Setting Sun

NPR.org, June 23, 2008 - Setting Sun is a quintet led by frontman and producer Gary Levitt. The band's third album, Children of the Wild, evokes the laid-back simple life of Levitt's Upstate New York home. Driven by simple acoustic guitar lines, Erica Quitzow's graceful string orchestrations, and Levitt's hushed vocals, Setting Sun's arrangements are dramatic and poignant.

Levitt's whispery vocals might remind listeners of a less depressed Elliott Smith. Levitt mixes softly cooed choruses and murmured spoken-word verses on the album's opening track, "What We Wanted," giving the sense that he's playing and singing to himself. This personal, confiding style lends the music its defining intimacy. Levitt the storyteller is immediately alluring, offering an inviting closeness in the whisper and croon of his honest lyrics.

Along with Setting Sun's characteristic guitars, cello, violin, drums, and backing singers, the band also travels with a synthesizer. Unobtrusively, the band mixes synth experimentalism in with its folky, string-band sound — at times to great effect. "No Devil No More," Children of the Wild's second track, takes blue-note melodies and a driving beat and sets them against scratching violins and ambient electronic feedback. The resulting gloominess well-emphasizes the track's melancholic lyrics.

The band sets out on a month-long cross-country tour starting June 24, with a three-week European tour due in November.
- NPR (All Things Considered)

http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2008/06/podcast-alejand.html

Setting Sun. Here's another band where I had an impossible time picking one song, since all of them are podcast-worthy. (The new album, Children of the Wild, is in stores now.) Incredibly well-crafted songs with a vocal that reminds me of Bright Eyes.

Listen now! Do it! - USA Today Podcast

Though they seem to be minority, some songwriters are just better off writing songs on their own. In addition to having more helping hands available in the process of writing and recording material, bands can provide a stable source of personal and artistic support for a lead songwriter who may be in dire need of it. However, they can also provide the exact opposite in disrupting an artistic vision in order to provide for their own weaker version; gathering up a group of talented musicians who hold a similar vision as the lead songwriter is an arduous feat that is often determined by chance. This level of cooperation can vary from artist to artist and it certainly has nothing to do with their congeniality or morality, but simply how well they work together with other people when writing music. For most artists, the discovery of whether or not they work most efficiently in a group or isolated environment is determined after attempting both circumstances. Finding success in the first group or project one forms is extremely rare, often only achieved by individuals who exceed innovational standards. After all, a colossal success is rare to come by when a failure has not preceded it.

Gary Levitt has spent over a decade in various projects, gaining experience while witnessing the highs and lows of being both a songwriter in a group and solo project. In fact, as far as being a member in a band goes, Levitt has experienced life in a quartet, a trio, and a duo. He has seen a reasonable share of success from each of them but none has reached the recognition or level of potential that his solo project, Setting Sun, has provided since the release of his debut album, holed up, in 2002. Levitt’s first foray came when he was situated in New York during the ‘90s. Consisting of a revolving lineup, he served as one of the founding members of The Kung-Fu Grip. The group remained in New York four 4 years and toured frequently throughout the East Coast before making their way out to San Francisco. While there, they cut out all excess pieces and reverted to being a tightly focused trio. Around the same time, Levitt met Erica Quitzow and they formed the indie-pop duo Heavy Pebble together. Along with The Kung-Fu Grip, Levitt started making a name for himself on the West Coast with several releases and a busy touring schedule. When Levitt felt that he had the confidence and experience necessary to try his hand at something new and on his own, both groups disbanded and he formed Setting Sun.

