crinkles

Brooklyn five-piece Crinkles shared its latest video today for “Elevator”, complete with download and album art for their forthcoming debut Loss Leader.

The guys will depart on a handful of northeastern dates in late March before landing back in Brooklyn to open for the SOLD OUT Cloud Nothings show at Glasslands on 3/28.
- POPGUN Booking

There’s just something about the out-of-tune organ patch being used here that takes this track through an experiment on the soul-genre and its entire percussion-manifested state. The accompanying vocals fill it all to the brim and there’s a suited feeling to track it all in through. Jon Campolo has something very interesting here with Crinkles and I hope it continues to unfold. [Visual Counterpart]


Stream a bit more over @ Crinkles’ Bandcamp - AWD CASTLES

Crinkles - Quartz

Hand-made analogue films are a rare treat these days, but this stunning work by Sean Hanley is extremely impressive. Shot on Kodak Tri-x 7266 and Hi-Con 7368 16mm film, hand-processed with D-76… hella righteous.

The ‘nu-Americana slash empty punk’ sounds come from Brooklyn by way of Burlington, Vermont. They’ve got a new EP out called Italian Ice on their own noise/pop label HEAVYPET. Thinking they’re onto something real good. - YVYNYL

Wednesday's Stuff We LikeCrinkles - Italian Ice EPNEW BAND OF THE WEEK! Insound staffers seek out new music constantly. Between the hundreds of music submissions we get per week and the new bands and labels we're always reaching out to, we stumble upon some really great stuff. Each week, we will be picking one lesser-known band that we particularly love. This week, Anna gets ready for warmer weather with the sunny sounds of Crinkles.

Spring is the worst season. People talk about the sun coming out, and the spring flowers but no, fuck that. It’s all rain and allergies and you know it. Have you seen the forecast for all of May? It was the equivalent of taking a gray crayon and just coloring all over. I, for one, can not wait until June 21st when I may have to suffer through a bit of humidity just to see some sunshine. Since I have about a month to go, and that rapture business never happened, I think it’s prime time to immerse myself in some wholehearted indie pop music. Fun and accessible enough for easy listening, but sans the over the top production and autotune of that other pop stuff – in other words, perfect summer music for daydreaming and lounging and experiencing live. Crinkles first caught my eye (or I guess ear?) because of their undeniable similarities to Beach Fossils who completely took over my last.fm charts 11 months ago. They’re five guys, transplanted from Vermont, thrown into the giant pool of every band that calls themselves a Brooklyn band, but man do they have their shit together. Maybe I’m jaded, but it was incredibly refreshing to wander into a live show of an “up and coming” band and not have to be like “yep, sounds like that battles of the bands show I saw in HS.”

Will Crinkles take over the spot of Modest Mouse and the Decemberists and every other artist I can listen to on loop, any time any season? No, probably not. But their Italian Ice EP is an amazing intro to a band that one day could. They’ve already opened for Beach Fossils, and they play a local show every week or so, so a steady incline in appreciation for these guys is sure to amass. If I were you, I’d start with “Forgetter,” close your eyes and swim away into a blissful ignorance of the outside world with snippets of all the live summer music you’ll be seeing – which, with any luck, will hopefully be at least half as enjoyable as seeing these guys live.

- By Anna Krukowska - Insound.com

The band Crinkles describe themselves as “men influenced by chocolate” – a.k.a. men I’d love to be friends with. They even make their own brand of wine called Crinkleswine. With that eccentric description and their woodsy, nu-Americana sound, listeners are sure to fall in friend-love as well. We had the chance to chat with Andy Chugg (rhythm guitar) about their humble Boston beginnings, the resurgence of radio, and where you can see them live next.

When/How did you first start playing music?

