ARTHUR & YU
Arthur & Yu, aka Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott, formed in Seattle at the
end of 2005.
Download Absurd Heroes Manifesto for free HERE. [First song on their album In Camera] |
Buy IN CAMERA here
01. Absurd Heroes Manifestos
02. Come to View (Song for Neil Young)
03. There Are Too Many Birds
04. Afterglow
05. Flashing the Lobby Lights
06. Lion's Mouth
07. 1000 Words
08. The Ghost of Old Bull Lee
09. Half Years
10.Black Bear
"A wonderful woozy debut" - Word
"A hudden bite that creeps under your skin slowly" - Flux
"It's successful on pretty much every count for two main reasons: 1. It's well-written and blearily produced; and 2. It's self-aware and not neurotic." - **** Dusted Magazine
"This debut has a great deal of shadowy appeal" - **** BBC Collective
"A beautiful debut" - **** The Express
"These sounds are magical and mesmerising" - Rock Sound
23 September - Metro w/ Iron & WineChicago, Illinois
24 September - Beachland Ballroom w/ Iron & Wine Cleveland, Ohio
25 September - Danforth Music Hall w/ Iron & Wine Toronto, Ontario
26 September - Metropolis w/ Iron & Wine Montreal, Quebec
27 September - The Orpheum Theater w/ Iron & Wine Boston, Massachusetts
28 September - Tower Theater w/ Iron & Wine Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
29 September - Club w/ Iron & Wine Washington DC, Washington DC
30 September - Town Hall Theatre w/ Iron & Wine New York, New York
02 October - Highline Ballroom w/ Great Lake Swimmers New York, New York
03 October - Middle East (upstairs) w/ Great Lake Swimmers Cambridge, Massachusetts
04 October - World Cafe Upstairs w/ Great Lake Swimmers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
06 October - Earl w/ Great Lake Swimmers Atlanta, Georgia
09 October - The Cavern w/ Great Lake Swimmers Dallas, Texas
10 October - Stubbs BBQ w/ Great Lake Swimmers Austin, Texas
12 October - Modified Arts w/ Great Lake Swimmers Phoenix, Arizona
13 October - Spaceland w/ Great Lake Swimmers Los Angeles, California
14 October - Cafe Du Nord w/ Great Lake Swimmers San Francisco, California
16 October - Holocene w/ Great Lake Swimmers Portland, Oregon
17 October - Tractor Tavern w/ Great Lake Swimmers
2009
14 April - Grant (himself) @ The Round w/ Tiny Vipers, Seattle, Washington
23 May - Sasquatch Festival, The Gorge of George, Washington
28 May - Grant playing at Tractor for Final Spins extravaganza, Seattle, Washington
13 June - Grant (solo) Noise for the Needy, Seattle
23 June - Triple Door opening for SIXTO RODRIGUEZ, Seattle, Washington
09 July - Solo strum @ Comet w/ Widower and Blue Million Miles Seattle, Washington
Website
Drawing sonic inspiration from the Velvet Underground as well as the studio experimentation of Lee Hazlewood, each track is a study in expansion, centered loosely around chiming guitars and swirling melodies. Olsen's hazy croon is lifted by the smooth harmonies of Westcott, and both reel in the influence of Nancy Sinatra between the familiar crash of a tambourine and layers of guitar. "Come to View (Song for Neil Young)" forms the pinnacle of this sentiment, while the sultry "Lion's Mouth" is a study in refined understatement, with Olsen's songwriting skills reveling in the spotlight. Westcott, who recently contributed vocals to a Jimmy Figurine album, takes the lead on "There are too Many Birds" - a fluidly tranquil ode to home and place.
Each track is a carefully crafted thing, meticulously realized and reminiscent of another time, filtered through perpetual memory. Continually cascading and building, the final result is the sound of a band realizing itself, or perhaps just growing up a bit. Built upon nostalgia and exuding a certain warmth that is undeniably earnest, In Camera is their debut, and Arthur & Yu's first release for Memphis Industries.
