Red Leaves

"A fierce collection of dark pop sensations, Disposable Parts combines emotion, precision, and style without ever compromising sincerity. Album opener “Kill Your Sister” showcases one of Red Leaves’ most intriguing strengths- the powerful and unconventional vocal interplay of bassist Singer Mayberry and guitarist David Lujan. Mayberry’s hollow bass lines provide the album’s steady heartbeat. Meanwhile, Lujan’s jagged riffs and writhing melodies sharpen the album’s sound with a refreshing emotive edge...[the EP] gives testament to Red Leaves' progression into a sound all their own. Complete with hand-screened packaging, this self-released album brings together an earnest DIY aesthetic with impassioned and catchy songwriting. Buy it and turn it up.”
-Lauren LL, Study Breaks Magazine, June 2007 - Study Breaks Magazine, Texas

"The trio recently left behind the blatant Cure-isms of 2006's "All the Zombies" for a twitchier, more singular sound on the recent "Disposable Parts". Singer David Lujan still cops a pained Robert Smith yowl, but the band blazes its own goth-tinged path on standout track "Kill your Sister"...
-The Onion, Austin, June 29th, 2007 - The Onion

It’s always a little odd when a band incidentally titles an album something that is easy to make puns off of. For instance, there’s nothing disposable about Disposable Parts, or after dissecting Disposable Parts there was nothing in need of disposal; it’s all necessary. Granted, it is good fun, but when it rings as true as it does when you talk about Red Leaves’ second EP you can’t help but point out how ridiculously well things have fallen into place for the post punk outfit that formed in 2004.

Their first EP, All The Zombies, garnered much praise for it’s dark, low-fi Cure-eqsue sound that came across as overwhelmingly fresh. Now, they’ve returned with another EP and have taken their obvious love for the Cure and manipulated into their own style. The band still feels fresh, but a bit more grown up and aware of where they’re going.

This is especially evident in standout tracks like “Kill You Sister” and “The Clockmaker,” which feature David Lujan and his Robert Smith-enthused vocals over a bed of complex rhythms that are driven by Rich Cali’s work on the drums. Singer Mayberry also makes her presence strongly felt with groove-inducing bass lines and by serving as a perfect vocal companion to Lujan. “Love War Robots,” another notable number, showcases the trio’s pop sensibilities with excellent songwriting that exclaims lines like, “She can’t seem to get it out/ Words collide inside her mouth/ And don’t make sense.” The band truly has a dynamic sound, which is also prevalent in the other three songs on the EP: “Bicycle Escape Plan,” “Market Place” and “Dungeon Dance.”

If Disposable Parts has a downside in any way it’s definitely the fact that there is only about 20 minutes of music. The masses are going to need much more than that to hold them over until the arrival of the debut full length.
- John Laird
Austin Sound
- John Laird, AustinSound.net

"...disquieting, experimental rockers...Red Leaves hides out in the dingy corners of Anglophilic post-punk..."
- The Onion - Austin

Red Leaves
"By Road or Rail" 2008

In many ways, Austin's Red Leaves epitomizes the new iconic sound of the American Southwest: spacious, somber, languid and raw, tinges with yearning but devoid of sentimentality...a stray dog wandering the streets of a dusty border town, knowing there's no home to go back to. Although they're drinking from the same well as instrumental-only bands like Friends of Dean Martinez, the original Calla, and Explosions in the Sky, Red Leaves utilizes a more accessible pop structure with distinct melodies, unexpected rhythms, and compelling lyrics & vocals awash in distortion. It's a potent combination that could put them at the top of Austin's Indie Music head, and ultimately earn them commercial success.

The CD opens with the up-tempo, airplay-ready Cut Throats that manages to be both ominous and bouncy (a true reflection of the times we're living in). It nicely showcases many of the band's core strengths, including the confident, fluid guitar work of David Lujan (who also designed and packaged the entire CD- on of the most beautiful products you're likely to see in this format). The third cut, Talk in Circles, is a dreamy ballad featuring the sweetly melancholy vocals of Singer Mayberry (who also plays bass & keyboards) lushly intertwined with David's more raw and muscular voice, supported by the earthy tom-tom beats of drummer Rich Cali, who takes the admirable 'less is more' approach.

My favorite song on the album just might be St. Charles (I say 'might' because there's a couple of others that are growing on me daily). The manic waltz rhythm, pointed lyrics and haunting, dissonant melody, work their way under the skin then build to an artful crescendo. The effective use of the Farfisa organ sound in The Fight harkens back to some of the best Texas bands of the sixties, and the complex, dynamic arrangement of Frankie Machine shows off their mastery of rock and roll form.

