MARQUEE MAGAZINE (Denver)
Cavedoll
No Vertigo
I thought new wave was dead, or at least reserved as a kitchy nostalgic sound for indie pop bands to only dabble in. But Cavedoll's latest release, No Vertigo, changes that. The album could have been released in 1983, but the sound somehow fits in the current indie pop realm.....
The really amazing thing is that this album is the first of 10, yes ten, albums that the band plans to release this year. Among the albums they are including a data DVD which contains the band's entire catalog of more than 175 songs. It's an ambitious project, to say the least, but as the Salt Lake City band states in their press release, there's "not much else to do but sit around and record moody, dark pop gems all the day long."
ALBUQUERQUE WEEKLY ALIBI
http://www.alibi.com/index.php?story=23336&scn=music
If releasing an album every year is good, releasing 10 albums a year is better. That seems to be Cavedoll's motto. The Salt Lake City neo-new wave band is set to release two handfuls of records in 2008, and No Vertigo is strong evidence it's up for the challenge. The CD is full of homages to new wavers of old, but more spontaneous and diversified than the genre's forefathers. There's a refreshing reliance on non-electronic instruments, and, save for some saccharin-sweet moments, No Vertigo doesn't go overboard with sunshine. It's a jab in the side, made for anyone looking to cut loose in tight jeans. (SM)
BEYOND RACE MAGAZINE
http://beyondracemagazine.com/index.php/reviews/music%20reviews/42-Music/376-cavedoll
"Cavedoll's new album No Vertigo – one of ten albums released this year by the band – is a brilliant melding of different genres that represents the band perfectly. Depending on who's singing lead – Camden Chamberlain or his wife Vanessa – the sound can sway anywhere between an electro-B-52's or an indie-pop Bowie. The songs are up-beat and danceable most of the time but tend to have a dark, Cure-like undertone as well. Camden's dark croon is similar to the distinct drone of Interpol's Paul Banks. Juxtaposed with Vanessa's feminine presence, the dual vocals add another layer to the songs.....
....
Standout track "Taste Like a Hurricane" is the cream of the dance-pop crop, with Vanessa's sugary vocals and an up-beat chorus over simple yet effective synth beats. The influences are evident but don't mistake them for a tribute band. Cavedoll are definitely innovative enough to stand their ground." -Janine Rizak
MORAL IMPERATIVE BLOG
New Band: Cavedoll 18 Apr 2008 Author: Kyle In: MP3s ....
"Here's a new band from Salt Lake City (yeah, don't me started). I do, however, like their grit. Indie-furious is what I dub them. Some pulsing beats, some great guitar action. Check them out. Oh, and Knessa is unreal gorgeous. Especially in this picture after the jump"
HYBRID MAGAZINE
Perry: Spooky David Byrne vocals and spooky indie rock keyboards. Dynamic, wonderful pop with Burton's soul.
Byrd: Taco's Midnight Runners. One step beyond She Wants Revenge. Hope the wife likes it. Gross.
Nimitz: Talking Heads, Rentals, John Doe, Gary Numan. Totally cool.
Halsey: I like really excellent obscure pop music, especially when Tim Burgess joins in for a song.
EARTASTE BLOG
http://eartaste.blogspot.com
"Turn it up, take a look at yourself." This song is purely a humpday dance – the lyrics there simply to keep bubbles bursting in the soda tickling my alcohol. Hands in the air, moving wildly around the floor with no thoughts of anything except release release "move me round Jarona". Shoutout for the heatwaves of Broken Eardums.
DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE
"Cavedoll is Salt Lake City's version of that oft-noted "Cure meets Smashing Pumpkins" paradigm -- an alternative rock group whose music is laden with catchy, melodious hooks.
The brainchild of Salt Lake local Camden Chamberlain, Cavedoll is accessibly sinister. Though its lyrics are suitable for the whole family, Cavedoll thrives in its dark undertones. Not since Robert Smith crooned "Lullaby" has a song felt as eerily at peace as the Doll's "Rhondel" -- a disquieting, soothing bedtime story to quell childhood fears of death.
Catch Cavedoll for free at the Gallivan Center before you have to pay sixty dollars to see them at USANA."
DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 2
"Audio engineer and member of numerous local bands, Camden Chamberlain's creative abilities are in no way impaired by the large of amount of projects for which he is simultaneously responsible. Chamberlain's most prolific endeavor to date, Cavedoll, combines catchy songwriting, a taste for diverse soundboards and genuine good-sound sensibilities into songs always well-planned and occasionally spectacular. Cavedoll is also as good-looking as it is great sounding, with morbid visuals at live shows that complement Chamberlain's Jack-the-Pumpkin-King-croon. This show will mark the five-year anniversary of Pseudo Recordings, home to local favorites the Red Bennies, The Wolfs and the Vile Blue Shades."
SALT LAKE CITY WEEKLY (Ryan Bradford)
"Cavedoll had color-coordination, rope lights and a projector... even if they didn't play so well, I would've been a fan (because I'm easily amused by rope lights). The six-piece gave the night some much-needed sass with their mix of pop and electro-dance, which filled the previously-empty dance floor. Extra kudos to drummer Jamison Wilkins, who did a fantastic job of standing out amidst a stage of dominant and sexy performers (sheesh, I don't wanna get all adolescent-boy on you, but I haven't tried as hard to catch eyes with a female performer since I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs a couple years ago). Drummers rarely get their due, and Wilkins was incredibly tight."
SALT LAKE CITY WEEKLY (Bill Frost)
The Hits keep coming and coming and coming...
Ever notice how some local bands seem to only have about 10 (if they're really ambitious) songs at their disposal? Not a problem with Cavedoll: Singer-songwriter-engineer Camden Ray's mercurial band has 100 original tracks available at Cavedoll.com, with more on the way. Even more impressive, there's nary a dog in the bunch, and Cavedoll's newest CD No Vertigo is but one release for 2008. "All told, there will be 10 CDs coming out," says Ray. "About 175 songs total. Half of that is my back catalog stuff that's out of print, but a lot of it is new and has never been released."
SLUG MAGAZINE
Cavedoll
Black Ground, Blindfolded Patron, Drugs, Everyone Loves the Sun, Map One, No Vertigo, So Tiny Is We, Stream, Sweetest Liar, They Used to Be
Street: 02.28
Kitefishing Family
Cavedoll = multi-genre incest Lead by multi-instrumentalist Camden Chamberlain, Cavedoll carelessly litter genres new wave, post punk, IDM, industrial, 70s glam, ethereal, darkwave, indie, trip-hop and avant-garde pop throughout their music without claiming allegiance to anything beyond their own musings. They're a writer's nightmare in their refusal to sit still long enough to be described; a detail further emphasized when the band decides to unleash its complete collection of unreleased material all at once. Comprised of 159 songs dispersed over 10 albums, it's nearly impossible to get your head around it and formulate any perspective. In the weeks spent listening to the songs, both as albums and as individual tracks, I've been impressed by the consistent quality of the material. Regardless of genre, Chamberlain and friends prove they're up to the challenge. The problem is that none of the musical tangents truly shine. You're teased into expecting a payoff that only arrives once you reach the cover songs. While it is refreshing to find someone able to re-arrange a few classics without mangling them, I can't imagine that's what Cavedoll want to be remembered for. I believe the best is still to come, but it will come. –Ryan Michael Painter
SLUG MAGAZINE
"Cavedoll
Songs That Would Not Behave (Vol. 1 & 2)
Pseudo Recording
Street: 2007
Cavedoll = The Killers + Radiohead
More of a collection of B-Sides than an album, Songs That Would Not Behave—both volumes 1 and 2—cover the genres, styles and sounds of every project Cavedoll's solo member, Camden Chamberlain, has ever been involved in. Whether it's revamping old, unreleased tracks, or just playing with new songs, the album ranges from techno-heavy dance/electronica to acoustic folk. It's everything fans of the group have come to expect, but perhaps not the best choice for those unfamiliar with Cavedoll. For those who know and love the band, it's more than worth a listen. But new-comers be advised: do your homework on this one and pick up a copy of The Harbor before going for either of these compilations. –Kat Kellermeyer"
KUTV.com INTERVIEW
http://community.kutv.com/blogs/games/archive/2008/06/09/3093209.aspx
Gavin: Hey, first tell us a little about yourselves and how you came together as a band?
