Music
Press
This was Seattle band the Apple War’s first performance at the Comet but an innocent showgoer would have never known as the place was a zoo, packed to the gills at 10 PM. The most striking aspect of the Apple War was their remarkably steady rhythm, which created a rock solid base for the style of rock you hear more often from across the pond than around the Sound. Using standard instrumentation along with pedals, xylophone, and organ on nearly every song, the band harkened to the Bends-era Radiohead, Snow Patrol, and even a bit off early-to-middle career U2. The four-piece’s quality progressions created music with the intensity of a band on a ten foot stage rather than on the floor of the Comet. - Three Imaginary Girls
Sometimes a band can really surprise you. After you do this long enough, you pretty much know what to expect. When you hear a specific influence listed in a band's bio, you can almost guess what their album sounds like. Well, I have finally found a band who broke that mold. Seattle's The Apple War have created one of my favorite CD's in quite some time. The newly self released debut, Alarm Bell City, states Brit rock influences and while they are indeed evident, they are not close to what you may expect.
When I listened to this album, I expected to hear the latest incarnation of U2 and Radiohead. If you listen close enough, of course you will hear fragments of both of those bands. However, you will also hear unexpected things, such as elements of free form jazz, multi-layered vocals, organ and xylophone.
There are definitely some obvious singles, such as the infectious "Psycho Stepper," "Fifteen-Sixteen" and "Alarm Bell City." However, there are some much more ambitious songs, like the constantly changing "All Signs Point To Yes (Try, Try, Try)" and the previously mentioned jazz interludes of "Everybody's Sayin'."
The band never hits you over the head with anything. The album really is a beautiful listen that is a lot more quiet than you would expect. Due to that, this is not a disc that you can absorb in a quick listening session. It takes repeated plays to catch all of the subtleties that the band sprinkled through out and you really get out of it what you put in. Isn't that what music is about anyway? - Instrumental Analysis
Discography
"Alarm Bell City" LP, released July 2008.
The Apple War: Alarm Bell City
1. Alarm Bell City 3:56
2. Sailor 3:26
3. Psycho Stepper 3:14
4. Steer It Through 6:47
5. Old Thunder 6:07
6. 'Til the Morning After 3:40
7. The Nothing 4:54
8. Everybody's Sayin' 7:15
9. All Signs Point To Yes (Try, Try, Try) 7:44
10. Fifteen-Sixteen 4:48
11. Hands 4:57
12. Beyond the Haze (Memory of a Smile) 5:05
Photos
Bio
The Apple War started playing in Seattle in 2007 and—before long—went to work on their debut album, Alarm Bell City (2008). Recorded entirely at home, the album was also produced, engineered, and mastered by frontman Luke Houglum. Winners of Virgin America’s “Land the Gig” competition, the band’s music video for “Alarm Bell City” is currently feature on Virgin America flights.
Luke Houglum and Ian Shuler met in Bellingham, WA, a town best known as the birthplace of Death Cab For Cutie, where the earliest Apple War songs took seed. After relocating to Seattle with their trusty Thomas organ and years worth of ideas, Houglum reunited with old friends Nick Fulwiler and Eric Sullivan, who immediately completed the band and took to rounding out new arrangements on guitar, bass, organ, glockenspiel, and more.
In 2008, The Apple War played more than 40 shows, over half of which were out of their hometown. They toured the West Coast and played with nationals and noteworthy Northwest bands such as Local H, The Heavenly States, The Maldives, and Grand Hallway.
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