Late Cambrian

The Social Season EP from US indie pop band Late Cambrian, is one of those releases you cannot help becoming enamoured with, its vibrant and excitable pop heart a smiling and infectious tease. The EP offers up five songs which ooze eighties new wave and melodic pop flavourings within the mischievous personality of a Weezer. It makes for in Late Cambrian, a band which you feel you already know as a friend before even the end of the first song and a companion to bring out the inner smile.

The Brooklyn band were formed by ex- Flying Machines and The Attorneys, John N. Wlaysewski (guitar, vocals, songwriter) who alongside drummer Colin Schiller began recording their debut album The Last Concert in early 2011. During working on the songs the band saw the addition of O (synth, backing vocals), her glowing voice enhancing some of the later songs recorded. By late March the same year, the band made their live debut with bassist Nunzio Moudatsos (A Crimson Affair) also on board. Social Season is the first release with the full line-up and probably the first enterprising introduction for many to the fun sounds of Late Cambrian, but better late than never.

The opening track Ryan Gosling has already garnered good acclaim and responses as the first single from the release across the US and beyond. The song drives a thumping beat through the ear guided by contagious riffs and jangling melodies which only ensure eager attention. Once the shining harmonies and warm vocals play within the sounds the pull is irresistible and openly anthemic, defying all not to join in with the simple chants and chorus. To be honest like all the songs, it does not try to bend boundaries or break out into new inventive realms for indie pop, but certainly makes finding many rivals in the deep contagion stakes difficult.

The following Trash Show has a slight punk swagger to its boisterous presence to bring a mix of Arctic Monkeys, King Prawn, and Presidents of The USA. As the guitars twist and flash across the ear and the vocals coax the senses into further addiction, the song is like an old friend returning home. The sounds and energy of the track is instantly recognisable but equally and immediately fresh and rewarding, indie pop punk at its best.

Already on a high the EP gets even better with Song 11, an enthused stomp which ignites all the primal rhythms and melodic passions within. The Monkees meets Blink 182 with Maximo Park for company, the song is a pulsating and riotous thrill which has an insatiable hunger to exhaust the senses and bring the heart to a climax. As before the song has one accompanying its voice and limbs thrashing to the wonderful discord which spices the guitars and boisterous energy. The combination of Wlaysewski and O when they come together is stunning and in general the harmonies are delicious. The song also features a solo from Brendan Brown of the band Wheatus which only ignites further enjoyment.

Hand Stamp reins in the energies a touch but still is a feast of melodic joy, the bass pulsating besides the air heating slices of guitar and vocal harmonic elegance. The track does not quite have the pulse rate soaring as previous songs but its warmth and sweet taste is a rewarding dessert to what came before.

Social Season ends with the instrumental Saint James, a track which probably means a lot to the band but is a little lost on others. It is a great piece of music skilfully presented but does not fit with what went before so feels ultimately like a filler. It does have a departure of sound which opens some different anticipation to things in the future from the band though to be honest.

Late Cambrian is one of those bands we all need, fun, excitable, and able to put a smile on the face with richly pleasing and open infectious sounds. - RINGMASTER

Kzillions of bands replicate something of their heroes. Some have traces of ‘borrowed’ riffs. Some don’t. It’s cool either way. Hmm and following on from the ‘riffing’ point enter the Ryan Gosling track. With its pouty Razorlights start you get to thinking, “OK, I know where this song is going’, but nope! This song gracefully progresses into its own world.

With harmonies in all the right places, their lead vocalist has smidgens of Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) and the delightful Tommy Scott (Space).

Commendably mixed and produced. Totally enjoyable head nodding stuff.

The worthy Saint James bears a hallmark of Stone Roses track. This deserves a round of applause for its production alone.

If every indy band needs a signature tune then Trash Show should be their jiggly! It’s not a hard-core mosh, but it’s enough to get you up and moving in that pit!

The music industry won’t be revolutionised by these tracks but it’s a credible effort and they definitely have a commercial appeal.

