Tribes of the City
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Tribes of the City

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Press


"delfi.lv portal: album review"

"Calling it promising would be a huge understatement". - Delfi.lv


"tvnet.lv portal: album review"

"The sound of the band has changed beyond all recognition and absolutely for the better". - Tvnet.lv


"FHM Latvia: album review"

"The best female vocalist in Latvian music scene of the last 20 years". - FHM Latvia


"Latvians Online: Tribes of the City album polished to perfection"

Tribes of the City’s recently released new album, For the Sleepy People, is actually the band’s second album. The first album, Running to the Sun, was released in 2004 under the former band name, The Movies.

This new album isn’t just a collection of humming-along songs. It actually takes a few times of concentrated listening to get into it. The liner notes say: “Recommendations for better listening: finish all your important business first, make yourself a cup of something nice and warm, put your body in the most comfortable postion, relax and push the PLAY button.”

The album kicks off with a real in-your-face song called “Road,” a rather lengthy track at 7.5 minutes, but this ain’t no Top 30 song. The drums pound away, alongside dazzling guitars and the mesmerizing vocals of 20-year-old Ksenija Sundejeva. A wall of sound is offset by a light middle bridge section, before a return to a barrage of guitars and drums to finish off the song.

“A Day in the City” is the name of the first single from the album. It is a happy-sounding song that has a great video featuring Sundejeva, who traps a group of girl guides, a hunter, a couple of mushroom pickers and an orienteer as reluctant dinner guests in the middle of the forest. To their surprise, she serves up the rest of the band members—live in miniature—on a silver platter.

However, The Tribes lose me on the next song, “Love Forever,” a raunchy and heavy mess of sound, which actually has some Black Sabbath-sounding guitar riffs. The lyrcs are kind of negative, but I suppose they complement the music.

“You’ll Never Come” is a slow, enchanting and mistifying song that really showcases Sundejeva’s singing abilities.

“A Dream,” the fifth song on the album, is a nice steady-tempo song, with tight drums by Ints Barkâns and bass by Juris Justs working well together.

“A House Where We Live,” an acoustic track with a hints of Heart’s “Mistral Wind.” I wonder if Tribes of the City has listened to Heart? “Chaos” is next and you can really hear the Cocteau Twins influences on this song. It’s a really sleepy, free-flowing tune with lots of sound effects. It slowly picks up in a 6/8 tempo. The song is not so chaotic after all.

“I Don’t Know,” the latest single from the album, is my personal favourite. The song rocks and get full points—perfect score! The song has nice guitar riffs played by Sergejs Jaramiðjans and Andrejs Vasiljevs, with great keyboard work by Mihails Sergejevs.

“Waves” has a nice split vocal-whisper lead and some hip lyrics: “When there’s only three seconds left… and our thoughts are just radio waves” Wow, that’s something to think about. Actually the lyrics on the album are quite imagenary and you have to read between the lines to try to get a grasp of them. The album is rounded off by “Walking Blind”, which is an apropriate finale song.The guitars and drums make me think of The Cranberries. Come to think of it, Sundejeva does resemble Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordon.

The album was produced by Greg Haver who has worked with music giants Manic Street Preachers. He also engineered and mixed the album at Sound Division Studios in Rîga. Haver has done a great job producing this album, using a vast array of sound effects and special microphone techniques. He has certainly has suceeded in tapping the band’s full potential. Mastering was done by Shon Joseph at Optimum Mastering in Bristol, England. All and all, this is a fresh and powerful album that has been polished to perfection.

This album is certainly a real step forward for the evolution of the Latvian music scene. Now there’s an album that can compare with any other album written and recorded in Europe. I feel that Tribes of the City just may have what it takes to break into the larger alternative music scene. In the meantime, let’s have something nice amd warm or cold to drink.

