Falling Still

Rating: 6.1 stars!

What can I say, when I put a disc in the player & it makes my head bob, my foot tap & my curiosity to hear the next song is peaked then I'd say this is a good record! I was intrigued by the cover art when I got this cd in the mail, it's a simple digipack with a high gloss front cover that looks like a broken glass picture frame & the picture under the broken glass is an odd picture of a cherub that's wearing a blindfold & there's a white bird setting next to the blindfolded cherub in what appears to be a birds nest? I'm not sure what the front cover is all about but on an artistic level it's cool as hell in my opinion! The music that Falling Still make is best described as simple rock music that reminds me alot of The Smithereens...there's songs that are straight up hard rock with groove infused riffs, there's some low-rent garage rock here & there & the song "Yeppadoo" kinda reminds me of "Rock Lobster" by the B-52's slightly, although "Yeppadoo" is actually a rock song that's nothing like the pop explosion that is the B-52's. "Burn!" is punk-power-pop that's fast & fun, "Rider in the Night" is driven by acoustic guitars but don't let that description fool you, it's a rocker at heart! "Cocaine, Man" is a slow, sleek, dark rocker that's as alluring as the drug in the title of said song & "Bench'd" reminds me of old-school Cali punk rock ala Pennywise & old Bad Religion; it's loud, fast, furious & carefree to no end! "Zeus" is the slower side of the band & it's where you really hear some diversity on the record...this is the song that most people will probably fall in love with because it's got a heavy part towards the middle of the song that lures the listener in & the bass line around the 2 minute mark is unique as hell..it almost overpowers the track which is what I kinda like about the song in all honesty! It's funny, this cd opens with "Birth" which is pretty much alternative rock & the disc closes with "Smashing" which is an acoustic driven song...the track listing choices on this cd are interesting because the track placing for each song makes it kinda like a book in that, the first & last track are kinda like the front & back cover & the inside is where the real "meat" is, the real "story", the real "flavor" & I've listened to this cd 2 times already from start to finish, I'm a fan of Falling Still now, these guys rock! - Rock N Roll Experience

Fuck yeah, man! Coming on like galvanizing gangbusters with the rousing opening number “Birth,” this album totally hits the bull’s eye with its spot-on exciting serving of extremely fluid, hypnotic, and dynamic straight-up rock’n’roll. The passionate vocals project emotion with tremendous energy and conviction. The busy and aggressive arrangements keep things hoppin’ throughout, with relentless steamroller drums, fiercely cutting guitars, and churning basslines laying down a steady succession of speedy tempos and huge pounding beats that bulldoze over everything in their ferocious sonic path. This is the kind of mean and ballsy no-nonsense rock music that kicks plenty of ass and doesn’t bother taking any names. In other words, it’s the absolute motherfuckin’ shit, baby! - Jersey Beat

Falling Still's debut album, May All Magic Guide & Change You, reminds me a ton of some of what came out of Chicago in the mid '90s. I only hope it has more shelf life than bands like Loud Lucy and Tripl3 Fast Action.

Basically what you have from this Akron, Ohio trio is a group of kids who grew up together (are now 23) and decided last minute to change the release from a 7" to a 9 song album. That kind of decision has two very distinct and different results, one good and one bad.

Luckily, here I'm leaning toward good decision.

Initially, I was hesitant to give Falling Still my seal of approval. I found the nine tracks at times conflicting with each other. It wasn't so much in sound, but something just made this album feel less like an album than it seemed a package of songs strewn together.

Of course, when you find yourself waking up and you've got a song (like "Birth" or "Yeppadoo (The Wave)") stuck in your head and you're enjoying it. You just can't wait to get back into the driver's seat and rifle through that purse you call a cd wallet.

Essentially what Falling Still gives you, is about a half hour of solid rock songs. There's some edgy bass work (see "Yeppadoo"), lyrics that will frizzle fry your brain on your way to work, and an overall feeling that this band has something great coming.

Apart from being too long of an album title, May All Magic Guide & Change You is what I like to hear from new bands, even bands that have been playing together for 8 years prior to the release. It's a driving album that begs you to come back for more.

You get a real sense of the band's chemistry as each song pulses by with Falling Still firmly entrenched in the driver's seat. There's enough attitude and swagger here to indicate Falling Still is ready to change our listening habits, and yet, it's not so beligerent to become obnoxious.

I do think as the album steamrolls toward its finish, it looses a little steam. However, with each listen I've given this one, I lean more and more toward the "woah" factor.

