Cinema Cinema

So you think your band works hard? Cinema Cinema have practically set themselves up as a new front in the war against sleep with their restive schedule. The group has played over 300 shows in half of the continental U.S., released 4 records, and been on 5 tours in just over 4 years. Maybe it helps that the band's two members are aggressive enough to carry the weight of their fist-throwing avant-punk music all by their damn selves... Maybe it's that they're set to take Brooklyn back from all those wimpy beards and crash every party with the assault of latest LP "Manic Children & the Slow Aggression". Whatever the reason, they won't be ignored.

See them when they play again at New Jersey's Meatlocker this Friday, April 5th at 9pm. Also, the true punk fans out there should mark June 15 on the calendar, when the band will open for Black Flag at Warsaw. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) - The Deli Magazine

Brooklyn post-punk goons Cinema Cinema have cojones as big as the deafening wall of eardrum busting noise that cutthroat guitarist Ev Gold and his drums-bashing cousin Paul Claro cook up. The duo unapologetically have covered the sacred Nirvana ("School," without a hint of irony, mind you) while their brand new slab takes on PJ Harvey's once-untouchable "50 Ft. Queenie."

Since 2008, Gold and Claro have slayed DIY style with their murderously loud, pedal-stomping anthemry. The fearless pair have cleared out rooms with bludgeoning volume, as they did just last week at a gig at The Grand Victory. Even the legendary, yet polarizing, Black Flag/SST Records figurehead Greg Ginn has joined in the fandom.

Ginn not only took heed of the sprawling din that was CC'S 2012 epic Manic Children & The Slow Aggression (recorded by D.C. legend Don Zientara) but he's even taken the Dischord/SST addicts under his wing. Cinema Cinema have already toured with Ginn a bunch and jammed with him at his Texas home base. Now, their rapport will culminate with Cinema Cinema's dream slot: opening for their heroes, the reunited Black Flag, in their Brooklyn hometown.

We caught up with Cinema Cinema to talk the influential, punk-defining BF songs that helped shape their sound. They are even praising Ginn's new tunes, quieting the haters who are dissing the all-new Black Flag record due this summer. - Village Voice

Brooklyn post-punk goons Cinema Cinema have cojones as big as the deafening wall of eardrum busting noise that cutthroat guitarist Ev Gold and his drums-bashing cousin Paul Claro cook up. The duo unapologetically have covered the sacred Nirvana ("School," without a hint of irony, mind you) while their brand new slab takes on PJ Harvey's once-untouchable "50 Ft. Queenie."

Since 2008, Gold and Claro have slayed DIY style with their murderously loud, pedal-stomping anthemry. The fearless pair have cleared out rooms with bludgeoning volume, as they did just last week at a gig at The Grand Victory. Even the legendary, yet polarizing, Black Flag/SST Records figurehead Greg Ginn has joined in the fandom.

Ginn not only took heed of the sprawling din that was CC'S 2012 epic Manic Children & The Slow Aggression (recorded by D.C. legend Don Zientara) but he's even taken the Dischord/SST addicts under his wing. Cinema Cinema have already toured with Ginn a bunch and jammed with him at his Texas home base. Now, their rapport will culminate with Cinema Cinema's dream slot: opening for their heroes, the reunited Black Flag, in their Brooklyn hometown.

We caught up with Cinema Cinema to talk the influential, punk-defining BF songs that helped shape their sound. They are even praising Ginn's new tunes, quieting the haters who are dissing the all-new Black Flag record due this summer. - Village Voice

Cinema, Cinema are out of their minds. That was the first thought I had after my initial listen to Manic Children & the Slow Aggression. Fast forward to a few weeks revisiting it and thinking about it more, I decided that I’m still right. Cinema, Cinema are out of their minds. There’s no set logic to their song structures, which constantly shift tempo and seem like they incorporate other songs randomly into any place where it barely fits. It’s just two guys on a mind-bending thrill ride cranking out as much frustration as they possibly can via extremely pissed off power punk songs that have a slight blues influence. Bizarrely, these songs manage to not only be listenable but often catchy. Manic Children & the Slow Aggression is a truly off-the-wall release that’s worth spending a few nights with. - Pop Matters