Lisa Kalloo - SoMojo Magazine

We are living in an interesting age, where the old standbys at major labels are (just getting older and) sounding more and more tired, while all of the fresh, tasty music is bubbling through the underground. Take Brooklyn-based indie band Late Cambrian, which is busting its collective hump, whipping out charming pop ditties as though destined for chart-topping greatness. "Social Season" has the giddy, musical effect of butterflies in your stomach when you are coasting down a steep hill.
The band seriously swings for the fences on every song, making a studious effort to avoid falling into "filler" doldrums and keeping the energy level at "11" through the entire disc. I don't know if Late Cambrian is a band trapped out-of-time or if it simply has an ironclad reverence for the 80s and 90s pop sound. In all seriousness, Late Cambrian could very well be a next-generation Madness meets ABC by way of Blink 182.
Although "Social Season" is merely a five-song EP, it progresses as though you are listening to a ‘greatest hits' album. Late Cambrian is gifted with having an almost learned ability to create perfect radio singles, similarly to Maroon 5's uncanny hit-making magic. With punchy percussion and thick-and-bouncy bass lines, the band's happy, slappy pop anthems sound orchestrated for the perfect kegger or any given "American Pie" movie soundtrack.
"Social Season" closes, however, with ‘Saint James' - a bit of an expository instrumental; as though the band is telling you it is more than a group of pop-savants. The track actually veers into progressive territory with textured guitar layering and ambient effects experimentation without pretention. Clocking in at just over four-minutes, it strategically does not outwear its welcome.
For all the pomp-and-pop musicality, there still lurks an underlying edge of indie/punk attitude that really gives the band its spark of individuality. It is in the subtext where Late Cambrian sounds like it is fighting fire with fire, or in this case, pop with pop. A major label would be foolish not to sign this band immediately. - Music Emissions

Late Cambrian is an indie rock band out of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. John N Wlaysewski (Flying Machines, The Attorneys) convened with Colin Schiller (Drummer) in January of 2011 to record what would become their debut album, The Last Concert. John played guitar, bass and synthesizer on this debut with Colin lending his drumming and percussion duties. The first five songs on the CD were tracked January 8-10. The next four were tracked in February with O lending her high airy backing vocals to three of the final tunes. The band eventually added Nunzio Moudatsos (A Crimson Affair) as their bass player. The unit intact, Late Cambrian took their melodic indie pop/rock sound to the stage in late March of 2011.

Late Cambrian have been compared to Weezer in numerous articles and album reviews, mostly due to the albums dense guitar attack and high sing song melodies. The lyrical content tends to be existential in nature, tackling subjects such as aging, the cult of celebrity and being a shut in. They bring a thoughtful approach to songwriting, with many of the songs going through tempo and key changes when it serves the song’s higher purpose.

Their music is available on Itunes, Amazon and CD Baby and they recently procured Japan distrobution which has sold out of their 1st run of cd’s. - Trip City Podcast

Today I got the chance to catch up with the gang from Late Cambrian about their debut album The Last Concert.
While we were chatting we discussed how the band came to be, what inspired the name and music from Late Cambrian and what the guys think of the blogosphere vs mainstream media war. Read on to find out more!




Hey guys! You’ve not long released your debut album The Last Concert, how has feedback been so far?

John: Hey, thanks for having us Hammy! The feedback has been very positive. Our Stage did a Late Cambrian VS. Weezer article that brought a lot of attention our way here. We’ve had some really passionate early supporters, which has been a great help in getting our music out to the blogosphere. Yeah the album was available for sale June 14th, 2011 in the US and Europe. Just recently a Japanese distribution company contacted us to do a re-release in Japan, with new artwork and a bonus track that we just finished recording March 13th. So yeah, initial reaction has been super positive all around.

Colin: Feedback has been generally awesome. Lots of fans have been made and the live show continues to grow all because of the seed the record has planted.

What was your favorite part of the process of creating the album?

John: Mixing is always my favorite part. It’s sometimes hard to see the whole picture during tracking…so many ideas tried, some kept, some dropped. But the 1st mix really shows you the potential for the recorded song and it’s a total thrill to hear…

O: My favorite part is to witness how songs that I had previously heard only on acoustic guitar with John singing became fully fleshed out band arrangements on the album.

Colin: Recording trilobytes and all the percussion over dubs.

What is the main inspiration behind the writing side of Late Cambrian?