After secluding himself in an apartment with some gear and two cheap microphones, he emerged in 2002 with holed up, Setting Sun’s debut. It showcased Levitt’s reverence for lo-fi folk and pop music, with an acoustic guitar often guiding the way over alternating crescendos. Holed up caught the attention of Virgin recording artist and Furslide frontwoman Jennifer Turner and she invited him to London to play guitar for her band Inner. He stayed for a bit and wrote two songs for their debut album, lovetheonlyway, before returning home to resume work on his solo material. Upon his return, the release of holed up had captured an increasing amount of attention to coincide with Setting Sun’s rampant tour as a three-piece. Around the same time, Levitt also began performing solo every night with his acoustical charm. His second album, Math and Magic, followed in 2005 and capitalized upon the potential that holed up displayed. Produced by Richard Chiu, it was a more expansive release that saw Levitt’s songwriting embrace a more polished soundscape. Despite their differences though, both albums hold up and one can easily find the enjoyment in the lo-fi charm of holed up and the evolutionary blend of folk and pop in Math and Magic.

For his third and most enjoyable album to date, Levitt has assembled an impressively wide array of experience to produce a sound that fulfills all expectations that were provided by the potential of his first two albums. Set to be released on June 10th, Children of the Wild features 11 tracks that show Levitt’s best songwriting to date. The urging thump of “No Devil me no More” provides exceptional use of the cello, with an underlying bass line and forceful percussive response complementing the experimental string use even more. The track features collaborator and label-mate Erica Quitzow on vocals, a role she reprises for a handful of very memorable tracks throughout the album. The true standout of the album for me though is “How Long”, a magnificent track that concurrently manages to be romantically touching and exceptionally infectious. “I hope you feel the same, feel the same, as you’re whistling my name,” Levitt sings somberly, backed by an impressive acoustical progression and steadfast rhythm section. “How long, how long,” Levitt and Quitzow sing in a duet during the chorus, providing a beautiful rendition that may even soak the eyes. Comparisons to The Magic Numbers and folk-pop groups of the ’70s are prevalent a - Obscure Sound Blog

Setting Sun is the nom de musique of singer-songwriter Gary Levitt and his partner-in-crime cellist/violinist/singer Erica Quitzow, whose recently released Children of the Wild belies its title with soft, almost whispered vocals and songs of despondent melancholia that paint the world
in shades of deepest blue. A feeling of loss and longing permeates the music; even songs that may sound happy on the surface are shot through with dark splinters and devastating insights. It's not the kind of music you'd expect to hear in a nightclub, but Levitt's low-key charisma creates a
mood that's hard to ignore. Setting Sun plays Thursday, July 10, at the Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell St., San Francisco). 8 p.m., $10. RickshawStop.com
-- By j. poet - East Bay Express

http://popwreckoning.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/setting-sun-children-of-the-wild/

Setting Sun - Children of the Wild
Posted on May 29, 2008 by popwreckoning

Hailing from the Catskills of New York, the brainchild behind the magnificent Setting Sun is Gary Levitt. Children of the Wild, out June 10th on Young Love Records, is the third effort from Levitt, who went solo following the the dissolution of other projects he’d been involved in. Levitt currently shares a home studio with musical collaborator Erica Quitzow, who uses her last name as her musical moniker. She takes on vocals, drums, cello, violin and more for Children of the Wild, adding fluidity and beauty to an already outstanding album.

Children of the Wild begins with the low and mellow “What We Wanted.” Levitt’s vocals are saturated with melancholy as he sings the opening chorus and each verse, methodically strumming his acoustic guitar. A sense of sadness is heightened when Quitzow and the other backing musicians join Levitt for the chorus: “We never really got what we wanted. / We barely even get what we need. / We never really got what we wanted, / But we try. But we try.”

The slightly haunting “No Devil Me No More” (download) seamlessly emerges from “What We Wanted.” Quitzow provides a deep and eerie cello part as well as a pounding back beat on the drums, driving the song forward. The bridge features warped guitar chords before the chorus picks up and Quitzow ends the song with a deep and frantic cello trill. This and the next song are definite earmarks for singles. “How Long” is instantaneously bouncy and catchy, hooking you in every single aspect. The harmony between the keys and violin is simply gorgeous. A Levitt sings in the chorus, “this song can’t be ignored.”

