Zoo Animal

It says something that everytime Holly Newsom, the lead singer, songwriter, and sole permanent member of Zoo Animal, pressed a preview copy of her new Departure EP into someone’s hand, she accompanied it with the same disclaimer: “I don’t know what people are going to think of this. It’s really different.”

True to its name, Departure is a new sound for Newsom, though not entirely unexpected. Anyone who has seen her perform live without her recently departed bassist and drummer knows that she’s capable of paring down her songs to their most skeletal forms and captivating listeners with the bare minimum of instrumental accompaniment. Still, the focus is placed so squarely on Newsom throughout the Departure EP that it could have just as easily been billed as a solo debut rather than something released under the Zoo Animal name.

Which isn’t to say that Newsom is going it entirely alone; the new EP was produced by Grant Cutler (Lookbook, Grant Cutler and the Gorgeous Lords), whose ear for ambiance helps to set the tone of the record. “If anyone could add stuff without being in the way, I felt like Grant could totally do it. I like that,” Newsom told the Local Show's Dave Campbell recently, and she’s right. Cutler’s ability to stay out of the way while enhancing his mood might be his defining trait as a burgeoning collaborator and producer. Background vocals are turned down so low that they sound like their being played on a record player in a neighboring room, while sparse additions like the slow clap of “Black and Charred” and a subliminal sense of rhythm without making the song feel rushed. It’s worth noting that one of the album’s best moments, a perfectly positioned solo on a saxophone, is made up of only four equally spaced, decending notes and lasts about five seconds. Though the songs proceed at an overwhelmingly slow pace, it’s those pre-meditated, precise moments that make the record seem fully formed and nuanced in its presentation.

The real highlight, of course, is Newsom’s voice, which is given ample space to breathe and stretch in the wide open spaces on Departure. Newsom’s talent as a vocalist is undeniable; she reminds me of singers like Adele in that respect. Not that there are many similarities between Newsom’s delivery and Adele’s -- Newsom rarely belts out her high notes, opting instead to anchor her melodies around her pretty, breathy mezzo-sopranno range -- but she instills the same sense of confidence in her listeners. She’s got this. And that easily won trust between singer and listener gives Newsom the opportunity to deviate wildly from traditional melodic structures into swoops, sighs, yelps, sneers, and one particularly well-timed wail (in the climax of “When They Talk”). Her singing style is so unique and controlled that she barely needs any accompaniment, as she demonstrated in a charming a capella ice skating video she released a few weeks back, so it’s a relief that the other instruments are woven together to create a whirring, atmospheric hum beneath her rather than attempting to compete with her spotlight. - The Current Blog

Zoo Animal put a serious spin on minimalist rock 'n' roll

by Andrea Swensson

A quick scan of this year's Picked to Click winners will reveal that, even though we call this our "best new band" issue, many of the groups aren't necessarily new. Sure, these particular formations of musicians playing under these particular band names have only recently emerged on the scene. But as with so many Twin Cities bands that came before them, many of the members have been in one, two, or even ten previous groups.

Almost everyone, it seems, has a storied past, a list of previous bands that shape who they are today. Red Pens? Yep, that's Howard from the Busy Signals. Leisure Birds are the "new Thunder in the Valley." Whitesand/Badlands is Andy from the Vets, while the Double Bird claim members from at least six pre-existing groups.

In this respect, Zoo Animal stand apart as one of the honest-to-god, brand-spanking-new bands in our poll. Aside from the occasional church music group and a bit of solo songwriting, this is the very first band for Holly Newsom, Tim Abramson, and Thom Burton.

"We're not coming from another successful band," says Newsom, who maintains a deadpan seriousness when she speaks. "We don't play in any other bands. It's almost weird, because I feel like a lot of other musicians are in more than one band, or have been in bands. There's a lot of recycling."

"We won't be this new next time around," Burton quips. "Yeah," Abramson adds, "when we're all in different bands."

For being so green (they formed in early 2008), these young musicians have already accomplished impressive feats. Zoo Animal's debut album, Young Blood, and their intense, moody live shows have earned them a reputation as one of the most promising acts in town. With an emphasis on minimalism and Newsom's elastic, whippoorwill voice, their music is immediately recognizable and distinct, though they often draw comparisons to modern-day acts as far-reaching as the Heartless Bastards, Cat Power, and the Pixies.

But what really sets them apart is the pensive, almost somber attitude with which they approach their music. In concert, Newsom rocks back and forth with her eyes pinched shut, her mouth contorting as words fall out one by one and her bandmates respond with measured bass beats and cymbal crashes. One gets a profound sense that their music is coming from another place altogether.