Recommended if you like
The Riverboat Gamblers
Electric Frankenstein
Supersuckers - Sonic Dissonance

Falling Still, “Cocaine,Man” - Indie 103.1 Buzz Bands LA

May All Magic Guide You And Change You is the rockin’ debut from Falling Still. A mix of garage, indie, and some post punk. A hard rocking album but not necessarily an angry album. There is also a hint of California prog rock as well. Not a blow away album but it’s creative, fresh and a good album to rock out to. - WRUV

Also: Ashes Divide and Falling Still at the Viper Room - LA Weekly

I'm beginning to get the feeling that rock and roll is definitely on its way back in. Falling Still bashes and crashes its way through songs that might have been cast as power pop or maybe "modern rock" in days gone by.

But we're mired in a mean new millennium, and the only thing that can save us is goddamned rock and roll. So Falling Still cranks up the guitars and screws on the sneers. This disc is simply dripping with attitude, and the catchpan is overflowing.

The production is ultramodern--very clean and sharp. That helps to emphasize the attitude, even though it does drain the power from a couple of these songs. A little distortion and/or reverb can be humanizing, boys.

Nonetheless, it is fun to hear folks getting back to basics. Falling Still hurls these songs out off the cliff. They're more than tough enough to survive the journey. Stand and take the heat. - Aidabet

Falling Still opens its album with its best song, which is “Birth.” It’s a Foo Fighters-sounding track which takes the listener through a wide array of moods, beginning at bouncy, upbeat rock and descending into a captivating rush of guitars, strings, and desperation in the second half.
What follows is a collection of high energy, dirty white boy rock music. Most of May All Magic Guide and Change You doesn’t match the songwriting featured in “Birth.” Its closest competitors come in the bipolar gloom of “Zeus” and the soft strings of “Smashing,” two tracks which appear at album’s end. Yet in and of themselves, the tracks in the middle serve their purpose as party songs. The result is strong, if inconsistent. - Y Marks The Spot

"Alternative rock trio Falling Still had me loving their 'May All Magic Guide and Change You' from the very start with a series of fantastic songs that convinced me the Los Angeles-by-way-of-Akron band were poised to become stars. Unfortunately the guys aren't able to maintain the momentum over the course of the nine-track release and it sort of limps to a close down the stretch.

If you stick to the early part of the front-loaded CD, you're pretty much guaranteed to find your head bopping along to keepers, 'Birth', 'Please, Make Me Comfortable', 'Burn!' and 'Riders in the Night.' Things start to veer off track on 'Bench'd', a total mis-fire, and the closing tandem of 'Zeus' and 'Smashing' aren't especially inspiring. Still, with some tighter song-writing, Falling Still just might become a household name. (JS)" - The Daily News

Longtime friends Eric Podnar, Brett Hamilton, and Jeremy Cull grew up in Akron, OH all sharing a deep love for music. The three friends later moved to Los Angeles forming the Rock band Falling Still. Today, the highly energetic band has carved a solid Rock sound that music lover are currently enjoying. For those music fans who enjoy bands that give their heart, passion, and soul, then Falling Still is the perfect choice. In this special spotlight with our Webzine, Falling Still speaks about their music and what fans can expect from them in the next few years. Here is what formulated.

Isaac: What's the name of your band? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?

Falling Still: It's just a name. It can mean anything you want it to mean. Or it can mean nothing at all. We like to think about the feeling you get when extremely intoxicated and you close your eyes... it kind of feels like you're falling... however, you remain perfectly still!

Isaac: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

Falling Still: We normally tell people we play alternative rock... Although, we don't really like to associate ourselves with any specific genre. We have dance songs, blues songs, good ol' rock n' roll songs... we just do it all.

Isaac: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?

Falling Still: We grew up together in Akron, Ohio. We all started playing music pretty young, and eventually started playing together. Eric dropped out of high school our junior year and moved to Los Angeles to do some acting, and the rest of us came out after graduating. We've been at it ever since.

Isaac: When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?

Falling Still: The band formed when we were in 8th grade. It started out with just Eric and Jeremy. Brett was in a different band back then. Even though we were all friends, we didn't actually start playing together until we all reconvened in LA. From that point, it was just our lives that inspired us to play music. We lived together, we suffered together, and at the end of the day, we would go play music together. Everything just sort of snowballed from there.

Isaac: Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?

Falling Still: We recently started a company called Peace, Man. It's a record company, a publishing company... it's really just a company to fully represent the entity that is becoming Falling Still. We want to be pioneers in this new age of the music "industry". We want to build ourselves our own musical empire...free from greedy record companies.

Isaac: Amen!

Isaac: What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e., Are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available? What made you choose the instruments you have now? Was it cost or was it a style/model/brand/color preference?

