Progressive-shoegaze trio, Levator, hope Seattle's moody rain cloud won't follow them into sunny California. In search of a cure for seasonal depression and to realize the rock n roll dream, Sky Lynn, Rando Skrasek and Nate Henry aim to leave Northwestern territory and embark on a month long tour of the Golden State's inland empire.

Such an adventure is nothing new to Levator, as the trio tours regularly throughout the year. However, this time they are driving senior-style in an old school RV (which singer, Sky Lynn, has inherited from her grandfather) to promote their latest self-released album, The Biggest Waves Come At Night.

Levator's first show on the road happened at Portland's Mississippi Pizza, a kitschy pizza lounge whose decor is inspired by the lost city of Atlantis. Inside, Levator's unique sound washed over the audience whose conversation was drowned in awe of the band's somber orchestrations. Sky Lynn, a master of atmospheric sound, wears pointy toed heels to assist her maneuvers upon a effect board containing over a dozen pedals, creating live loops of guitar and vocals which she exhales with impressive range. Meanwhile, saxophone player, Nate Henry adds suspense and mystery through tasteful blows while Rando Skrasek keeps the songs steady with his forceful minimalist beats.

The next day, before departing on a 110 mile trip to Eugene, Levator and I met up to re-nourish ourselves with Bloody Marys, eggs and plenty of bacon. Afterwards, they gave me a tour of their beloved RV and spoke about rock n roll's place in small towns, their new record and living the dream.

EM: Where are you all headed on this tour?
SKY LYNN: Our final destination is San Diego, CA.
NATE HENRY: And every place in between.
SKY: Different town every day...sometimes two towns in one day.

EM: A lot of bands just hit the big cities. What is it like playing small towns?
RANDO: Awesome!
SKY: A lot of times people are appreciative that you stopped through because a lot of people just blow through it. I grew up in a small town so I can appreciate that.
RANDO : I was very appreciative of any band that came to my small town as well.

EM: Where did you all grow up?
SKY: I grew up in Oregon in a town of 1,100 people and one stop light.
RANDO: Oklahoma
NATE: I grew up in eastern Washington and we didn't have bands come through....ever. Unless they were big....like Boston would show up.

EM: What are some of the smaller towns you're going to play between Seattle and San Diego?
ALL: Eugene, Arcata, Redding, Chico, Bakersfield, Monterey, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Eureka, Merced, Modesto...

EM: Tell us a little bit about your newest record, The Biggest Waves Come At Night. How and where was it was recorded?
SKY: The title, The Biggest Waves Come At Night, is a lyric taken from one of the songs. We recorded it in multiple locations. It started at my grandma's old house and then we took it to our practice space and our apartments. We mixed it in our apartment.

EM: Did you find any themes coming through during the recording process?
SKY: We weren't really picking a theme. We recorded a basket full of songs and let them sit together. The two or three that didn't fit the mold of the basket will be put on something else like a 7".

EM: How was the song collection composed?
SKY: We started to record them and then they grew on their own. We would record a skeleton and then listen to it and someone would put something here or there. It was cool and really collaborative.
RANDO: We had good experimentation with micing and sounds that all came out very colorful.

EM: What are the music genres that have influenced these recordings?
SKY: Gosh, what have I been listening to a lot?
NATE: Pink Floyd.
SKY: Yeah, I've probably seen "Live In Pompei" fifty times! I think that's the best movie ever!

EM: What are some of the records you have been pumping while on the road?
SKY: Well, we haven't been listening to a whole lot of music because we broke down twice and couldn't use the stereo because the battery was dead. I taught these guys a couple of rye whiskey songs and had a little sing a long.

EM: Do you all get cabin fever in the RV?
SKY: Not yet!
RANDO: (laughing) Shoo fly shoo....
SKY: Compared to a Chevy Astro Van...
NATE: We're living like kings.
SKY: It's like a football field! I was doing cartwheels, lunges, running back and forth.
NATE: We're gonna be making bacon right over there (points to built in stove)
SKY: And pizza! I brought a pizza pan.

