Twilight Revival

"Americana-flavored rockers Twilight Revival have a roots anchor, but it only barely keeps them tethered. This is smart barroom rock & roll with sparkling, from-the-cut melodies and some non-cliched, modern/alt-rock-tinged guitar work. Dig: Jeff Tweedy and Paul Westerberg bringing their amps to a songwriters-in-the-round event." - CityBeat Cincinnati

"Chicago's own American alternative rock band, Wilco, has influenced aspiring musicians around the globe. I would suffice to say that no band has been influenced in such an apt way as the up-and-coming Chicago artist Twilight Revival. While being compared to Jeff Tweedy is never a bad thing, Twilight Revival has uniquely taken a previously cornered market of music and made it their own. Having recently been signed to Mile Long Records and on the heels of their new Americana Rock-inspired record Parlor, their sound is being passed between embracing fans everywhere. Parlor may be a finalist in your search for the perfect summer soundtrack."
- TheChiGuide

"If hook-hearvy Indie is what you want, then the LP 'Parlor' is just what's called for. Sure to be a favorite on long car rides through the sprawling expanse of America's highways. Twlight Revival's release is something to add to your library." - The Deli Magazine (Nick Coamey)

An Incredible Work of Art

Releasing a high quality EP is like hitting a bullseye in darts. Actually, several of them.

In a row.

See, there can't be filler on an EP. A lot of LPs out there in the world are actually better suited as EPs with all the junk removed. Think about it: how many times in your life have you listened to an album and thought, "Some of those songs really hit the mark, but there were about three songs I could have done without."

Well, Twilight Revival's eponymous EP is five, no-doubt bullseyes.

With such a small collection of songs, there is no room for error. Every song on this album is a well crafted and thought out piece of art. However, while each is unique and brilliant on its own, when put together they fit like the pieces of a complex puzzle to form a bigger, more beautiful piece of art ? a complete album, no matter the length. From the ironically upbeat "Dark as Sin" to the haunting musical beauty of "Intelligence Man," the band shows its range. "So Far Away" is one of the more pained and sad songs I've heard in a while. This album accomplishes what so many cannot: it ended, and not only did I want to listen to it again, I wanted more, because I know this band can keep writing and recording songs at this high level.

I find too many albums today are missing one thing ? and it?s actually the most important thing: soul. This five song EP has more soul than most of the mainstream albums I?ve heard recently. It?s as if each song gets you into the head and hearts of the band and its creative process and you can actually feel their emotion coming out of your speakers. Bands looking to use more than lyrics and voice inflection to convey emotion need to listen to not only the instruments in Twilight Revival but also their arrangement. In younger bands, it?s extremely rare to hear this level of complexity and range of emotion coming from anything other than the lead singer.

Bands like Twilight Revival are what pull people into a music scene. Too many people in the city are unaware of the goldmine of musical talent right under their noses. With the proper exposure and continued craftsmanship at this level of quality, the Chicago music scene will explode with this band and a few others leading the charge.
- PropCulture.com

Resurrecting 80’s indie

Brian McDonnell previously fronted Gold Coast Refuse who explored Americana from its indie-rock shoots rather than its country roots. They received decent notices on this site and on this showing I can see why. They’re from the intelligently crafted indie rock fraternity, just guitars, bass, drums and ideas. Not hook laden, there’s the meandering spaces and obfuscation of early REM in here - ‘Killers’ has that ‘Reckoning’ feeling complete with Mike Mills style backing vocal (and wasn’t Mills’ contribution always crucial and underplayed). There’s more than a hint of the Boston College rock sound elsewhere. Bullet Lavolta springs to mind, and ‘Dark as Sin’ has that propulsive backbeat along with arpeggio guitar that’ll get any self-respecting rock fan moving. There’s nothing especially outstanding; just good old-fashioned indie-rock. - Americana UK (David Cowling)

Chicago's Twilight Revival has managed to attract a loyal fan base with an infectious blend of indie Rock riffs and rootsy Americana textures. The quartet delights in big hooks and fantastic vocal harmonies. An R.E.M./Replacements keg party with a Wilco/My Morning Jacket hangover. - CityBeat Cincinnati

