Ella Minnow

Ella Minnow - "We Got Moves"

Longtime Denton rockers, Ella Minnow released a slow-burner of a track this week. This duet, dubbed We Got Moves" (we’re hypothesizing that it’s the “We” part of their new single, “We and Them”), starts off slow with a slight western twang and some reverb-laden guitar before making way into the dueling male/female vocals. Eventually, they lead the way into the rest of the tune that kinda sounds as if an old surf rock record got played at the wrong speed, but in a good way. As the song goes on, it starts to give off a later era Jesse Sykes-vibe and that ain’t a bad thing either. - We Denton Do It

By Rachel Watts / For Little d After Dark

Published: 09 July 2012 08:17 AM

Known for its vast range in prog rock and frequently filled-to-the-brim songs, the five-year-old Denton group Ella Minnow has finally found restraint. And it’s a good look on them.

The group’s recently released fifth album, Honey Sweet Devils, showcases Ella Minnow’s growth from a band using every trick in its (very large) book into a seven-piece force that creates more focused, solid songs.

“We’ve calmed down a bit,” guitarist Corbin Childs said. “I guess that happens when you get older. Our earlier stuff is a lot more rowdy, I guess. We weren’t very good at leaving space.”

With Honey Sweet Devils, Ella Minnow has stayed true to its busy, creative songwriting style rather than undergo a total overhaul, opting instead to refine the method to members’ madness.

“Initially, it was all about cramming every sound into the limited space of a recording,” keyboardist Trey Price said, “and we’ve come from there to understanding how delicate we can place a melody across a verse or chorus and try not to crowd it out with too much irrelevant noise.”

After recording each track separately failed to yield the energetic sound they wanted, band members got together and live-tracked most of the rhythm and guitars in Childs’ living room — in true Denton fashion.

“Every release has been a marker along the way to show what we were working on and what we had in mind at the time,” Price said.

Cohesion and women were two such things on their mind in Honey Sweet Devils. After adding two female vocalists to the group a couple of years ago, Price said, the group’s sound evolved and fans took notice.

“People responded to the girls, so we became full-time members of the band,” vocalist Tiffany Graber said. “I think that the success of Ella Minnow grows with every album and every year.”

Graber said the first things that struck her about the band were its standout vocals, incorporation of many instruments and wide-ranging sound.

The same principles apply to the group’s newest album, as it weaves in and out of musical styles — from psychedelic surf to progressive rock to country music — in an ever-changing fashion that’s become Ella Minnow’s credo.

RACHEL WATTS enjoys participating in the local music scene and co-owns a small independent record label called I Love Math Records. She lives in Denton.
TRACK FOR TRACK: Honey Sweet Devils



Push, Push

As the song’s low tones and sex-clad keys slowly ease you into busier guitar riffs and a growing tempo change, lead vocals prompt trouble with argumentative lyrics. “Push, Push” is the epitome of the push and pull present in a battle of the sexes, as exemplified through the instigating male vocals and provocative retort by the challenging all-female harmony.



Alone

The momentum of this somewhat sedating, psychedelic surfer-rock song steadily grows from ambivalent vocals into angst-filled cries, accented by decrescendos into what can only be described as the dusty, desertscape sounds of a good Tarantino flick.



Lover’s Thread

A complete surprise to the album’s repertoire of songs, “Lover’s Thread” shocks your senses with a feel-good country love song upbeat enough to two-step to. The twangle-dangle of guitar, overlain by brass horns, makes this ballad-esque country tune a horse of a different color. - Denton Record Chronicle

…and sassy, with a full crowd at Sweetwater Grill and Tavern at 10:30 p.m., the band Ella Minnow invited many with their playful sound.

The large band of seven: two female singers, one male singer and bass player, along with male keyboardist, two guitar players, and a drummer, had a unanimous vibe of passion and energy. Ella Minnow pleased the crowd and the long line of listeners outside the door with their smooth blend of male and female harmonies alongside their many exciting tempo changes.

