Ivory Drive
Boulder, Colorado, United States | SELF
Music
Press
MTV's OurStage.com
Reached 4th in Best of Rock chart in 2010. Top 20 for 9 weeks.
#1 Channel Prize - October 2009 Alternative – “Breath of the Victory March”
#1 Channel Prize - October 2009 Singer-Songwriter (male) - “This Place We're In”
Top 10 - November 2009: “The Factory Machine”
Top 10 - December 2009: “In the Shadows of Sirens”
Top 20 - January 2010: “Carry the One”
Top 20 - April 2010: “Breath of the Victory March”
Uvumi.com
Indie Rock Chart: All Songs Chart:
Feb 2010 - #1: “Breath of the Victory March” January 2010 - #9: “This Place We're In”
March 2010 - #2: “Breath of the Victory March” #12: “Breath of the Victory March”
April 2010 - #1: “The Factory Machine” February 2010 - #25: “This Place We're In”
#7: “In the Shadows of Sirens” #26: “Breath of the Victory March”
#12: “Chance for the World” March 2010 - #19: “Breath of the Victory March”
May 2010 - #3: “Breath of the Victory March”
#37: “This Place We're In”
#4: “The Factory Machine”
June 2010 - #2:“Breath of the Victory March”
#10: “The Factory Machine”
July 2010 - #4: “The Factory Machine”
#18: “Breath of the Victory March”
August 2010 - #1: “The Factory Machine”
#34: “Breath of the Victory March”
- Internet
The melody line is contagious enough that it works it's way into the listener's consciousness in relatively no time at all. The performance feels both elegant and melancholy. The combination of string, horns and emotional sounding piano create a dramatic effect that is really captivating. Underscoring the arrangement with a groove that recalls a New Orleans death march only adds to the overall effect. The vocal performance is another highlight of the arrangement. The delivery sounds very pure. It's obvious the singer feels a lot of conviction for the message he's delivering. All in all, a very rewarding listening experience. - Taxi.com
Ivory Drive's song "Otherwise Pretend" was selected as a Semi-Finalist in Mike Pinder's Songwars songwriting competition on January 1, 2009. - Mike Pinder's Songwars
There’s something in the bedrock of Boulder, Colorado, that’s producing seismic improvisational rock bands. String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band all hail from this stretch of the Rockies, where the jam flows like lava. Ivory Drive is also from Boulder, and though there’s no denying the jam element weaving through songs, the group also veers into jazz, folk, world music, even show tunes. Singer Van Wampler’s distinctive voice is comparable to the thick warble of Steven Page (formerly of Bare Naked Ladies). On the jaunty “Breath of the Victory March,” he leads listeners into a theatrical romp, where horns streak across battering pianos. “Hear Me Out” is equally punchy - saxophone bleats and spaghetti pianos wind and ramble, jump and bob. But the combination of jam and Broadway is never more prominent than in the spirited swing of “The Factory Machine.” Jazz hands or noodle dance - both are welcome here.
Kate B - OurStage.com, 4/28/2010 - OurStage.com
Mike Splain, OurStage Community Team & Email Marketing Coordinator, has declared Ivory Drive as "among the top artists on OurStage (as voted by the FANS)".
Thousands of songs compete each month in various music genres. Every month, fans vote for the best songs in each genre, and artists are awarded achievements based on the voting.
Ivory Drive has had four different songs finish in the Top Ten in the last quarter of 2009, including two #1 finishes.
"Breath of the Victory March" was voted the #1 Alternative Rock song for October, 2009.
"This Place We're In" was voted the #1 Singer-Songwriter (male) song for October, 2009.
"The Factory Machine" was a Top 10 finisher in Alternative Rock for November, 2009.
"In the Shadows of Sirens" was a Top 10 finisher in Alternative Rock for December, 2009.
- OurStage.com
Discography
Me and Mr. Loneliness - Single - January 2011
1 Song
From This Far - July 2009
13 Songs
Available on iTunes, Amazon.com, cdbaby.com
Ivory Drive E.P. - June 2008
6 Songs
Available on iTunes and Amazon.com
Photos
Bio
Distinctive Alternative Rock
Not too long ago, a band of conservatory-educated musicians carrying piano,
organ, trumpet, saxophone, bass, and drums into a rock club would have seemed
out of place. In a scene polluted with distortion and three-chord forms, Ivory
Drive’s amalgamation of jazz, folk, blues, world, and even classical might have been
labeled unconventional or non-mainstream. Yet from the downbeat, Ivory Drive’s
music is clearly and unmistakably rock ‘n‘ roll.
With high energy tunes and creative arrangements, Ivory Drive’s ?ve musicians
produce songs that are fresh and original with an audience pleasing variety. Ivory
Drive was started in Boulder, Colorado in the fall of 2007 by Van Wampler on
keyboards and vocals, Wes Barton on drums, Sean Whissen on bass, Geoff Boux
on saxophone, and Colton Crandell on trumpet. The band’s creative group process
of arranging songs and showcasing the individual talents of each band member has
given rise to the fresh sound that is Ivory Drive.
The reaction of fans con?rms that this is a band to watch. Their music receives
descriptions such as "moving," "lyrical," "exceptional", and of course "unique."
The eclectic sound appeals to almost everyone who hears them - all age groups
enjoy Ivory Drive’s music.
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