Falling Still: Eric plays a 1969 fender competition mustang through a vox heritage ac30. Brett plays a 1972 fender mustang bass through an ampeg svt-vr. Jeremy plays a Ludwig kit from the 70's. We like to play instruments that are older than us...they sound better.

Isaac: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

Falling Still: The Parish Room at the House of Blues is our favorite spot in LA. There are a few rooms for bands to play there, and it is set up so people can easily walk from room to room and check out the different bands. Sometimes you can start playing to a room with ten people in it, and by the end of the set, another twenty have wandered in to see what all the ruckus is. We hear it's one of Prince's favorite spots too. So we figure if it's good enough for Prince, it is good enough for Falling Still.

Right now, though, we're on the road. We'll be on the east coast for the winter, playing lots of shows in Ohio and the surrounding areas, our last one being on January 2nd at Musica in our home town of Akron, Ohio. We'll be spreading our wings a little more after the first of the year. We'll be in YOUR town soon enough. You can follow us on our website, www.fallingstill.com.

Isaac: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?

Falling Still: We only play our own songs. We've never had much luck with covers. For awhile, we were strictly playing songs from our first album, but lately we've been slipping in a bunch of new songs. We have so many these days; it pains us to just leave them alone.

Isaac: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?

Falling Still: The song writing process is pretty much a group effort. Eric normally constructs a surplus of compositions and random riffs that we slowly develop into different songs over time. We often joke about how the songs sometimes seem to just write themselves. It's like there's some sort of creative force hovering over us that we manage to channel with the right amount of dedication and the appropriate chemicals. There's really nothing specific we write our songs about. They're just about our lives and our times...a nice mixture of happiness, sadness, and chaos. But it's always positive.

Isaac: Could you briefly describe the music-making process?

Falling Still: There is no set process. Sometimes we write a song in a day. Sometimes we write multiple songs in a day. Other times, it takes months to finish a song...maybe even a year or more. We never rush things, unless it's absolutely necessary. We just let it all come, and when we think we're getting close, we just play it over and over and over again. Eventually, we wind up with songs that we love. Most times, we can't even remember how or where the process started.

Isaac: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?

Falling Still: Since we've pretty much always lived together, we just rehearse as much and as often as we can. Music is really the only thing we've got at this point, and we rarely have anything else to do. If possible, we're either writing or rehearsing everyday.

Isaac: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Falling Still: It's hard to say. Everything is always evolving, and our music is no exception. It changes as we change...grows as we grow.

Isaac: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Falling Still: It seems that the biggest challenge any band faces, or any group of people with similar interests for that matter, is just living together harmoniously. And we have done pretty well at figuring it out. We all lived together in a tiny two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles for four years, and not only did we not kill each other, we managed to write and record an amazing first album and have had some really good times in the process. If those four years didn't tear us apart, nothing will.

Isaac: What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?

Falling Still: It seems impossible to determine an ultimate direction for anything these days. Fame seems frightening, and fortune doesn't really exist anymore. We just want to live, love, and write songs about it. So much of this world is troubled by darkness and chaos lately, and we just want to do whatever we can to make it a brighter place.

Isaac: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

Falling Still: Love each other, and love what you do. It's just not worth it if you don't.

Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?

Falling Still: Our first album, May All Magic Guide And Change You, is out on iTunes, and will eventually be available on our website, www.fallingstill.com. Also, you'll be able to keep up with our various projects on www.peacecommaman.com. And of course, you can find us on Facebook and MySpace.

Isaac: Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?

Falling Still: Too many people to name. Our friend, lover, and associate, Anthony Michelli must be mentioned though. Also, Mark and Lynn Podnar. And none of us would be standing where we are if not for our producer, and our brother from the same soil, Michael Parnin. But there have been so many people we've met along the way that will never know the extent of their influence on us. Falling Still loves you all.

Isaac: Any last words?

Falling Still: Keep on keepin' on, friends.

- Junior's Cave Magazine

Great new find. (4 out of 5 stars) by thesnark

Whether you are a fan of emo, punk, or grunge, there should be something for all of you in this disc. I heard elements of bands like Tool, Primus, Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion and others here all delivered in a truly original manner. When loading this disc into iTunes it classified the genre as "unclassifiable". To this I must agree.

If you like your music hard, loud and dark look no further. Don't misunderstand though, this isn't necessarily angry music. I could see a fan of the Cure also enjoying this band. There is a sense of optimism running throughout tempered by realism. Just give it a try. - thesnark

On Jan. 2 at Musica, locally bred, SoCal-based band Falling Still will perform. The three friends raised in Akron moved to L.A. to seek their fortunes (hey, do you guys know the Strange Familiar? You should hang out.) and have returned home for the holidays. The group self-released its debut album May All Magic Guide and Change You this year and packed more than 200 people into Musica in the summer.