Mirroring the crowd with their body language and enthusiasm, the band members drank and sang, inviting a welcoming experience for the audience to take part in. The well-versed crowd sang all the words alongside the band, closing their eyes and openly feeling the grooves of the gliding tunes.

Though the band wasn’t able to play all nine songs that they had planned, due to time constraints, the audience was left obviously satisfied with a cheering applaud. - NT Daily

For the past three years, Ella Minnow has released some of the most underappreciated indie rock in the area. - KDGE 102.1

For the past three years, Ella Minnow has released some of the most underappreciated indie rock in the area. - KDGE 102.1

So what if Ella Minnow’s latest recording has just six tracks on it? There’s enough sound and sophistication for both longtime fans and newcomers to parse on Red Beard, a record that has plenty of bang for its thrifty buck.

There would have been more, said keyboardist Trey Price, but the people behind Ella Minnow can be exacting when it comes to their own music.

“It’s taken us a year and a half to record this one,” Price said. “We trashed half of the songs we planned to put on it. There were glitches on some of them and we just didn’t like the way some of them turned out.”

Conor Wallace, the lead singer and one of the band’s two guitarists, said a software shift accounted for some of the songs on the cutting room floor. The band recorded and will release Red Beard independently.

“We’d moved from using Apple Logic to Reaper [recording software], and we lost some of the songs in that transition,” Wallace said.

Minnow fans who have followed the band from its 2005 founding will notice that the group is making more substantial sound.

“I think we’re writing more democratically, but also more selfishly,” Wallace said. “What I mean by that is that, yeah, we’re all working on the songs we write, but we’re also writing music that we want to write. We’re making music for ourselves.”

In other words, the band is writing what they know. Wallace grew up influenced by his parents’ involvement in Denton’s light opera and musical theater companies, hence the moodiness of songs like “Black Apple” and “Storm System,” both creating a theatrical atmosphere with rock opera flourishes. Price is grooving on old school blues and prog rock these days, which come through in occasional piano chords that hearken back to ragtime or veer into flashes of jazz. In “Indian Giver,” drummer Stephen Reynolds’ love of hip-hop rhythms comes to the surface not with a booing bass, but by changing the track’s energy with snare and cymbal. Hip-hop might be known for throbbing bass beats, but the form also feeds melody on the treble end of things.

Red Beard is bigger in vocals, too. The addition of Courtney Marie and Tiffany Graber gives the record a more ethereal feeling than it would have if it was just Wallace’s tenor (which sounds a bit like Aussie Dave Faulkner of the Hoodoo Gurus, though Wallace has more rasp in his pipes.)

“People really like the girls singing with us,” Price said. “We had added the women to the band after the last recording, and we thought it was going to be one of those things where they’d record on this album and then be gone, but they stuck around, and we’re really glad they did. People responded to it big time.”

Marie and Graber’s contributions bring an occasional nostalgia to Red Beard, especially on the hook-laden, uber-catchy “Storm System.”

Marie and Graber’s sweet sopranos bounce along with the sunny melody, making it sound like a back-to-the-1950s ditty about a boy meeting a girl. The lyrics, though, are totally 2011 — they hardly mean to have squeaky-clean fun at the sock hop. A storm rages outside and in — don’t let the melody mislead you.

“I like the idea of something big, lots of voices, and there is a lot of unison singing on the album,” Wallace said. “I grew up around community theater, and heard a lot of chorus singing. My mom [Linda Wallace] was the president of the board of Music Theatre of Denton, so that was a major part of our lives. People can tell I like musicals when they hear this stuff.”

In its prior incarnations, Ella Minnow was Wallace on vocals, using “timbres that are almost feminine,” Price on a hefty Rhodes keyboard, Josh Kitchens on a loud bass and Stephen Reynolds on drums. Wallace recalled being in high school and catching shows, and the scene being different.