Cinema, Cinema are out of their minds. That was the first thought I had after my initial listen to Manic Children & the Slow Aggression. Fast forward to a few weeks revisiting it and thinking about it more, I decided that I’m still right. Cinema, Cinema are out of their minds. There’s no set logic to their song structures, which constantly shift tempo and seem like they incorporate other songs randomly into any place where it barely fits. It’s just two guys on a mind-bending thrill ride cranking out as much frustration as they possibly can via extremely pissed off power punk songs that have a slight blues influence. Bizarrely, these songs manage to not only be listenable but often catchy. Manic Children & the Slow Aggression is a truly off-the-wall release that’s worth spending a few nights with. - Pop Matters

Brooklyn-based Cinema Cinema, featuring cousins Ev Gold (vocals/guitar) and Paul Claro (drums), cut together raucous, fast-paced, muscular punk with noise and math rock influences. The two-piece released their sophomore full-length record “Manic Children and Slow Aggression” on July 10. Between ever changing tempos, attacking drum beats, aggressive guitar shredding and pervading feedback, Gold and Claro's explosive music never seems to take a breath. The duo dances with a penchant for punk and pushes through the thirteen tracks with fervor and intensity. Cinema Cinema will be honoring their new release at St. Vitus in Brooklyn on July 13 before undertaking East Coast dates with legendary Black Flag founder/guitarist Greg Ginn. - The Deli Magazine

We've got yet more great new music for you today: Here's the exclusive premiere of a track from experimentally inclined Brooklyn-based rockers Cinema, Cinema. You can stream "UFO" below.

"UFO" is taken from the band's upcoming album, Manic Children and The Slow Aggression, which is out tomorrow via The Lumiere Label.

If you like what you hear, you can pick up the album tomorrow at this location.

Cinema, Cinema Tour dates with Greg Ginn and The Royal We:

7/13 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus (with The Giraffes, no Ginn)
7/19 - Northampton, MA - The Elevens
7/22 - Pittsfield, MA - Chameleons
7/24 - DC - Paperhaus
7/25 - Baltimore, MD - Golden West Cafe
7/26 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fire
7/27 - Altantic City, NJ - The Boneyard - Guitar World

After attempting to raise some hackles with their offensive debut, which bounced, then exploded on an abandoned Brooklyn sidewalk, singer/axe-wielder Ev Gold and drummer Paul Claro are back with this-full-length. Raising hackles? Yeah, with a song called “Lady Abortion,” which appeared on Shoot the Freak, and which raises its head again on Manic Children and the Slow Aggression. Since it’s a wild track, that’s a good thing. And since my Shoot the Freak ravings never saw the light of day (a different, not very interesting story), here it is, with a couple of tweaks to fit the new album:
Like a blast of cold air upon emerging from an overheated room, there’s something bracing about punk rock. It’s even more bracing when the people emitting the racket have a pretty wide approach to the genre; an approach that’s more essentially “punk” than that of following the form like an audio paint-by-numbers assignment. Guts and chutzpah were at least part of the formula for original punkers from the Ramones to Bad Brains. Cinema Cinema lacks neither of those elements. When we're in luck, it sounds pretty crazy.
“Abortion” is in the deranged (in the very best way) category. “Pleased to Meet You, Anasthesia,” is more about the Velvet Underground by way of Sonic Youth. And “Day-Leash” is a mad dash around a metal-ish maypole. Derangement expert Don Zientara (Bad Brains, Fugazi, Bikini Kill) flipped the switches for both the debut and Manic Children. Cinema Cinema doesn’t call its output punk, preferring a “freak-out, fucked-up” description. Also, especially around its shows, it’s been called “experimental.”
“Freaked-out, fucked-up and experimental” are all fitting adjectives, although, in its way, the part spouted by the band is a bit humble. When the ground reacts to Cinema Cinema’s repeated bombs, the duo achieves greatness. Cinema Cinema is for fans of Fugazi, vintage hardcore junkies, and anyone who’s up for an impassioned roller coaster ride with enough twists and turns to keep even the hardened carnival guy -- who’s seen it hundreds of times -- awake. - Punk Globe