EM: Well, I'll let you all hit the road. Is there anything else you would like to tell the world about the tour or your music?
SKY: I would just recommend [touring] to bands. I just can't even describe the pleasure of being in random places and towns I normally wouldn't even go to.
NATE: And meeting all sorts of cool people that you wouldn't necessarily meet otherwise.
SKY: And finding about all these other bands that I never would have known existed because a lot of people don't go on tour anymore. I mean, there is Myspace but it is different when you see it in person. It's always nice to come home with a stack of new stuff.
RANDO: The explorer...
SKY: The wanderer, gatherer.

Click here to see the video and pictures from the interview.

When you’ve got a name like Sky Lynn, you pretty much have no choice in life but to be the lead singer of a band. Period. Done.

Fortunately for Sky Lynn of Seattle’s Levator, she seems to have a knack for the whole frontwoman thing, in particular from a songwriting standpoint. The band’s newest album “The Biggest Waves Come at Night” seeps with the cherish and occasionally the anguish of an aged family photo album (not the digital kind you buy at Target).

“Last year was kind of a tough year – my grandma passed away, my dad got hit by a car, so I was going through all the things that that would entail,” Lynn said in a phone interview from a tour stop in San Jose, with bandmates Nate Henry and Rando Skrasek hanging out on speaker phone.

“We started the record in my grandma’s old house before the family sold it, so it kind of was a way for me to capture some of those memories and feelings,” she said. “Even though some of the songs aren’t necessarily about those subjects, it’s like my own personal scrapbook.”

Henry and Skrasek were more than happy to lend their chops to the faded edges of the band’s third record (the first as a collaboration between these three), making Levator a much-buzzed Emerald City export that’s garnering heavier radio play and filling more and more iPods these days.

Levator (pronounced like “elevator” without the e) performs at the Plea For Peace Center on Wednesday, February 18, joined by budding Manteca singer/songwriter Travis Vick, as well as Sacramento’s Sulky Darky.

Plea for Peace is at 630 E. Weber Ave. in Stockton. The show gets rolling at 7 p.m., and admission is $6 ($2 annual membership fee required).

Just give a listen to the first track on “Biggest Waves,” entitled “12:34” (and no, that’s not a rip-off of Feist’s “1234”, I checked) and you’ll probably have this as the first thought: “Woah, easy on the Pink Floyd!”

“I don’t know if it was intentional, but I could see how it would seep out; we all love our Pink Floyd,” said Henry, amid chuckling from the rest of the band. Henry green lights the beginning of the record with a primal, narcotic saxophone riff that packs hazy undertones of “Wish You Were Here.”

From there, Levator takes off on a spinning sonic siesta of Lynn’s ethereally aching vocals and raw, salt-of-the-Earth guitar licks, with Henry and Skrasek applying an intricate rhythmic landscape.

It’s what a Pink Floyd record might have sounded like inside Hunter S. Thompson’s head whilst driving through Barstow, on the edge of the desert – but before he reaches bat country.

They’re also the kind of band (that doesn’t play ska music) that reaffirms how much of an enigmatically powerful instrument the saxophone can be when correctly applied in rock music.

“I’ve been playing (sax) for over 20 years; I kind of gave it up for a little while, when all my friends started playing in bands,” Henry said. “I was like ‘screw this, I can play the sax with you easier than I can learn another instrument.’

“I kind of forced it on them,” he added, again met with laughter from the band, further demonstrating that nothing this band does appears to be “forced” at all.

BAND WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/levator.

Click here for actual Site

Levator's 'The Biggest Waves Come At Night' redefines indie

Album's melodic tones and relaxed cadence scintillate

By: Ott Tammik

Posted: 1/29/09

Indie wasn't always the mainstream. Before Issaquah, Wash.'s Modest Mouse went international and began playing good but FM radio-friendly songs, most people wanted nothing to do with the atonal noise that was the broad genre's most ear-catching element. After this latest series of bands, many are sick of a fad that has gone on for way too long, but bear with us - here is one more truly indie band that you must add to your iPod.