Dan (vocals, lead guitar), Nick (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard) and I all played together in a thrash band in Boston called Crippled Minister (the band dismantled after a mildly unsuccessful residency in Edinburgh, Scotland). Jon (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard, drums) and Nick, being brothers, have played music together since their earliest days. We didn’t start playing regularly until we all moved to Brooklyn in the summer of 2010 (we brought Kyle (bass, drums) on then, too, who we also know from Boston, and appreciate for his casual style of dress). The current incarnation of Crinkles was begotten just a few months ago.

What’s the best gig you ever played?

Probably playing two shows in one night with Mt. Eerie in Burlington, Vermont. It was nice and intimate and everybody was wine drunk before anybody even started playing.

How has social media effected the way you market/promote your music?

With all of these new tools, it’s both easier and harder to promote ourselves–easy to put music out there, easy for people to access it, and easy to put bogus blog entries up at rapid speeds, but hard in the sense that it is monopolized by a few larger online institutions. We are looking forward to a dramatic shift towards sites like Bandcamp and the glorious (but now mostly defunct) Muxtape.
It’s hard to increase the signal to noise ratio, to get at the good stuff with the abundance of mediocre stuff in the way (ourselves often times included).

What’s your prediction for the next big advancement in how we find/listen
to/share music?

Right now, bloggers and music fans with a significant online presence are almost completely in charge of what independent music people are listening to in the since that their ideas and opinions are consolidated by sites like Hypemachine and Grooveshark. At this point we are in support of that. In the future, it would be really nice to see a renaissance in independent FM and AM radio – especially considering the Amateur Radio Bill that just re-entered congress. Either way, we are likely to see the complete collapse of Myspace within the next few months.

What’s your next big gig coming up? When/Where?

On February 20th we are playing with Widowspeak and Poison Control Center at Mercury Lounge in Manhattan. That should be a real fun one. We will be selling our custom variety of wines: Crinkleswine. The red is good and the white sucks but is a great gift for your underage little sister.
Check out more on Crinkles here. - Sonicbids.com

Crinkles, Italian Ice EP
Album Review
BY DAN BOLLES [01.12.11]

(Heavypet, CD, digital download)

The story of Burlington-born act Crinkles is one of sporadic, enigmatic excellence. In 2008, they released their self-titled debut EP to virtually no fanfare, as if it simply materialized out of thin air. The EP made a featherlight but indelible mark before Crinkles once again evaporated into the ether. The following year, the band released a 10-inch vinyl single of that EP’s signature cut, “Nightlife,” as well as another EP, Reemed. The latter was a remix project, helmed by four separate artists who infused the band’s music with a distinct electro ethos. That EP’s closing track, a dreamy psych-pop take on “Nightlife” by the One AM Radio, seems to have provided a sonic touchstone for their newest release, Italian Ice EP. A lush exposition of sun-bleached art-rock, the EP is a solar flare, a flash of signal-scattering brilliance that further deepens the wondrous mystery that is Crinkles.

Since last we heard them, Crinkles have relocated to Brooklyn. With Kyle Kabel added to the original lineup of Nicholas and Jonathan Campolo, Dan Crosby and Andrew Chugg, the group is now a quintet. As on its debut offering, the band employs a shared approach to singing and songwriting. The EP’s six tracks feature four different lead vocalists and were penned by three separate writers. However, no individual songwriting or performance credits are listed, which suggests a sort of collective brain trust, an idea strengthened by the project’s seamless cohesion. Thematically and sonically, it is a fluid work in spite of the many hands that helped mold it.

“Bend” leads off and presents the low-key, reverb-washed aesthetic that largely defines the record. Fans of Real Estate should find plenty to latch onto here. With waves of ringing guitar and shimmering electro tones, the song boasts a breezy ambience similar to that of the band’s 2008 self-titled debut. But this is hardly mimicry, or otherwise symptomatic of indie Brooklynitis. Rather, the song’s serpentine riffs and cavernous feel seem like a natural extension, or perhaps a brightening, of the darker ideas explored on Crinkles’ initial outing.

“Lamb” ratchets up the intensity as the band balances shifting reverb with ragged distortion. The hard-driving tune is the record’s most explosive cut and a definite highlight.

