The Raven and the Writing Desk

Picking up where Recidivist, the band's audacious 2010 debut album, left off, this EP from the Raven and the Writing Desk displays an even more fully integrated band adept at making creative use of all the sounds and textures at its disposal. "Tiny" sounds like Danny Elfman got together with Nick Cave to make gypsy carnival music for a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, especially toward the end, where you can just picture a scene in which dark faerie creatures are dancing joyfully instead of moping about. "Infancy," meanwhile, sort of has a sea-chanty feel to it, except that Julia LiBassi's vocals are far too melodious for that sort of thing, and the song ultimately has more of a European pop-folk vibe than any kind of drinking tune. Overall, The Bonedale is a compelling snapshot of ambitious artists cutting loose. - Westword Magazine

Picking up where Recidivist, the band's audacious 2010 debut album, left off, this EP from the Raven and the Writing Desk displays an even more fully integrated band adept at making creative use of all the sounds and textures at its disposal. "Tiny" sounds like Danny Elfman got together with Nick Cave to make gypsy carnival music for a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, especially toward the end, where you can just picture a scene in which dark faerie creatures are dancing joyfully instead of moping about. "Infancy," meanwhile, sort of has a sea-chanty feel to it, except that Julia LiBassi's vocals are far too melodious for that sort of thing, and the song ultimately has more of a European pop-folk vibe than any kind of drinking tune. Overall, The Bonedale is a compelling snapshot of ambitious artists cutting loose. - Westword Magazine

In less than two years, the piano-driven art pop of the Raven and the Writing Desk has made a big impression on Denver audiences. The quintet’s debut album, “Recidivist,” was one of last year’s most delightful surprises. Propelled by Julia Libassi’s powerful chops behind both the microphone and the ivories, the album brimmed with soaring melodies, dizzying rhythms and heady emotions. This year, the sextet has returned with the powerful three-song punch of “Bonedale,” and Steal This Track is happy to bring you a little taste.

Where “Recidivist” played like a novel — as literate and allusion-stuffed as the band’s name — “Bonedale” is a short story. In fact, at just 12 minutes in duration, it’s practically a haiku, and it’s just as dense, satisfying and surprising.

The EP’s three tracks — “Tiny Terrors,” “Mystery Meat” and “Infancy ‘Til Death” — reveal a band spreading its wings and experimenting beyond the confines of pretty pianos and pop. Guitarist Scott Conroy heads off in new directions, and where you might expect Adrienne Short’s violin to be smooth and sexy, instead it adds startling tension and texture. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of bassist Ryan Self, percussionist Neil Mitchell and drummer Scott Sajdak scurries to keep up with Libassi’s artfully angular piano playing and quirkily emotive songs.

You can kick up “Bonedale” in its entirety for as little as a buck (though we’d suggest paying at least three) on the Raven and the Writing Desk’s Bandcamp page. Before you do, have a little nibble by stealing “Infancy ‘Til Death.” - Denver Post Reverb

In less than two years, the piano-driven art pop of the Raven and the Writing Desk has made a big impression on Denver audiences. The quintet’s debut album, “Recidivist,” was one of last year’s most delightful surprises. Propelled by Julia Libassi’s powerful chops behind both the microphone and the ivories, the album brimmed with soaring melodies, dizzying rhythms and heady emotions. This year, the sextet has returned with the powerful three-song punch of “Bonedale,” and Steal This Track is happy to bring you a little taste.

Where “Recidivist” played like a novel — as literate and allusion-stuffed as the band’s name — “Bonedale” is a short story. In fact, at just 12 minutes in duration, it’s practically a haiku, and it’s just as dense, satisfying and surprising.

The EP’s three tracks — “Tiny Terrors,” “Mystery Meat” and “Infancy ‘Til Death” — reveal a band spreading its wings and experimenting beyond the confines of pretty pianos and pop. Guitarist Scott Conroy heads off in new directions, and where you might expect Adrienne Short’s violin to be smooth and sexy, instead it adds startling tension and texture. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of bassist Ryan Self, percussionist Neil Mitchell and drummer Scott Sajdak scurries to keep up with Libassi’s artfully angular piano playing and quirkily emotive songs.