"When I play a show, I am on the verge of something," she says. "It's so intense. There's something that's inside of me that's pushing to get out, and coming out of my throat and coming out of my hands."

Every element of their live show is carefully considered, right down to the clothes they wear. Newsom's dress code prohibits patterns and logos and requires dark colors that reflect the band's dusky, brooding sound. "I'm not very into party music," she says, "like, 'Let's play rock 'n' roll really loud and get wasted!' That's boring to me, and a waste of my time.

"I decided I wouldn't drink or smoke before we play. If I feel anything or I'm drunk, I want it to be on the music. Focused. I want to go in there like I'm taking a test. We get a lot of comments that we're intense, and I am really intense when I play, because what I'm singing about is from really deep inside me—I can't just throw it away.

"Music's not a hobby to me," she says. "It's art." - City Pages

Holly Hansen has been a local favorite of ours for quite a while now. Her solo album, “Buildings,” full of Kimya Dawson/Shelby Sifers-esque minimalist indie-lullabies, was a great introduction to her quaint musicianship and blessed, angel-like voice. We were pretty upset when we heard news that she gave this act up and started a three piece band, fearing that the outcome of involving other members would somehow fail the unreasonably high expectations we hold for Ms. Hansen.

It didn’t, and thank the heavens for the album we got out of it. Zoo Animal’s debut, titled Young Blood, is a very well constructed mix of moody indie-pop and socially conscious messages, or, if you’re not into that, you can still get to down to its high levels of ants-in-the-pants sap-danciness.

Please click on the video above, or here, to go to the actual YouTube page where you can opt to view the action in high quality. I promise, the difference is worth it. Also, be sure to listen to the song My Lord below!


http://peervalidated.com/2008/11/07/zoo-animal-live-at-uw-stout/ - peervalidated.com

Zoo Animal is an old soul pacing it's way out of your speakers. The average surface level listener may walk away thinking there isn't enough tracks. America's current radio song is layered with 100 tracks to create this false energy like a fast sugar high that slowly has you feeling worse off than before you swallowed. Zoo Animal stays true to serving you up a well balanced diet consisting of Holly Hansen on guitar and vocal, Tim Abramson on bass, and Al Swenson on drums. Its minimalist style keeps you funneled into the heart behind the songs. Holly can take the smallest spark of a story or thought from her day to day life, and pull depth beyond the borders of its original inspiration. Hollys voice surrounds the microphone with thick character and conviction. If you want a shot of expresso, turn the radio on . If you want a shot to the heart, then let me turn you onto Zoo Animal. - Trevor Davis- Mirth Records

The lineup for Zoo Animal’s CD release party at 7th St. Entry couldn’t have been more promising, with Hildur Victoria, His and Her Vanities, Red Pens fleshing out the headlining band’s big night. Zoo Animal’s second self-titled album boasts bigger vocals and showcases a darker side than on their debut Young Blood, and the maturity of the album shows it.

Hildur Victoria opened up the night to an almost empty floor, but as Margaret Lane, lead vocalist and guitarist, drove hard into the set, the crowd quickly thickened. Lane, who by now has gained a reputation for her on-stage passion, didn’t disappoint as she belted out the haunting jams from the band’s latest Herringbone E.P., showcasing the sumptuous compositions for which the indie quartet has become known.

In between songs, Lane tuned her guitar and took swigs of beer to sustain her. Always engaging the crowd with personal blips, at one point, after playing an especially aggressive and dramatic song, Lane divulged: “…My mom said, ‘I can’t listen to your music because it makes me want to die’, and I was like, ‘Oh, Momma… that ain’t good, we want you to feel happy”.

Regardless, Hildur Victoria’s music isn’t exactly feel-good, and Lane followed up her statement by introducing a new song, “Ghost”, wherein Lane abandoned the audience and knelt on the stage, alternating between breathing and screaming into the microphone. In an exhibition of stellar vocal power, Lane’s crystalline mezzo-soprano was simultaneously fragile and richly powerful. The band announced they would be recording a new album in a month, and found an audience that had fallen in love with them (either for the first time or all over again).

His and Her Vanities were the second opener, saying they had been invited by the Red Pens. After hearing their first song, this made sense; their post-punk guitar distortions sounded a lot more like the Red Pens’ sonic styling than like Hildur Victoria’s dark opulence or Zoo Animal’s guttural rawness. Either way, the crowd was still feeling it, and H&HV rocked on out, seeming happy to be so well-received in Minneapolis (the band is based in Madison, Wisconsin). Halfway through the set, vocalist and guitarist Terrin Reimer stated that it had been six years (“Six years, man!”) since the band had played the Entry.