“In high school, when you’d go to a show, everyone was moving. Our drummer, Stephen always says: ‘Motion breeds emotion.’ I thought you could tell that a band was really good because everyone was moving. Now, you go to shows, and people just sort of stand there and watch. I’ve always been of the mind that, when I get up there, I want to make people move,” Wallace said.

The musicians said they’re proud to have put out their fourth recording, and to have produced it according to their own tastes and intentions. The band burned the first run of the recording in its studio, lovingly called the bat cave.

“It’s like a weird drug,” Wallace said. “You’re trying to recreate the feeling when you saw your first rock show when you make music. You’re trying to capture that same feeling as when you first realized how much music could be to you. To me, the songs are all kind of fluid, and recording can sort of end that. Once you get it recorded, you can’t take off with it on stage anymore, because people want to sing with you.

“People want to sing together.”

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com . - Denton Record Chronicle

So what if Ella Minnow’s latest recording has just six tracks on it? There’s enough sound and sophistication for both longtime fans and newcomers to parse on Red Beard, a record that has plenty of bang for its thrifty buck.

There would have been more, said keyboardist Trey Price, but the people behind Ella Minnow can be exacting when it comes to their own music.

“It’s taken us a year and a half to record this one,” Price said. “We trashed half of the songs we planned to put on it. There were glitches on some of them and we just didn’t like the way some of them turned out.”

Conor Wallace, the lead singer and one of the band’s two guitarists, said a software shift accounted for some of the songs on the cutting room floor. The band recorded and will release Red Beard independently.

“We’d moved from using Apple Logic to Reaper [recording software], and we lost some of the songs in that transition,” Wallace said.

Minnow fans who have followed the band from its 2005 founding will notice that the group is making more substantial sound.

“I think we’re writing more democratically, but also more selfishly,” Wallace said. “What I mean by that is that, yeah, we’re all working on the songs we write, but we’re also writing music that we want to write. We’re making music for ourselves.”

In other words, the band is writing what they know. Wallace grew up influenced by his parents’ involvement in Denton’s light opera and musical theater companies, hence the moodiness of songs like “Black Apple” and “Storm System,” both creating a theatrical atmosphere with rock opera flourishes. Price is grooving on old school blues and prog rock these days, which come through in occasional piano chords that hearken back to ragtime or veer into flashes of jazz. In “Indian Giver,” drummer Stephen Reynolds’ love of hip-hop rhythms comes to the surface not with a booing bass, but by changing the track’s energy with snare and cymbal. Hip-hop might be known for throbbing bass beats, but the form also feeds melody on the treble end of things.

Red Beard is bigger in vocals, too. The addition of Courtney Marie and Tiffany Graber gives the record a more ethereal feeling than it would have if it was just Wallace’s tenor (which sounds a bit like Aussie Dave Faulkner of the Hoodoo Gurus, though Wallace has more rasp in his pipes.)

“People really like the girls singing with us,” Price said. “We had added the women to the band after the last recording, and we thought it was going to be one of those things where they’d record on this album and then be gone, but they stuck around, and we’re really glad they did. People responded to it big time.”

Marie and Graber’s contributions bring an occasional nostalgia to Red Beard, especially on the hook-laden, uber-catchy “Storm System.”

Marie and Graber’s sweet sopranos bounce along with the sunny melody, making it sound like a back-to-the-1950s ditty about a boy meeting a girl. The lyrics, though, are totally 2011 — they hardly mean to have squeaky-clean fun at the sock hop. A storm rages outside and in — don’t let the melody mislead you.

“I like the idea of something big, lots of voices, and there is a lot of unison singing on the album,” Wallace said. “I grew up around community theater, and heard a lot of chorus singing. My mom [Linda Wallace] was the president of the board of Music Theatre of Denton, so that was a major part of our lives. People can tell I like musicals when they hear this stuff.”