Following up on their EP-CD, Shoot the Freak, the Ev Gold (vox, gtrs.) / Paul Claro (drums) duet of rock experimentalists is at it again, cranking out wild skronk, bludgeonry, crazed vocals, and generally very cool mayhem. Normally, this sort of thing is so damned clumsy that I reject it out of hand, and have trashed many noisy post-punks CDs over the past decade, but these maniacs are so damned artful at this hybrid monster they're constructing that they drop into a zone somewhere between old Amon Duul II, Pere Ubu, Blue Cheer, and methed-out Stooges all attending a Stockhausen lecture on the artistic value of schizophrenia.

Manic Children is even more damaged than Shoot the Freak, and that's a very good thing indeed. Everything is grist for the mill, and the disc is a series of rapid-fire twists, perversions, upendings, and power chords. A lot of this couldn't be done live, which is why God created studios, and I'd love to see what would happen if the gentz used a 32-track board and jammed everything possible in. Cinema Cinema is a great bitched-up example of how the punk sound can be evolved way the fuck beyond its confines and still pungeantly reek of old school. Gold is a lunatic on guitar, but I'm betting even Jon Spencer is impressed with his shit. File Manic Children vaguely in the 'art damage' genre and see if it gives Mike Keneally a fit. I think it will, and he'll be smiling all the while. - Acoustic Music

Cinema Cinema may hail from Brooklyn, but their adherence to, and respect for, the classic DC sound is apparent throughout the musical opus Manic Children and the Slow Aggression. Each song fluctuates between untamed explosions of force and refined, nearly pristine pop structures. The juxtaposition of the vicious and delicate makes each track an uncompromising and unabashedly experimental ride. “Cycle and Territories” includes one of the world’s most ferocious riffs off-set by a warmth and intimacy not associated with a band of this nature. The duo’s knack for embracing noise and a penchant for stop/start structures ultimately and fittingly led them to work with Don Zientara, and his legendary repertoire is only enhanced by his production efforts here. Mixing the raw fury of DC hardcore with the smart, artistically-inclined blunt force of Fugazi, Cinema Cinema make bludgeoning sound exquisite throughout Manic Children, ranging from the jarring “Adult Themes” and “Lady Abortion” to the sprawling “Shiner No.3” and “Party”, both of whom clock in over nine minutes but move along as briskly as any three minute pop tune. However, the band does not allow one to grow complacent and expect a formulaic approach to their brand of raw noise-fueled rock angst. The polished “National League Lament” remains composed and unassuming, while “Anesthesia” lulls the listener into safety before unleashing a torrent of guitar force upon the expecting. A significant component of Cinema Cinema’s recognition is a nearly obsessive desire to tour, and this relentless work ethic has allowed them to combine forces with Greg Ginn on multiple stints around our great nation. The band’s association with Ginn is as serendipitous as their affiliation with Zientara, for Cinema Cinema captures the fractured beauty that defines so much of Ginn’s work, both during the latter years of Black Flag and certainly his post-Flag years. The serene intro of “Altamont” slower builds to a chaotic crescendo, but the songs manages to walk a fine line between bombastic and refined. “Day Leash” includes thunderous drumming and well-honed riffs, again demonstrating the band’s clear affinity for solid melodies; they simply allow for a wider berth than most bands within each track in which their more aggressive natures can flourish. We live in an age of compromise and imitation; Cinema Cinema rejects both and we are the beneficiaries of their courage. - Jersey Beat

Cinema Cinema is the duo of Ev Gold (vocals, guitars) and Paul Claro (drums). This is one hellacious album chock full of rip-roarin' loud rock played with authentic intensity. These guys released their debut album (Exile Baby) in 2008 and then proceeded to tour like madmen. For this, their second full-length, they hooked up with producer Don Zientara...who helped them record these simple, direct, explosive cuts. These guys' approach to music is refreshing. Using only the basics they concentrate on song structure and chops. So many artists and bands seem to have softened their sound and approach this century. Not these guys. Gold and Claro play with refreshing conviction...tearing away at their instruments like the very worst violent offenders. There's a huge amount of material here. This album clocks in at just under 80 minutes (?!!)...so you know you're getting your money's worth. Hard rockin' stuff that's passionate and furious. - Babysue

Together, vocalist/guitarist Ev Gold and drummer Paul Claro of Cinema Cinema kick ass. Their combination of musical elements join together to blow you away. It wouldn’t be possible to give you a brief, one word description of Cinema Cinema, but after listening to their EP, I can say my ears were thoroughly pleased.