Much of the album retains a jaunty feel with plucky strings, steady beats and driving riffs, yet “Slob” deviates from the upbeat indie pop sound. It’s echoed vocals evoke a dreaminess that is complimented by a soothing violin, rain-like percussion and Quitzow and Lawrence Roper’s eerie backing vocals. “Love My Love” keeps the dreamlike state intact with its low tones and hushed sound.

“Love My Love” is a warped and trippy tune featuring great effects from a synth, some of which sound like they could belong in a video game. The dynamic between the synth and the rest of the instrumentation is intriguing: Levitt’s vocals are agitated are over a haunting melody and angry drum beat. The mellowed “Morning Song” continues with a slightly warped synth sound before Children of the Wild ends with the hugely melodic “Happy Joy.”

In the vein of a modern classic like Bright Eyes, Levitt’s unrivaled pop sensibilities make for meticulously crafted songs on both ends of the emotional spectrum. This is definitely an album to own.

Children of the Wild will be available on June 10th via Young Love Records. Pick up a copy and be sure to catch Setting Sun on tour beginning at the end of June. I’ll be covering the Philly date so check back for more on Setting Sun! - Pop Wreckoning Blog

Setting Sun - Children of the Wild
Young Love Records

It’s hard to categorize Setting Sun’s Children of the Wind. Just when you think you’ve got the right sonic category figured out, the next track starts and you find yourself back at square one. Perhaps this is because founder Gary Levitt infuses Setting Sun with all of the places he has lived from New York to Los Angeles to San Francisco. Or maybe it has something to do with the different musicians that weave their way in and out of the record. While some of the songs are rich with orchestral textures others are boxy, crunchy, and spacey with electronic beats.

On this third album by Setting Sun, Levitt’s singing is soft, understated, and sometimes so slow it seems spoken. It’s vocally balanced by Erica Quitzow, of the band Quitzow, who also plays violin and cello on the album. On a superficial level, the listener might assume this is an album brimming with morose lyrics, but the songs feel infectiously hopeful without being too sweet - like “Overjoyed” where Levitt sings a chorus of “overjoyed at things you said” over a driving, heart-pumping sound.

Perhaps Children of the Wind can best be summed up by its closing track, “Happy Joy,” that begins in Ren and Stimpy fashion with the lyric “happy, happy, joy, joy, I’m a little laughing boy.” It seems to be a statement acknowledging life’s sad songs while also stating that we have to make room for those that make us smile. And when you listen to Setting Sun, you get why a good smile from music is so important. - Feminist Review

http://www.nillson.de/nillson/nillson.cgi?mode=show&article=6796
Ach ja, die 60er. Dieses ungeheuer inspirierende Jahrzehnt mit all seinen Blumen, seiner Leichtigkeit, aber auch seiner Aggression, seiner Energie, seinem bis heute andauernden immensen Einfluss auf die Popwelt. Die Beatles, die Stones und die Who setzen die Maßstäbe in der Rockmusik bis heute, Pink Floyd mit Syd Barrett in Psychedelia und Nick Drake und Simon & Garfunkel im Singer-Songwriter-Genre. Das schöne daran ist, dass mit all dem musikalischen Vorwissen Bands wie Setting Sun auch heute noch völlig zeitfremde und doch so brillante Platten machen können. Wie „Children Of The Wild“, der dritte Streich der Band aus, holla, San Francisco, beweist.