In its prior incarnations, Ella Minnow was Wallace on vocals, using “timbres that are almost feminine,” Price on a hefty Rhodes keyboard, Josh Kitchens on a loud bass and Stephen Reynolds on drums. Wallace recalled being in high school and catching shows, and the scene being different.

“In high school, when you’d go to a show, everyone was moving. Our drummer, Stephen always says: ‘Motion breeds emotion.’ I thought you could tell that a band was really good because everyone was moving. Now, you go to shows, and people just sort of stand there and watch. I’ve always been of the mind that, when I get up there, I want to make people move,” Wallace said.

The musicians said they’re proud to have put out their fourth recording, and to have produced it according to their own tastes and intentions. The band burned the first run of the recording in its studio, lovingly called the bat cave.

“It’s like a weird drug,” Wallace said. “You’re trying to recreate the feeling when you saw your first rock show when you make music. You’re trying to capture that same feeling as when you first realized how much music could be to you. To me, the songs are all kind of fluid, and recording can sort of end that. Once you get it recorded, you can’t take off with it on stage anymore, because people want to sing with you.

“People want to sing together.”

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com . - Denton Record Chronicle

Ella Minnow took the stage next, and instantly the vibe changed with the introduction of one important element: familiarity. It was clear that many in the audience were not merely fans, but also friends. The party had suddenly turned into one of dancing and singing with people you know and love, and boy was that feeling contagious. As the band played mostly cuts from last year’s Ella Minnowtaur, the audience (at its peak size of the concert) was clearly absorbed in Ella Minnow’s quirky grooves and enjoying themselves thoroughly.

Musically, the 7-piece alt-rock outfit is a vocal powerhouse. For better or for worse, lead vocals can make or break a band, and Ella Minnow understands this concept with a level of maturity rivaled by few other local acts. Lead singer Conor Wallace burst forth with howls akin to those of Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins, albeit with a little more soul. He would, throughout the set, display a wide spectrum of voice characters, from playful falsettos to a dark and throaty growl reminiscent of Louis Armstrong, but what really caught my attention was the unwavering support he got from the rest of the band. Of the seven onstage, five had their own microphones, in fact singers Courtney Marie and Tiffany Graber provided flawless back up vocals without touching an instrument all night. You would expect a band with such vocal resources to abound with 3 or 4-part harmonies, but Ella Minnow kept it simple and did not clutter the sonic space. Often, all four other vocalists would just double Wallace’s lead line, or alternate with him like a soloist and responsorial choir. The end result was pure power, matched only by most of the audience singing right along.

Towards the end of the set, “Lunatic” got the crowd to transition from dancing to headbanging, and Ella Minnow left the stage with energy still fizzling in the air. - My Denton Music

Ella Minnow headlined, and holy shite, this band is phenomenal. I officially Fell In Love with Ella Minnow last night. Seen them a couple times before, and my appreciation of their talent grows every time. Incredible voice on the lead, with an amazing range - great lower register, plus a sometimes-shouty, growling, spoken-wordy-type style, plus a beautiful falsetto, and he flies across the whole range with incredible ease. And what an amazing amount of energy and passion he brings to the set - he is a sight to behold. And the songwriting - dear gawd, the songs! Whoever writes this stuff is a freakin' genius. Most songs are (relatively) long and somewhat complex, with multiple tempo changes, time-signature changes, and even genre-changes, all within one song (please don't get the impression that these are pretentious art-rock tunes or anything, cuz they're not - they flat-out rock!). Love that kind of creativity & uniqueness. Even when they stopped down and played a more-conventional alt-countryish tune, they managed to inject it with enough style, energy, and funkiness to make it unique. just an unbelievable set. definitely vaulted them near the top of my 'favorite local band' list. said they were working on a new album - can't wait for that. seriously, folks - check out this band - you will not be sorry. - Adventures in Live Music

by Pete Freedman

Edited:

Before we get too deep into our budding relationship, Dallas—me being your new music editor here at the Observer and all—and before I start telling you guys just how much of a must-see Local Act A is or just how much tighter Local Act B would be if it took more/less guitar work cues from National Act C, there's something you should know.

