Ashpark
Boston, Massachusetts, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Ashpark's This Condition takes second place in weekly Top 5 poll. - WZLX
Ashpark's This Condition takes second place in weekly Top 5 poll. - WZLX
Ashpark was voted alternativeaddiction.com's Indie Spotlight Unsigned Band of the Month for January 2011! - alternativeaddiction.com
Ashpark was voted alternativeaddiction.com's Indie Spotlight Unsigned Band of the Month for January 2011! - alternativeaddiction.com
Everything is coming up Ashpark, it seems. They’re playing live at the Best Buy on Newbury Street on February 18, first of all. This is impressive in its own right - when’s the last time you played anything more impressive than a Playstation at Best Buy? But before their moment in Best Buy, they’ll have a moment Thursday night when they play Anngelle Wood’s Louder Now Boston New Music Series at T.T. The Bear’s Side Stage with M.G. Lederman Band, as well as Brittany Gray (that’s right, the Brittany Gray whose song we featured back in December) as well as Hello Ninja, who we most recently heard from also in December. And now you’re hearing from Ashpark now. See how that works?
If we are to attempt to solve “The Riddle,” we must identify its various parts. And they are moving parts. “The Riddle” is a musical example of perpetual motion, constantly whirring, rolling and tumbling around like a gyroscope attached to a slinky going over Niagra Falls but never, ever hitting the bottom.
In this particular equation, the vocal is the steady spin of the gyroscope. Ashpark’s Keane-esque vocal melody is like glass in that it is totally smooth and clear. It is very unlike glass in that it does not sound breakable in any way - you could hang your winter coat on it and not worry about anything hitting the floor. The airy outer portion of the mix is composed of a weather system of ringing guitars and a tumbling mix of of bass and drums holding down the bottom end.
Ashpark’s contemporary sound further streamlines this track - everything in “The Riddle” is fresh and crisp - it retains that new song smell well after it has played a few times. The song’s lack of sharp edges is what keeps it so mobile and so aerodynamic, allowing it to travel at high velocity to and through your ears. This is a good thing. - Boston Band Crush.com - Awesome Inc.
Ashpark received enough votes to make second place following the debut of the "The Riddle" over the Boston airwaves on 12/12/10. - WZLX Boston
Ashpark received enough votes to make second place following the debut of the "The Riddle" over the Boston airwaves on 12/12/10. - WZLX Boston
Discography
Not The Only One (Single) - July 2013
Life in Satellites (LP) - March 2012
Photos
Bio
Your songs keep singing in my head…
The band’s music is an eclectic form of melodic rock and experimental technology-driven effects that craft a unique sound with both an edge and an intimacy. The songs feature atmospheric textures and introspective lyrics, with distinct and driving rhythms.
Ashpark was formed in Boston in 2008 as a collaboration of Ariel Aparicio’s songwriting and guitar, Josh Jordan’s thunderous bass and piano, Chris Barnes’ classically-trained drums and Chris Burke’s echo-driven guitar. The band began crafting their songs as a blend of dream pop and driving rock, and soon after started playing local venues.
2010 saw significant time spent in the studio with producer Chris McLaughlin of Studio 1867, as well as Brian Charles and Annie Hoffman of Zippah Studios, further developing the band’s sound. In March of 2012 after months of careful crafting and with helpful guidance from Jim Gilbert of The Sheila Divine, the band released their debut full-length album, Life in Satellites. Several tracks from LiS including “The Riddle,” “Slow Breaths,” “Move Forward” and “This Condition” received significant airplay on WZLX’s Boston Emissions as well as numerous college stations across the country.
Following the departure of Josh in 2012, the band has been focused on writing new music tapping into more electronic and dance influences, mixing elements of dubstep with rock, trance with pop to create a unique sound. Ashpark worked closely with new producer Taylor Barefoot throughout early 2013 to craft two new singles: “Not The Only One” and “Found Escape”, both slated for release in summer 2013.
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