EARSHOT TOP 40 ARTISTS OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2009, Language-Arts are
26 on the national charts which are posted on EARSHOT or the back of
EXCLAIM! Magazine!
"VANCOUVER — Vancouver art poppers Language-Arts aren’t afraid to
be a little out there for the sake of their music. And that’s a good
thing... Their latest effort, Where Were You in the Wild?, is packed
with creative tunes — like the spinning dental ditty, Cavity, or the
catchy thinker, White Socks in Birkenstocks — twisted around
interesting, other-worldly melodies. In other words, it’s a fun
listen." - The Vancouver Sun (Vancouver BC)
"...(L-A) takes a lot of people by surprise. Vocalist Kristen Cudmore's
delivery has been described as "rapid-fire pixie-rap." But her verses
aren't set against beats -- rather Cudmore and her bandmates craft an
indie-pop-with-classical-influences sound that's being compared to
Stereolab and Suzanne Vega. The overall effect is whimsical and
refreshing." - The Province (BC)
"This album is mostly soothing and subdued, with Kristen Cudmore's
voice making quick, pointed gestures. It's a colourful contrast, but
one that has morphed into a setting that's more a lively painting than
a basic rainbow." - Exclaim Magazine (Canada)
"the group’s ability shines. “White Socks in Birkenstocks” is this
collection’s clear standout, the hooks coming quick and often during
its cello-laden ve …
EARSHOT TOP 40 ARTISTS OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2009, Language-Arts are
26 on the national charts which are posted on EARSHOT or the back of
EXCLAIM! Magazine!
"VANCOUVER — Vancouver art poppers Language-Arts aren’t afraid to
be a little out there for the sake of their music. And that’s a good
thing... Their latest effort, Where Were You in the Wild?, is packed
with creative tunes — like the spinning dental ditty, Cavity, or the
catchy thinker, White Socks in Birkenstocks — twisted around
interesting, other-worldly melodies. In other words, it’s a fun
listen." - The Vancouver Sun (Vancouver BC)
"...(L-A) takes a lot of people by surprise. Vocalist Kristen Cudmore's
delivery has been described as "rapid-fire pixie-rap." But her verses
aren't set against beats -- rather Cudmore and her bandmates craft an
indie-pop-with-classical-influences sound that's being compared to
Stereolab and Suzanne Vega. The overall effect is whimsical and
refreshing." - The Province (BC)
"This album is mostly soothing and subdued, with Kristen Cudmore's
voice making quick, pointed gestures. It's a colourful contrast, but
one that has morphed into a setting that's more a lively painting than
a basic rainbow." - Exclaim Magazine (Canada)
"the group’s ability shines. “White Socks in Birkenstocks” is this
collection’s clear standout, the hooks coming quick and often during
its cello-laden verses and synthy breakdowns... it’s an effectively
eerie mood piece, its delicate arrangement proving that there’s more to
the group than kitschy genre-mashing." - The Georgia Straight
(Vancouver BC)
"Language-Arts has polished off another beauty with its sophomore
release ‘Where Were You In The Wild?’... caringly crafted numbers,
endearing, almost addictive musical wondrousness,
stream-of-consciousness ‘pixie-rap’, and you might say it’s somewhat of
a grower... This band sounds amazingly tight live, and for anyone who’s
been listening to ‘Where Were You In The Wild’, you can just close your
eyes and feel like you’re listening to the album. This is how a live
act should sound! Beautiful harmonies, rapid-fire flow a-la Kristen,
and precise instrumentation in a genre most critics would call ‘etc’...
For me, it doesn’t get any better than that watching that balancing
act. For fans of inventive, creative, inexplicable music, this was a
dream performance from top to bottom." - The Skinny (Vancouver BC)
"This is a band aware of their sound, and they execute it
fantastically. While the music sounds simple on the surface, it
possesses rich layers of violins and cellos, acoustic guitar and
electronic sounds... your ears may thank you for introducing them to
something new." - The Peak SFU (Burnaby BC)
"(Where Were You in the Wild?) ...is a record made for the music geeks.
No, not because it presents a certain bookish aesthetic. But because
this eleven-track masterpiece contains some of the most original and
inventive music available for blogging purposes. Sadly, it’s only those
who are constantly on the hunt for fresh sounds which will appreciate
this (Truly) genre-defying bliss...the slant that these two
Vancouverites take on acoustic twee-pop is just too blatantly charming
to ignore... Where Were You In The Wild breaks conventional indie-pop
rules as it hops gracefully from track to track with the poise of a
wild rabbit and the curiousity of a newborn baby." - Skope
"diese lässige folknote, ohne in tradition zu verharren, den pop,
der dich beschwingter durch den alltag ziehen lässt, die memorable
idee, das unsteife in der harmonie und doch manch schlanken dreher
beinhaltend." - Das Kleinicum (Germany)
"Quirky would be appropriate, but the music seems too accomplished
and the lyrics too adept for such a condescending word. The reality is
Language Arts have whittled out a niche all their own... This is a very
good album, one that flaunts as much lyrical dexterity as it does
heart. It swings dramatically in theme and style not just from song to
song, but from verse to verse - all the while remaining distinctly
Language Arts. -" - Scene and Heard
"A+... it was the best show of the night!" -Tangible Sounds (Toronto)
"Last night I fell in love with them... Score 1 for team Canada." -Much Music (Toronto)
"I was blown away and captivated." - NXEW (Canada)
"For rarely are we treated to an act so unique and cutting-edge." -RC Joseph, 24 Hours Magazine (Vancouver)
"The
playing is expert, not over-indulgent. Cudmore delivers a steady flow
of conscience contemplations, with an unaffected clarion-like voice." -
Sean Flinn, The Coast (Halifax)
"Language-Arts flood their verses with word-jumbles and playful imagery. dense and classically trained instrumental passages form the base... double bass lines swell under Cudmore's rapid-fire pixie -rap. Essentially, they're blending disarming indie-pop with classical influences and have an ear for jazzy hip-hop textures... If Small Run is an accurate sampling of said album (upcoming album Where Were You In the Wild?), it should be well worth the purchase... There's a wealth of creativity here, more than most bands use for an entire album." - Jeff Gready, Two Way Monologues (Toronto)
"Language-Arts spun a lovely lyrical lilt and yet dolled out complex time signatures... imagine a female junglaist M-C wearing your grandma's old cardigans." Turqouise Wave Sights (Saskatoon)
more quotes at www.language-arts.net