Camden: Cavedoll is a bit different from the typical band. It's essentially the culmination of my songs/recordings from the past 7 years. The project has also gone under the names Deliccato, Jupassa, and Geisha Glory in the past. The name Cavedoll has been around for about 2 years though and the live lineup has been undergoing tweaks and changes for those 2 years. The current lineup has been together for about 2 months now and is definitely the most stable lineup to date. That line-up is myself on guitar/vocals, Vanessa on vocals, Janet Marie on bass (been with Cavedoll for about a year and a half), Allison Martin on keys (with cavedoll for roughly 6 months), and Ryan petersen on drums (with Cavedoll for about 2 months). Besides myself, Vanessa has been the biggest contributor to the project over the years. Aside from providing vocals for a lot of the music she has also leant her production ears to most everything I do.
....
Camden: I got into recording about 10 years ago as a way to make music and not have to rely on flakey musicians. I had been playing guitar and or bass in various bands since the age of 12. I started releasing my own albums about 7 years ago under the name Deliccato. Those original albums are long out of print, but the songs have been re-vamped, re-mixed, re-mastered, and re-released under the Cavedoll banner... once and for all now. Recording/writing has become my therapy/obsession and I would say on average over the 7-8 years I usually spend anywhere from 10-50 hours a week working on music. A by-product of this behaviour has been the founding of my recording studio Kitefishing Studio. I've got a great location (built onto my house) in Holladay where I work with a wide variety of artists.
Vanessa: I have been performing since I was a little kid, but my real love and appreciation for making music came when I re-met Camden. I briefly knew Camden when I was a junior in high school. Camden and I really got to know one another at a friend's birthday party in 2001. We have been together ever since. He heard me singing to Radiohead and had to record with me. He liked the unusual harmonies I was finding. A few short weeks later we were working on our first album together and we totally fell head over heels for one another. Our relationship makes creating music interesting. We have such respect for each other's opinions that we can pretty much say anything and it is taken into consideration. We have always been able to compliment each other's work. Camden writes a song and I add the flavor. When Camden says he loves something I sing, it is like the biggest thrill in the world. He is an amazing artist, and to impress him is really something special. I love him and I love singing with him. He is my best friend.....
Gavin: You've been doing this for a while and have quite a number of CD's out. Do you find it's gotten easier over the years, or just new challenges every time?
Camden: It's always been easy and has come very naturally, but it has definitely gotten BETTER. As I've grown as a person/artist I've refined my skills/tastes quite a bit. Writing and recording is just like breathing to me. I just do it and don't really think about it that much. Working with Vanessa in particular can be difficult at times and I suppose that aspect of it has grown more challenging over the years due to our outside commitments, like having kids. Fortunately, she gives me the space to create as much as I like and will usually pipe up when she hears something I'm doing that she wants to have a little more of a hand in.........
....Vanessa: Making music with Camden is pretty easy when we both are in the mood. It is fun and intense all at the same time. I would say the hard part is creating time to pursue it. Camden works so fast and he is a perfectionist, so it is a challenge to be as great as he is at creating music. He is unmatched, in my unbiased opinion.
Gavin: How did you get involved with Pride 2008 and chosen to perform?........
....Camden: Well, we basically just submitted an application to play, but I suppose the groundwork for us performing was laid when we played Pride Benefit/PurrBats CD release show back in March or April. We're all honored to be performing at a festival in support of a 'cause' like this. It's refreshing that even in the midst of Mormondom a Gay Pride festival gets this kind of support and attention. Gives me hope for the gay rights movement nationally.
Gavin: What's your take on the local scene, both good and bad?
Camden: Well, I think it's a great scene relatively speaking. I've definitely enjoyed it over the years, but if we're talking about how it relates to the country on a whole, I would say it's a very SMALL and isolated scene. We've been working with various national promoters for radio/PR over the past few months and they're always really shocked when they find out we're from Utah. Most of them have never heard of any bands from Utah and have definitely never worked with any. There are some very notable people here locally though that are working to increase Utah's visibility and my hat goes off to them.
