Deep Elm releases new LP from The Dandelion War

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NEW MP3: The Dandelion War - "A Different Heav'n"

Photo: Mauricio Arias

Ambient post­‐rockers, The Dandelion War, from Oakland, CA have returned with a stunning batch of lavish, atmospheric songs on their sophomore album, We Were Always Loyal to Lost Causes. The quintet has broadened their sound, drenching reverb-laden guitars and vocals with bright electronic elements and textures. Album opener, "Strange Ghosts," makes quite a statement, reaching its pinnacle with a barrage of synthesized strings and flourishing Jonsi-esque vocals. However, the band doesn’t entirely abandon the traditional approach of building quiet textures into cascades of awesome noise. "Drifters" is perfect example: beginning with a vibraphone and a voice, the song crescendos into a potent and melodic soundscape of guitars, bass, drums and xylophone.

 MP3 : The Dandelion War - "Drifters"

The album also has its more introspective moments: "A Different Heav’n" and "Bloom" skip the post‐rock dynamic shifting and focus on melody and texture instead. The guitars drone, building a lush foundation for the gorgeous vocals and synth melodies. Overall, The Dandelion War has taken the best of post‐rock, ambient indie and shoegaze and created something new that simply captures your attention. For people who enjoy atmospheric music that washes over you, We Were Always Loyal To Lost Causes is 55 minutes of bliss...best enjoyed in one long listening session with the volume turned up loud.

Jeff Kay (guitar/keyboard) on We Were Always Loyal to Lost Causes:

“A lot of the songwriting started with just an interesting tone (usually synth or guitar). If we found something we liked, we'd just start layering instruments on top of it and eventually add more parts. In general, it's much more electronic than anything we've done previously. Making this album was a long, slow process. We intentionally went into the studio with unanswered questions about some of the songs. The songs themselves tend to be a little slower and quieter than the stuff we’ve done in the past. We sort of grew out of the stereotypical post-rock formula - with every song a slow build-up into a total rock-out. These songs show a lot more subtlety, relying on melody, lyrics, and instrumentation to convey an emotion.”

Upcoming Shows:
09.28 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Shop
10.19 - Oakland, CA - The Uptown
10.20 - Los Angeles, CA - La Fonda

Artist: The Dandelion War
Album: We Were Always Loyal to Lost Causes
Label: Deep Elm Records
Release date: September 12, 2012

Track Listing:
01. Strange Ghosts
02. Drifters
03. 1848
04. A Different Heav'n
05. Bloom
06. A Mi Alrededor
07. The Devil's Black Wool
08. The Wanderers and Their Shadows
09. De Humo
10. Stone Castles