By the time Zoo Animal took the stage, the audience was ready for them, and the indie trio settled in for a long set. “So we’re just gonna play the whole CD, straight through, if that’s okay,” Holly Newsom, lead vocalist and guitarist, announced to an ebullient crowd. And play it through they did.

Anyone who has seen Zoo Animal live knows enough to expect a dynamic performance, as Newsom seems to rely more on raw emotion than instrumental styling. Newsom’s hands flew over the guitar strings almost as an afterthought, and her big voice, at once soulful and vulnerable, stunned the audience into a quiet as the band played.

Given the subject matter confronted in many of Zoo Animal’s songs, it almost seems trite to compare their performance Friday night to something like religion, but there is no other analogy that fits. Playing live, Zoo Animal is anything but solemn. (In her utterly approachable way, Newsom broke up the set with cracks about allergy snot.) But the energy that Newsom, along with drummer Thom Burton and bassist Tim Abramson, bring to the stage is unmistakably transformational. You get the feeling you’re being let in on a confession, or, better, are part of one.

If the intensity of the performance was weighing on the band, they didn’t show it. But after the fourteenth song (on a 15-song album), Newsom declared to the crowd: “We have one more song, and then that’s it, okay? No, really, not trying to be big or whatever, but we just played fifteen songs, so this is gonna be it, and then I’m gonna go backstage and have a nervous breakdown.”

They played. The audience was as captivated as a three-year-old with a slinky. I can’t remember the last time concert-goers were so quiet for the music. When the set was over, the band (true to form) exited the stage without any bowing or airs.

By the time the Red Pens took over, a sizeable chunk of the crowd had taken off—satisfied enough by Zoo Animal, maybe, but they missed a heady performance from duo Howard Hamilton and Laura Bennett, who treated the remaining folks to a chill, fantastic set.

For the band whose furious, rhythmic sound has been compared to Sonic Youth and the Jesus and Mary Chain, their performance Friday night was absolutely dance-worthy. Bennett and Hamilton are each such frenzied musicians that at times they seem to be dueling for air time; somehow, though the pair look like they’re having a crazy jam session, their sound is never superfluous and always brilliantly looped. They’ve got the edge of experimenters who know exactly what they’re doing.

If the lineup was promising, the execution was beyond satisfying, proving to be a well-rounded night f - howwastheshow.com

By Brandon Henry

Zoo Animal’s Youngblood is start to finish an indie/folk gem. The ten songs on the record have a stripped down less-is-more swagger that mixes singer/songwriter simplicity and garage grunge-rock. Cleverly penned lyrics resonate with an old-timey drawl over a sparse crystalline electric guitar that’s rife with hypnotic pop grooves.

The opening track “Off with My Head” sets a worried, but take-it-as-it-comes mood as vocalist/guitarist Holly Hansen’s voice echoes over a lone reverberating electric guitar. The momentum of Youngblood builds as bass (Tim Abramson) and drums (Thom Burton) kick in on the subsequent songs, accentuating the tasty chord hooks and honest lyrics. Half-way through the album “My Lord” comes out of nowhere and carves its way into your conscience as you find your finger glued to the repeat button. The opening bass line digs out a deep groove as a seductive guitar lick floats over lyrics that are sung with lilting precision. The way Hansen hangs on the “Ha-le-lu-jah” at the end of the chorus adds a dynamic, unique vocal hook.

The bouncing “Hit by Wind” is a catchy well-wishing song for folks trying to navigate their future. It’s the stark realization that comes with knowing that nothing goes as planned. This gust of fresh air carries into the album’s thematic track “Sailor.” A swaying guitar ebbs and flows over rumbling toms as we are warned to “quit acting like [we] know what [we’re] doing and let go.”

“Simone” pulsates through “what is the meaning of life” lyrics that may seem trite under any other circumstance, but the song plays out more like a journey from fortune teller to fortune teller in this ultimate quest. The chorus is never sung only implied through a surge of distorted guitars. The album closes with a Heartless Bastards like “Hold Tongue” and the subtle tranquility of “Kitchen.”

Youngblood is written for those of us who find ourselves in the constant push and pull of what we are told to be and what we want to be. Simply produced with nothing more than one guitar, bass and drums the record is a minimalistic masterpiece that brilliantly uses the space between the notes to create a charismatic groove. Zoo Animal strikes a balance between clever lyrics and catchy guitar riffs with ten intelligently crafted tunes that reside in your head long after the final track is done. - Rift Magazine

Zoo Animal has gotten raves for its spare, grungy, artfully uneven sound. But its songs also serve as a springboard for exploring devoutly Christian themes.