For the past, oh, I don't know, two months or so, I've been stalking you and your scene. Stalking you long and stalking you hard—like I was 45 and balding, like you were barely legal and coming into your own, and like we both had MySpace accounts.

So, yeah, it sounds creepy. But in the world of journalism, we call it "research." And, y'know, I had to do it.

See, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not incredibly familiar, at this point, with your city and its musical history/climate. I have my reasons—not being from around here being the most glaring and obvious—so I did what I could to learn on ya. And learn I did; the Internet's truly an amazing place when you're not just using it to scam free song downloads off of elbo.ws and Hype Machine.

[edited]

Which brings us (oh yeah...) to the music itself. Some of the live performers I caught in my Dallas early-goings were really fucking good: indie rockers Ella Minnow, grindcore duo the Akkolytes, Centro-matic frontman Will Johnson, Pleasant Grove frontman Marcus Striplin and the guys who spin at The Cavern's Cool Out Mondays. Some were really fucking weird: Loop 12 and The Great Tyrant, upon first sight/listen weren't the surefire hits I was promised. And some were really fucking sleep-inducing (really!): Victory March's instrumental rock sound wasn't exciting enough to keep a member of Here in Arms from falling asleep on a couch in the back of The Cavern when the two acts shared a bill there. - Dallas Observer

by Brenna Rushing

Walking into the Prophet Bar, which is connected to The Door in Deep Ellum, you get the feel of a lounge blended with extremely loud music. Upon entry the numerous candlelit tables lining the bar give the feeling of a relaxed atmosphere. Portraits of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash on the walls provide a great splash of musical history. The recently re-located bar gives more than meets the eye.

People from all walks of life, ranging in age from late teens to early forties were there to show their support for the local lineup including Here, In Arms, Ella Minnow, April Geesbreght, Blake Bollinger and The Atlantic Messenger.

First up were The Atlantic Messenger and Blake Bollinger, which were both missed unfortunately. When I arrived it was apparent that the majority of the crowd was there to see the latter half of the bands. This was proven by a line out the door, with a ten-minute wait to get in.

April Geesbreght came on after with her band of four guys. Their sound is upbeat folk music with a hint of rock. They played an entirely upbeat set including the best song of the night, “My Mistake”. April said this song was about a failed relationship. The passion in her work could be seen here. The bands’ enthusiasm and love for music really came through. April’s body language showed her excitement and drive as well. You understood why she was there, at that club at that moment. Even though the track was about something negative that happened in her life, she showed the most zeal in the song. Her whole body came alive and moved with the beat.

Towards the middle of her set, she announced that their new CD would be out next week. Unfortunately they didn’t have copies to sell at the show, so more to come on that.

Most of the older crowd were there to support her. Her sound itself doesn’t reflect this, but Ella Minnow, out of Denton, definitely attracted more of the younger crowds with their unique blend of a saxophone, keyboard, and screaming vocals. Over 30 teens and young adults moved to the front of the room, near the stage, to stand and watch when they came on.

At the beginning of their set, the initial reaction was to wonder what exactly you’re listening to. The singer has a more nasally voice, but the band has a great sound.

At times they reminded me of The White Stripes, only because of the singers’ voice. The rest of the time they had their own sound that can only be described as unusual but inviting. Sadly, the saxophone was drowned out by the two guitars and drums. I would have loved to hear more from it. They had a great stage presence that consistently stayed through the entire set.

The saxophone player was sporting a fantastic black cape almost the entire show. If he dared take it off, fans would scream for him to put it back on. So it stayed on the whole night.

They had an impressive instrumental at the end of “Pep” that helped proved their ability to rock out. In most of the songs, the lyrics seem to be the drive so this was a fresh reminder of their many talents. “Crimson” was punctuated by a megaphone, which was an amazing effect to an already impressive song. Both vocalists, Conor Wallace and Corbin Childs added some screaming to help give an edge to the last song of the set.