The fact the Chicago music scene should deliver yet another Wilco-influenced act is hardly surprising. The fact it’s as good as Twilight Revival is. Of course, not many bands want to be described as “sounding just like” Group X, but this comparison isn’t meant to be unfavorable. Parlor, Twilight Revival’s debut full-length (a self-titled EP was released in 2007), isn’t so much adoration as much as it is recognition. Even the most Tweedy and co.-ish songs like “Singalong,” “If Only,” and “Devil’s Crutch” have their own voices despite the similarities. It’s easy, if you’re good enough musicians, to sound just like a band, but it’s much harder to admit the reverence and still have your own sound. In Twilight Revival’s case, it doesn’t hurt that guitarists/vocalists Rick Guistolise and Brian McDonnell, bassist/vocalist Erik Korte, and drummer John Monaghan occasionally step off the dusty alt-country back roads and into The Replacements’ corner-dive rock (”Taquito”) and R.E.M.’s jangly pop (”Anyone”). - Illinois Entertainer (Trevor Fisher)

"Never ones to hide their admiration of Wilco and Paul Westerberg, Chicago up-and-comers Twilight Revival tread familiar territory at the beginning of their second release and first full-length album. Which is all well and good, especially when you hear the raucous, Stones-ish fun of “Helicopter”, the Americana-tinged “Devil’s Crutch”, or that distorted guitar blast its way into the plaintive, acoustic rocker “If Only”, but in the end, what makes Parlor so damned compelling is the darkness that gradually creeps in as the album goes along. “Madison” combines historical storytelling with a feeling of impending doom in a way that would make Patterson Hood proud, the drunken shuffle of “Fields” is infused with tense lead guitar fills, while the unsettling “Dealing in Integers” takes the feeling even further, erupting into a cathartic, dissonant coda. By the time the record climaxes with the bleary-eyed country of “May Tomorrow Be Better”, instead of adeptly paying homage to their influences, the band is closer than ever to creating an identity of their own." - PopMatters.com

There are plenty of young bands drawing inspiration from Wilco these days, but few of the Tweedyphiles out there are doing it with as much verve and songwriting skill as Chicago’s Twilight Revival. By dipping into the rich musical palette of 1980s college rock, the foursome add an enticing dimension to today’s Americana sound on their confident debut EP. Bright, shimmering lead guitar fills shed some welcome light on the more downbeat numbers, first on the dark, ambling shuffle of “Intelligence Man”, and then on “Drive-By”, while “Killers” is a Rickenbacker away from a dead-on Paisley Underground homage. Better yet, the first two thirds of “Dark as Sin” draws inspiration from Reckoning-era R.E.M. before throwing a curveball with its rousing, Replacements-style coda, and the gorgeous “So Far Away” embraces its own self-loathing, climaxing in a sumptuous solo run, fading out as twilight gives way to darkness. - PopMatters (Adrien Bergrand)

January 4, 2008
BY KYLE KOSTER

Since the genesis of Twilight Revival in late 2006, a common theme has run through everything written about them. Critics and fans alike are wont to classify the music as a blend between '80s college rock and indie Americana.

It's a fair assessment, but don't slap a label on these guys so quickly. There's more than meets the eye -- or ear.

''Midwest rock is never in the moment,'' guitarist/vocalist Brian McDonnell says. ''It's more traditional, more roots-based. So on that level, I more than welcome being lumped in with bands like the Replacements and Wilco.''

McDonnell quickly stresses that Twilight Revival is not just the result of a simple two-ingredient recipe.

''Lots of times, three songs into a set you've got a pretty good idea who bands are,'' he says. ''Our goal is to change it up and leave people wondering what could possibly be next.''

A willingness to evolve is evident in the recent growth of the band's creative infrastructure. Initially, McDonnell shouldered the majority of the songwriting duties, resulting in a slight lean toward alt-country. Currently, Twilight Revival is reveling in the collaborative process, one that is improving the final product in the form of more well-rounded songs.

''Chapter one of our story was good,'' McDonnell says. ''But we're excited about chapter two. We're going in a whole new direction, and for the better.

''It's no longer one man's song. When you write from the beginning by yourself, the path is already charted. You take on more of a teacher role, showing the band how it's played.

''As a group, nothing is set in stone and the door is more open. People think 'What can I add to this?' instead of 'Where can I take it?'''

So far, the collective vision has spawned intrepid Heartland rock with a garnish of indie cred.

Their self-titled EP features ''Dark As Sin,'' which invites you in with a comely opening riff and asks you to stay with sustained honesty. It's one of those rare mood-enhancing tunes that has the power to turn a negative attitude sunny in the span of four minutes.

The band also is taking on a bright disposition, content to be doing what they love and having an audience to share the experience with them.

''We met through music, whether it be an answered Craigslist ad or backstage networking, and as it turned out [we] all clicked on a personal level,'' McDonnell says. ''We're all music freaks to the nth degree and being in a band is just an extension of our musical geekdom.''

Their Tuesday show at Schubas will be the final foray onstage for Twilight Revival before holing up to record the new album, which should be completed by March.
- Chicago Sun-Times