Denn diese Platte bringt alles, was dieses Zeitalter, diese Geburtsstunde der Popmusik, ausmachte, mit. Psychedelisches in „Slob“ und „Inside My Love“, hippieeske Folkromantik inklusive mehrstimmigem Gesang in „No Devil Me No More“ oder in „How Long“, Lagerfeuerdüsternis in „Not Waste“. Und dann natürlich dieser Hang zum kindisch-verspielten in „Happy Joy“. Alles natürlich so schön Lo-Fi und unterproduziert, dass die Scheibe tatsächlich ein später Findling aus längst vergessenen Plattenkisten der Eltern sein könnte. Die Stimme von Gary Levitt, gehaucht, gefühlt einen Meter entfernt vom Mikrofon, harmoniert so köstlich mit der von Erica Quitzow, dazu schlägt dumpf das Schlagwerk, die Gitarren, mal geschlagen und mal gezupft, erscheinen im Geiste als lange gehegte und liebgewonnene, wenngleich auch merkbar angeschlagene Instrumente, denen man mit Respekt und Herzblut begegnet. Dabei verankern Setting Sun ihre elf Stücke von „Children Of The Wild“ fest im zeitgenössischen Habitus des Indie-Pop, tun dies aber mehr zwischen den Tönen. Mit leichtem, kaum hörbarem elektronischen Gefrickel und vielen, vielen Anlehnungen an heute große Künstler und Bands, die sich zuvor ebenso euphorisch dem Kulturerbe ihrer Eltern gewidmet haben. Spontan kommen einem die Shins, Arcade Fire, Okkervil River, Bright Eyes, Rogue Wave, die Decemberists oder die Shout Out Louds in den Sinn, allerdings immer nur partiell und nie aufdringlich. Mit Referenzen nicht zu geizen, ist eine Sache, doch bei einer so langen Liste könnte man auch schnell von Abklatsch und Nachahmung sprechen – nicht so bei Setting Sun. Die werden zwar vermutlich eine eher kleine Hausnummer bleiben, eine Perle jedoch, die es sich in der Schatzkiste 60s-inspierierten Indie-Pops zu entdecken lohnt. Und Folkballaden wie „Morning Sun“ mit seinen zarten Flöten (in memoriam Pfadfinderorchester) gehören einfach angehört. Ein schönes Album.
- Nillson (German blog)

With his voice a biting whisper and guitar work that's quietly emphatic and shrewd as it picks its way around
the fretboard, Setting Sun's Gary Levitt has more than a little Elliott Smith in him. We're talking old
Elliott Smith here, i.e., the sad, intimate and cloudy days of Roman Candle, not the overblown rainbow
Beatle-isms of today. Perhaps ironically, Levitt grew up in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles...so
perhaps if Portland gives him a warm enough welcome, he'll move here and it'll be like reclaiming a lost
Portland son. Or, perhaps more appropriately, Sun - Willamette Week

SETTING SUN - Children of the Wild
/ paru le 03-06-2008 /

Après un premier album baptisé "Holed Up" en 2002 et "Math and Magic" sorti en 2005, le groupe américain Setting Sun nous propose son troisième opus. Il est emmené par Gary Levitt, un touche-à-tout qui s'est installé dans l'état de New York, dans la vallée de l'Hudson. Il chante et joue de la guitare. Il assure également la production de l'album. A ses côtés, il y a la chanteuse Erica Quitzow, qui a aussi un autre projet portant son nom. Elle joue également du violoncelle et du violon, et parfois même de la batterie. Cette équipe de choc a reçu l'aide de Lawrence Roper (voix) et des bassistes Jeff Raffensperger et Frank Ciampi.

Ce qui frappe dans cet album est son côté acoustique chaleureux. Tant la guitare que le chant nous baignent de bonheur dans une ambiance joyeuse malgré une certaine mélancolie. L'utilisation du violon et du violoncelle colore agréablement l'ensemble. Le chant s'y pose en douceur avec une empreinte vocale bien particulière qui captive l'auditeur dès le début. Les chansons sont prenantes, impossible d'y résister. Ecoutez le sublime "No Devil me no More" qui dans sa douceur sait aussi être bien explosif.

Les titres de cet album sont relativement courts. Les chansons vont à l'essentiel. Pas de longueur, donc impossible de s'y ennuyer. Le mélange des voix masculine et féminine fait merveille. On sent bien que les deux têtes pensantes, Gary et Erica, ont débuté sur la scène de San Francisco. L'ambiance générale toute légère en est imprégnée et même si certains titres ont un côté pop, ce n'est pas ce qui se ressent le plus. Ils sont inventifs à souhaits et l'énergie qui transpire de certains titres, "Overjoyed" par exemple, n'a rien à envier à un Arcade Fire malgré le fait qu'ici tout est acoustique.