You can kick up “Bonedale” in its entirety for as little as a buck (though we’d suggest paying at least three) on the Raven and the Writing Desk’s Bandcamp page. Before you do, have a little nibble by stealing “Infancy ‘Til Death.” - Denver Post Reverb

Kudos of the night go to The Raven and the Writing Desk. Despite starting late due to setup and sound difficulties, their set was worth the wait. The acoustics and overall vibe of South Broadway Christian Church just seemed the perfect backdrop for their haunting chamber pop sound. This relatively new band is worth hearing if you get the chance.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Denver Underground Music Showcase 2011 highlights, day three - Denver Local Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/local-music-in-denver/denver-underground-music-showcase-2011-highlights-day-three#ixzz1XJVPrBmm
- Examiner.com

Truly one of the most original acts submitted to our contest, this 6 piece band from Denver has a variety of influences and a very unique sound. I hear some Arcade Fire & 10,000 Maniacs/Natalie Merchant in what they do, as well as some 70's-ish Prog Rock...but like fine wine, the more you sample, the more you find...very interesting and original indeed! - Music Go Round

Truly one of the most original acts submitted to our contest, this 6 piece band from Denver has a variety of influences and a very unique sound. I hear some Arcade Fire & 10,000 Maniacs/Natalie Merchant in what they do, as well as some 70's-ish Prog Rock...but like fine wine, the more you sample, the more you find...very interesting and original indeed! - Music Go Round

Before taking off into the night to catch Tollund Men, Hot White, Xander Harris, Vitamins and King Mob elsewhere, I made it over to the South Broadway Christian Church to catch the Raven and the Writing Desk. The beauty and dignity of the setting, like a sound stage, was perfect for Raven, because that band is practically a miniature orchestra as it is, and its lush sound never seems forced; the songs sound like they're written with all members and their sounds in mind and not just adding elements because it would be cool.
Each part of a Raven song seems essential to the overall mood of each, and that was clear here. Julia LiBassi sounded like a jazz singer and that, along with the ability of the band to create thick, organic sounds as well as a melodic ambiance, made Raven's music occasionally feel like Flying Saucer Attack writ large and further into abstract sound. At other times, the outfit sounded like Crime and the City Solution backing Tori Amos if she completely shed her vocal affectations.
Late in the set, Raven brought out a surprise, and perfectly, artfully executed cover of St. Vincent's "Laughing With A Mouth of Blood," which is probably the best song from 2009's Actor. The live version of "The Haunting" deeply lived up to its name, and the set ended with one of the band's finest, "Wooden Lover." This band's always been among the best kept secrets of Denver in its relatively short time together, but this performance made it seem like the sextet was just getting started in more ways than one in 2010. - Westword Magazine

Sometimes what you name something is important.

The Raven and The Writing Desk. When I first read the name of this haunting indie-pop band, my attention was immediately arrested. Instantly my brain created associations with Edgar Allen Poe, C.S. Lewis, and that old video game Myst. What an interesting name; it suggests what you’re about to hear would be best listened to while sitting in an old wood-paneled library, smoking a pipe.

Turns out the name fits the band’s sound quite well. Their record Recidivist is described on the band’s MySpace page described as a concept album in which the songs “center around tragic characters who have fallen victim to their cyclical existences.” (The word “recidivist” refers to a criminal who continues to repeat the offense, so the title fits, as well.) I heard the record before reading the description, and that vibe was very easy to pick up. It isn’t just that the songs tell a story; the sound tells the story. An interesting blend of the familiar and the experimental, this is piano-driven indie-pop overlaid with haunting violin and guitar, providing an almost theatrical backdrop for frontwoman Julia LiBissi’s emotional, expressive vocals.