“Quartz” teases the electro influence from Reemed before blooming into a jangly, kaleidoscopic gem.
The title track is unbridled, summery pop. Laid-back, dreamy and with clear nods to 1960s beach rock, it’s as soothing and thirst quenching as its namesake.
“Forgetter” brings the mood back down in a swirl of yawning organ and probing guitar; a staccato bass line counters the melancholy vocal work adorning the track’s upper atmosphere.

The EP closes on “Hot Doubt,” which corrals the project’s various sonic themes into a tumbling, unpredictable maelstrom before dissipating in an exhausted conclusion. It’s a fine finish to yet another breathtaking release from Crinkles.
Crinkles’ Italian Ice EP is available for download at crinkles.heavypet.us. The band performs at the Monkey House this Sunday, January 16, with the Capstan Shafts. - Seven Days

CRINKLES – Sampler!
A major highlight of my disheveled/ quick visit to CMJ this year was meeting up with the CRINKLES crew at The Cake Shop and snagging a sampler disc of their upcoming album. That and finding a place to sleep.

>>>> download <<<<

deep. keep an eye/ ear out.

….. .. …..

If you happen to be in NYC - CRINKLES have a few gigs lined up as of now with some up and coming Vermont acts thrown in the mix.

NOV. 19th – ZEBULON ( Brooklyn ) – w. Maryse Smith ( band ) + SULTAN

DEC. 12th – CAKE SHOP ( NYC ) – w. tooth ache. - DUCKTAILS – darlings - Angioplasty Media

Album Review

By Dan Bolles [09.30.09]
(Heavypet, vinyl, digital download)

Is any local outfit more of an enigma than Crinkles [1]? The quartet showed up on the Burlington landscape last year with a brilliant self-titled debut EP, which landed squarely on this scribe’s top-10 list of Vermont-made recordings in 2008. And then? Well, not much. Just as quickly as they had appeared, the band receded into the shadows from whence they presumably came. Yes, there were occasional whispers that Crinkles were playing a gig here or there. But mostly they disappeared from view … until now. Sort of.

Earlier this summer, the band finished work on a two-song 10-inch called Nightlife. Side A features a more muscular, higher-fidelity version of the song “Nightlife,” a highlight of their aforementioned debut EP. Side B offers “Thief Eye,” which represents a chilling addition to the band’s mysterious oeuvre.

Crinkles also released a remix EP, Reemed, a project essentially helmed by four other notable outfits — one of whom is local. The EP comprises two new versions of “Nightlife,” another take on “Thief Eye” and “MDG,” a version of “Minds Do Go,” also from their debut EP. So, clearly, Crinkles haven’t exactly been resting on their laurels in the last year and a half. But then again, they kinda have. Confused? Good.

The first “Nightlife” redux comes to us from Vermont DJ Mike Device. He reconstructs, or perhaps, deconstructs the tune as a murky house anthem. It shouldn’t work, but it somehow does. The song’s moody atmospherics — in particular, the languid tones of vocalist Nicholas Campolo — lend themselves nicely to Device’s hypnotic trance beats.

Yes Giantess’ electro-pop version of “Thief Eye” is a bewildering standout. I’ve questioned the artistic validity of Auto-Tune as much as anyone this side of Jay-Z. But I’m coming around. Much as reverb (Jim James apologists) and double voicing (Elliott Smith fans) were before it, Auto-Tune is merely another weapon in a producer’s arsenal. And here, it’s deadly.

Electro outfit Moscow obliterates almost any recognizable themes from the original version of “Minds Do Go,” hence it’s “MDG” here. It’s not a bad listen, per se — especially if you have 13 minutes to spare and glowsticks to twirl. But what makes the preceding remixes of particular interest is how each artist reconfigures the source material, which Moscow essentially abandons.