The distortion and effects used in their opening track, “Lady Abortion,” adds a touch of atmospheric, psychedelic ambience to their punk sound.

The vocals go through a few different ranges: everything from melodic vocals to screaming, groaning and sound effects. Unlike many bands, the vocalist is able to go through wide ranges and still sound pleasing to the ears.

“Pleased to meet you, anesthesia,” brings the tempo down, at first. Listen a little further and you’ll discover that what once sounded calm has you banging your head. The effects nearly put you in a trance, taking your mind to a few unadulterated places, maybe space, maybe to the outskirts of the universe, and then you’re brought back with the last track that pulls you into reality.

“Day-Leash” gives you a break from the more relaxed sounds, and back into the mood to cause chaos. The song starts up fast and slows down with beautiful, melodic vocals.

This band has the ability to start up as fast paced punk, and switches to an entirely different atmosphere with the snap of a finger. These guys, out of Brooklyn, need to keep charging through with what they’re doing; it is awesome, pure and simple. If Cinema Cinema sounds great through recordings, their live shows must be enough to leave you feeling more than content. Do yourself a favor and check Cinema Cinema out. - Elephant Talk Magazine

Cinema Cinema offer three noisy, highly individualistic tracks recorded at the legendary Inner Ear Studio with Don Zientara. The songs on Shoot the Freak are raw and unpolished, but each is highlighted by an air of unpredictability. The opening “Lady Abortion” is an abrasive, darkly harmonic effort whose repetitive chorus will bury itself in your brain, so be careful if you sing this one out loud. Interestingly, Cinema Cinema shift gears dramatically on “Pleased to Meet You, Anesthesia”, a much more light-hearted piece. This effort is more ethereal and far less threatening than its predecessor. It smacks of 90’s Sonic Youth and has a clear indie-pop sensibility before unraveling into a delicious noise-fest around the two minute mark, ultimately crumbling into a stirring conclusion. The closing “Day-Leash” follows in a similar style as “Pleased”, revealing a somewhat off-kilter but still catchy nugget of unique indie fare. There are various approaches and inspirations here, but Cinema Cinema does not simply imitate their influences; rather, the band formulates a style that may still be slightly in flux, but has great potential. - Jersey Beat

Venturing past punk and into gob-rock, latter-day Blue Cheer, and passages of Stranglered psych-metal, Cinema Cinema, just a pair of cousins Ev Gold and Paul Claro, have issued the Shoot the Freak CD-EP and managed to re-quote the past while stripping old power trio concepts by a factor of 33% while maintaining the raw integrity of the venerable old configuration—studio simul-synching beefing things back up again, not unhappily (while the tour band is just the duo). All the frantic energy of punk is showcased along with elder MC5 in-your-faceness and pre-grunge freakouts (again, that Blue Cheer influence!) and modern collaged collisions. Look, I wouldn't have been a bit surprised to see something like this back in the 70s among the more experimental bands that still remain ahead of their time, unafraid to find subterranean links between various genres and then twist everything to their own devices. Had a few more punk bands been like this back in the day (the 80s), I would've been a hell of a lot more receptive. - Mark S. Tucker - acousticmusic.com

