The Last Monarchs

The Last Monarchs‘ folk rock pulled in the reigns a bit but didn’t make anyone wish they were at a coffeehouse drinking a Chai tea instead. For a group that opts for upright basses and string arrangements over plugging-in, the Arlington band’s Craigslist-aided origins are absolutely modern. After meeting at Virginia Tech, band leader Matt Rouch and drummer Todd Koren placed a series of Craiglist adds in search of a string section. After five bassist misfires and the other kinds of “encounters” that are the nature of the Craigslist beast, Rouch and Koren ended up with the melange of artists on stage.

Admittedly a big Decemberists fan, Rouch’s arrangements owe inspiration to Colin Meloy and company, but the group’s disparate musical backgrounds are what make them really interesting. The rhythm section, led by Andrew Hill’s strong bass lines and Koren’s surprisingly hard rocking percussion (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a folk drummer so enthusiastic as to lose a drumstick before), carried over the upbeat feel of ThunderTyts’ set, while the dueling cello and violin of the string section added a complexity to Rouch’s otherwise straightforward folk songs. Always distinct and rarely in competition with one another, the different styles could be enjoyed both individually and as a sum of their parts. - WGTB Georgetown Radio Blog

Region: Washington DC + Baltimore

Jurors: Deli Austin and San Francisco Editors

Top 10 Artists From Open Submissions
1.The Chance - NOMINATED FOR NEXT PHASE
2. Cobra Collective - NOMINATED FOR NEXT PHASE
3. The Last Monarchs- NOMINATED FOR NEXT PHASE
4. Thee Lexington Arrows - NOMINATED FOR NEXT PHASE
5. Lara Supan
6. The Treading Lemmings
7. Stars and The Sea
8. Death by Sexy
9. Ihsan Bilal
10. Heather Renee - the deli

Shirlington, o Shirlington. The place I remember as being a small, not-too-crowded weekend movie oasis just off I-395 on the way to DC in the middle of a whole lotta nothing as a kid has grown up into a burgeoning yuppie metropolis. Fancy restaurants, fancy condos, fancy shops...and not much parking to speak of (and parking decks full of resident parking). However, in one of those fancy (yet awesome) restaurants, there was a show. And while not fancy, this here show, it was plenty awesome. It was a night of good company and good music, and damned if that isn't the best kinda night to have.

MINI RECAP: Small Mountain Bear = Strummerific! The Last Monarchs = Strumtastic! Overall Score: B

My friend Heather swears up, down, and sideways by Small Mountain Bear, otherwise known as Will Read. Will is a recent transplant to NYC, gives music away for free on the internets, and has himself a pretty nice little voice. In it you will hear shades of Cat Stevens, along with tones reminiscent of one of my favorite voices, local and otherwise, Mister Justin Jones. The sound at Busboys & Poets was well-suited to Read's one-man setup, though not so much for The Last Monarchs' more expansive sound (see below). The cover of Michael Jackson's "Black or White" was an unexpected treat, Read's voice and acoustic lending a whole new direction to one of Jacko's biggest songs. Thanks to the great parking hunt I missed a fair chunk of the Small Mountain Bear set, but what I heard I liked. Quite a bit.

The Last Monarchs, hailing from Alexandria, made their way onto the small stage and proceeded to play one heck of a little set. As mentioned above, the sound nearly did them a disservice, as I couldn't quite make out what the band said between songs thanks to muddy mics, but apart from that (and the drums being just this shade of too loud on occasion) their full band lushness was treated fairly well. Reminiscent somewhat of an old Richmond favorite, Mermaid Skeletons, but livelier and with more attitude, The Last Monarchs made me wonder just how I'd managed to miss the boat on them thus far. After all, Alexandria is pretty much my backyard. At times a little twang crept in, which while not your typical DC sound, sure did sound good to me. And again, it must be noted that violins and having a shit ton of people in your band both seem to be the new black, but I'm definitely down with both. Especially in the same band. And they covered "Folsom Prison Blues", which sounded great and won me over for dang sure.

Overall, it was a darned fine evening's worth of entertainment. I give both bands the ole thumbs up. Locals, make sure to check out The Last Monarchs. New Yorkers, put Small Mountain Bear on your radar. Everyone else, well, you've been advised to give both a looksie. They're both worth your while.
- Les Enfants Terribles

An acoustic guitar wielding singer/songwriter sneaking into college music rooms with a classically trained cellist to practice folk music sounds like a scene from a romantic comedy entry at Sundance, but it’s actually how The Last Monarchs began their journey as a band.

After numerous mischievous adventures under the moon, lead singer Matt Rouch realized he was onto something good and began his hunt for highly talented musicians that shared the same passion for folk music and story telling that burned inside of him. Now, with Matt Rouch on acoustic guitar/vocals, Sara Boyce on violin, Todd Koren on drums, and Andrew Hill on upright bass, The Last Monarchs strive to bring unique and heartfelt folk music to Alexandria, Virginia and the rest of the DC metro area.

Despite Northern Virginia and DC ‘s lack of interest and output in folk music, The Last Monarchs have seemingly arrived at the perfect time. Today’s indie rock universe widely accepts and encourages the organic sound the Monarchs execute with ease. Combine that notion with Rouch’s breezy vocals, Sara and Andrew’s accompanying strings, and the band’s serendipitous open market location– The Last Monarchs could soon become DC’s first big folk rock outfit.

Currently, The Last Monarchs are preparing to release a follow up EP to there 2009 release One Fell Swoop. The band will re-record “Riders from the Hillside,” along with a few other previously released tracks. If you are a fellow 703er like us here at BandSoup, be sure to check out The Last Monarchs’ upcoming live events on their Myspace page (which also streams their entire One Fell Swoop EP). The band has recently adjusted their setlist to fit the DC bar scene, adding more bluesy rockin’ songs like Riders, but still add a sprinkle of quieter folk music.

You can listen to the live studio recording of “Riders from the Hillside” here on BandSoup!
Written by rmlondon
August 20, 2010 at 12:05 am
Posted in Alternative, Country, Folk, Rock
- BandSoup.com Blog