John: The Last Concert was heavily influenced by what I was jamming to on my iPhone during that time period. It so happens it was Pinkerton by Weezer. I wanted a sly combination of messy and clean that radio rock albums sometimes miss out on… at least radio rock in the USA. We purposely didn’t record to a click so the band could breathe. As far as lyrics go, I frequently stay up late into the night on the computer just surfing around and at around 3am I start to feel crazy… Note to self: Never make purchases on EBay at 3am… Most of the lyrics started in the 3am state of mind; a delirious waking dream state where every crazy idea seems rational…

Where did the name Late Cambrian come from and what made you guys choose it?

John: Late Cambrian was one of a few names just bouncing around in my head. It’s a prehistoric time period when life forms were scary and complex…I guess the feeling of organic creation and a world teeming with unknowable life is reflected in the name…I know the album is more controlled than that description seems to suggest, but I did follow some of my more left field chord and melody ideas to their natural conclusions on the album rather than try to write hits only.

Do you all have the same musical inspirations, or is Last Cambrian a mixed bag?

John: My musical palette has two personalities. There is my party song side that likes what I call ‘lifestyle’ music. This personality really appreciates how a solid hip hop beat can get everyone on the floor. There are whole genres of music that bank on the listener feeling ‘cool’ while listening to their music. I like a lot of it actually, but I guess I am aware that people like to feel strong and hip vicariously through certain groups. My other musical personality disregards lifestyle music and gets off on emotional music. If humming along to a song makes me cry I have to listen to the song again and again. I guess this is a more intuitive gut reaction to beautiful songwriting. An example for me is ‘Even If I Don’t’ by Rachel Yamagata… give it a listen and let the purity of it envelope you. Also, “I just don’t think I’ll ever get over you” by Colin Hay (Men at Work). Pretty awesome.

O: I used to listen to Jewel, Susan Vega, Ani Defranco, Faye Wong, Rachael Yamagata and musical theatre soundtracks. 90s Australian band Frente! had always been my favorite. I still follow vocalist Angie Hart’s music. Just commented on her wall post the other day.

Nunzio: Personally I grew up on a variety classic rock. I love pulling out some Steely Dan and getting a feel for all of the styles of the different musicians they have playing on their records. When our band is out on the road or just hanging around we like to play some stuff from each of our iPods… it’s fun to see what everyone else in the band is listening to from time to time.

Colin: Sort of a mixed bag but we have a common understanding of why we all like the things we like!

What do you think the Internet has done to the music industry; help or harm?

John: More people have access to music they may have not had. Spotify is great for introducing new music to people because you can get - Previous Magazine

Late Cambrian makes the kind of music that makes you want to dance around to in your underwear in the morning, and plays shows that are truly delightful to watch. The quartet, O, John, Colin and Nunzio, will be playing Brooklyn’s Spike Hill this Thursday, October 6th at 7:30PM and Arlene’s Grocery as part of a FREE CMJ Brunch showcase on October 19th.

Tell us about your name?

John: I chose the name back in January 2011 while preparing to go into the studio and record the first 4 songs for what would become our debut CD, The Last Concert. Literally, the name refers to the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, around 490 million years ago on Earth. For me the name always evoked mystery and a sense of organic beginnings… musical ideas in their infant stage becoming real.

How would you describe your sound in one sentence?

Late Cambrian is Existential Indie Pop/Rock.

What do you want people to take away from your music?

John: The music of Late Cambrian came from a place of artistic freedom. The songs we write are only limited by the limits of our talent, life experience and drive. We allowed the songs to go where they wanted to go intuitively, both lyrically and compositionally. At no point did we change the music for more ‘accessibility’ or just to stick to tried and true song form. I want people to feel like they are getting music directly from the muse, and to the songs were true to us in the moments we wrote them.

O: People generally display immediate and personal reactions after the first time they hear the album. I love that it always reminds them of something good that happened in high school or college.

What’s your favorite makeshift instrument?

John: I have always been a fan of unusual percussion, especially in the recording studio. Metal garbage can covers played like cymbals etc… There is a song on The Last Concert called ‘Never For A Minute’, where our drummer Colin Schiller plays a bizarre apple shaped school toy, and it sounds totally scary. The engineer Matt Boynton had it at the recording studio and when I heard the sound it made I knew it had to make it on the album.