Vanessa: One of the best parts of the local scene has been meeting bands, and people that support the scene like Circus Brown, Jamie Gadette, Portia Early, Bill Frost. It makes me feel that all my hard work has been for a good reason; creating relationships with great people and musicians. I also love having people that come to our shows come up to me say hello and chat afterward. That is fabulous. I love meeting new fans and making new friends. I guess the hardest part would be breaking into the scene. It takes awhile to create a buzz in Utah. Utahns, are very loyal fans to their bands and their music.
Gavin: Anything you think could be done to make it better?
Camden: Well, just support music and keep an ear out for what's going on. I'd love to see more eclectic and artistic music getting made too.
Vanessa: People should keep reading City Weekly, SLUG and listen to Circus Brown's show to find well made music in Utah. There is a lot of talent here and people just need to see a local show and let loose. Plus the venues here are so fun if you come out to a show, a good time is guaranteed for all.
Gavin: Putting you on the spot a little, if you had to pick, what bands do you feel are the best in the local scene now?........
....Camden: Mushman (I'm biased on this one), The Purr Bats, Kid Theodore, Knife Show, The Wolfs, The Brobecks, Touchtone, Nonnon, Nolens Volens, Brobecks, The Deadbeats, etc. There are a lot of great bands, too many to name. Some appeal to my current musical tastes more than others, but I do really feel that there is a lot of quality out there in various styles.....
Gavin: Switching to mainstream, what's your opinion on what's out there now?........
....Camden: Well, it's hard to have an opinion other than to be overwhelmed. There's just so much music out there and all within easy reach. It's exciting and daunting at the same time. A lot of the time I find myself not listening to other peoples' music that much because I'm too involved in working on my own (and there's only so much time in the day). Some of my current favorites though are : The Knife, Midnight Juggernauts, MGMT, NIN, Bird and the Bee, Lily Allen, Terminall 11, The Rapture, etc.
Vanessa: I have really been into Electronic music lately. I have been into The Knife, LCD Soundsystem, Midnight Jauggernauts and The Bird and The Bee. It has been a really big influence on the new stuff Camden and I have been recording. Some people might think that it is an easy kind of music to create, but really it is harder than people think. If electronic music isn't done well, it can become grating and too repetitive. I also really like the new NIN album. The power of his message hit me hard.
Gavin: How about your thoughts on the record industry and the state it's in?
Camden: I think it's kind of a dying beast. People are realizing that all the record industry is, is a bunch of shady loan-sharks. I don't know, whatever, it's a mess. It's a very hard industry to make a profit in due to file-sharing and all the rest.
Vanessa: I love that indie labels are getting a lot of attention and now signing really excellent and unusual bands that may have been over looked by the larger companies.
Gavin: What do you think of file sharing as it relates to you and your music?
Camden: Well, it's a mixed bag. I love it in the sense that it makes it easier for people to get turned onto new music they might not have heard otherwise, but I do think its hindering artist's ability to make a living at their art. I'm all for people file-sharing my music though. In fact, I'd like to eventually move to a donation format where people can have free access to my music as long as they make a small minimum donation, like a $1 or something.
Vanessa: I think that it is unstoppable, a blessing and a curse I suppose. I think that if a few of our more popular songs get passed around, then maybe they will resonate and fans will want to look us up and buy our music. We have so much to offer people I am sure that everyone out there can find something that they like. It makes me feel great when people come up to us and say "Hey I heard you on your MySpace page, and had to come see you play live." What an amazing compliment that is! With this technology it has been easier to find new fans of our music.
Gavin: You released "No Vertigo" a short time ago. What's the reaction been with it?
Camden: Really positive. It's been receiving some great airplay all over the world... USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia mainly. Lots of podcast and internet radio exposure as well. We've had nothing but positive magazine reviews so far as well… probably just jinxed that. The next thing on the horizon for the album is shopping it around to various TV shows and whatnot. Our radio promoter will be working on that this summer, so we'll see what happens with that.........
Gavin: What can we expect from Cavedoll the rest of the year?........
....Camden: Probably some more releases, more shows, etc.........