"You dance on tables, I dance on the floor," Holly Newsom sings on "Bad Seed," a track on Zoo Animal's new self-titled CD. "You sneak in windows and I go through the door, you trust in who knows and I trust in the Lord."

As a child, Newsom's life was upended by her parents painful divorce and her family's constant moving. Her deeply held Christian faith is her foundation and the lyrical wellspring for her songs.

But she insists she writes for everyone, not just like-minded believers.

"A lot of the Christian life is a struggle, and I think everybody can relate to struggle," she said. "And so even if I'm talking about my relationship with God maybe someone's relating it to their relationship with their boyfriend or whatever, you know?"

Zoo Animal came in second in last year's City Pages "Picked to Click" poll, and has become a local favorite among fans. Newsom has been surprised by the band's reception.

"At first I was worried that people wouldn't be willing to listen to music where maybe the worldview or ideas are different," she said. "But then I thought, well I do, almost every day. And it would be almost prideful of me to think that other people couldn't open their mind the same way."

Zoo Animal also features Tim Abramson on bass, who shares Newsom's beliefs, and Thom Burton on drums, who's a non-Christian. Burton joined the band after being captivated by one of its live shows.

"And then once I dug in and really started to get into the lyrics, I could see the passion and the honesty of it," he said. "To me that's what good musicians and good artists do."

Meanwhile bassist Tim Abramson won't deny there's an evangelical thrust to the band's music. He says he and Newsom don't proselytize, but try to set an example of what it means to be Christian.

"You gotta be in the world if you want to make an impact on the world," he said. "And if you want to have people come to faith, like you have to demonstrate that in real life, and not just like shout it at them from a distance."

If Abramson and Holly Newsom sound very assured in their religious convictions, some of the songs on Zoo Animal's new CD tell a different story.

"If I ever thought I was gonna not believe, it was this year," she said.

After spending much of her life in small towns, Newsom was somewhat rattled by her new-found, big-city existence and rocker lifestyle.

"Being in the art world and being out late and just like, alcohol being thrown at you all the time for free, and I mean really, and like in the music world, it's like everybody wants you to destroy yourself," she said.

It doesn't take long for Zoo Animal songs to achieve a kind of spiritual catharsis. It's the band's deliberately downsizing, minimalist style that appeals to local music writer and City Pages contributor Jeff Gage.

Gage says labeling its music "Christian rock" may be a misnomer.

"I think to call them a Christian band would be unfair to them in a lot of ways because I think that that kind of pidgeon holes them in an area where they don't really deserve to be," he said.

Zoo Animal's Holly Newsom feels the same way.

Newsom says she's just thankful people understand the band doesn't want to be merely a musical backdrop to imbibing on a Friday night. It wants people to think, and possibly examine their own lives and faith. - Minnesota Public Radio

Zoo Animal has gotten raves for its spare, grungy, artfully uneven sound. But its songs also serve as a springboard for exploring devoutly Christian themes.

"You dance on tables, I dance on the floor," Holly Newsom sings on "Bad Seed," a track on Zoo Animal's new self-titled CD. "You sneak in windows and I go through the door, you trust in who knows and I trust in the Lord."

As a child, Newsom's life was upended by her parents painful divorce and her family's constant moving. Her deeply held Christian faith is her foundation and the lyrical wellspring for her songs.

But she insists she writes for everyone, not just like-minded believers.

"A lot of the Christian life is a struggle, and I think everybody can relate to struggle," she said. "And so even if I'm talking about my relationship with God maybe someone's relating it to their relationship with their boyfriend or whatever, you know?"

Zoo Animal came in second in last year's City Pages "Picked to Click" poll, and has become a local favorite among fans. Newsom has been surprised by the band's reception.

"At first I was worried that people wouldn't be willing to listen to music where maybe the worldview or ideas are different," she said. "But then I thought, well I do, almost every day. And it would be almost prideful of me to think that other people couldn't open their mind the same way."

Zoo Animal also features Tim Abramson on bass, who shares Newsom's beliefs, and Thom Burton on drums, who's a non-Christian. Burton joined the band after being captivated by one of its live shows.

"And then once I dug in and really started to get into the lyrics, I could see the passion and the honesty of it," he said. "To me that's what good musicians and good artists do."

Meanwhile bassist Tim Abramson won't deny there's an evangelical thrust to the band's music. He says he and Newsom don't proselytize, but try to set an example of what it means to be Christian.

