The Wind

My comments on The Wind’s Harum Scarum stand firm. These guys provide a light in the midst of all the electronic music and cheap-tasting indie stuff that’s made today. The Wind gives us what we really need: some good old fashioned rock and roll. - Insight Beauty Noise

One thing that struck me was the pristine production work so similar to Abbey Road - it's as if Geoff Emerick was on the board himself. The contrast of whimsy and thematic grandeur covers the entire package, similar to a Klaatu, 10cc or Stackridge album. The flowing prog opener is not unlike ELP or Ambrosia on "Shellwhite" that takes a turn to "Hathor," a bouncy melodic British flavoured tune. "Marvel Me" has a 70's easy listening style with building chorus, but the next atmospheric gem here is the lovely "Oh Hadihu," like Brian Wilson singing in Bread. The guitars assert themselves in the rhythm on "Lucy" with flawless harmonies on the chorus " ohh, such a pretty pretty girl." Then we hear a slow blues rock number "Come On" and a theatrical number "Unless, I'm A Liar." The variety of styles here is very impressive.

Disc 2 continues with the 10cc-like "An Astral Dance And A Shared Dream," but a few songs here ("Some Place," "Yankee Brig") seemed stretched out too long and don't add anything new. Fortunately, a theatrical scene "I'ze Born a Rich Man" and an effective country rocker "27 Cent Blues" are added delights. The quirky "This Is The Modern World" is like 10cc doing Smile's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow." The remaining tracks are effective but don't raise the bar any further. There are enough good tunes here to rate this is a excellent album, but with so many you'll find yourself picking out favorites. - Aaron Power

The Wind did not take the notion of their debut release lightly. The Long Beach-based quartet didn’t tease with a single, or an EP, or even just a full-length album. No, “Harum-Scarum,” the collection that Kevin Jaemes, Chad Marshman and Chip and Nick Knechtel unveiled in November, is a double-album — all 23 tracks and 86 minutes of it. The guys had released an EP of whimsical pop as the Austin James Band in 2008, but under their new moniker they’ve managed to follow the breezes of classic pop, taking the genteel melodies, harmonies and arrangements of the ’60s and bending them into heartfelt torch songs, neo-show tunes and mini-anthems with arena-rock aspirations. It reminds you of Richard Swift’s pop explorations. There’s a lot to sort out on “Harum-Scarum,” but the quartet is giving away a download of Disc 1 to get you started. - Kevin Bronson

For 5 years Southern California quartet ‘The Wind’ has churned out West coast surf rock that is both operatic in its scale while staying entrenched in a modern interpretation of vaudevillian creativity & story telling. During those 5 years we were only given Histor EP to tide us over. That time is behind us however & the boys have finally released the double album of sunshine dipped rock that I’ve been waiting for, Harum Scarum.. If you missed the train a while back, get caught up with disc 1, on the house.

Long have the members distilled their musical selves, and you can hear it. The bold concepts in the villainous monologue ‘I’m a Liar’, the playfully psychedelic ‘Astral Dance’, or fantastical opening track ‘Shellwhite’ both please & surprise (samples here). Beyond concepts, the songs swell effortlessly into matured harmonies and seamless arrangements that crash and subside with authority. Don’t pass up 23 tracks of these great tunes to help you float through winter staying warm & flying high. - Nolan Foster

The Wind don't do anything halfway.

Whereas most bands scramble to amass enough top-shelf material to fill an album, the members of the San Diego/Long Beach four-piece decided to set themselves apart by releasing the double-disc, 23-song Harum-Scarum as their debut, and there isn't a moment of filler on it.

As you might expect from an 87-minute record, the self-released, self-produced Harum-Scarum covers a lot of ground. The Wind's classic-rock influences are immediately apparent, with the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Band among the most obvious. The plentiful harmonies and pop sensibilities may hark back to the greats of yesteryear, but what really makes the album feel out of time is its unrelenting diversity. Most bands today tend to find one sound and stick with it -- I'm looking at you, Crocodiles -- but the Wind aren't afraid to leap from one style to another.