I don’t think I’ve ever used the term “literary” to describe a band’s sound, but to me there’s no better word to describe The Raven and The Writing Desk. When I listen to them, it sounds like musical literature. The music is an experience in itself, taking you into another time and place. Not bad for a band who is barely a year old. :)

I’ve put up the first track here, but being a concept record, Recidivist is best listened to in full. So if you like the opening act, go to iTunes and pick up the record.

- The Oomph Muisc Blog

Recidivist is derived from the French récidiviste, from récidiver, to relapse, from the Medieval Latin recidvre and from the Latin recidvus, falling. It is also the latest album from Denver six piece The Raven & The Writing Desk. It's a perfect title for an album that looks to the past for inspiration falling on the right side of retro. It's rock tinged barefoot folk with a slight whiff of patchouli oil and incense which tastes a little like an Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians cocktail with a Kate Bush twist.

Go Try

MP3 - The Raven & The Writing Desk - Wooden Lover
This track is published with the permission of The Raven & The Writing Desk so please don't claim breach of copyright

(Also includes two videos) - The Devil Has the Best Tuna - UK

Colorado's easy-going persona has always been a magnet for transplants, and hey, if we had a beach, our population would probably rival California's. But for Raven and the Writing Desk -- a band who's founding members, Julie Libassi and Scott Conroy, landed in our fair square state via Boston in 2009 -- the reception wasn't the warmest.
Regardless of the initial negative reaction to the idea of starting a band, the duo became a five piece, creating a sound that crosses the vintage silliness of the Dresden Dolls with the heavier side of Arcade Fire. Carrying an all-local line-up tonight which includes David Rynhart and The Tanukis, Raven and the Writing Desk bring its mix of strings, piano, guitar and drama to the venue's dark back room. This show is 21 and up and tickets are $6-8. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts around 8 p.m. - Westword Magazine

Recidivism is a state of repetitive, habitual criminal behavior. While RECIDIVIST, the new record from The Raven & The Writing Desk, may not address civil crime, it instead focuses more on the relapse of emotion into former habits. “Space Grenade” cries out “Save me again!” as the protagonist pushes into issues of control and desire.Throughout the record a thread of nostalgia winds its way through songs such as “Walk in the Water.”

Musically speaking, RECIDIVIST doesn’t take any large strides outside of traditional piano-based pop music, however it does manage to artfully provide a folksy frame for female vocals and well-thought lyrics. Julia LiBassi’s voice initially reminded me of Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries), although upon further listening it is clear that LiBassi’s vocals have a unique soft charm. A prime example of the vocal talent represented by The Raven & The Writing Desk comes in the form of “Firefly,” a song with rather minimal instrumental backing and a generous amount of beautifully matched voices.

Stream “Space Grenade” below and catch The Raven & The Writing Desk live at the Walnut Room on January 13 and February 10. Click for more from The Raven & The Writing Desk. - Something like Sound

Whatever your measure of success — whether you define it as adventurous artists making boundary-pushing music and then releasing it themselves, or as acts with commercially attractive songs that get a more mainstream push — you have to agree: A music scene is only as interesting as the music being made in it.

As you can see from our annual Moovers and Shakers list — our favorite feature of the year, when we compile a list of our favorite local releases of the past twelve months and tell you why we loved them — Denver continues to have a very interesting scene, one that's thriving regardless of national notoriety or record deals. There was no shortage of compelling musicians making noteworthy music in the Mile High City in 2010; stop by Backbeatblog.com for more picks.

