Two Loons For Tea

A top-quality band...like a journey to outer space

This is a top-quality band.I don't know why Two Loons shouldn't be huge... Each song is a carefully constructed landscape of ethereal, slightly jazzy music and chanteuse vocals. With lesser bands this can lead to a contrived atmosphere, but it works to a 'tea' here. There's no real point in talking about individual tracks; the album works best as a whole, as the group leads you from place to place. 'Looking for Landmarks' is like a journey to outer space, and it's easy to lose yourself in their unique world.
- Shotgun Reviews

Do yourself a favor and take a listen...

The best way to describe the Seattle duo, Two Loons for Tea, is hypnotic. Their uniquely smooth and meaningful sound is truly a fresh breath of air. They have the edgy sound of rock band but still hold on to its "chill" factor, that puts it into the same category of bands like Radiohead and Blur. This band takes a leap of faith, hoping that their audience is ready to drop the current empty pop sound for a return to a more robust musical style with layers of sound and introspective lyrics. Each song has tastes of jazz, rock and pure poetry that all mixes to create a strangely great new sound. "Looking for Landmarks," their current album, demands to be listened to with songs such as "Blue Suit" and their title track "Landmarks." Each song, with distinct lyrical value, creates a "chill" sound. The listener is drawn deeper and deeper into the album as it progresses, seemingly because of both the musical depth and the ability of the lyrics to fit each and every person... Two Loons for Tea have undeniable poetic value and musical talent. Do yourself a favor and take a listen to this powerful band. - Ventura College Press

Melodic and memorable... soulful alternative rock

The Seattle duo of guitarist Jonathan Kochmer and vocalist Sarah Scott otherwise known as Two Loons for Tea gathered another stellar group of musicians for thier sophomore release. Once again working with musicans whose credits include King Crimson, Brian Eno, Elton John and Galactic, Two Loons' 'Looking for Landmarks' is another pristine and intricate collection of soulful alternative rock. The songwriting, while melodic and memorable, also addresses a wide array of musical styles from ambient to funk. Scott's clear voice often sounds something like The Sundays' Harriet Wheeler on a serious Marvin Gaye jag. Complimenting this is Kochmer's guitar and keyboards which have as much in common with Sam Prekop as The Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie. All in all, Landmarks pushes the boundaries of adult-alternative pop. - All Music Guide

Few pop bands can reach the heights of Two Loons...

One of the most underrated indie pop bands of the twenty-first century is probably Two Loons For Tea. Few pop bands can reach the heights of Two Loons For Tea, and "Looking For Landmarks" proves that their debut was no fluke. Definitely something to check out, while waiting for their forthcoming third album.

~E.A. Solinas (Top 10 Rated Amazon Customer Reviewer) - Amazon.com

"...12 sexy tracks with their grab bag of styles ranging from pop to jazz to trip-hop, Dixie, folk, rock and even Latin-laced rumba... a fully realized album for sultry sunsets or sophisticated after-dark engagements."- Relix

"...powerful storytelling aligns itself, every ebb to every flow, with excellent musicianship." Amplifier

"Two Loons for Tea moves between somber and lively; the emotional landscape in between is bridged by a variety of ethnic and orchestral instruments -- including vibes, viola, erhu, and tabla -- that seem to breathe new life into the compositions... providing a bit of an experimental and eclectic streak to most of the works." All Music Guide

"...tremendous intelligence and range." CD Baby

THE BIG TAKEOVER: “[TLFT] bathe songs in a highly produced, glossy smoothness that’s whimsical and
engaging in spirit, but perfectionist in execution – so little of contemporary music bears comparison”

YAHOO! - "For downtown hipsters but their reach is decidedly global... [Sarah] Scott's a star in the making, her wailing, bad-girl-longing-for-love allure captivating from start to finish... she transports us to another world, for sure."