Autre grand moment, "Not Waste" sur lequel Gary chuchote presque. Le violon lance des séries de déferlantes incroyables et l'ensemble est soutenu par une batterie intensifiant la mélancolie ambiante.

Voilà un album qui devrait aussi plaire aux fans des Decemberists. S'ils n'en ont pas la puissance de frappe, ils n'en sont malgré tout pas loin. Une découverte à faire sans aucun doute ! - Blog in Belgium

Raised in upstate New York and now based in San Francisco, singer-songwriter Gary Levitt has a solid take on the balance between rural naif and urban hipster that's at the root of the current alt-folk scene, but for all the acoustic guitars and simple musical settings of the third Setting Sun album, he's no Devendra Banhart type of modern flower child. Levitt (who basically is the Setting Sun, although Erica Quitzow, co-owner of the Young Love label and Levitt's partner, adds cello, violin, drums and vocals) has far more in common with Destroyer's Dan Bejar: the 11 songs on Children of the Wild use not only vintage psych and folk-rock as musical touchstones, but the melodramatic likes of Scott Walker and Hunky Dory-era David Bowie, as well as sophisticated '80s college rockers like Prefab Sprout and the Go-Betweens. Moods range from the giddy, strummy pop rush of "Overjoyed" to the whispered tension of "Not Waste," with room for the folkish delicacy of "Morning Song" as well as the trippy edge of the Beck-like single "No Devil Me No More," with the boyish charm of Levitt's vocals and the inventive melodicism of his tunes tying the whole thing together. Children of the Wild may not fit easily into any currently fashionable genre descriptors, but it's definitely worth a listen. - All Music Guide

SETTING SUN - Children of the Wild
/ paru le 03-06-2008 /

Après un premier album baptisé "Holed Up" en 2002 et "Math and Magic" sorti en 2005, le groupe américain Setting Sun nous propose son troisième opus. Il est emmené par Gary Levitt, un touche-à-tout qui s'est installé dans l'état de New York, dans la vallée de l'Hudson. Il chante et joue de la guitare. Il assure également la production de l'album. A ses côtés, il y a la chanteuse Erica Quitzow, qui a aussi un autre projet portant son nom. Elle joue également du violoncelle et du violon, et parfois même de la batterie. Cette équipe de choc a reçu l'aide de Lawrence Roper (voix) et des bassistes Jeff Raffensperger et Frank Ciampi.

Ce qui frappe dans cet album est son côté acoustique chaleureux. Tant la guitare que le chant nous baignent de bonheur dans une ambiance joyeuse malgré une certaine mélancolie. L'utilisation du violon et du violoncelle colore agréablement l'ensemble. Le chant s'y pose en douceur avec une empreinte vocale bien particulière qui captive l'auditeur dès le début. Les chansons sont prenantes, impossible d'y résister. Ecoutez le sublime "No Devil me no More" qui dans sa douceur sait aussi être bien explosif.

Les titres de cet album sont relativement courts. Les chansons vont à l'essentiel. Pas de longueur, donc impossible de s'y ennuyer. Le mélange des voix masculine et féminine fait merveille. On sent bien que les deux têtes pensantes, Gary et Erica, ont débuté sur la scène de San Francisco. L'ambiance générale toute légère en est imprégnée et même si certains titres ont un côté pop, ce n'est pas ce qui se ressent le plus. Ils sont inventifs à souhaits et l'énergie qui transpire de certains titres, "Overjoyed" par exemple, n'a rien à envier à un Arcade Fire malgré le fait qu'ici tout est acoustique.

Autre grand moment, "Not Waste" sur lequel Gary chuchote presque. Le violon lance des séries de déferlantes incroyables et l'ensemble est soutenu par une batterie intensifiant la mélancolie ambiante.

Voilà un album qui devrait aussi plaire aux fans des Decemberists. S'ils n'en ont pas la puissance de frappe, ils n'en sont malgré tout pas loin. Une découverte à faire sans aucun doute ! - Blog in Belgium