The Raven and the Writing Desk, The Recidivist (Self-released). Literate and soulful, this ambitious debut is a bracing alloy of baroque pop and romantic sensibilities. Soaring melodies and interweaving layers of rhythm make this a sonically consistent yet eclectic affair. At turns dreamily introspective, jaunty and delicately poignant, these songs are like thematically linked short stories of passion and peril. — Murphy - Westword Magazine

The Raven and the Writing Desk will be releasing their debut album at the Walnut Room on December 10th, sharing a lineup with local favorites A. Tom Collins and 200 Million Years. Please come down next month to help celebrate the birth of Recidivist! If you haven’t heard this band yet, you’re forgiven–they’ve been participating in the Denver music foray for less than a year. For a taste of what you may experience at the the Walnut Room, here’s a recent show from the Hi-Dive. - The Flat Response

Event:
The Raven & the Writing Desk
Tom Murphy
Julia Libassi and Scott Conroy met while attending Tufts University and played in and around Boston with their band Stop Switch before moving to Denver in the summer of 2009. Upon arriving here, the pair sought out potential bandmates on Craigslist. A terse comment to their post — essentially proclaiming that hipsters from the East Coast were unwelcome, accompanied by an image of a Colorado license plate reading "No Vacancy" — might have cowed other people, but the plucky duo ultimately found other bandmates and immersed themselves in the scene. Choosing a name taken from Alice in Wonderland -- The Raven and the Writing Desk -- they wrote dark yet soothing music worthy of the moniker.
- Westword Magazine

The Raven and the writing desk

Denver

Who ’dat?: Julia LiBassi (lead vocals/keys); Scott Conroy (guitar); Adrienne Short (violin/backup vocals); Ryan Self (bass); Neil Mitchell (percussion/marimba/backup vocals); Matt Murphy (drums).

Myspace Categorization?: haunted rock with a classical twist

We’re not saying they are these guys, but they kind of sound like: Dresden Dolls, Mazzy Star, Cranberries, Arcade Fire

What’s their deal?: Fresh on the heels of the recording and release of their debut album Recidivist, newborn Denver quintet The Raven and the Writing Desk have moved audiences with haunting, beautifully rich, emotionally and energetically packed performances. LiBassi’s voice grips audiences with a sound that ranges from sheer and ethereal to soulful and commanding. The harmonious blend of the band’s unique sounds, from resonant violin to pounding percussion, create a versatile experience that twists and wraps around itself.

Shameless web plug:

www.ravenandwritingdesk.com

O.K. When?: Walnut Room, Dec. 10 (CD release party).
- Marquee Magazine Denver

Here's what the area's local-centric specialty radio shows were spinning this week. We're currently tracking the playlists from a number of different shows, including KTCL's Locals Only, 99.5 the Mountain's Homegrown Show*, KBCO's Local Edition, KCSU, The Colorado Sound, which originates at KRFC and is re-broadcast all over Colorado, and The Colorado Wave, which is syndicated on a number of stations across the country. See the full playlists posted after the jump.

* Playlist not currently available

LOCALS ONLY (KTCL)
10.10.10

Vices I Admire - "Kiss Kiss"
Action Packed Thrill Ride - "Best I've Felt"
Boulder Acoustic Society - "Shelter"
Aloft in the Sundry - "Little Miss Opporunity"
Synthetic Elements - "How Far"
Astrophagus - "Innocuous Dance Track"
TaunTaun - "Murder-Auder Rides"
The Pirate Signal - "Blackhearts"
I Sank Molly Brown - "Stay Away From Oprah"
Ash Ganley - "Missing From My Heart"
Saving Verona - "Code Bird"
Brave the Breakdown - "God Was Wrong"

LOCAL EDITION (KBCO)
10.10.10

18 Switchbacks - "I Once Was"
18 Switchbacks - "Southern Wind" (KBCO Studio C session recorded Live)
Zach Heckendorff - "Pompeii"
Tequila Mockingbird - "Actual Size"