Levator is drowsy drowned in distortion. From the historically promising musical breeding grounds of Seattle, the three-piece group has been dubbed as "dream core." Its meditative sound is led by a youthful, high-pitched and pleasant female voice, backed by a drone of synth effects and unhurried rock beats. Without exaggeration, the effect is numbing. The entrancing rhythm and ambient sound instills thoughts of reflection in the listener.

"The Biggest Waves Come at Night," which debuted on Tuesday, is a great CD to blast through speakers when you are in a creative mood. Levator is anything but harsh. The album is one rock lullaby after another; it is mellow to the max. In the slightly depressing "Dark Hair," one can hear not just the Sonic Youth-like tones of vocalist Sky Lynn, but even the breath blowing from her lungs, cutting through the buzz of distortion. Entering and exiting layers eventually fade out, leaving a very indie, grungy feedback.

"Mocking Bird" is a poppy number that brightens up the end of the album and "Bruises" depicts Levator's ability for subtle catchiness. The motive of the song is the distinguishing factor separating dance music from art music. The melodies are simple, wavering and sometimes uncertain. Other times they are not melodies at all, just extended measure-long notes that guide the surge of sound. One of the album's most promising features is its use of deep saxophone tones reminiscent of experimental jazz rock band, Morphine.

The independently produced album, its packaging created from vegetable ink and printed on recycled cardboard, is decorated by a collage of photos.

"When I think about the songs on 'The Biggest Waves Come At Night,'" said Lynn, "I imagine sitting in my Grandma's old library flipping through a scrapbook. Every song seems to be represented by a series of aging photographs. Some are sad in the way that you miss people that aren't in this place anymore. Some make you giggle behind the tear that's caused by how beautiful your Grandma is holding up your father as a baby. But some are faded or double exposed and then I realize it's a dream. A dream caused by a detailed and mischievous subconscious. They are half fictional and half autobiographical; and sometimes I can't tell where one stops and the other begins."

Click here to see the review.

Lavator is an independent producing tie that originating is from Seatlle and has neat its third release on the market brought according to Sky Lynn (jet ear, vocalize, synthesiser, impact, bass) this new album is a deposition where the link for state lives, viz. in a city and tries keep it in the middle of between the daily events and simultaneously create joy in their personal live. Rando Skrasek (drums) and nasty Henry (saxophone) complete the link. Itself gladly makes them the comparison with P.J. Harvey, Mazzy Starr or Sonic Youth. After their recent tour this sound was defined as ..dream core. Such as you in the musical bezetting already could read, work them rather much with synthesizers and impact, and late ..this now net my thing is not. ..Is a song saves Room concerning supernatural and haunts, soundvervorming and up-beat a vocal tone on ..Morking Bird speaks volumes. This indie-pop with a bouncing step are, trance induction jet ears and luxuriant votes.

The original text....

Lavator is een onafhankelijk producerende band die afkomstig is uit Seatlle en heeft net zijn derde release op de markt gebrachtVolgens Sky Lynn (gitaar, vocalise, synthesiser, effects, bas) is dit nieuwe album een getuigenis waar de band voor staat, nl. leven in een grootstad en trachten het midden te houden tussen de dagelijkse gebeurtenissen en gelijktijdig vrolijkheid scheppen in hun persoonlijk leven. Rando Skrasek (drums) en Nate Henry (sax) vervolledigen de band. Zelf maken ze graag de vergelijking met P.J. Harvey, Mazzy Starr of Sonic Youth. Na hun recente tour werd deze sound omschreven als ‘dream core’. Zoals je in de muzikale bezetting al kon lezen, werken ze nogal veel met synthesizers en effecten, en laat ‘dit’ nu net mijn ding niet zijn. ‘Red Room’ is een song over het bovennatuurlijke en spoken, soundvervorming en een up-beat vocale toon op ‘Morking Bird’ spreken boekdelen. Dit is indie-pop met een verende tred, trance-inducerende gitaren en welige stemmen.

Click here to go to the review on Keys & Chords site.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2009

Levator

Give us a dozy Sunday afternoon to lounge about, licking all sorts of wounds, and we will find a way to conjure up some amazingly listenable music... this time from the Pacific Northwest. Sound like a deal?

