we’ve ever done, it would be really devastating,” says Teacher. “It’s ironic too that the city just celebrated its birthday [with free shows in Stanley Park] with Neko Case when she’s wandering the halls here and recording here too, and they’re trying to shut us down.”

“A lot of what you saw at that festival started here,” Teacher continues. “On the one hand the city’s saying, ‘Hey! Wow! Look at all our great Vancouver artists we’re showcasing on this stage’ but then, ‘OK guys, you’ve gotta shut down’ because of some violation,” he adds, “it’s kinda messed up.”

As ever, the landscape of Vancouver is in constant flux—its music venues and other buildings have been endlessly torn down and replaced. Just like in our own lives, it’s a series of beginnings and endings. As individuals and as communities we find these conflicts often hard to come to terms with; we romanticize the past and attempt to preserve the present. Sewn deep into their rich, timeless melodies, the Lost Lovers Brigade manage to convey all of this pathos.

Posted on September 4, 2011 - Discorder Magazine

On the edge of the Downtown Eastside, up a musty old staircase above the Red Gate gallery, hides a handful of humble, ramshackle rooms. Home to artists’ workshops, recording studios and rehearsal spaces, a heady atmosphere of creativity and history hangs in the air. Among these rooms is the rehearsal space of the Lost Lovers Brigade. This is where magic happens.

Just across the hall at JC/DC Studios, the band recorded their forthcoming album, Little Skeletons, with experienced local producer and studio co-owner Dave Carswell. The New Pornographers’ bassist John Collins, the other owner of JC/DC, also lent a hand production-wise.

“It was great to have both of them in there because they had a lot of input,” explains singer/guitarist Elisha Rembold from the comfort of the band’s jam space. Though Rembold was at first unsure about the sessions, the result, she says, was a pleasant surprise. “After we recorded I took a long break from listening to it. Dave went away and when he came back he said, ‘Come into the studio and we’ll take another listen together,’ so I went in and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this sounds glorious!’”

Among Little Skeletons’ many highlights is “Lonely Neighbour,” a track that marries heart-aching melodies to longingly romantic lyrics. “Tonight’s the night I’ll call to you / The moment that I see darkness / Arms open, the alley, don’t forget the door,” sings Rembold, her powerful voice as evocative and affecting as Joni Mitchell’s or Patsy Cline’s.

Elsewhere, the iridescent lilt of “Tigers” exemplifies the band’s flair for crafting all their influences—from the dusty, old-time country of Dolly Parton to the angular indie stylings of Guided By Voices and Sleater-Kinney—into a sound that has both the worn character of the old and the bright lustre of the new.

Considering that the band’s current lineup first met in 2001 (completed by Adrian Teacher on drums and Jason Oliver on guitar), their debut full-length has been a long time coming. Having played together in various guises—including the wildly exciting, though short-lived Eastern European folk ensemble Caravan—the group didn’t begin writing songs as the Lost Lovers Brigade until around 2005.

Live performances have always been sporadic and until now the only available recording of the band was a CD-R of some basic four-track recordings distributed at shows. Following that, Rembold briefly retreated from the Vancouver music scene. “I felt like hibernating for a while… I’m a little bit shy, a little bit nervous,” she admits. Her reprieve led Teacher and Oliver to start rambunctious local favourites, Apollo Ghosts. While Rembold is now back in action, the band recently suffered the departure of a fourth member, Jenny Morgan, who contributes organ and backing vox on the album but made her exit to start a family. Despite all of these diversions, the remaining trio’s love of playing together, not to mention their friendship, has kept the band going.

With work on Little Skeletons now complete, the band is looking towards the future. A split seven-inch with fellow locals Shimmering Stars is set for release sometime this fall, and there are also plans for a short tour of the Pacific Northwest. Considering all of their previous setbacks, the band is ready to go full force. “I wanna do another record and just keep it going, instead of pausing,” Rembold says with a laugh. “We’ve already done the pause, there’s only room for one of those!”

Unfortunately, there are other concerns the band has to face, as the future of their beloved jam space is in jeopardy. Due to numerous building code violations, the city has issued the Red Gate an order to vacate. The spot is currently fixing itself up to avoid eviction. “If we lose this space, which has been really integral to everything we’ve ever done, it would be really devastating,” says Teacher. “It’s ironic too that the city just celebrated its birthday [with free shows in Stanley Park] with Neko Case when she’s wandering the halls here and recording here too, and they’re trying to shut us down.”

“A lot of what you saw at that festival started here,” Teacher continues. “On the one hand the city’s saying, ‘Hey! Wow! Look at all our great Vancouver artists we’re showcasing on this stage’ but then, ‘OK guys, you’ve gotta shut down’ because of some violation,” he adds, “it’s kinda messed up.”

As ever, the landscape of Vancouver is in constant flux—its music venues and other buildings have been endlessly torn down and replaced. Just like in our own lives, it’s a series of beginnings and endings. As individuals and as communities we find these conflicts often hard to come to terms with; we romanticize the past and attempt to preserve the present. Sewn deep into their rich, timeless melodies, the Lost Lovers Brigade manage to convey all of this pathos.

Posted on September 4, 2011 - Discorder Magazine

By Al SmithAs a more mellow, expansive permutation of the Black/Pink Mountain(tops) camp, Lightning Dust occupy a particular niche in Vancouver music. This, combined with the fact that they don't play many shows (presumably due to other musical commitments), may be why the release party for their latest full-length Infinite Light absolutely packed the Biltmore on a Thursday night.

First to play were fellow Vancouverites the Lost Lovers Brigade, an outfit which includes Adrian Teacher, who also fronts the criminally under-hyped Vancouver band Apollo Ghosts. The Lost Lovers play a sort of heartsick alt-country, and their lead vocalist has impressive presence and a set of pipes that bring Neko Case to mind without being overly derivative. All in all, a band to keep an eye on in the future.

As Amber Webber and Joshua Wells of Lightning Dust took the stage and began playing songs from their new album, it became apparent that they've stepped up their game. Infinite Light is a good record — a definite step forward from their eponymous debut — and the new compositions really shone in performance.

Lightning Dust was joined on stage by a rotating cast of local musicians (including Webber's twin sister Ashley, whose practically identical Grace Slick tremolo recently graced a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album), and the more complex sound worked beautifully on new songs like the grandiose "Take It Home." Amber Webber's voice is still the centrepiece, though — at once powerful and tremulous, it can't help but dominate Lightning Dust's sound — and as it turns out, it's equally well suited to the desperate gloominess of the first album's songs and the more upbeat new ones. It all helped show Lightning Dust have indeed expanded both sonic and emotional palettes. - Exclaim Magazine