Bluebrain, Funny Business (FILTER Premiere)
By Mikela Floyd on February 4, 2010
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DC-based brother duo Bluebrain will release their debut, entitled Soft Power February 9 via Lujo Records. Brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay wrote, recorded and produced the lush, electronic-tinged songs at their home in Washington DC after relocating from Brooklyn a year earlier. But what began as a plan to quickly document the songs they'd been crafting quickly changed when Hays awoke one morning, physically unable to move. It was a temporary paralysis, but the months that followed were defined by a battery of tests, frightening misdiagnosis and, ultimately, spinal surgery. Throughout the process (and the full recovery that followed), the songs evolved as the two continued to record what would become their debut LP.
The result is a record that jumps between songs about love and relationships to the fear of the unknown, giving up illusions of power and control. Soft Power opens with brawny melody and prickly piano on "Royal Blue", followed by the uptempo swagger of "Up & Down". Grand synthesizer sweeps and bouncing beats fill single "Ten by Ten" and seething string arrangements compliment the pummeling rhythm of "Caught Up In The Laughter". The Holladay brothers have worked with and shared stages with artists such as Ra Ra Riot, Spank Rock, Lady Sovereign, The Walkmen, and The Violent Femmes in the past. As Bluebrain, they will perform in a handful of cities this winter to celebrate the recent release of their debut EP Cult Following (Nov. 10th, Lujo Records). They will tour the US around Soft Power's release early next year. First single “Ten by Ten” and more can be heard on the band’s website.
Bluebrain Tour Dates
February
08- New York, NY Residency @ Pianos, 8PM
15- New York, NY Residency @ Pianos, 8PM
22- New York, NY Residency @ Pianos, 8PM
Soft Power tracklisting:
1. Royal Blue
2. Up & Down
3. Each Time I Blink
4. Ten By Ten
5. Doctor Doctor
6. Caught Up In The Laughter
7. Balcony
8. Rotten Apples
9. Funny Business
BLUEBRAIN - Funny Business from BLUEBRAIN on Vimeo.
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