Levator is primarily the indie rock music project of Seattle, Washington based multi-instrumentalist Sky Lynn (vocals, guitar, effects, synth) who originally began making music under this particular moniker in 2003. After enlisting the assistance of local musicians Nate Henry (tenor saxophone, effects, keyboards) and Rando Skrasek (drums, effects, synth) along the way, this now trio has a third full length album, titled The Biggest Waves Come At Night, completed and set for self-release on January 27.

As if Sky's commanding and remarkably beautiful vocals were not enough to convince even the most brutal critic in the house, healthy portions of saxophone accompaniment provide a welcome journey back into the crackle and hiss of most any listener's distant memory of The Psychedelic Furs earliest catalogue. Have a first listen...

MP3: Mocking Bird (Streaming on Milk Milk Lemonade's site)

The Biggest Waves Come At Night is an outstanding new collection of songs we can easily recommend; for Seattle locals, we'd also suggest a trip to the Sunset Tavern for the CD release party on January 30.

For more of this music as well as a few videos, a visit to the Levator MySpace page should be your first stop. There is also an official Levator website for additional information on purchasing the music and a Ministry Of Truth blog for all the latest news and some insight. Another new track for you... sooo good.

MP3: Bruises (Streaming on Milk Milk Lemonade's Site)

http://milkmilk-lemonade.blogspot.com/2009/01/levator.html

POSTED BY 4CASEY4 AT 8:50 PM

Levator's music has the ability to alter the passage of time and penetrate all your dimly lit spaces.
We are very excited about their new release, The Biggest Waves Come at Night.

Church of Girl Radio

Click here to view it on their site.

Levator – The Biggest Waves Come At Night (Levator Music)

It shouldn't be a surprise when I'm blown away by a record sent by someone who contacts me personally to review their album. After all, amazing music can be found in all corners of the world, in all genres. But sometimes an album comes along that is exactly what my ears need at a given time. Seattle trio Levator's The Biggest Waves Come At Night is exactly what I need right now. I'm broke, the start of the Australian summer has turned into a washout, and all of these 'best of 2008' lists have started to make my head spin with all the great music I need to catch up with.

A couple of months ago I downloaded Beach House's Devotion. Although there are some good songs on there, I now realise that this Levator album is actually what I wanted to hear! It's a similar breed of dream-pop, fronted by the heavenly voice of Sky Lynn, calling from under a warm duvet of reverbed guitars, woolly beats, world-weary saxophone, and loads of droney bass and synth, all played by Lynn and her equally talented bandmates Rando Skrasek and Nate Henry. It's a gorgeous-sounding record.

There's just enough greasy strut - opener "12:34" and the rousing "Mocking Bird" - to balance the more woozy numbers, which is where this record's real beauty lies. The first time I heard "Dark Hair", its eerie guitar strum and tom-tom thud instantly made my chest ache. I felt like I was back in my teenage bedroom listening to early '90s indie band Belly's magical Star album. Every time I play this song I'm mesmerised by the way it manages to float like a ghost in the night sky, yet feel so emotionally weighty. The cry of "Angel!" is accompanied by a lovely saxophone line and backing vocals, and you realise that it sounds like some ancient African waltz, the tribe dosed on barbiturates. "Everything!" the voices cry as the lumbering beat kicks in. The song ebbs and flows, reaching its climax with a distorted loop, hissing and spitting, to fade. Fuck, what a great song.

Followed by "Intro to" and the lovely, lilting "Eyes", the middle of the record signals its high point to my ears. Closer "Trampoline" is great too, the guitar strum slowly succumbing to the undertow at the song's finale. But ultimately, at eight tracks and a succinct 44 minutes, this is an album with no excess fat, worth absorbing as a whole in order to luxuriate in its complete brilliance.

This is Levator's third album, and if their first two are anywhere near as good as this, I know where my Christmas money is going. Strongly recommended..

Tim Clarke
Luna Kafe
http://www.lunakafe.com/moon151/uswa151.php

"Levator, a Seattle band featuring breathy lyrics and atmospheric melodies that are sweeter than a lullaby. This is indie pop at its most lilting, with trance-inducing guitars and lush vocals-completely arresting, thoroughly fascinating."