Saints of Valory

Saints of Valory are a multi-national rock quartet whose future plans include touring internationally, releasing their new album -- due May 1 -- and possibly buying Apple. - Billboard.com

I expect that most readers of this, or any other US-based music blog, are aware that Austin, Texas is a great music town. And one of the things that makes it great is the fact that the music scene there provides fertile ground for a stream of emerging acts. One of the new bands that has attracted our attention is Saints of Valory. Consisting of Gavin Jasper (lead vocals and bass, from Brazil), Godfrey Thomson (guitars, from California), Gerard Bouvier (drums, from France), and Stephen Buckle (keyboards, from Canada), the band has been compared to Coldplay, The Killers and Kings of Leon. Although I agree that Saints of Valory shares qualities with each of those band, I think their melodies are more playful and uplifting.

In the fall of 2010, the band recorded a six track EP, Neon Eyes, in Austin. The album begins with the engaging "Cover Girl", which bounces along on a hooky melody and a catchy sing-along chorus. The album trends toward the rock side after the opener, showcasing the band's range. Overall, the tunes on the album impress me in two important respects. First, and most importantly, they simply are very good, well crafted songs. Second, the quality of the delivery is top notch. Gavin has a major alt-rock voice, distinctive and emotive, and the instrumental performances are unhesitatingly ready for prime time. If you see this band soon, you'll probably see them in a small venue, and be happy that you did. But I think these songs will easily transfer to bigger venues. And this band may get the chance to prove it.
- When You Motor Away

Saints of Valory
By Rodney Mishler
With a voice capable of drawing comparisons to Coldplay’s Chris Martin and a band composed of world-traveling rock-and-roll veterans to validate those claims, Brazilian native and Austin resident Gavin Jasper has found his niche as frontman and bassist for Saints of Valory. Godfrey Thomson supplies what seems like an endless variety of guitar melodies that will keep listeners interested beyond the first 30 seconds of any given track, while Canadian Stephen Buckle breathes life into the sound on keyboards. Drummer Gerard Bouvier, from France, keeps a rhythm perfectly in line with Thomson’s lead. The result, weather recorded or played live, is a sound and presence primed to take the Austin-area music scene by storm. Favorite tracks include Providence, Sweet Disarray and Rain Fall. - Bobcatfans Magazine

Saints of Valory
By Rodney Mishler
With a voice capable of drawing comparisons to Coldplay’s Chris Martin and a band composed of world-traveling rock-and-roll veterans to validate those claims, Brazilian native and Austin resident Gavin Jasper has found his niche as frontman and bassist for Saints of Valory. Godfrey Thomson supplies what seems like an endless variety of guitar melodies that will keep listeners interested beyond the first 30 seconds of any given track, while Canadian Stephen Buckle breathes life into the sound on keyboards. Drummer Gerard Bouvier, from France, keeps a rhythm perfectly in line with Thomson’s lead. The result, weather recorded or played live, is a sound and presence primed to take the Austin-area music scene by storm. Favorite tracks include Providence, Sweet Disarray and Rain Fall. - Bobcatfans Magazine

Cover Girl (Acoustic Demo) Live MP3 by Saints of Valory is a tune from their new Neon Eyes EP by this Austin Texas band which is a mix of live and studio tracks. Simply though I saved the best for last. These guys are going to be huge. Remove the pretension of things I personally hate about music and add a real rock singer with a band who has their shit down and they become elevated and almost saintly. Yup I said it. Shoot me. Doesn’t matter if it’s recorded or performed live they pull this pop-off effortlessly. No laptop magic just tunes that swirl in your ears with a touch of U2esque charm without the politics or spiderman antics and if some of the bad 80's pop were hip it woulda sounded like SOV. Dig it » - Review Stalker

“All my shadows form an army. They turn and fall back into line then shine a light down in these darkened times” – My Army

I really should listen to my friends and fellow bloggers more. Danielle over at The Hidden Mixed Tape blogged about Saints of Valory months ago and my friend Krissie has been tweeting her love for them for quite some too. Note to self: pay better attention, especially if the band is from Texas.

It’s as if everything that touches Texas turns to gold these days. Austin’s one of my favorite cities and the music scene there just keeps getting better. Saints of Valory are the newest in my long line of obsessions from TX (Courrier, Taylor Davis, The Soldier Thread, Quiet Company and Sleeperstar to name a few). Their 2010 release, Bright Lights, is flawless (if you ignore the fact that it’s only 8 songs deep) and just last week, they released the Neon Eyes EP. Though the EP has a few carry overs from Bright Lights, the two new songs “Neon Eyes” and “Cover Girl” are well worth the price of the EP.

I’ll be honest, I listen to most albums around 5 times in the first two weeks of owning it. If I REALLY like an album, it’ll get ten or more plays in that time frame. At last count, I’d run the number on Bright Lights and the Neon Eyes EP up to 21 – in four days. Just give it a listen, you wont be disappointed. - Music is Golden