Truly, there's not a bad track on this impeccably self-produced album that poignantly ends with an acoustic lullaby (also a waltz) and the sound of cicadas and barking dogs trailing off in the distance...Texas all the way. See them live at INsite Night at The Beauty Bar on September 23. (A)
-Marsha Mann

https://webspace.utexas.edu/jsm294/insite%20article.jpg - INsite Magazine

"Often, you’ll find a dark and dissonant vibe in the sound of Austin low-fi indie trio Red Leaves, but they’ve got a knack for keeping it uptempo with surprising rhythm. There’s something infectious about melodic arrangements with a sharp post-punk attitude, conveying emotion without getting too sappy.

Expect great things from this band..."
-By Laurie Gallardo • Sep 23rd, 2008

http://texasmusicmatters.kut.org/category/austin-music-minute/ - http://texasmusicmatters.kut.org/2008/09/23/red-leaves-plays-at-beauty-bar-tonight/

"By Road Or Rail is 9 tracks of schizophrenic post-punk that veers from squalls of guitar to throbbing dark new wave to more straight ahead punk clatter from song to song, and sometimes within the same song. There’s a good bit of the Ponys in David Lujan’s guitars and vocals .. Throats” and “Cowboys and Indians”, the two most straight-forward rockers that to open the album. At over 5 minutes long, “Cut Throats” is an audacious and incredibly successful way to break in the ears of a new fan. Bassist Singer Mayberry and Lujan trade lead vocals through the album and the switch from female to male lead, sometimes within the same song, along with the other twisting stylistic changes, keep things exciting. On “The Fight,” Singer Mayberry’s vocals deftly carry a pop chorus that abruptly segues into a dark pump organ outro. Moments later, “Frankie Machine” kicks off with a shriek of David Lujan’s guitar and quickly transforms into pulsing darkness before wrapping up with a soaring finale. As much of the album careens from one influence and whim to another, Rich Cali’s stomping drums keep the Red Leaves’ music from becoming uprooted and tossed in the storm of Mayberry and Lujan’s chaos. All in all, By Road Or Rail is an engaging, exciting listen and a rare find in the mess of post-punk. The Red Leaves are onto something very interesting that hopefully doesn’t get lost in the noise of thousands of other bands’ attempts."
- Marc Perlman, AustinSound.net, September 2008

http://www.austinsound.net/2008/09/09/red-leaves-by-road-or-rail-sr/ - AustinSound.net

Red Leaves drop four on the floor with Trouble in the City of Water, showing how much they've matured musically since 2006's All the Zombies EP. Then, the Austin trio was still finding its sound, dancing awkwardly. Here, on EP No. 3, the now-quartet combines its powers, locking into more structured rhythms and imbuing songs like "Ghost Paws" and "Deadweight" with lovely pop tones.
- Audra Schroeder, The Austin Chronicle, January 2010 - The Austin Chronicle

"...disquieting, experimental rockers...Red Leaves hides out in the dingy corners of Anglophilic post-punk..."
- The Onion, October 2009 - The Onion

RED LEAVES

Disposable Parts

A few years ago I received an EP entitled All The Zombies by Austin band Red Leaves. I thought it was an interesting piece of art-rock but nothing compelled me to review it…. so I used my “I don’t review EPs” excuse and put it aside.

So, a few months ago I received Disposable Parts, a second EP from the band. When I popped it in, I was impressed from the White Stripes-esque “Kill Your Sister” opener to the edgy rock and keys of “Dungeon Dance.” Sure, it’s only 20 minutes from start to finish, but it’s a wild ride through six tracks.

David Lujan’s vocals are reminicient of Alejandro Escovedo in it’s raw energy. Other vocals are provided by Singer Mayberry (who also drives many a song on keyboard).

My personal favorite on the track is “The Clockmaker” as it melds a beautiful melody with sharp lyrics. “I’m all alone again / there’s this ticking in my head / It used to be just now and then / but now it’s got more frequent end.”

While listening to Disposable Parts, I began to think… a lot of poets set their words to music and call them songs, but few make them chillingly beautiful the way they are laid out here.

All I know is I’ve been enjoying the hell out of this disc for the last few months. Want to know more? Catch Red Leaves online at myspace.com/redleaves or live at The Parlor North Loop on August 4 just before they head out on a multi-state tour. (A+) SC

http://www.insiteaustin.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=203&Itemid=85&PHPSESSID=571c23674fb115d6b06b63d040fa4abb - Insite Magazine