Music
Press
To concoct a proper pop rock album, you need one part whimsical, one part self-degradation, one part excellent writing and one hell of a sense of humour because once your latest album drops, it’s a good bet that it’s going to be universally panned for not being a reiteration of a Neutral Milk Hotel album.
Julie The Band has certainly conquered all four of these prerequisites in their newest release An Act of Communication. The album they’ve constructed is surprisingly complicated; soaring synth, pristine backing vocals, and great background production.
The songwriting is executed so well that it would be possible to mistake this album for something that may have been produced by a veteran production team. Their skill at crafting a simple, yet rather complexly layered song is wonderful and the lyrics are catchy and memorable as well. This is one of those albums that will have you singing at the top of your lungs, dancing until your feet grow sore, and hungering for much more. - fazermagazine.com
Here's a name you need to remember: Nathan Blumenfeld-James. Okay, now you know why Blumenfeld-James prefers to work under the moniker Julie the Band. And while Julie the Band is in fact a band the show belongs to Blumenfeld-James. And what a show it is!
Blumenfeld-James has a vocal style that encompasses the snarkiness of Ray Davies, the flamboyance of Freddy Mercury and the confident neo-swagger of Brandon Flowers. On "Do Si Do" his voice soars to a glamorous near-falsetto when he's not growling like Michael Hutchence (INXS) or hiccupping like Little Richard.
The song arrangements coyly help to enhance Blumenfeld-James' drama too, but not in the way you'd expect. "LA Kids" is up-tempo but just when you're ready for the band to emphasize a point with a scathing guitar solo they drop out completely to allow a lone cello to underscore the moment. And that's the modus operandi here; Julie the Band love to take you to the precipice with finesse and you'd better enjoy that ride because they're not going to kick you over the edge.
An Act of Communication is a masterful tease and as its orchestrator Blumenfeld-James is destined to bathe in the spotlight he clearly loves for quite some time. - Antimusic
The music style of Julie The Band certainly appeals to an audience that enjoys genre crossovers. The band is good at combining genres and instruments, and mixing modern and retro sounds. If you are not familiar with Julie The Band, check out their myspace page. - shakefire.com
An Act Of Communication, commits to the permanent record a sound that has wowed crowds in LA and promises to take Julie far beyond the confines of The City Of Angels.
Julie is one of the more enigmatic bands I've come across this year. They march very much to their own drummer; big Prog song construction mixing elements of jazz, ska and country at times into a sound that is difficult to classify and even harder to put down. An Act Of Communication is the sort of album that will hook some new fans, and put a few potential fans off. It's eclectic and off the beaten path, but has enough touchstones there to have a real shot at big things. And the losses will be far outweighed by the new fans. An Act Of Communication is an incredibly brave, daring, outrageous and glorious album. - wildys world
They have a crazy range as a band, with a powerful, polished enough sound for the suits, if you catch my drift. And the cool thing is they have been remixed with Obie Trice as well. Julie is a really good band, that will give you a jolt when you need it. - loudvine
They have a unique way about them, kinda sounding like RADIOHEAD with a big band feel. They add in different instruments just like LESS THAN JAKE, things like horns, tubas, and even whistling. They are a good choice if you are down to earth and like all kinds of music.
- East coast romper magazine
"Julie The Band transcends genres. Their avant-garde instrument
composition gives Julie a contemporary resonance mixed with the aggressive
attitude of classic punk. Julie's live performance is as emotionally
intense and richly layered as their studio sound, making Julie The Band an
auditory adventure you have got to explore."
~Arkansas Rocks! Entertainment
- Arkansas Rocks
Julie the band- “an act of communication" incredible indie-pop that I highly recommend - Blow Up radio
Venice-based five-piece pop crew Julie the Band, who bring breathy,
catchy, Arctic Monkeys-style beachtown soul.
- Flavorpill
If you took Ben Folds, The Beatles, Incubus, and Green Day and threw them in a blender you would end up with a glass full of Julie the Band.
Julie's new album “An Act of Communication” is one of those albums that you put in your CD player and don't ever want to take out. The opening track, “Foggin Up a Clear View” is a rich track full of everything from guitars and drums to horns and whistles. It manages to bounce between calm and mellow to in your face and aggressive, and sets the tone for the rest of the album. The album continues on with a balanced blend of pop and rock throughout all of it's 15 tracks that says we're here to party, but we also have something to say. The true gem on the album is “LA Kids” which is where the Ben Folds-ness comes into the equation. “LA Kids” is one of those songs that even when you are hearing it for the first time you feel like you could sing along.
Julie the Band manages to bring out all the best parts of the 90s while mixing in some new stuff, and in the process they made a record that can't be placed in any single genre. - rock n roll super show
Discography
Catch A Feeling- LP 2006
An Act of Communication-LP 2009
Wild As The Sky-EP 2010
Photos
Bio
Bands like JULIE are not formed, they are born.
The essence of JULIE’s music is fervent indie rock performed with the passion of the band’s namesake spitfire. Lifelong friends and Los Angeles residents, vocalist Nathan Blumenfeld-James and guitarist, Dustin Bath found themselves walking out of a nightclub where a petite woman was being restrained by her friends from trying to ‘beat up’ the bouncer. “Julie… Julie” they said “Let’s just go home.” As her friends walked toward the car, Julie ran back toward the bouncer and got a hit in. “That fearless nature – that was what we had in our music,” says Dustin. “To be known for being fearless in the face of such odds was why we named the band Julie.”
Nathan and Dustin have a 10-year history of musical growth – first in bands together and later in production of artists like X-Games superstar, Danny Way and Mark Hoppus of BLINK 182. When bassist, Jon Spence and drummer Nick Adams joined up with the duo, they completed the ‘birth’ process. Nathan states, “Being in JULIE is one of the most rewarding/hardest/most beautiful experience and it is truly my calling.”
The group members also have a common history in the entertainment industry – working behind the scenes in television and film. As a result, friends and fans of JULIE range from Kirsten Dunst to Steven Bochco and Angela Lansbury to Jack Osbourne among others. Another fan, rapper Obie Trice, went one step further – collaborating with the group on a remix of their highly-innovative single, “Foggin Up A Clear View.”
To this impassioned alt-rock, JULIE adds depth and whimsy in equal measure. A post-punk edge paired with horn-section heightening makes the music on AN ACT OF COMMUNICATION unlike anything you have heard before. “Do Si Do” is a lascivious rocker tricked out with some retro elements that make it stand out on any modern rock playlist. A melodramatic beauty, “Through Your Mind’s Eye,” deals with the worry about how we are perceived – something JULIE has shed with aplomb. “We are committed to staying fresh, not formulaic and doing what we do regardless of trends,” adds Dustin.
The live show is as spectacular as the music – adding belly dancers, live strings and horns to Nathan’s amped-up performance style. “JULIE’s music will make you feel good inside,” says Dustin. “There is an unexplainable magic and chemistry in the songs and their performance – we all feel it and so do our fans,” adds Nathan.
Emerging as a band that refuses to be limited by a genre, JULIE is following their muse wherever she may take them.
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