Brooklyn-based Cinema,Cinema, an amalgamation of Ev Gold (vocals/guitar) and Paul Claro (drums), explodes into aggressive, grungy garage punk on their grumbling and demonic EP, “Shoot the Freak.” Frantic screamer, “Lady Abortion” surges with distortion and high speed drums. The EP continues the medical motif with “Pleased to Meet You, Anesthesia,” which features parallel melodies in vocals and instrumentation, losing control in sirens of guitar feedback. Banging drums and guitar riffs set Day-Leash” off in a progressive rock frenzy, eventually returning to the opening measures which fade into silence to close “Shoot the Freak.” Cinema Cinema's music sounds explosive on record also because of the sound engineering help of Don Zientara, producer of crucial punk/hardcore records by Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Brains, and Bikini Kill, to name just a few. The band will be playing a series of dates in the NYC area, the first one at The Charleston (174 Bedford, Williamsburg) on July 15. - Meijin Bruttomesso - The Deli Magazine

http://blog.revolt-media.com/?p=986

Idealistically, being a two-piece band can be either a curse or a blessing. Certainly, it limits the boundaries to which you can push yourself musically, but then again, it’s much easier to keep everyone coming to band practice when it’s either you or them. Cinema, Cinema embarks down the duet road with a handful of trippy guitars and driving drums, leaving us dazed, confused and somewhat rocked along the way. Whether it is the spaced out opening of “Shiner No. 1” or the rocking riffs of “I Don’t Wanna Be Yr Boyfriend,” Cinema, Cinema pushes the experimental tag rather hard with mixed results. Sometimes they sound natural; other times they sound too weird for their own good.

The sprawling melodies of “Shiner No. 1” open the disc, along with tripped out guitars that mix with tom hits that never let up. Match this combination with eerily produced vocals and you get something that might end up on the stereo of your drug-inclined friends (not to say this track isn’t good otherwise). Instrumental track “The Natural” is a waste of track space, as the minute-long piece never actually reaches its full potential. “RX” gives us an introduction to the pedal-board excursion that this record thrives on, showing bits and pieces of different guitar sounds from dirty wahs to fuzzy riffs. This is where Cinema, Cinema does the best with impressing listeners- by combining the guitar artistry with rocking drums. This would translate well in a live show. “An Obstacle” comes across rather weak, sounding much like what The Beatles sound have sounded like had they used an effects processor but kicked Paul and George out of the band. This track misses the energy and impact of the heavier tunes, and this song is out of place.

“I Don’t Wanna Be Yr Boyfriend” picks things back up with some of the dirtiest use of wah/flange/whatever effects ever heard. Guitars certainly take the spotlight away from the vocals in this instance, which apparently is the trade-off you have to make on Exile Baby. Sure, the vocals could be better spotlighted, but with the amount of ear-opening fretwork going on they should stick with keeping that portion of the band’s sound intact. “Hope Dies Last” pushes the tempo with relentless hi-hat sticking that opens up into a rocking tune that for the most part, relies more on drums and vocals than guitars. It is a huge change from the aural string assault on the tracks before and after this one, and it makes this track stand out because it keeps up the energy without sacrificing too much of what you expect to hear.

“The Desperate Acts” starts with building drums and riffing with punches of ambient guitar and haunting vocals, allowing for a slower feel for much of this track. Again, it works because you’ll hear enough between the never-let-down drums and funky guitars to stay interested, though some would consider such string-laden nonsense a waste of time. The nearly seven-minute long “Shiner No. 2” opens with a fury of toms, cymbals and snare hits that get slightly drowned out by the atmospheric guitars that should be more in the background. A droning tom beat anchors the proceedings behind some interesting (to say the least) guitar work that borderlines between sparse, sprawling melodies and mindless noodling. This is a tough track to get into, and it’s slightly weak.

There are some really fine moments of musicianship for Cinema, Cinema on Exile Baby. Considering this is the first full-length from the band, it will be interesting to see what parts of this record they will develop further as they continue to write new songs. Hopefully they pick the right ones. - Revolt magazine: Jason Gardner

Hey, roll me a Dooby! Experimental vibes from Brooklyn that’ll keep you fascinated for hours… Extraordinary vocally intense sounds, madness evolves… More fun than is allowed! “Hope Dies Last” rocks like a Fergal Sharky on a suppergliderocket to… well you get the pic! - New York Waste - Star Tucker