"You gotta be in the world if you want to make an impact on the world," he said. "And if you want to have people come to faith, like you have to demonstrate that in real life, and not just like shout it at them from a distance."

If Abramson and Holly Newsom sound very assured in their religious convictions, some of the songs on Zoo Animal's new CD tell a different story.

"If I ever thought I was gonna not believe, it was this year," she said.

After spending much of her life in small towns, Newsom was somewhat rattled by her new-found, big-city existence and rocker lifestyle.

"Being in the art world and being out late and just like, alcohol being thrown at you all the time for free, and I mean really, and like in the music world, it's like everybody wants you to destroy yourself," she said.

It doesn't take long for Zoo Animal songs to achieve a kind of spiritual catharsis. It's the band's deliberately downsizing, minimalist style that appeals to local music writer and City Pages contributor Jeff Gage.

Gage says labeling its music "Christian rock" may be a misnomer.

"I think to call them a Christian band would be unfair to them in a lot of ways because I think that that kind of pidgeon holes them in an area where they don't really deserve to be," he said.

Zoo Animal's Holly Newsom feels the same way.

Newsom says she's just thankful people understand the band doesn't want to be merely a musical backdrop to imbibing on a Friday night. It wants people to think, and possibly examine their own lives and faith. - Minnesota Public Radio

By Jeff Gage Wednesday, May 26 2010

It's rare for a band to have a firm set of beliefs and be brave enough to take a stand and express them. It's even rarer for a band to dedicate every bit of their art to such a pursuit, and especially to do so without overwhelming the power of their music. Local trio Zoo Animal have managed just this over the past couple of years, a fact made all the more remarkable considering their minimalist aesthetic and Christian faith aren't exactly tailored to the secular and often excessive world of rock music.

But this band wouldn't have it any other way.

"That's why I make music, to challenge people. I hate saying it because it sounds pretentious, but we're not a party band, I'm not your aid to go numb," says Zoo Animal's vocalist and guitarist, Holly Newsom. "Artists are supposed to engage people, not numb them. Musically, lyrically, I want people to feel engaged, and, especially performing, if I'm not engaged by my own music I'll feel dirty."

Such an unflinching vision has earned Zoo Animal a reputation for live performances that are both aggressive and cerebral, intended to make smoky barrooms stop and take notice. "I feel like as we've played people have come to expect something intense and so they're ready for it, and even if someone hasn't seen us before they're like, 'Oh,'" Newsom says.

The band's new, self-titled album marks a step forward in capturing the sound and vision they've built their live reputation on. With drummer Thom Burton recruited since the recording of their debut full-length, Young Blood, and he and bassist Tim Abramson now sharing many of the songwriting duties, Zoo Animal also sees the trio coming into its own as a group. "[Thom and I brought] different structures, how the songs were put together. I came up with a lot of bass parts that turned into songs that Holly wrote on top of, as opposed to her writing and me coming up with a bass part," Abramson says.

The songs are spare and dark with a noticeably rougher edge than their predecessors. The first record's sparkling melodies have transformed into a grittier, more percussive sound, with the rhythm section carrying much of the music. Newsom's lyrics are more clipped and abstract, giving her dewdrop drawl a foreboding circumspection. And the minimalism that was so evident before has been brought into even starker relief.

Zoo Animal's music is also defined by a muted religiosity (Burton is the sole non-Christian in the group). They've managed to avoid being pigeonholed as a Christian band, a label they've deliberately distanced themselves from, in large part due to an ability to weave those beliefs into a larger set of themes that are accessible to people of all dispositions. Yet Newsom and Abramson also show refreshing candor in considering their relationship to Christianity.

"I think a lot of the church in America's history has been separate, tried to distance ourselves from everybody else," observes Abramson. "A bunch of the popular discourse around religion is so antagonistic—'Let's point out the worst of both sides'—and both sides do it. [So] it's like [Zoo Animal] are trying to be mediators between different cultures."

As Newsom explains, there's another sort of spiritual mediation that lends the music its most visceral and captivating powers.

"When I'm writing music at my apartment it affects me immensely. It's like me having a conversation with God," she explains. "Why are our shows intense? Because I'm being intimate with God in front of a room full of people, and that is a very intense thing. If I say I want to be engaged in the music [when playing live] that means I've got to go back to where it came from."