This brings us to the One AM Radio’s psychedelic-pop version of “Nightlife.” In a word: Whoa. In a few more, this is the finest cut on the EP and puts an exclamation point — or maybe a question mark? — on another provocative release from the confounding curiosity that is Crinkles.

Nightlife 10” and Reemed are both available via Crinkles’ website: crinkles.heavypet.us [2]. - Seven Days VT

Seven Days' music editor picks the best of the year
BY DAN BOLLES [12.24.08]

Crinkles — Crinkles EP
In Memory Of Pluto — Cutting Open The Fiction
My First Days On Junk — No Order
Farm — The Cave
Japhy Ryder — No Consequence
Seth Eames — Two Moons Pullin’ Down On Me
Hungrytown — Hungrytown
The Fatal Flaws — Scragged
Lendway — The Low Red End
Forrest Mulerath — Screaming Homemade Prayers In A Madman’S House

2008 proved to be yet another intriguing year in the evolution of Vermont-made music. For some time now, a stunning array of styles has emerged from all corners of the Green Mountain State. But it’s likely that at no point in the state’s history has the sheer variety of localvore music been so dynamic. To wit . . .

Americana has held significant sway in the hearts and minds of Vermonters since forever. And with stellar releases from the likes of bluegrass outfit Big Spike, folksy trio Bread & Bones, newcomers Erin McDermott & The Dixie Red Delights, “cosmic Americans” Red Hot Juba and a host of others, there was plenty of hot pickin’ and sweet harmony to choose from this year. A trio of releases — a “Best Of,” a live album and a nifty 45 — from rockabilly stalwarts Starline Rhythm Boys didn’t hurt, either. Nor did excellent indie-folk and singer-songwriter fare from the likes of Paddy Reagan, Shawn Grady, Jenny Montana, Jay Ekis and expats Avi & Celia.

Similarly, jazz has long been a Vermont staple. In particular, works from psychotropical collective Gua Gua, legendary avant-garde trumpeter Bill Dixon, improv provocateurs Ari Diaconis & Anthony Santor, and a pair of offerings from the Patton clan — Will and daughter Anna — kept hepcats and purists alike groovin’ through Jazz Fest and beyond. The best new “Vermont” band not actually from Vermont, Afro-funk ingénues Rubblebucket Orchestra, checked in with a top-notch debut as well.

Hip-hop — in Vermont? Yes. Get over it already — continued to thrive as VT Union and Burnt MD & Tha Professor both released superb followups to their 2007 releases. And a heady EP from The Algorhythms made us long for the return of prodigal MC Thirtyseven.

As remarkable as the wealth of releases in those genres — and others — was, the real story this year was the triumphant return of capital “R” Rock to the Green Mountains. The volume in Vermont hasn’t been turned this high since Burlington’s halcyon alt-rock heyday in the 1990s and — sacrilege alert! — maybe not even then. In both quantity and quality, rock music dominated in 2008. And with an unprecedented breadth of stylistic variety, the rejuvenated rock scene served as a microcosm for the entirety of Vermont music.

From the straight-ahead forays of Elephantbear and Maneuvers to devilish outings from harmonicore hooligans Cccome?, subversive aesthete Mickey Western and ironic-metal newbies Cherry Cassette, there was nary a, um, rock unturned. Indie-pop? How ’bout some Smittens? Punk? Pop-punk (Hello Control) or old school (Y69)? Dirty, retro psychedelia? King Tuff, Blues & Lasers. Alt-rock? The New Year. Prog-rock? Bad Suit. Alt-country? (Yeah, it’s still rock.) Lonestar Chain. And that’s to say nothing of striking releases from expats (Pretty & Nice) and pseudo-Vermont acts (The Powder Kegs).

To quote Ol’ Blue Eyes: For rock fans, it was a very good year, indeed. And with impending releases from the likes of The Cush, Cannon Fodder and Husbands AKA, 2009 looks to continue the trend. Rock on.

