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Aviary Ghost



Last Updated: 12/16/2009

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Status: Single
City: CHICAGO
State: Illinois
Country: US
Signup Date: 1/20/2007

Blog Archive
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Tuesday, January 06, 2009 

Current mood:  warm
Hi everyone,

You can buy advanced tickets to our show at the Elbo Room on Thursday, 2/5 right here:

Buy Advanced Tickets

We're playing with some great musicians, including Haegers Bend, Living as Wolves, and Mike Reeb. Check them out, buy some tickets, and come see us live. It'll only set you back $2 a band! :)

Stephen
Aviary Ghost
Sunday, December 28, 2008 
Hello Everyone,

We're delighted to present our new musical family here in Chicago! To help you to get to know the two new members of Aviary Ghost a little more, here are some formal introductions:

Brian Palmieri


Occupation: Drums, Ping Pong in Church Youth Groups and Your Parents' Basements
Wishes his name was: Something monosyllabic, like Reginald
Interesting fact (that he constantly brings up): Sponsored member of SOAPS™ Shoes 2001 Freestyle Walking Tournament Team (FWTT)


Derek J. Crimando


Occupation: Bass guitar, Vocals, Brother, Litigation
Reminds you of: Don Cheadle; it's hard to explain
Inspired by: Famed bassist Jaco Pastorius; Brian Marshall, bassist of Creed


So there you have it! We couldn't be happier to have this great group with us to play music in such a good time to be alive.
Come see us in our first performance all together on Saturday, December 6th at Bill's Blues in Evanston! Tickets are $8 advance, $10 at the door, and it starts at the unbelievably cool matinee time of 3 PM!
You won't regret it.

With Love,
Aviary Ghost
Monday, October 27, 2008 

Current mood:  adored
Category: Music
We've received a rather nice review from the revered critics at PopMatters. Below is the text of the review.

PopMatters review by Sarah Moore (10/24/2008)
"Lush and cinematic scenes drenched with Americana folds make up Aviary Ghost's release Memory is a Hallway. The duo made up of Charlie Crimando and Stephen Kemsley holed themselves up in a one-room Michigan apartment during a long winter to record the album. Immersing themselves in bourbon and train-watching, the two wrestled with cabin fever. As the title suggest, the album's lyrics explore memories and how they shape one's identity and create the present.

What resulted is a wintry mix of falsetto harmonies, grand-scale orchestrations, and intricate pop arrangements. Standout track "Somewhere Else" begins with a quiet, stripped-down clattering of strings and a meek, solo falsetto before embarking on a cavalcade of kick drums, thick bass-lines, crashing cymbals and multi-part harmonies. The lines "I built a house for purple martins / They weren't as purple as I thought" particularly linger on the aural palate."
Saturday, August 30, 2008 
Hey everyone,
Check out our new video for "The Brain is a House".
Let us know what you think!
~AG

Aviary Ghost - "The Brain is a House" from Aviary Ghost on Vimeo.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 

Category: Music

There are times that self-releasing an album can be the best option for a band, especially given the many instances of hot-air blowing by music industry personnel — and it's not just major labels that have been known to play the game in miscreant ways. Sometimes, though, artists just don't want to deal with the hassle of marketing their release, preferring to just put the music out for public consumption.

Aviary Ghost certainly hasn't self-released their music out of a lack of quality: Memory is a Hallway, from start to finish, is a bold, passionate release demonstrating the band's penchant for engineering emotionally descriptive soundscapes, crisp vocals sometimes leading the musical path, other times remaining out of the picture to let some skillful instrumentation take hold.

Apparently influenced by a wide range of musical styles, including 1960s American pop and post-rock, Aviary Ghost have crafted a release that's rarely anything less than a joy to hear, to absorb: Memory is a Hallway, which apparently took a good three years before being ready, is a carefully crafted amalgam of upbeat piano, neatly harmonious vocals, dense guitars, organs, mandolins, and a slew of other layers of instrumentation.

Memory is a Hallway is a strong pop album recorded by a band unafraid to break free of the constraints of genre music, providing a strong sound; though lulling listeners into a relaxed groove, this debut hardly sits still for a moment. Aviary Ghost, who claim to be recording more music, aren't to be missed: Their album-proven pedigree is strong enough that whatever comes next should be undeniably excellent.

Aviary Ghost's Memory is a Hallway was self-released by the group on July 15, 2008.

http://www.musicgeek.org/wp/2008/08/07/review-aviary-ghost-memory-is-a-hallway


Monday, August 04, 2008 
Hey y'all,

We were just featured in Stereo Subversion.  Read below:

"Aviary Ghost have managed to craft carefully constructed pop songs that are in dialogue with a variety of musical styles. "The Brain is a House" is an amalgamation of syncopated snare patterns, melodic percussion, piano hooks, and yes, vocals that immediately recall that pompadour wearing Brit, Morrissey. This is not to say that Aviary Ghost is a mere knock-off of varied musical stylings, not in the least. By utilizing a familiar array of sounds, Aviary Ghost have developed their own unique sound that is from the beginning enticing, and by the end rewarding. Just try not to bob your head to the opening piano melody, I dare you."

http://www.stereosubversion.com/ssv-blogs/07-31-2008/aviary-ghost/
Friday, February 29, 2008 

Current mood:  accomplished
Here is a great review of our album by Dan Coleman from The Scene.

Aviary Ghost, 'Memory Is A Hallway'

Aviary Ghost is a band that seemed to pop out of nowhere fully formed. With little fanfare, it has managed to get a spot of Live From Bloomington, get its CD in hands of local label types and a develop live performance that is surprisingly tight for a band so new to the scene. Its debut release, "Memory Is A Hallway," is a throwback to the plaintive pop of XTC and The Smiths. The songs are lush and complex, using a perfect harmony of keys, acoustics, and the occasional electric outburst to make songs that are sublimely endearing.

"Numbers Aren't Right" beautifully drifts along before erupting into a glorious coda of guitarmonies and time signature jumps. It is a recurring motif throughout to let the songs devolve into moments of welcome experimental oddity, with clock chimes and vocal loops just some of the wondrous deviations the band takes from its pop foundations. "Nature Sounds" breaks in the end for a maudlin bit of Broadway-style piano crying.

Tying it all together is Charlie Crimando's faux British vocals, which float nicely over each song. While generally adopted accents are cause for derision, the aplomb with which he pulls it off is admirable. At times a little too Morrissey for my tastes, Crimando's shift from lovelorn balladeer to joyful indie-pop boaster is masterly.

A nice first step for a band out of the blue.

Patented "The Source" biting scale: 5 mics (out of 5)

Link to original
Monday, January 21, 2008 

Current mood:  creative

Just a quick note that our album is now available at Landlocked Music and TD's CDs and LPs.  If you haven't been to either of these stores, come out and experience their great music selection and cool staff!