Despite their admiration for classic rock, the Wind are no throwbacks. The band also cites Grizzly Bear, Delta Spirit, Local Natives and Fleet Foxes as influences and derives its strength from culling the best aspects of yesterday and today. The heavy lifting might not result in anything groundbreaking, but much like the similarly backward-leaning Dr. Dog, the Wind make up for any lack of originality with a firm grasp of songwriting and confident execution.

In fact, the Wind are so confident in their music that they're giving away the entire first disc of Harum-Scarum on their website. All it'll cost you is a little Facebook link sharing; that's a small price to pay for 12 tracks of time-spanning pop. Completists can purchase the entire album here.

Whether you opt for the free single disc or buy the double-disc version, Harum-Scarum has plenty to keep you tided over until the Wind's next release. And, given the band members's penchant for overachievement, it'll be interesting to see how they go about topping themselves.


Source: A Mighty Wind Blows In | NBC San Diego - Chris Maroulakos

I wanted to tell you about a band I recently discovered by way of San Diego/Long Beach called The Wind who debuted with an impressive 23 track double disk LP entitled Harum Scarum. Suffice it to say, it’s a lot of music- with wide range from The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Queen- mostly nostalgic 60s radio rock, but broad enough not to be married to any one comparison. For five years, they only really had an EP- their latest effort is incredibly ambitious, yet no less meticulous and complex despite the wealth of tracks offered.

Filled with beautiful harmonies, some of my favorite tracks inlcude, “Some Place”, “Monsters” and “Lucy”. The album in it’s entirety feels like a production, like I’m in a movie sequence, I can just imagine everyone breaking out into choreographed dance. There’s definitely an orchestral/dramatic element to it. Harum Scarum is an album with an earnest sense of timelessness, classic rock- reconstructed. - Nada Alic

Take heed, my friends–This may be the most important post ever featured on this website.

Southern Californian rock band The Wind has just released their debut double-album, Harum-Scarum, and oh man does it rock.

The Wind have a real Beatles-esque sound and the 23 tracks provide the same type of variety you’d get on an album like Abbey Road. ‘Hathor’ is epic, fun, intriguing, while tracks like ‘Oh, Hadihu’ are more dreamy and relaxing. ‘Lucy,’ ‘Come On,’ and ‘All The Country Roads’ rank among my favorites.

In all, the album is complex. These guys show their creativity, adeptness with a variety of musical instruments, and an ability to hit perfect three-part harmonies.

The Wind is intelligent old-school rock and roll.

Stream ‘Hathor’ below. - insightbeautynoise.com

The Wind’s Harum Scarum is the best album I never would have heard this year had it not been for the band contacting me personally. A self-produced 23-track debut album is ridiculously ambitious, but this project has paid off. Instead of teasing us with 10 or 12 spoonfuls now, then an antsy two-year wait for more, The Wind introduced itself with one huge dose of excellence, infusing the Beatles with Harry Nilsson’s cheeky lyrics and the harmonics of modern-day indie-folk rock acts like Dr. Dog. Highlights include “Hathor,” “Distractions,” and “An Astral Dance and a Shared Dream.” Go shout it from the mountaintops that the Wind is the shiz. Perhaps they’ll blow our way someday. - Taylor Toothman

SoCal's own Vaudevillian quartet: The Wind (formerly Austin James Band). This eclectic group of rapscallions reminds me very much of Man Man with hints of The Beach Boys and Queen.

Their debut EP, is deliciously absurd. Four part harmonies are masterfully mixed with key arrangements straight out of a community melodrama. This collection of songs has the range of a Broadway review. Each track portrays its own unique emotion and tells a story. What I love most about this band is the fact that they have taken your traditional indie rock and made it a production. This satirical view on music is incredibly endearing and sends out more than a fair share of feel good vibes.

Good 'ole Dodgy wrote about this band ages ago [read the post here]. I'm a little ashamed the LA community has been so slow to pick up on this. It always seems like the best new music is hovering just under your nose. I've definitely had east side blinders on for the past few months - long enough to completely overlook this amazing band.

--Jax (rockinsider.com) - rockinsider.com