Who are you listening to right now?

John: I just saw the movie Drive, and among other things I loved the soundtrack, especially “A Real Hero” by College (featuring Electric Youth). I just rediscovered Under The Iron Sea by Keane. Check out their song “Atlantic,” it’s very trippy and underrated. I also heard some cool songs while on tour which turned out were by Passion Pit, but I never got the song names. Also, I like the song “American Slang” by The Gaslight Anthem. Everything I hear influences me and helps me learn about music so the more I hear the better writer I will become.

O: Rachael Yamagata and Frente! have never left my playlist.

Which do you prefer: Summer outdoor concerts or Winter domestic hangouts?

O: Summer 90 degrees sticky sweaty outdoor concerts.

John: I would say Summer Concerts, seeing them, playing them… Though the 1st line to”Those Middle Years” may suggest a different point of view.

Why do love NYC?

John: My love of New York City is vast and bottomless. I think I am clearly a city soul. I love walking and I love variety and the perpetually shifting organism that is a metropolitan area…

Which borough do you live in?

Brooklyn!

What’s your favorite NYC neighborhood?

John: I’m liking Greenpoint at the moment. Our practice space is on Greenpoint Ave. and our bass player Nunzio lives a block away, lucky him… but the East Village is up there and has always been a favorite.

Your favorite cheap go-to meal?

John: May’s Place $1 Sushi, Monday through Thursday, 2nd Ave. off 7th street in Manhattan. The Dollar menu is amazing. I can eat a full and varied meal for under $8.



What was one of your brokest moments as a band?

John: There are many. Late Cambrian and our tour-mates ‘Colin Schiller and The Reactions’ shared one van while on tour. That’s 8 people and all of our equipment! O and I slept in the van the night before our Fox 8 Morning News appearance. No showers for anyone. Use your imagination.

O: Luckily I brought ‘dry shampoo’ and reminded everyone to bring deodorant. I powdered everyone’s faces (well, those who let me) so we all looked fresh for the TV appearance.

John: All in all we spent next to nothing while on tour, with the exception of the van rental and gas costs and two rooms at the Red Roof Inn (which we snuck 8 people into the back exit) for one night.

You just got back from an East coast tour, how do you save money on the road?

John: Sharing tour costs with another touring band really does help. We shared all of our equipment and rented one van for both bands. It’s not only economical, it’s environmentally friendly this way. And we all love each other and have a good time together so the bands’ morale was always great!

What’s your pre-show ritual?

O: I need to spend quiet time by myself.

John: I usu - Broke Ass Stuart

Late Cambrian makes the kind of music that makes you want to dance around to in your underwear in the morning, and plays shows that are truly delightful to watch. The quartet, O, John, Colin and Nunzio, will be playing Brooklyn’s Spike Hill this Thursday, October 6th at 7:30PM and Arlene’s Grocery as part of a FREE CMJ Brunch showcase on October 19th.

Tell us about your name?

John: I chose the name back in January 2011 while preparing to go into the studio and record the first 4 songs for what would become our debut CD, The Last Concert. Literally, the name refers to the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, around 490 million years ago on Earth. For me the name always evoked mystery and a sense of organic beginnings… musical ideas in their infant stage becoming real.

How would you describe your sound in one sentence?

Late Cambrian is Existential Indie Pop/Rock.

What do you want people to take away from your music?

John: The music of Late Cambrian came from a place of artistic freedom. The songs we write are only limited by the limits of our talent, life experience and drive. We allowed the songs to go where they wanted to go intuitively, both lyrically and compositionally. At no point did we change the music for more ‘accessibility’ or just to stick to tried and true song form. I want people to feel like they are getting music directly from the muse, and to the songs were true to us in the moments we wrote them.

O: People generally display immediate and personal reactions after the first time they hear the album. I love that it always reminds them of something good that happened in high school or college.

What’s your favorite makeshift instrument?