Guitar-driven and melodic, the band offers sturdy uptempo riff rock in Cocaine, Man and Please Make Me Comfortable, swirling indie rock in Zeus, and peppy music in Yeppado (The Wave). - Malcom X Abram from Akron Beacon Journal

Every once in a while, I need a band to just rock out. Not thrashing mindless rock, just something to remind me that not every band out there is catering to the hipster set. Falling Still, a rock trio out of Studio City by way of Akron, fits that need perfectly. Although they evoke memories of the grunge era, Falling Still sets themselves apart from the time of flannel. From straightforward rock to sparse ballads to blues-grunge, they provide plenty of variety. Full disclosure, I've been listening to “Yeppadoo (The Wave)” on repeat for about 10 minutes. It’s exactly what I needed.

Join me in listening to “Yeppadoo (The Wave)”. Just hit play in the nifty SoundCloud player below. Read our interview with Falling Still below the break, and be sure to check out the debut album May All Magic Guide and Change You. Fun fact: The album was produced by Michael Parnin, who has produced Rage Against the Machine, Marilyn Manson, and Substance D.

1. Past: What is your musical background? What has led you to this point?
We all grew up together in Akron, Ohio. Eric and Jeremy actually started playing together in 8th grade. But then Eric dropped out of high school our Junior year and moved to Los Angeles to do some acting.. which proved to be pretty fruitful for him.. he’s been in some national television and commercial spots, and he starred in 2009’s Deadgirl.. which everyone who reads this should definitely check out.. it’s a really cool, really crazy movie.. Brett and Jeremy followed out to LA a couple years later in the summer of 2005, and the three of us have been at it ever since.. living together, suffering together, and writing music about it all to keep us sane.

In 2008, luck found us.. as it often does.. in the right place, at the right time. We were blessed with the opportunity of meeting producer Michael Parnin, who worked throughout the years with the likes of Marilyn Manson, Rage Against the Machine, Dug Pinnick of King’s X.. and us.. for some reason.. Michael showed us the ropes of recording in a real studio, and we were able to spend most of the year working together. It was a tremendous experience, and it gave birth to our first.. self-released.. album, May All Magic Guide and Change You.. which we are very pleased with, to say the least.

2. Present: Where are you at now in your career? What are you currently working on?
We are starting our first tour right now. We’re setting it all up ourselves.. We figure it’s time to take what we’ve created outside of Los Angeles, and see how it’s received. We currently have dates set up in Akron, Detroit and Mt. Pleasant, New York, Boston, and Chicago.. and we’re continuing to set up additional dates as we go along. We really plan to do nothing but tour for the time being.

Also, we just started up our own record label/publishing company, so we can continue to self-release our future projects. We want to attempt to construct a company that operates a little differently than record companies have operated in the past. We believe that the entertainment environment is in a state of transformation, and some drastic changes need to be made in order to maintain the relevancy of art and music in our lives.

We’re getting our websites up and running right now too, so you’ll be able to follow all of this as it develops more. www.fallingstill.com will have tour dates, a shop, and everything you need to find us in.. or bring us to.. your town. And the name of our company is Peace, Man.. you’ll be able to see everything that’s going on with that.. future projects and such.. at www.peacecommaman.com.

3. Future: What’s coming up for you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
That question seems to be increasingly difficult to answer. Judging by the way things have developed so dramatically and so quickly throughout these last couple years, we really can’t fathom what could occur in the next five years.

But for the foreseeable future, we intend to tour as much and as often as we can, play some festivals in the summer, and hopefully record another album as soon as we’re able to.. maybe in the winter of 2010? Only time will tell..

4. Where can people find more of your music?
You can get our album, May All Magic Guide and Change You, on itunes, or on www.fallingstill.com. And you can keep up with us on the website.. check out our tour dates and listen to songs and such..

We’re just going to be out and about on the road for awhile.. seeing old friends, making new ones, and playing everywhere we can. So, everyone should definitely come out, if you get the chance.. We’ll all drink whiskey, and FS will play some rock and roll music for you. It’s always a good time.

5. Anything you’d like to plug?
Just check out our website.. www.fallingstill.com.. keep up with everything we’re doing. We’re going to be encountering some hardcore adventures out on the road, and we’ll be writing about every detail. And the shop has new t-shirts, and some posters, and some panties, and all kinds of other swag for you to buy to keep the dream alive, and to put some gas in the tank and some food in our stomachs.

You can also keep up with us on www.peacecommaman.com to find out about future FS projects, and anything else we may bring to the table in the years to come.

We hope to see everyone, “out there” … Peace. - TwoGroove