On Young Blood, these sentiments were grounded in faith. But such feelings are largely missing this time around, the fractured, fragmented lyrics filled with anxiety and seeming paradox. From the troubled sense of friendship and obligation in "Worker Bee" to the cryptic metaphors for home in "Folded Hands" and the lingering conflict between living virtuously and missing out on life that courses through "Bad Seed," Zoo Animal, for all its simplicity, creates a complicated and problematic world without easy answers.

Newsom admits that this new sense of conflict, which adds considerable depth and authenticity to this collection of songs, arises directly from real-life experiences.

"I came from this super-conservative small town where there just came a liquor store a year ago and they tried to burn it down," she says. "Moving to the city and being swallowed up in music was sort of like, 'Whoa,' like kind of crazy to me.

"I'm not going to lie: As far as my faith is concerned, I've never struggled as much with it as I have the past couple years—and I'm not about lying in my art. Fundamentally I am where I was before, but my relationship with God has changed," Newsom continues. "I collided with the world and now it's like, 'Okay, where's the bruises?' Th - City Pages

by Josh Keller

Zoo Animal, the Minneapolis based band fronted by Holly Hansen, have recently released a new album titled Young Blood. Like some of the great female singers she references over the 25 minute album (Chan Marshall, Fiona Apple, Leslie Feist), she has a gritty and beautiful voice that seems to weave its way perfectly into the songs without ever sounding too put together or fragile. The songs, all written by Hansen, have a great lo-fi feel and together create a strong and cohesive album that is one of the biggest surprises I have heard from a local release in the last year. The 10 tracks range from wispy and lighthearted to coarse and dark, all held together by Hansen’s great voice and the rough-around-the-edges production. Highlights include the Pixies sounding “My Lord,” the redemptive “Hit by Wind” and the Cat Power sounding “Simone.” The whole disc is a strong and diverse affair and shows some amazing potential for this young songwriter and her great band. Zoo Animal have quite a few shows coming up as listed on their MySpace page, and Young Blood is available now.

http://www.culturebully.com/zoo-animal-young-blood-review
- culturebully.com

by Josh Keller

Zoo Animal, the Minneapolis based band fronted by Holly Hansen, have recently released a new album titled Young Blood. Like some of the great female singers she references over the 25 minute album (Chan Marshall, Fiona Apple, Leslie Feist), she has a gritty and beautiful voice that seems to weave its way perfectly into the songs without ever sounding too put together or fragile. The songs, all written by Hansen, have a great lo-fi feel and together create a strong and cohesive album that is one of the biggest surprises I have heard from a local release in the last year. The 10 tracks range from wispy and lighthearted to coarse and dark, all held together by Hansen’s great voice and the rough-around-the-edges production. Highlights include the Pixies sounding “My Lord,” the redemptive “Hit by Wind” and the Cat Power sounding “Simone.” The whole disc is a strong and diverse affair and shows some amazing potential for this young songwriter and her great band. Zoo Animal have quite a few shows coming up as listed on their MySpace page, and Young Blood is available now.

http://www.culturebully.com/zoo-animal-young-blood-review
- culturebully.com

by Andy Plank

Minneapolis indie-rocker Zoo Animal is a bipolar creature. On the one side, its songs are toe-tapping, lo-fi grooves with catchy riffs and irresistible vocal melodies. On the other, its songs are laden with gloomy, down tempo tendencies and socially conscious lyrics about heavy themes such as religion and womanhood. Recorded with just one track per instrument, the band’s debut, Young Blood, embodies a minimalist mindset within its 10 anthems, but packs each one full of dense material. Holly Newsom’s voice is the unmistakable main attraction, as she bobs and weaves her hollowing croons throughout a maze of twangy, vintage rock guitars and moody dance beats. With great clarity and ease, she delivers clever and inspired vocal hooks with surprising bluntness. “I was thinking about when women started working,” she sings on the second track, Black and Gold, “all the stores had to stay open late, because there was no one to shop during the day.” Later on the album she unabatedly explores her Christianity on the song My Lord. “All these kids running around, they’ll be scared when my lord comes down.” The invitation into Newsom’s personal life becomes a lot to take on in the album’s 25-minute playtime, but it also gives Young Blood a value that’s hard to find in indie-rock.