Cinema, Cinema is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band backed up by members Paul Claro (drums) and Ev Gold (vocals, guitar). If you want to experience the madness of passion meeting noise on drums and guitar with an extreme amount of focus and drive, then check out one of their shows. Luckily for us locals, they perform quite frequently at familiar venues such as Pianos, Matchless and Lit. Known to be fierce both recorded and live, their music, although carefully composed, sounds epic and spontaneous, like they’ve accidentally been caught jamming. But the raucous and catchy melodies are no accident. Take the song “Drydive” as an example; they combine some serious riffs and fast drumming with elaborate, dramatic lyrics, a combination that won’t disappoint if you’re in the mood for a sincerely badass band.
- Knocks from the Underground: Michele Rox

http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/review-cinema-cinema-exile-baby.html

Brooklyn's Cinema, Cinema celebrated a new lineup and new direction in 2008 with the release of their third CD (and first full length release), Exile Baby. Paul Claro (drums) and Ev Gold (guitars/vox) navigate through ten songs that range from alternative rock to an ambient, avant-garde style that defies labels. The duo has showcased their sounds at numerous clubs around the New York City metro area and even at CMJ (for the third year running) in 2008.

Shine No. 1 is an ambient exercise that borders on aural psychedelia. Gold's vocals stretch to their limit as they soar over the musical landscape laid down here. RX is a driven modern rock tune full of jangly guitar and quasi-stream of conscious lyrics. Drydive builds from ethereal footstones into a driving, grungy rocker with a garage aesthetic. I Don't Wanna Be Your Boyfriend takes on a Punk aspect with a lot of sonic interference on guitar in a song that threatens to fly off the sonic rails at several points but never quite crashes. The sound throughout Exile Baby is lo-fi; the production values primitive, but the net effect is an intriguing and enjoyable listen. Other highlights include Hope Dies Last and Still/Life.

Cinema, Cinema brings the underground to your doorstep with Exile Baby. If you wonder what goes on in the basement studios and rehearsal rooms in a place like Brooklyn, this is a good example. A pop producer would do a lot with Cinema, Cinema's sound that might make them more commercial, but it’s highly questionable whether it would be an improvement in their sound. In artistic terms this is American Primitive music, and Cinema, Cinema has a unique sound that will appeal to folks in the Avante-Garde and Psychedelic music realms.

- Wildy's World blog

Hype Machine picks up "I don't Wanna be Your Boyfriend" & "Drydive" from Cinema, Cinema's Exile Baby album

"I don't Wanna be Your Boyfriend"
http://hypem.com/track/774723/Cinema+Cinema+-+I+Dont+Wanna+Be+Your+Boyfriend

"Drydive"
http://hypem.com/track/846857/Cinema,+Cinema-Drydive

- Hype Machine

http://beyondrace.com/reviews/music-reviews/1196-cinema-cinema-qexile-babyq

When you hear the name Cinema Cinema you either think of something poppy, or something pretty epic, and somehow the band manages to be equal parts of both. They’re certainly not Fall Out Boy, nor are they Man’O’War, but they manage to blur plenty of lines.

Exile Baby, the band’s first full length album, contains a wide variety of sounds, certainly more diverse then most of the indie bands coming out of Brooklyn. One thing that is consistent is that this album rocks. Throughout, the band employs plenty of effects, serious guitar work, drums and various other instruments. It’s impressive how much noise this two-piece can make. The tracks vary wildly, from a grunge-infused rocker, to some punk, and things even get a bit poppy at moments.
Overall, Exile Baby is a good album—There are a number of different sounds, and many of the songs might not appeal to all tastes—but if you’re feeling eclectic, then Exile Baby deserves a listen.

- Beyond Race Magazine: TJ Olsen

http://newyork.timeout.com/make-music/section/music

Indie 200
Buzz-worthy bands in Brooklyn: Casey Shea, Cinema, Cinema, Dinosaur Feathers, Lowry, Renminbi, Sigmund Droid, and almost 200 more.

Make Music New York is back for a third year of over 875 free concerts in public spaces throughout the five boroughs of New York City, all on the first day of summer. On Sunday, June 21, from 11 in the morning until 10 at night, musicians of all ages and musical persuasions — from hip hop to opera, Latin jazz to punk rock — will perform on streets, sidewalks, stoops, plazas, cemeteries, parks and gardens. - Time Out New York

http://www.fensepost.com/main/2009/06/22/cinema-cinema-exile-baby-album-review/

Brooklyn New York has housed many musicians from every background for well over a hundred years. Traces of this fine burrough can be found throughout the history of instrumental and vocal companionship. But, nothing of the likes of Cinema, Cinema has really ever been heard. The complete and utter lack of traditional vanity on their third release, Exile Baby, is proof of this transcending duo’s ability to represent their home base on an entirely different front.