John: I have always been a fan of unusual percussion, especially in the recording studio. Metal garbage can covers played like cymbals etc… There is a song on The Last Concert called ‘Never For A Minute’, where our drummer Colin Schiller plays a bizarre apple shaped school toy, and it sounds totally scary. The engineer Matt Boynton had it at the recording studio and when I heard the sound it made I knew it had to make it on the album.

Who are you listening to right now?

John: I just saw the movie Drive, and among other things I loved the soundtrack, especially “A Real Hero” by College (featuring Electric Youth). I just rediscovered Under The Iron Sea by Keane. Check out their song “Atlantic,” it’s very trippy and underrated. I also heard some cool songs while on tour which turned out were by Passion Pit, but I never got the song names. Also, I like the song “American Slang” by The Gaslight Anthem. Everything I hear influences me and helps me learn about music so the more I hear the better writer I will become.

O: Rachael Yamagata and Frente! have never left my playlist.

Which do you prefer: Summer outdoor concerts or Winter domestic hangouts?

O: Summer 90 degrees sticky sweaty outdoor concerts.

John: I would say Summer Concerts, seeing them, playing them… Though the 1st line to”Those Middle Years” may suggest a different point of view.

Why do love NYC?

John: My love of New York City is vast and bottomless. I think I am clearly a city soul. I love walking and I love variety and the perpetually shifting organism that is a metropolitan area…

Which borough do you live in?

Brooklyn!

What’s your favorite NYC neighborhood?

John: I’m liking Greenpoint at the moment. Our practice space is on Greenpoint Ave. and our bass player Nunzio lives a block away, lucky him… but the East Village is up there and has always been a favorite.

Your favorite cheap go-to meal?

John: May’s Place $1 Sushi, Monday through Thursday, 2nd Ave. off 7th street in Manhattan. The Dollar menu is amazing. I can eat a full and varied meal for under $8.



What was one of your brokest moments as a band?

John: There are many. Late Cambrian and our tour-mates ‘Colin Schiller and The Reactions’ shared one van while on tour. That’s 8 people and all of our equipment! O and I slept in the van the night before our Fox 8 Morning News appearance. No showers for anyone. Use your imagination.

O: Luckily I brought ‘dry shampoo’ and reminded everyone to bring deodorant. I powdered everyone’s faces (well, those who let me) so we all looked fresh for the TV appearance.

John: All in all we spent next to nothing while on tour, with the exception of the van rental and gas costs and two rooms at the Red Roof Inn (which we snuck 8 people into the back exit) for one night.

You just got back from an East coast tour, how do you save money on the road?

John: Sharing tour costs with another touring band really does help. We shared all of our equipment and rented one van for both bands. It’s not only economical, it’s environmentally friendly this way. And we all love each other and have a good time together so the bands’ morale was always great!

What’s your pre-show ritual?

O: I need to spend quiet time by myself.

John: I usu - Broke Ass Stuart

They came. They saw. They conquered. This past Saturday, Brooklyn’s Late Cambrian helped Kickoff the KahBang Festival by doing what they do best–rocking out with conviction. We were there to witness the action firsthand and to interview the rising quartet about the experience. We soon found out that, aside from being a totally awesome band, they’re also an all around swell group of people. Check out our interview with the band below as well as performance footage of their winning song “SHUT IN / Trilobytes” live from the KahBang Kickoff Concert. Be sure to watch to the end for a special shout-out to OurStage writer Kevin Waite for his recent feature on the group.

Festivals are one of the best places for up-and-coming acts to get heard. We asked the group for their thoughts on the festival environment and it’s clear from their response that the KahBang crowd had all ears open.

John: “This is a festival that has art, it has music, it has movies…so people are just going to come out and see different things and know that they’re going to get a different experience. That gives bands the opportunity to get in front of people who are maybe just there for the art or for another band that they’ve heard of. So I think it’s probably the best way for bands to reach new fans.”

Olive: “I was asking [the fans] are you guys here for The Gay Blades? And they were like ‘yes for every band,’ like they’re not only there for one band. They have a lot of love for everyone. There really are real music lovers here.”

Their performance certainly turned some heads, evidenced at the end of the night by a full sheet of new fans for their mailing list and enough CD’s sold to fill the gas tank for the trip home. We asked the group to tell us about their home turf in Brooklyn and the challenges of making a name for oneself in a vibrant music community. Brooklyn has a distinct sound identity to many listeners, something that Late Cambrian strives to steer clear of.