http://volumeone.org/magazine/articles/1301/Zoo_Animal.html - Volume One

by Andy Plank

Minneapolis indie-rocker Zoo Animal is a bipolar creature. On the one side, its songs are toe-tapping, lo-fi grooves with catchy riffs and irresistible vocal melodies. On the other, its songs are laden with gloomy, down tempo tendencies and socially conscious lyrics about heavy themes such as religion and womanhood. Recorded with just one track per instrument, the band’s debut, Young Blood, embodies a minimalist mindset within its 10 anthems, but packs each one full of dense material. Holly Newsom’s voice is the unmistakable main attraction, as she bobs and weaves her hollowing croons throughout a maze of twangy, vintage rock guitars and moody dance beats. With great clarity and ease, she delivers clever and inspired vocal hooks with surprising bluntness. “I was thinking about when women started working,” she sings on the second track, Black and Gold, “all the stores had to stay open late, because there was no one to shop during the day.” Later on the album she unabatedly explores her Christianity on the song My Lord. “All these kids running around, they’ll be scared when my lord comes down.” The invitation into Newsom’s personal life becomes a lot to take on in the album’s 25-minute playtime, but it also gives Young Blood a value that’s hard to find in indie-rock.

http://volumeone.org/magazine/articles/1301/Zoo_Animal.html - Volume One

by Amber Schadewald

No lions, tigers, or bears; the band Zoo Animal's name is far from the cages of formerly wild creatures. Behind the trio of soothing instruments lies a meaning much less obvious to the average listener. Guitarist and vocalist Holly Newsom shyly explains the name as it correlates to her "real" home being in Heaven as opposed to on Earth; the analogy is to an animal's real home not being a zoo. Uh oh—religion. A scary combination of words to any music writer, "Christian band" never signals a product deserving of a second listen. Thank God the band of animals agreed.

"We don't call ourselves a 'Christian band,'" bassist Tim Abramson clarifies. "The Christian-music industry usually means cheesy and artificial. We're just asking people to see things in a different way, but we're not preaching."

A quick earful of Zoo Animal's peaceful sound won't immediately cue thoughts of Jesus and Mary, but a closer listen to Newsom's lyrics may call attention to the faith-based feelings behind the melodies. Whether or not you personally want to pair the music with religion is your decision. Drummer Thom Burton is the non-Christian in the group, and says he has no problem with his bandmates' religious affiliations quietly finding a way into their music.

"All musicians and artists write what they know, what's inside of them, and therefore I can completely back it," he says. "It resonates with me because it's very personal. If you believe in the things you write about, whether I too believe in them or not, it's the emotion behind them."

Zoo Animal's first full-length, Young Blood, is full of light reflections, perfumed hints of summer breeze, and chilled winter evenings in deep thought. Abramson describes their music as "minimalist grunge-pop," a soulful combination of melodies and bare bones with a rock hinge. Tracks like "My Lord," "Kitchen," and "Hold Tongue" paddle softly through deep, watery bass, floating on sweet humming guitar, sometimes surprising with a rocky chorus or stark halt.

Newsom's voice is the hook. Hazy and laced with vintage twang, it almost whispers at the end of some phrases, while contrarily resonating with power and conviction at others. She may be only 23, but there's an old soul residing beneath that ribcage.

Newsom had been playing solo for years under her maiden name, Holly Hanson, but eventually realized that she wanted her backing band to have more artistic input.

"I didn't want my bandmates to be bored by something I wrote. I thought they should be able to play something they wrote as well," she says. Today, Newsom writes the foundation to most of the band's songs and asks the guys to add their personal touches.

"I will purposefully come to practice with a song disjointed so the guys can help me make it better." She smiles as the sun sets on a beautiful summer evening, bees pollinating the flowers behind her. "Zoo Animal's philosophy is from me, but the aesthetic is from the rhythm section. They make us cool."

The band members agree that they aim for a more minimal sound from creation to presentation, letting simple inspirations drive the points they aim to make both musically and lyrically.

"Even if the point is weird," adds Burton.

"Or we don't know what it is," Abramson smirks.

While Newsom keeps in mind that nothing under the sun is really new, she pushes herself to recycle old ideas and reformat the familiar. When she's writing new material, Newsom gives herself rules, like using only two chords, forcing simplicity to yield creativity. The bottom line for Zoo Animal is avoiding repetition and challenging the audience to a battle of inner thoughts.

After the band finished a song at a recent show, the audience sat in silence, their eyes fixed on the three stage inhabitants, their faces a mess of confused looks. While some bands might take offense at the reaction, Zoo Animal's members were ecstatic.

"We love it when the bar quiets down and people are really listening," Abramson says.

Newsom's lyrics aren't always straightforward, and careful listeners are definitely rewarded. Unfortunately, finding a crowded bar full of devoted ears isn't easy.In a city full of party bands, Newsom wants people to be able to listen to their music and have a good time without the aid of a chemical.

"In a bar, music becomes the supplement to what people are doing—drinking and talking. But not us. We want people coming to the show who want to watch us play. It's a hard thing to ask for in the 21-plus crowd."