Raitis Freimanis lives in Stockholm, Sweden, and is a founding member of the Latvian-Canadian band Skandâls. - Raitis Freimanis: latviansonline.com/index.php/reviews/article/2259/


"TimeOut: album review"

"On their current album Tribes of the City managed to perform an unbelievable trick - caught the clouds and attached them to the ground in a such they, that in result appeared a record aerial and slightly earthy simultaneously." - TimeOut Russia: www.timeout.ru/text/muzak/52011/


"Vedomosti: article 08/09/2006"

"Talented and European-scale group from Riga with clean and strong feminine vocal is not to be taken lightly." - Vedomosti (The Wall Street Journal & Financial Times) Russia: www.vedomosti.ru


"VETO Magazine: album review"

"Tribes of the City album is greatly produced, excellently performed, normally designed and distinctly advertised". - VETO Magazine feb.2006 www.vetomagazine.lv


"JALOUSE France: 31/11/06 event review"

"...Tribes of the City, le meilleur groupe de rock letton, chez Moment, l'evenement multimedia alternatif de la fashion week...". - JALOUSE France april.2007


Discography

Albums:
"for the sleepy people", 2006 (Platforma Records)
"Running to the Sun", 2004 (Melo Records)

Compilations:
"I Don't Know" is included in "Europavox 2007" compilation CD.

Airplay singles:
"I Don't Know", October 2006
"A Dream", July 2006
"A Day In The City", March 2006
"Running to the Sun", 2005
"Grace", 2004

additional tracks from the albums get random airplay on radio stations in Baltic region, Russia and Scandinavia.

Photos

Bio

Tribes of the City (formed in 2004) are six musicians coming from different backgrounds and carrying different world views, yet by holding together they manage to create a sensational sounding, which carries the listener away to their imaginary world. People call them modern shoegazers and mention the special energy of their live performances.

Their newest album called "for the sleepy people" is created in close co-operation with British sound producer Greg Haver, who is known by his work with such bands as Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals and Catatonia.

"for the sleepy people" is the second album in band's discography. Their first record - "Running to the Sun" was produced in Denmark in 2004. Back then Baltic musical press already called it a "European-scale event".

Their first music video - "Grace" won the Latvian music award for best video of 2004. The new video for "A Day In The City" has charted on MTV Networks Baltic (Baltic Top 20), MTV European (World Chart Express) and MTV Nordic (Top 6@6) and local channels like LMK in Latvia (where it won the first place in 2006 year charts), A1TV in Russia, Lithuanian TV and others.

Band's influences include artists such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, Claude Debussy, Wire, Cranes, Mahogany, The Velvet Underground, Arvo Part, Mogwai, Brian Eno, Primal Scream, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Amusement Parks On Fire. But band's sounding is really special and influences are too widespread to talk about it more concretely.

Baltic music critics and audience are excited and call them the biggest breakthrough act in Latvian history: “the best female vocalist in Latvian music scene of the last 20 years” (FHM Latvia); “calling it promising would be a huge understatement” (delfi.lv); “the sound of the band has changed beyond all recognition and absolutely for the better” (tvnet.lv); “a real step forward for the evolution of the Latvian music scene” (latviansonline.com); “this is the Art, an excellent record” (Maksla Plus magazine); “the best Latvian album produced in 2006 year” (Muzikas Saule magazine).

Recent touring around Blatics and Russia; appearances on festivals throughout the years (Stop the Silence!, Baltic Beach Party, Positivus AB, be2gether, Plink Plonk to name the few); performances as supporting acts for internationally acknowledged artists (as Iggy Pop, Cranes); collaborations with other artists and industry (some examples are: fashion show performance for Mare&Rols – voted the best Latvian fashion designers of 2006; photoshoot with Paul Paper - collaborations include Schneider TM, Michel Fakesch; TV advertising series for TELE2 mobile operator; Nokia sponsored tour; group's vocalist Ksenija Sundejeva starring in newest Latvian feature film "Amateur"); publications and reviews in major press (Jalouse France, TimeOut Russia, FHM Latvia, Cosmopolitan Latvia etc)... Tribes of the City have attracted praise of critics and audience and earned themselves a reputation as the strongest and most unique band ever appear from the Baltic Region.

“They're a unique band - smart, creative and capable of making beautiful songs,” admits Greg Haver, record producer. “I was captured by their desire to make beautiful but challenging music and truly enjoyed the recording session. I feel they'll have a significant role in taking Latvia's music outside its borders!”

Recently Tribes of the City took home two prizes at the prestigious Latvian Music Awards 2006 – Best Rock song and Best music video. As well as the Best Latvian Album 2006 award by Latvian most authoritative music magazine "Muzikas Saule".

Nominated for "Best Baltic Act" on MTV Europe.

As participant of "In the City 2007" festival in Manchester was included in TOP 7 groups of BBC "must listen" coverage.

Recently "Tribes of the City" recorded a live videos of their new songs in collaboration with "Treehouse Sessions", which are availibe on www.treehousesessions.com

Currently Tribes of the City are in process of recordiing their 3rd album.