All We Seabees

Not many songs came out of Murfreesboro in 2006 with hooks this big. Probably known best for the line, “Catholic girls always want to score,” “Bruin Hunt” is pure foot-stomping poetry.
—Steve Haruch
- Nashville Scene

“Poppy indie-rock outfit All We Seabees self-released their Anne the Snake LP late last year (Pavement fans should take note) to a healthy share of local press love, and are already mixing its likely follow-up, an EP called The Holy Way. In the meantime, band member David Swartout tells us, a bunch of local shows are on the books, along with some regional touring.” (NK) - All The Rage

"With its songs of schoolgirls gone wrong, alcoholic fathers and mother’s little helpers, All We Seabees’ debut LP, Anne The Snake, is a Last Exit to Brooklyn for the indie-rock age. Like the 1964 Hubert Selby, Jr. novel, which takes an unvarnished view of lower-class Brooklyn, The Seabees turn the social and sexual depravity of the Detroit suburbs into unselfconscious commentary. The characters in songs like “Bruin Hunt” are pointed and self-deprecating. Like Selby’s semen-stained barflies, the Seabees’ characters also draw narrative power from moral vacancy and their author’s unwillingness to provide even a glimpse of redemption. Notable, too, is the Seabees’ musical range, which runs from jangly, riff-driven punk to subdued chamber pop. The band recently relocated to Nashville."
—PAUL V. GRIFFITH - Nashville Scene

"Newly transplanted Michigan band All We Seabees now call East Nashville home and have already made some influential fans who have been yapping about the band’s literate indie pop that boasts elements of Clem Snide and Neutral Milk Hotel." - All The Rage

Murfreesboro transplants by way of Motor City, All We Seabees craft fresh, contemporary songs that sound as if they’ve always existed. A good folk song can do that. Just like Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill or Sebadoh before them, All We Seabees manage to translate this achievement into an aesthetic that is quintessentially indie rock. The band’s sets are typically exhibitions in wild eclecticism, shifting styles drastically from straightforward punk to banjo-laden ballads. The variety keeps the listener on his or her toes, never becoming fully cohesive, yet never lacking their signature.
—MATT SULLIVAN
- Nashville Scene

Girl From The North Country



All We Seabees - Lady Alaska

I've mentioned before that one of the things I love about All We Seabees is how they manage to combine so many different styles into a cohesive whole. Their new CD, Lady Alaska is a perfect example of that. There's a hint of psychedelia, and a healthy dose of Irish soul. It has the narrative tradition of folk music and the spirit of indie rock. There's enough twang to keep it honest, but not enough to make it country. The album has a slightly more organic feel than their debut (Anne The Snake) did. That might be a side effect of its origins; it apparently began life intended as an acoustic-y side project, but grew into a band effort. The instrumentation is a bit more ecletic, with healthy doses of banjo, fiddle, accordian, and female harmonies. But as great as the arrangements are, the real strength of the band is the songwriting. "Black Girls" is simply one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard from the local rock scene, and "Painter" gets its emotional impact from the juxtaposition of an utterly depressing story set to a jaunty tune. The fact that they've they've gotten this good on just their second album bodes well for their next CD, which they've already started recording.

All We Seabees - "Weepy Willow Hollow" (mp3)
All We Seabees - "Black Girls" (mp3)*

They'll be playing this Friday, April 4, at Wallstreet in Murfreesboro, along with Hammertorch and Cheyenne.

* This is a slightly different mix from the album version, but I didn't feel like burning another MP3. Yeah, I was feeling THAT lazy last night. Besides, alternate versions are fun, yo.
Labels: albums, locals


posted by Darrin @ 4/02/2008 0 comments links to this post - page300blog

Seabees Can Do



The last time I mentioned All We Seabees on here, I said that they might my new favorite local band. I've seen them twice since then, and the verdict is in... they are definitely my fave Nashville outfit out there right now. They just seem to have everything I love about music all wrapped up in one tidy package. Their live sets are equal parts folky strum and distortion laden walls of sound. The songs are quirky enough to be interesting but catchy enough to stay stuck in your head for days. With splashes of banjo and female harmonies, their arrangements keep you wondering where they're going to go next without sounding schizophrenic. It's pop music with a hint of Celtic ache, and rock music with a healthy dose of drunken charm.

All We Seabees -"Bruin Hunt" (mp3) from Anne The Snake
All We Seabees - "Black Girls" (mp3) from Flounder And Hoot (not yet released)

They'll be going into a sort of winter hibernation starting next month, but you have a couple of chances to catch them before they wind down for the year. They play this Saturday, November 10 at Springwater, along with Save Macaulay and Angus Whyte & The Irish Rednecks. They'll also be taking the stage at Mercy Lounge for 8 of 8th on Monday, November 19, with a lineup that also includes Ghostfinger and Hands Down Eugene.
Labels: locals


posted by Darrin @ 11/09/2007 - page300blog

Favorite Songs of '07 - #20

All We Seabees - "Black Girls"

I think I'm going to remember 2007 as the year I got into the Nashville music scene. Yes, I've been talking about local bands and musicians since I started the blog (and my radio show on WRVU), but this is the year I really got out there and took advantage of the music this town has to offer. In a year when I saw more performances than maybe the past few years combined (I don't have the final count yet, but it's something like 90 shows, two festivals, and about 190 different bands/performers), I actually spent most of my time checking out local music, and almost half of the acts I saw in 2007 were Nashville or Murfreesboro-based (seriously, I think the exact number is 79). I love the fact that at least every month - and almost every week - I'm learning about, hearing or seeing someone new, someone who is crazy talented and making excellent music right here in Nashville.

All We Seabees is one of those bands I "discovered" earlier this year - in fact I saw them for the first time less than six months ago, and since then I've seen them another four times. In that short amount of time they've definitely become one of my favorite Nashville acts, not to mention four of my favorite guys in the local music scene, and I hope that everyone will be hearing much more about them very, very soon. This song, "Black Girls," is taken from a promo CD the band handed out at this year's Next Big Nashville, and it will hopefully appear on a new album in 2008. It's definitely one of the most beautiful songs I've heard this year, which is why it made my top 20. - outtheother blog