“The Ann Arbor-based sextet Orpheum Bell delivers an intriguing blend of Django Reinhardt gypsy jazz and song stylings reminiscent of "Rain Dog"-era Tom Waits on "Pearls" (****, self-released), the group exquisitely played -- and packaged -- second release. Orpheum Bell rings the strongest on the ambitious "Hard Money Suite," which closes with the sensational "New Hearse for Hastings," delving into dark subject matter with relish".....
Martin Bandyke....
Detroit Free Press
http://freep.com/article/..20091025/ENT04/910250335/1039/..R.E.M.-s-live-CD-highlights-..new-songs--old-favorites-.. ..
“If you happen to have seen Guy Maddin's take on the visual language of European silent films, you might think of Orpheum Bell as something like the musical equivalent…sufficiently far over the boundaries of the ordinary that it begins to take on a hypnotic, parallel-universe effect. There's a shimmering, flickering effect to the whole that draws you in by turning down the temperature rather than heating things up.”....
James M. Manheim....
Ann Arbor Observer
http://arborweb.com/articles/orpheum_bell.html
.. ..
.. ..“Orpheum Bell saunters an elegant tightrope between old days and new, progressive as hell while firmly rooted. Beautifully packaged, quietly dark eleganza showcasing extremely attractive chops and trad vocals set in renewed context…everything about it speaking of considered compositions, veteran experience, and literate lyricism drawn from elder days and almost nihilistic thoughts.”....
Mark S. Tucker....
Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p05234.htm
.. ..
"This
band defies classification. With instrumentation that includes violin,
banjo, upright bass, percussion, accordion, pedal steel guitar,
mandolin, musical saw and vocals, Orpheum Bell is brimming with talent,
imagination, ethnic variety and soul. Merrill Hodnefield opens the CD
with her sultry and silky vocals, quietly transporting the listener
into a musical world where acoustic roots, classical sensibilities and
gypsy jazz meet head on and swirl into a beautiful whirlwind of sound.
The instrumentals, particularly “Two over Ten,” showcase the enormous
talent of this varied group of musicians, interweaving old world
traditions with a contemporary edge. The sense of contrast is
heightened when Aaron Klein’s vocals make an appearance, with a voice
that is as raspy around the edges as Hodnefield’s is velvety. Together
the collective members of Orpheum Bell bring all these elements
together in a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience."
Hilary Field....
Victory Music Review
http://victorymusic.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97:orpheum-bell-pretty-as-you-2009-03&catid=8:music-review-folk&Itemid=78
.. ..
"....I
fell in love this summer. I fell in love with Orpheum Bell. This Ann
Arbor group has been around since 2005 but hit their groove this year.
I'll tell you this about their music - there's no barriers. They jump
across genres as if they didn't exist. They jump across cultures with a
heavy Eastern Europe influence; members are from the Ukraine &
Holland among other places. Now imagine this - they cut across time.
They jump back to an old-timey sound then up to the present and at the
cutting edge of music, they push into the future."
Nearly Normal Warren........
A3 Radio Music Review
http://www.annarbor.com/community/entertainment/orpheum_bell_and_hollerfest_-_a_dont_miss_combination/
.. ..
"Orpheum Bell's lineup is perhaps one of the most multifarious you might ever see in a popular-music band. Orpheum
Bell basically means "theater bell," and their music certainly has a
theatrical element to it. Their sound is self-described as 'Country and
Eastern,' melding the performers' top-notch musicianship with complex
lyrics and intricate arrangements; the songs somehow manage to both
harken back to an earlier time (which the band echoes on their
beautifully-designed packaging) and evoke a sound that's so new it's
difficult to categorize it at all."
Kristi Kates....
The Northern Express
http://www.northernexpress.com/editorial/music.asp?id=4174
.. ..
..... "pure country/bluegrass which flows in harmony with intricate Eastern European sensibilities."
Eric Allen....
Real Detroit
.. ..
.. .. "the album has about as panoramic a take on old time folk music as one could hope to have: the band experiments successfully with traditions as disparate as bluegrass, klezmer music, vocal jazz, even off-kilter rural stomps.”...... ..
Brooks Thomas....
Celestial Biscuit