Fusing every genre of rock n roll, this indie treasure of an album portrays a “little something for everyone” attitude. These brick layers of disturbia create a glamorous sense of mental chaos with “I Don’t Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”, as well as the adversely reflective “Hope Dies Last”. For ambient/indie pop fans, this could just about cover enough ground to be a modern favorite. Classic, maybe?

Cinema, Cinema is one of those band of talented weirdos that appear only every now and again. Their curious blend of Radiohead and The Who inspired motives are as seemingly possible this day and age. And Exile Baby is a perfect example of a combination once considered odd, but now a daily consideration in the underground music world. Fluctuation is the new wave’s most important noun. And these guys have long had that down. But just to be sure, they churned out this creamy classic for their fans to truly understand their grasp on today’s modern standings. Cheers to such a volatile pair of once endangered servants. - FensePost: Ron Trembath

http://www.strandedinstereo.com/music_cinemacinema.shtml


Cinema, Cinema is not typical of bands coming out of Brooklyn. With only two members, it is impressive how much noise they can make. On their third album Exile Baby, tracks vary widel, from grunge, to punk, and pop. The album is enjoyable, an eclectic work with songs that can appeal to all tastes. The music is innovative and experimental, producing a unique sound that will mainly appeal to the psychedelic music realm.

One song that does not seem to fit in the album is “An Obstacle.” It is a well-constructed piece with softer instrumentals and cleaner vocals. It’s a well thought out song with meaning; it doesn’t seem “unfinished” like the rest of the songs on this album. The rest of the tracks produce a jumbled and messy noise one might hear being played from a neighbor’s garage, a sound which some may describe as a beautiful mess.

The other moment on the album that has the potential to grab the ears of the masses is “Still/Life.” This song evokes a lot of emotion with its poetic lyrics and soul drenching instrumentals. This song, unlike many of the other songs on the album, makes that unique connection between artist and listener. The eerie yet gorgeous song speaks of a “man who lost his love.” While Gold sings with such conviction and heartbreak, it is hard to not become fully entrapped in this mesmerizing number. Some may say that the ‘90s are back, but on Exile Baby, it’s apparent they were gone in the minds of this duo. - Stranded in Stereo: Hali Baxter

http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=97047783


On their first full-length Exile Baby, Brooklyn's Cinema, Cinema have created a musical melting pot full of sonic soundscapes, avant pop and good old-fashioned rock songs. After two EP's with earlier incarnations of the band, singer/ guitarist Ev Gold has reformed the outfit into a pounding two-piece that allowed him the space and creativity to record the epic album he was striving for on the previous efforts.

The addition of drummer Paul Claro, who sounds like he is doing drum rolls with eight arms, has shown to be the perfect time keeper for Gold to attack his guitar riffs and effects pedals the way that Jackson Pollock would attack his canvas. The album kicks of with "Shiner No.1," an atmospheric journey into the art of sound, followed by a minute-long haunting instrumental that serves as the true foundation for the LP. Often times it's hard for a band to take the raw power and intensity of their live gigs and translate that in the studio, but tracks like "The Desperate Acts," "Drydive" and "I Don't Wanna Be Yr Boyfriend" show this was not even close to an issue. Each song is filled to the brim with floor-trembling drums, sleazy guitars and gut-wrenching vocals that garner fist-pumping status.

Gold's intellectual lyrics are often overshadowed by the crunching music that is being played along with them, but that's what makes the songs what they really are, just beautiful poetry paired with soul drenching music. The album's overall vibe is very dingy and dark, like a back alley in New York City in the early '70s, but the band also creates elegant rock numbers that teeter on '50s r&b, funk and a pinch of '80s rock ballads. In the eerily gorgeous "Still/Life," Gold sings of a "man who's lost his love" with such heartbreak and conviction, you can understand why the album took on the dark undertones in which it did. - CMJ magazine: Tom Duffy