John: “…we kind of bring a more straight ahead melody oriented music back to Brooklyn, where that doesn’t seem to be residing right now. I don’t want to be gimmicky per say, I don’t wear something you know like ‘wow you see that band in the bunny outfit? I’d rather just play really well and then one by one people will be like ‘that band’s good.’ Just listen to the songs and then all of a sudden there are people there organically. Not because it’s cool, just because they like what they hear.



Colin: “I feel like being different from whatever the popular sound might be in Brooklyn is essentially more Brooklyn than being the trendy sound and style in it’s own way, like John said, without trying. And we just play what we like.”

With so many promotional tools available to bands nowadays, it can be hard to decipher where time and effort is best spent. For Late Cambrian, the web has given them the ability to access new fans on numerous levels, making connections in unique ways.

John: “…we’re on YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook, OurStage… I don’t know if that’s spreading it too thin, or if it’s just good that people can find you wherever they happen to be, you know? …sometimes I just cast a wide net and put the music on as many sites as I can. And then some of them kind of cease to do anything, and some of them are really kind of bigger and become their own thing. Like OurStage competitions, that’s been around, that’s bigger and bigger every time I look at it. Like that Jane’s Addiction competition, that’s really cool.”



To round out the interview, we asked the band what they thought about the opportunity and the power of the fans to land them a festival gig.

John: ” It’s great, it shows that voting can work. You know, you just put something out there, and people who aren’t just trying to help their friends, go on and listen to music and vote for the band they like. You realize that the band that got chosen was the one that got chosen by people who want to see it. It’s not just, you know, this band has the most friends or something to that effect. Or this band paid someone for the opportunity. It ends the popularity contest that had nothing to do with the music…and we’re honored to be a part of it. OurStage has been great to us.”

For more from Late Cambrian, be sure to check out their OurStage profile. If you like what you hear, their debut album The Last Concert is available for download on iTunes. - OURSTAGE

The members of the self-described Brooklyn existential power pop band Late Cambrian have all found success on their own, now they’ve joined forces and are finding success as a group. With their catchy melodies and guitar riffs, Late Cambrian takes the best parts of Weezer and combines them with existential lyrics. A prime example is the catchy and thoughtful “Those Middle Years” where the band finds themselves contemplating middle age—the time when they will “trade my dreams for income tax.” The band consists of John Wlaysewski on vocals and guitar, Nunzio Moudatsos on bass, Colin Schiller on drums and backing vocals and O on tambourine, keyboards and backing vocals.

Check out the video of “Those Middle Years” below and be sure to download a copy of their new album “The Last Concert” - College News Dot Com

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Late Cambrian Vs. Weezer
Published by kevinwaite on August 6, 2011 in Features, Rock
Tags: weezer, vs., those middle years, the last conert, shut in/trilobytes, rock, rivers cuomo, power-pop, late cambrian
In our latest edition of Vs., we’re putting the spotlight on our recent “Kickoff to KahBang” winners Late Cambrian and nerd rockers Weezer. Late Cambrian hails from Brooklyn, New York, and like Weezer, have a distinctive power pop sound, featuring crunchy, distorted guitars and upbeat tempos. It doesn’t hurt that their lead singer’s voice sounds a lot like that of Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo. Late Cambrian’s songs feature big, melodic guitar solos that make listeners want to play air guitar. Just like Weezer’s first album in the early ’90s, Late Cambrian’s debut The Last Concert is the kind of album that makes 13-year-olds want to grab their dad’s old, dusty guitar out of the attic and start strumming along.


OurStage's Late Cambrian

Weezer
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While Weezer’s music seems to get simpler both musically and lyrically on later albums, the same cannot be said for Late Cambrian. Recent Weezer singles seem to deal with their insistance on being independent and not fitting in with the crowd (despite the fact that the members of the band are now in their 40s and don’t have to prove to anyone that they’re “different”), Late Cambrian sings about a broader range of themes.

