The Mean Season

"Kurtz” and “Black Tie Affair” go along with the theme I’ve painted in this movie remake, but it’s “Hearts” showcases itself as one that can set itself apart from the movie at hand. When it comes to the actual organ of the heart, The Mean Season sing, “who decided it was such a perfect symbol for love. It is only an organ pumping your blood.” We’ve all been through that feeling when we’re alone on Valentine’s Day. It’s the anti-theme of love, and the way they deliver it falls on the creepy scale, but you’ll be too captivated to notice the creep factor of the tone of voice." - Golden Mixtape

"The Mean Season give me a similar vibe as those bands from my youth. Not sonically per se, since the Washington, DC outfit is decidedly more electric in feeling than [The Innocence Mission and Over The Rhine], but The Mean Season do have a sort of melancholy oeuvre that meshes with lead singer Cherie’s vocals nicely." - Tympanogram

"I hear portions of The Cranberries in the vocals, but the music doesn’t fit that description. It’s more of a melodic rock, with somewhat poppy and catchy guitar chords but not too much. It’s like a toned down version of The Muffs in a lot of ways or simply the band That Dog." - Raised by Gypsies

"The Mean Season, a female fronted indie rock trio that hails from DC just self released an EP that consists of catchy indie rock songs that will no doubt find themselves on TV episodes. My favorite track is Hearts while Black Tie Affair gets second." - Kings of A&R

"The Mean Season might be ringing in my ears due to lead vocalist ‘Cherie’. If there were to be any comparison, perhaps it would be to Emily Haines of Metric. Although The Mean Season isn’t up to the same level of production as Metric, they show lots of promise. Keep your eyes out for this up-and-comer." - musicisunderfire.com

"The central couplet in "Hearts" is the destructive and deeply revisionist, "Who decided it was such a perfect symbol for love?/It's only an organ pumping your blood," as a tidy indie rock arrangement unfolds around a distant and resolute female vocal." - 32ft/second

"D.C.'s own The Mean Season play uncomplicated indie rock with lyrics that would make any coffee shop goer nod his head in poetic agreement. With lines like, "Who decided it was such a perfect symbol for love/When it is only an organ pumping your blood", it's easy to see how the strength of the band falls more on melancholy weightlessness and less on melodies that can differentiate their sound from other slow rock bands. With that said, I still think The Mean Season has a lot to offer on their EP, particularly with Cherie Laubert's hushed vocals. Tracks 2, 1 and 4 are keepers. " - WLUR Radio

"If you like dream pop like Beach House or The Kills, you’ll probably wonder what took you so long to discover that these guys are living and playing right under your nose." - WHFS

There is this wonderful feeling I am sometimes lucky enough to get when hearing someone sing who I have never heard before. The feeling that sucks in my full attention and mesmerizes me with the passion and intensity. Match that with equally strong music and what you get is something truly special. Such is THE MEAN SEASON’s forthcoming EP (out on 4/24). - Blow up radio

Despite their acrimonious name, The Mean Season has an inviting and familiar appeal. For starters, the guitar riffs from Mathias Laubert and Ryan Lewis sound like they've been borrowed from '90s indie-rock staples, but distilled to their most essential parts. Furthermore, singer Cherie Laubert can belt if the need arises, but more often, her voice sounds like an amplified whisper. She almost sounds as if she's revealing some secret -- or at least some greater insight. As such, it may surprise you to hear that none of The Mean Season's lyrical content comes from personal experience. Laubert writes most of her songs at the National Portrait Gallery based on what she sees and hears. She should continue this strategy. Lyrics like "Who decided it was a perfect symbol for love?/It's just an organ pumping your blood" from EP opener "Hearts" sounds simultaneously like common sense and poetic truth. - DCIST

Unlike the band name would suggest, The Mean Season actually deliver a sound which is more akin to that of late spring evenings. The material is highly reflective and somewhat melancholic, whilst simultaneously warming. Gently rolling guitar and drums provide a layer of soft grass on which the vocal emerges as though flowers as-though a herbaceous perennial.
The songs are well structured and given plenty of time to develop with the sounds of guitar screech as fingers slide through the bars, which adds to the folksy feel of the rock structures. Playing at about the four minute mark the tracks are unhurried, yet contain sufficient content to maintain a wandering mind. This is music to have on the play-list for a quiet evening at home with good friends over a bottle of wine as the Barbecue does it thing.
The trio have a mutual understanding which is evidenced in the songs in which they each play an integral part. - Indie Bands Blog

"On Wednesday, March 27 the DC-based band The Mean Season joined Portland, OR’s Ages & Ages and Olympia, WA’s LAKE at The Red Palace on H Street NE in DC. Opening the night, The Mean Season presented a set with innocent guitar riffs, adamant percussion, and astral vocals that evoked a state of melancholy weightlessness. For the band’s first show, the three members proved to be the perfect complement to the nostalgia-soaked Ages & Ages and LAKE. Ages & Ages, who is currently touring with LAKE, has a percussive sound reminiscent of the 1960’s American folk-music revival scene. Under the Knitting Factory record label, Ages & Ages consists of seven band members and is a quintessential summertime, bounce your leg, and clap-along listen. Rounding out the evening, LAKE performed songs from their album Oh, The Places We’ll Go (yes, after Dr. Seuss’ book of the same name) from K Records. LAKE’s complex harmonies are filled with unpolished, dreamy, brass vocals and mirror Bossa Nova, a Brazilian music movement from the ’60s. If bands could be siblings, these three would make the perfect family, complete with the white picket fence and dog." - Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie

"Never before have I seen a drummer drum, sing, AND adjust board levels. Color me impressed." - Brightest Young Things