The headliner of the night, Here, In Arms didn’t bring out as many fans as Ella Minnow. But they played a great set as well. Brent Engel, the lead singer and main man of the band, strongly resembles the sound of Bright Eyes, although the songs are much faster and happier. He had an ensemble of a red tie with a white button up and tight black pants to set the mood. He played a late set, starting at almost 1 a.m.. Playing the guitar and keyboards while singing the entire time, Brent showed he is dedicated to his art form.

Apart from Ella Minnow, the mood was a folky, happy-to-be-alive sound with rock roots. Ella Minnow helped diversify the crowd, bringing in more of the oddball, trendsetters who were there to mingle and enjoy the music. The different crowds mixed well together, to make a great night of peppy music that helped you enjoy the lineup as a whole.
- Pegasus News

by Pete Freedman

Edited:

Before we get too deep into our budding relationship, Dallas—me being your new music editor here at the Observer and all—and before I start telling you guys just how much of a must-see Local Act A is or just how much tighter Local Act B would be if it took more/less guitar work cues from National Act C, there's something you should know.

For the past, oh, I don't know, two months or so, I've been stalking you and your scene. Stalking you long and stalking you hard—like I was 45 and balding, like you were barely legal and coming into your own, and like we both had MySpace accounts.

So, yeah, it sounds creepy. But in the world of journalism, we call it "research." And, y'know, I had to do it.

See, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not incredibly familiar, at this point, with your city and its musical history/climate. I have my reasons—not being from around here being the most glaring and obvious—so I did what I could to learn on ya. And learn I did; the Internet's truly an amazing place when you're not just using it to scam free song downloads off of elbo.ws and Hype Machine.

[edited]

Which brings us (oh yeah...) to the music itself. Some of the live performers I caught in my Dallas early-goings were really fucking good: indie rockers Ella Minnow, grindcore duo the Akkolytes, Centro-matic frontman Will Johnson, Pleasant Grove frontman Marcus Striplin and the guys who spin at The Cavern's Cool Out Mondays. Some were really fucking weird: Loop 12 and The Great Tyrant, upon first sight/listen weren't the surefire hits I was promised. And some were really fucking sleep-inducing (really!): Victory March's instrumental rock sound wasn't exciting enough to keep a member of Here in Arms from falling asleep on a couch in the back of The Cavern when the two acts shared a bill there. - Dallas Observer

ella minnow - holy shit, ella minnow kicked my ass. totally different take on them vs. the first time i saw 'em. songs kinda all over the map - some early-radioheadish stuff, some bluesy numbers, some 4/4 downbeat-happy songs, some wall of sound anthemic rock, some instrumentals - and all of it was fantastic. lead reminded me of stephen duncan (of chemistry set "fame"), except on speed. lead vox strong (great falsetto), if not exactly conventional (sometimes he reminded me of squiggy from laverne and shirley), but it worked. super-high energy, too - both the lead and the (cape-wearing) key/sax-player were spazzes, injecting the show with tons of energy. man, i loved it. can't wait to see 'em again. (soory for the crappy pic) - Adventures in Live Music

ella minnow - holy shit, ella minnow kicked my ass. totally different take on them vs. the first time i saw 'em. songs kinda all over the map - some early-radioheadish stuff, some bluesy numbers, some 4/4 downbeat-happy songs, some wall of sound anthemic rock, some instrumentals - and all of it was fantastic. lead reminded me of stephen duncan (of chemistry set "fame"), except on speed. lead vox strong (great falsetto), if not exactly conventional (sometimes he reminded me of squiggy from laverne and shirley), but it worked. super-high energy, too - both the lead and the (cape-wearing) key/sax-player were spazzes, injecting the show with tons of energy. man, i loved it. can't wait to see 'em again. (soory for the crappy pic) - Adventures in Live Music