According to the band itself, its lyrics “broach existential dread, relationship truths and the cult of celebrity, all topics met with optimism in the face of nihilism.” Their track “Those Middle Years” deals with the struggles of adjusting to the real world. “Shut In/Trilobytes” on the other hand, is a song that addresses a hypothetical end of the world. The song preaches that we should not focus on the minute details of everyday life, but make the most of our time on earth because we never know when the world could end.

“Shut In/Trilobytes” also illustrates Late Cambrian’s ability to break free of the conventions of power pop. While the song begins as an upbeat, pop punk affair, it soon transforms into something completely different. Toward the end, a tom-tom drum pattern kicks in that sounds like a tribal drum beat. Over this, you can hear heavily distorted electric guitar feedback with phasing and delay effects. How many other bands do you know that can switch from power pop to psychedelic rock in a matter of minutes? Probably not many.

Late Cambrian’s debut album, The Last Concert, is available now on iTunes. And don’t forget to catch them tonight at 8:00 at the Kickoff to KahBang concert in Bangor, Maine. - Ourstage

Late Cambrian "The Last Concert"
Late Cambrian is the duo of John Wlaysewski (The Attorneys, Flying Machines) and Colin Schiller (Colin Schiller and the Reactions). With a shared love of melodic songwriting and loud buzzing guitar chords, they sound similar to Weezer, Green Day and Splitsville. Opening with "Those Middle Years" it's a nostalgic look back at your twenties. "Shut In" could be a sequel to Weezers' "In The Garage" with references to Facebook within a paranoid narrative. Schillers' drumming is masterful on the instrumental "Trilobytes" and then the gentle harmonies contrast the buzzing riffs in "Random Hearts."

The remaining tracks are consistently good. Featuring solid composition and good musicianship, it has standouts like "Never For A Minute" and the impressive finale of the title track. No filler here also helps make this a worthy addition to your music collection. - Powerpopaholic

Late Cambrian submitted their music to our radio station in May and I instantly fell in love with this band. They have a very strong Weezer vibe (one of my all time favourite bands).


This is one of those rare bands that reminds me why I stay in the music industry. I was so excited when I learned that they were releasing their debut album in June. It was like the days when you couldn't wait for a record to drop so you could pick it up at your local record store. Unfortunately, the only way we can get this record in Canada is by mail and we are currently suffering from a long postal strike so I don't have the physical CD yet.

I have listened to this album in its entirety online and I didn't skip through one song. - Tranqilizer Records Radio

Late Cambrian, an indie rock band from Brooklyn, NY, recently released their debut album, The Last Concert.  The band is a collaboration between John Wlaysewski, formerly of The Attorneys and Flying Machines on vocals and guitar, Colin Schiller of Colin Schiller and the Reactions on drums, and “O” on backing vocals.  The band formed from a studio project that evolved into a full idea, a sound that is vaguely familiar, yet sounds refreshingly new.

The album starts out with “Those Middle Years”, which opens with a nice distorted guitar riff leading to John’s crisp voice, melodically belting out the first lines of what is immediately a great song, not veering too far into experimental, but keeping the listener on edge, as the song lifts into a bright chorus.  ”Random Hearts” steps right out of Weezer’s Green Album, only with a brighter sound.  The influences are clearly there, taking their ideas to different places, while staying true to a tried and proven sound.  Late Cambrian shows in just a few short minutes that they are going to be a group to be reckoned with. “Eastern Stone” starts out with a complex sub beat, almost making the listener feel like there is something off with the timing, but then the drums kick in and bring everything together with a steady pulse, allowing the melody to take off into the stratosphere of goodness from there.

Continuing with songs like “ND Passerby”, the band explores the fusion of Beatles-era rock with subtle punk and progressive rock tones.  Each different track delivers a smorgasbord of rock, a plethora of sound, and a layering of pop-rock that delights the ears.  There is always an apprehension when reviewing a new band, a feeling of cynicism that comes from way too many mediocre or downright awful bands.  Late Cambrian makes up for the wasted hours upon hours of dredging through trash to find that one diamond.  The album culminates on “The Last Concert”, the title track, a pop reminiscence, almost a look back at the rest of the CD, and an appropriate ending track.

The Last Concert is a great freshman album.  It is a pop rock sound that will have you humming throughout the day and well into the night.
- Gravy and Biscuits