THE COLORADO SOUND (KRFC)
10.09.10

DeVotchKa - "We're Leaving"
Julie Geller - "Here We Go Again"
Musketeer Gripweed - "River Callin'"
White Water Ramble - "All Night Drive"
J. Shogren - "Salvation"
The Heyday - "Had a Feeling"
Love 45 - "Release Me"
The Foot. - "High Design"
Snake Rattle Rattle Snake - "Kafka and the Milk"
Everything Absent or Distorted (a love story) - "Houses"
The Raven and the Writing Desk - "Marionette"
Apples in Stereo - "Ruby"
Brad Goode - "Tight Like This"
Rebecca Folsom - "Smoke and Tears"
The Richie Furay Band - "Real Love (Bonus Studio Track)"
Fierce Bad Rabbit - "Love Doesn't Run"
Boulder Acoustic Society - "Champion of Disaster"
Sweet Water Well - "Zoeology"
Crowboy - "Babylon"
Sweet Sunny South - "You Never Even Knew My Name"
Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams - "Pill Poppin' Country Weirdo"
Michael Adam - "NYC"
Baily Stauffer and the Katy Janes - "Two Weeks From Yesterday"
Chris Thompson - "Traffic"
Lindsey O'Brien Band - "Broke My Heart"
The Lynn Baker Quartet - "Happy New Year"

THE COLORADO WAVE
10.11.10

Clobber Jaw - "The Wrath of Her Spell"
Michaela Rae - "Big Easy Blues"
Lauren Brombert - "The Swing"
Mick Jagger - "Checkin' Up on My Baby"
The Big Motif - "The Daily Motion"
David Michael - "Love Dream"
Wil Key - "Satisfy My Soul"
Elmor - "Remember Thinking"
Sirena - "Love Cocoon"
New Vinyl - "Call for Rebellion"
Rebecca Folsom - "Will of a Woman"
Push Puppets - "A Motor With a Mind in Tow"


KCSU (LOCAL MUSIC IN REGULAR ROTATION)

Danielle Ate the Sandwich - One Bedroom Apartment
Candy Claws - Hidden Lands
Fierce Bad Rabbit - Spools of Thread
Otem Rellik - Elephant Graveyard
Grandparents - Dig Everything
Jonathan Stark - Comfort EP
Thrifty Astronaut - Caffiene Heartache
Brett Brady - After All
China Venture - Blows the Fuck Up
Feverbird - Feverbird - Westword Magazine

Oh, good! You found it. Steal This Track, your weekly opportunity to abscond with great Colorado-made music — absolutely free of charge and guilt — moved from Tuesdays to Mondays. This means you now to get to start and end your week with me — with Steal This Track on Monday and the Mile High Makeout on Friday. Lucky you.

This week, we’re excited to bring you an unreleased taste of the piano-driven, string-laden femme pop of the Raven and the Writing Desk. Get ready to steal!

The Raven and the Writing Desk is still relatively new to Colorado, but has already made a name for itself. Singer/songwriter Julia LiBassi and guitarist Scott Conroy moved to Denver just last fall. They’d planned to work on songs, slowly assemble a band and mature slowly, but thankfully, they lost control.

In no time at all, LiBassi and Conroy united with bassist Ryan Self (I Sank Molly Brown, Like Pianos Crashing, drummer Scott Sajdak, percussionist Neil Mitchell and violinist Adrienne Short (John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light, Eric Sanders Band) and LiBassi’s songs began to evolve from quiet piano ballads to full-blown pop-rock outbursts.

The quintet was invited to play the 2010 UMS, and a short time later, found itself recording with the award-winning John Macy at Macy Sound Studios. The Raven and the Writing Desk just wrapped up “Recidivist,” its debut album, and the results are impressive. A lineup like this — with prominent strings and a powerful female frontwoman — runs the risk of letting every song sound the same, but “Recidivist” has enough twists and turns to keep it engaging and surprising. Quiet, mournful ballads like “Firefly” contrast sharply with dark romps like “Wooden Lover,” which you can steal right here, right now.

“Wooden Lover” by the Raven and the Writing Desk

Keep an eye out for more details on the Raven and the Writing Desk’s formal CD release, and be sure to catch the band opening for Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives on Nov. 3 at the Larimer Lounge, and at the Hi-Dive on Nov. 17. - Denver Post Reverb