This “Top 10” list represents some of the finest recorded material released this year, according to this critic and this critic alone. I’m sure most regular readers and local music connoisseurs will have their own. And that’s the great thing about our cozy but increasingly broad music scene: There’s something to please almost anyone. These are merely the discs — and downloads! and records! — that pleased me.

As always, the selections are presented in no particular order; they’re just 10 great recordings from a sparkling year in Vermont music. Thanks for listening. - Seven Days VT

Crinkles, Crinkles

Album Review
By Dan Bolles [05.28.08]
(Self-released, electronic download)

Ah, the Internet age. As physical music conveyances such as CDs, records and tapes — remember tapes? — go the way of the dodo, electronic downloads are becoming more and more popular as an inexpensive, efficient way of distributing music. The ease and accessibility of online distribution means more artists than ever before have the opportunity to be heard by larger audiences. It is unquestionably a great advance for musicians and their fans. The downside? More bad music.

With the overwhelming flood of auditory options now available, any delusional hack with a six string and a computer can unleash his or her latest bedroom recording on our unprepared ears. Sifting through the detritus can be an intimidating and frustrating task, which makes finding that proverbial "diamond in the rough" — such as the self-titled debut EP from Burlington-based quartet Crinkles — all the more satisfying.

The album begins with the lilting "Real Science." It's a mellow tune with lazily strummed acoustic guitar and minimal percussion. Drummer Jonathan Campolo handles vocal duties and delivers Sam Pettibon's lyrics with an easy charm reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, but minus the dour Scotsman's propensity for gloom.

"Nightlife" follows with guitarist Nicholas Campolo — who penned the lyrics — taking over front-man duties. It's a more driving number than the opener, and Nicholas Campolo's delivery has more in common with The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt. The change is a touch jarring on first listen, but it works well on repeated plays.

Nicholas Campolo also wrote the next track, "Minds Do Go." Here, the band opens up a bit with a slow-burning, harmony-driven tune that eventually resolves into a nifty little jangly guitar indie-rock nugget.

The mournful instrumental "Lost Pet" follows and serves as decent interlude, setting up the album's final cuts, "Red Raspberry" and "Sugar on Snow." The former, also an instrumental, begins with a quirky MIDI line that eerily recalls the melody from the traditional French children's song, "Frère Jacques." The tune essentially blends into the closer, which is the finest cut on the record — can we still call it a record? Jonathan's Campolo's pleading tenor delivers strikingly poetic lyrics while the band surrounds him in a wash of delicate sound. Here, each piece of the puzzle that is Crinkles comes together perfectly, as if the rest of the EP is meant only to frame the final act. It's an intimately affecting and oddly uplifting number and wonderful curtain call for a true gem of an album.
Crinkles is available for free download at www.browntowndotcom.com/CRINKLES

Published on Seven Days (http://www.7dvt.com)
http://www.7dvt.com/2008crinkles-crinkles - Seven Days VT

In today's internet world (the internet!) remixes are not just a marketing ploy, they get you in front of a different audience. For Crinkles, a Boston/Vermont/NY project of soft, languorous mood pop, it remakes the sound entirely. After the release of their "Nightlife" EP to great acclaim and buzz, following it up with some pop-dance numbers is a smart move. So is getting hyped local group Yes Giantess to do one of them. YG takes "Thief Eye" and breaks it down into a post-club wonder featuring wobbly synth stabs and Doctor Who soundtrack funk. The "Nightlife" single gets two interpretations, the first club-ready as DJ Mike Device rocks a B-more beat and disco shuffle, while The 1AM Radio version should really have been done by The 4AM Radio, it's that mellow. The nicest surprise here is the nearly 13-minute remix of "MDG" done by some cat named Moscow. Stunning, cut-up four-minute dancefloor jams are cool, but what indie pop needs to embrace more of are those lengthy workouts. It's a little rough-hewn and robotic, but leave it on in the background and see if you don't find yourself clicking over to your iTunes once or twice during its endless groove. - Boston's Weekly Dig