AMPLIFIER - “...with their most recent release, Nine Lucid Dreams, the dreamy duo Two Loons For Tea have crafted an album destined to fill every canal in your ears and every room in your residence with their lush beauty”

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER “.. singer-lyricist Sarah Scott and guitarist-composer Jonathan Kochmer perform with an engaging simplicity, their approach is not stripped down. Their subtly atmospheric arrangements already have found the Loons linked to the likes of Massive Attack, Portishead and the Cocteau Twins -- one might add the similarly dreamy duo Mazzy Starr -- and "Dreams" opens on a high note with the moody "Sunset Room,"...

EDGE - “Nine Lucid Dreams is a strong album that gets better with each listen... Nine Lucid Dreams is an example in improvisation, risk-taking, and experimentation - more admirable qualities than sticking with what you know and doing what’s easy. It’s a job well done by an intelligent and talented duo."

- Relix, Amplifier, Big Takeover, Yahoo! etc.

"Pop hasn't seen anything this sophisticated since Portishead... All that can be sensual, mysterious, and sexy about pop music is found in 'Looking for Landmarks'"(Amazon.com).

The band is fronted by Sarah Scott and her traffic-stopping vocals, which have been compared with Bjork, Gwen Stefani, Billie Holiday, Tori Amos and other greats -- but as Tablet Magazine notes, Sarah "avoids the usual female-vocalist pigeonholes by simply transcending all of them." Sarah's voice is supported by the lushly layered music and production of guitarist/composer Jonathan Kochmer and producer Eric Rosse (Tori Amos, Chris Isaak) and a who's-who of some of the world's best session and live players.

Their sophomore release is "an enigmatic pop masterwork that establishes this Seattle-based duo as one of contemporary pop's most passionate and adventurous new groups" (Silver Platters). "'Looking for Landmarks' pushes the boundaries of alternative pop" (All Music Guide).

As a live group, "Two Loons for Tea could open for [anyone from] Tricky to Willie Nelson and chances are they'd win over either audience" (Lollipop Magazine).

"Amazingly, as good as their record is, the intimate experience of hearing and seeing these songs live is when the butterfly truly comes out to play."

"No other group is doing what Two Loons is doing... exemplifies the way modern music ought to be played" (Yale Daily News).
- Amazon, All Music Guide, etc.

TLFT captivated and devoured the room...

Seattle’s Two Loons for Tea, on this night actually a three-piece, took the stage at BLVD on Oct. 31 and launched into a powerfully haunting set of complex, full-bodied songs. The ambient-tinged, jazz-spiced style was perfect for the dimly lit lounge. Vocalist Sarah Scott belted out gorgeous melodies overlaying the guitar work of Jonathan Kochmer, who remained seated throughout the set. Third Loon Tom Armstrong, on drums and also apparently controlling the canned synths and occasional drum tracks that accompanied the trio, was introduced as a friend who lived in New York City. Scott’s pure, beautiful voice matched the large white flower she wore in her hair, though the lighting on stage left her face in the dark while the other two members were in perfect light. The dreamy style stopped just short of shoegaze, and moments when the instrumentation crescendoed into full blast were enough to produce goosebumps. The band’s strength was in building up instrumental tension and then producing perfectly-timed beats to release that tension, only to build more, while Scott’s sultry alto sailed along on vocals like, “Could you take a photo of my soul before you go.” The trio captivated and devoured the room. - Performer Magazine

Two Loons for Tea deliver a dreamy performance

Two Loons for Tea could only be described as dreamy when they took the stage at Crash Mansion during CMJ's opening singer/songwriter showcase. Sarah Scott's vocals snapped from soaring to breathy in one verse, and with perfectly controlled flutters a la Billie Holiday, her band was both lush and bittersweet. - Spin

Mastering larger stages, something new for everyone...

Two Loons For Tea, the duo comprised of Sarah Scott and Jonathan Kochmer (she the svelte lady with a perfect profile; he the man of serious subtleties who moves beneath a permanent hat), was surely something new for everyone present. The group, already mastering larger stages and cool enough for Danny Ocean's favorite casinos, as a live group embodies a voyage from Americana to trip-hop, as will be proved in their next record "Nine Lucid Dreams". After their show, they left behind a lovely melancholy that persisted far longer than the time of the ten song set. - Jornal de Noticias (Portuguese National Newspaper)