Does this mean they're scouting out quieter venues? Ones with pews and stained glass?

"No. We're not living in a Christian suburban world and that's who's running that music scene," Newsom says. "I get nervous playing in a church. They think we sound really weird."

http://www.citypages.com/2009-08-26/music/zoo-animal-break-all-christian-rock-cliches-on-their-way-up/ - City Pages

by Amber Schadewald

No lions, tigers, or bears; the band Zoo Animal's name is far from the cages of formerly wild creatures. Behind the trio of soothing instruments lies a meaning much less obvious to the average listener. Guitarist and vocalist Holly Newsom shyly explains the name as it correlates to her "real" home being in Heaven as opposed to on Earth; the analogy is to an animal's real home not being a zoo. Uh oh—religion. A scary combination of words to any music writer, "Christian band" never signals a product deserving of a second listen. Thank God the band of animals agreed.

"We don't call ourselves a 'Christian band,'" bassist Tim Abramson clarifies. "The Christian-music industry usually means cheesy and artificial. We're just asking people to see things in a different way, but we're not preaching."

A quick earful of Zoo Animal's peaceful sound won't immediately cue thoughts of Jesus and Mary, but a closer listen to Newsom's lyrics may call attention to the faith-based feelings behind the melodies. Whether or not you personally want to pair the music with religion is your decision. Drummer Thom Burton is the non-Christian in the group, and says he has no problem with his bandmates' religious affiliations quietly finding a way into their music.

"All musicians and artists write what they know, what's inside of them, and therefore I can completely back it," he says. "It resonates with me because it's very personal. If you believe in the things you write about, whether I too believe in them or not, it's the emotion behind them."

Zoo Animal's first full-length, Young Blood, is full of light reflections, perfumed hints of summer breeze, and chilled winter evenings in deep thought. Abramson describes their music as "minimalist grunge-pop," a soulful combination of melodies and bare bones with a rock hinge. Tracks like "My Lord," "Kitchen," and "Hold Tongue" paddle softly through deep, watery bass, floating on sweet humming guitar, sometimes surprising with a rocky chorus or stark halt.

Newsom's voice is the hook. Hazy and laced with vintage twang, it almost whispers at the end of some phrases, while contrarily resonating with power and conviction at others. She may be only 23, but there's an old soul residing beneath that ribcage.

Newsom had been playing solo for years under her maiden name, Holly Hanson, but eventually realized that she wanted her backing band to have more artistic input.

"I didn't want my bandmates to be bored by something I wrote. I thought they should be able to play something they wrote as well," she says. Today, Newsom writes the foundation to most of the band's songs and asks the guys to add their personal touches.

"I will purposefully come to practice with a song disjointed so the guys can help me make it better." She smiles as the sun sets on a beautiful summer evening, bees pollinating the flowers behind her. "Zoo Animal's philosophy is from me, but the aesthetic is from the rhythm section. They make us cool."

The band members agree that they aim for a more minimal sound from creation to presentation, letting simple inspirations drive the points they aim to make both musically and lyrically.

"Even if the point is weird," adds Burton.

"Or we don't know what it is," Abramson smirks.

While Newsom keeps in mind that nothing under the sun is really new, she pushes herself to recycle old ideas and reformat the familiar. When she's writing new material, Newsom gives herself rules, like using only two chords, forcing simplicity to yield creativity. The bottom line for Zoo Animal is avoiding repetition and challenging the audience to a battle of inner thoughts.

After the band finished a song at a recent show, the audience sat in silence, their eyes fixed on the three stage inhabitants, their faces a mess of confused looks. While some bands might take offense at the reaction, Zoo Animal's members were ecstatic.

"We love it when the bar quiets down and people are really listening," Abramson says.

Newsom's lyrics aren't always straightforward, and careful listeners are definitely rewarded. Unfortunately, finding a crowded bar full of devoted ears isn't easy.In a city full of party bands, Newsom wants people to be able to listen to their music and have a good time without the aid of a chemical.

"In a bar, music becomes the supplement to what people are doing—drinking and talking. But not us. We want people coming to the show who want to watch us play. It's a hard thing to ask for in the 21-plus crowd."

Does this mean they're scouting out quieter venues? Ones with pews and stained glass?

"No. We're not living in a Christian suburban world and that's who's running that music scene," Newsom says. "I get nervous playing in a church. They think we sound really weird."

http://www.citypages.com/2009-08-26/music/zoo-animal-break-all-christian-rock-cliches-on-their-way-up/ - City Pages