Austin based four-piece Saints of Valory are a band with a sound much bigger than their reputation. I don’t think it’s too bold to say that these guys are just a few savvy PR moves and a hit single away from breakout success.
“Cover Girl (acoustic)” , a snappy, hand clap driven number that measures short of 3 minutes, could be that single. The lyrics risk coming off as corny – “My heart’s like a target and now she holds the gun. I fell in love with the girl at the rec room.” – but lead singer Gavin Jasper’s vocals soar with such sincerity, like Chris Martin‘s used to, that you won’t even notice. Even though this is an acoustic version, the dramatic bridge makes it clear that with full band backing this song could fill stadiums.
The same is true of “Neon Eyes (acoustic)”, another track that opens with hand clap mimicking percussion and a sound so [epic] that I can hardly imagine how much bigger a non-acoustic version could sound. The whole band comes together for some echoing harmonised “Ohs” on the bridge before the song reaches its climactic, rallying cry – “Won’t you follow me into the deep?”. Lord knows what we’re being rallied to, but it sure sounds inspiring.
You can download “Cover Girl” and “Neon Eyes” below. The rest of their EP, also called “Neon Eyes”, can be streamed via the SoundCloud link. “Dear Ivy” features some Maximo Park like synth backing that maybe hints at what the band’s filled-out sound will be, and “The Bright Lights” showcases a slightly gentler side to the band before launching into another epic bridge. All in all, it’s more of the same tightly crafted, super catchy, world tour ready tunes. Watch out: we might be hearing a lot of these guys in future. - Listen Before You Buy

Austin, TX just doesn't rest because it keeps turning out bands like Saints Of Valory which are instant favorites. The band's long [8 track] EP includes some great Pop/Rock gems like "Providence" which builds slow and steadily into something that could be a massive radio hit. Not every track of the record performs equally as well as some of the higher profile ones, but there's not a single dud on this album. - The Album Project

Do512 was happy to have Saints of Valory as our special guest at the inaugural Lounge Session taping, presented by Shiner. Saints of Valory has quickly been making a name for themselves in Austin after arriving here just a few short months ago, already having played some of the best venues in town with some of Austin’s best local talent. - Do512.com

Saints of Valory is an Austin, Texas based Alt Rock band who writes songs that we feel are “radio ready”…yes we said it…ok we will say it again “radio ready” songs folks.
If you are at SXSW this year….make sure you that you check them out! - Rob Figarola - Daily Unsigned

Saints Of Valory come with quite the international flair. Front man Gavin Jasper is Brazilian, guitarist Godfrey Thomson is American, on drums Gerard Bouvier is from France, & on keyboards Stephen Buckle hails from Canada. After just a few shows in Austin, Saints Of Valory already have a rapidly growing fan base due in part to such crowd favorites as Merry-Go-Round, Providence, Stay Wild & more! And now, with headlining shows coming up at Stubb's Jr (Sept 4th), and the Parish (Sept 30th) this is a band you will not want to miss! - The Deli [Magazine]

If a mosquito bit you right on the face, your coffee this morning was cold, and you realized you had two more days until the weekend, don’t let the grumpies get you down because there is a very good thing on the horizon.
Austin’s own Saints of Valory are playing this Saturday at that friendly hometown venue we call Stubb’s. Saying that the band hails from Austin originally, however, would be terribly inaccurate. In all actuality, the members themselves hail from Brazil, USA, Canada and France and each aim to bring their own backgrounds into the band’s work. Hmm…fascinating. The band’s members consist of Gavin Jasper (bass & lead vocals), Godfrey Thomson (guitar & vocals), Stephen Buckle (keys & vocals) & Gerard Bouvier (drums)
Originally the band formed in Atlanta, GA and are actually fairly new to the good ‘ol ATX but are having no trouble making a name for themselves in their new home. The Do512 crew spent a morning listening to them in the office and while our day may have started our with cold coffee (bleh), their upbeat music and original sound put smiles on the faces of whole gang. Their headliner show at Stubb’s this weekend is the perfect opportunity for you to check them out for yourselves welcome them to Austin with some of that good ‘ol Texas hospitatlity.
We also have more good news to try and coax a smile out of you. The Mercers, Chain Gang of 1974 and Picardy III are also playing to make it an entire evening of good music and the show is open to all ages so you can bring the whole gang/family/neighborhood. Tickets are $10 OR you can click I Like It to get entered to win one of FOUR pairs of free tickets! See life is good after all.

Feel better? - Do512

Saints Of Valory formed in Atlanta, Georgia in late 2008, but Godfrey Thompson and Gavin Jasper were both established professional musicians before the band came along, allowing the band to transition quickly from inception to gigging to recording and releasing an album. With roots in classical and film scoring, Jazz, Latin and Rock N Roll, Saints Of Valory were bound to create some interesting and unusual sounds. That's why it's no surprise that the band's debut, self-titled EP is so compellingly good.

Saints Of Valory opens with Love Junkie (Drama Queen), an off, off-kilter heavy rocker with distinct Pop sensibilities. This is dark and elusive Rock N Roll that remains accessibly by planting itself firmly in your forebrain and refusing to vacate the premises. Mary-Go-Round has a compelling, edgy sound that's part Brit-Rock and part Arena Rock. Vocalist Gavin Jasper is enigmatic but perfect for this setting. Crash Monday straddles thin buffer between Classic Rock, Modern Rock and Pop with a danceable mix that's fresh and exciting. This is the best tune on the album, and don't be surprised if sooner or later it turns into a big commercial hit for somebody. Saints Of Valory closes out with two live in studio tracks. The first, Nowhere To Land, makes me think of what U2 might sound like if they came along twenty years later, while Stay Wild is a classic big Rock anthem. The wide open arrangement and instantly likeable melody would sound perfect in a stadium filled with 80,000 screaming fans.

Saints Of Valory are the real deal, a big-time rock band that's comfortable in its own skin and not trying to be anything other than what they are. If you get a chance to see Saints Of Valory live I highly recommend you make the effort. In the mean time, this is an essential debut album. It's perhaps not quite Desert Island material, but I wouldn't be surprised if Saints Of Valory turn out their share of Desert Island discs in their time.
- Wildy's World Reviews