....Vanessa: More short shorts and mini skirts and crazy amped up live shows.....
Gavin: Anything you'd like to plug?
....Camden: Our music on iTunes... We will have 4 new albums out in the next week or so... 3 albums of remixes of our songs, and one album, "Robot Love Scene 1", comprised mostly of electronica covers of songs by artists like Radiohead, Janes Addiction, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Blur, RATM, XTC, Outkast, Flaming Lips, Bird and the Bee, etc.........
Vanessa: Request us on KRCL and X96!....
SL WEEKLY Interview
http://www.slweekly.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=C0D6FA45-14D1-13A2-9F2DB25E439CF4B1
Salt Lake City's Cavedoll play hard; work harder
"It doesn't even occur to me whether it's fun anymore," says Camden Chamberlain, a crazy-prolific Salt Lake City musician and recording engineer whose latest project Cavedoll is decidedly more upbeat than his attitude might suggest. A blast of electro-new-wave retooled, revamped and remixed on a seemingly daily basis, the group's ever-evolving sound is an absolute riot—a welcome dose of insulin-shot-pop that redefines smart, sexy songwriting. ....
And yet, Chamberlain struggles to match the enthusiasm of a well-placed hook. After more than a decade of making music, he's feeling the weight of an often soul-crushing industry. "I'm somewhere between being really jaded and really excited," he says. "Just depends on the day." ....
May 8 was a good day. That's when NPR.org featured Cavedoll as a new artist to watch. A self-proclaimed "shameless promoter," Chamberlain scored a coveted spot on the station's Second Stage page thanks to good-old fashioned grunt work—and a couple of hired guns. While Chamberlain handles all of the writing, recording, mastering, distributing (not to mention raising kids, hanging with wife/Cavedoll member Vanessa and running Kitefishing Studio), he quickly realized there are some things better left to the pros. ....
"Locally, I think it's best to do it yourself, but on a national level, you're going to get farther if you hire people to help—it just lends legitimacy to it. I think there are three critical areas to it all: touring, radio, PR. To have the best chance at any serious success, I think you have to have them all going strongly all at once, which is hard to do without a pretty good-size label behind you," he says. Of course, that's assuming you lack the dough to match the talent. "Give me a couple of hundred grand to play with, and I guarantee you we'd be up there with the big boys selling a lot of albums in a few months time. ....
"If I were to be in the position of giving advice to another up-and-coming band, I would say to quit fantasizing about landing that big record deal and just realize that record labels are just loan sharks. Find a way to raise your own money, borrow it, do whatever, and do it yourself." ....
As cheesy or pretentious as it might sound, Chamberlain doesn't think he has much say in the matter. He didn't choose music so much as it chose him. ....
"This really is just 'what I do.' Besides my family, it's the only thing in life that I'm really passionate about," he says. "I get pretty depressed when I go too long without doing it, so I suppose in that respect, it does make me happy. It at least keeps me somewhat sane." ....
Clearly, Chamberlain feeds off that insatiable creative instinct. In the past seven years, he's released several dozen albums under the names Deliccato, Jupassa, Geisha Glory and now Cavedoll. Though many people have credited the latter project for finally bringing Chamberlain's vision into focus, he says it's really just a reflection of his own personal growth. ....
"It doesn't have much to do with the other people. It's more to do with the fact that I'm more focused now," he says. "Not to sound egotistical, but I mean I'm just getting better at what I do and learning—trying to get better, at least." ....
Of course, Chamberlain credits current band members bassist Janet Marie, singer/wife Vanessa, keyboardist Allison and drummer Ryan with fueling the fire within, so to speak. ....
"Some of it will get more collaborative if this lineup stays together, and I'm sure it will. I feel like this lineup is finally a good one that could work," he says. "We get along really well, and everybody is cool with their roles." ....
In addition to the recent full-length album No Vertigo, Cavedoll recently released three remix albums as well as electro covers album Robot Love: Scene 1. They will be available online and at live gigs, including this weekend's performance at the Utah Arts Festival. Catch Cavedoll before they hit the road in July to play Oklahoma's DFest where they'll probably have at least a little bit of fun. –Jamie Gadette....