The Falling Birds

Brooklyn-based garage duo the Falling Birds are releasing a new EP in early 2017. Formed in 2011, the duo of Stephen Artemis and Dave Alan have been road warriors, but managed to find time to record their follow up to 2015's Til We Fall Down. To get an idea of the fiery nature of the upcoming What is There to Talk About, jam on "Let's Rewind." The song is filled with garage fury yet is layered with a straight-ahead punk layer that fills out the muscular tune.

"New love inspired me to write the lyrics for 'Let's Rewind,' Artemis explains of the song. "I had the main riff and the chord progression for a few weeks before I found the right words to say. I don't write a lot of love songs and I had recently gone through a breakup so I think I was a little apprehensive about admitting that I had moved on. I think I just needed some time to realize where 'Let's Rewind' was coming from and to be comfortable with putting it out there. Once it clicked in my head I thought to myself, 'Well I guess that's all there is to say' and that idea became the chorus: 'that was all.'

"Dave and I went into the studio and tracked 'Let's Rewind' in two or three takes. Bran Speaker (Jeffrey Lewis, The Femdoms) co-produced it with us and Jeff Lipton (Arcade Fire, Heartless Bastards) did the mastering. We wanted a big raw sound and those guys did a great job capturing the song. I wanted it to feel like Chuck Berry might have sounded if he cut a punk record."

The Falling Birds' What is There to Talk About is out on February 17, 2017. - Pure Volume

SHOW REVIEW: THE FALLING BIRDS
MUSICREVIEWS4 MIN READ
Spring has arrived early, if only for a moment! Well, New Yorkers will have to wait and see how long it will last before the last throes of winter break through. However, the chilly weather remained strong during the week prior. For listeners in downtown Manhattan braving the blistering cold, many were determined to make their way to Rockwood Music Hall in celebration of the release of the new EP, ‘What Is There To Talk About?’ by the blues rockers, The Falling Birds. Blues and warmth came hand in hand that evening for many who were seeking it. Not only was it a night of frivolity, the music experience itself was sublime to say the least.

Fan rushed to Stage Two to beat the oncoming crowds and to get toasty right away from the biting winds. Many were forced to linger outside the entrance as the band beforehand finished their set. For some reason the bouncers were not letting The Falling Birds’ fans in early. This prompted quite a few to shrug and head over to the bar next door to wait patiently. Finally, access was granted and some folks received some hard copies of the EP that were immediately shoved back into their coat pockets. The duo, Stephen Artemis and David Burton, quickly began to set up on stage and were given a ton of support from their friends as cheers belched out all the while. Holding true to their style, the men were emblazoned in their trademarked red, plaid flannel shirts. On stage were a series of amplifiers to really give their sound a punch later on. David’s drum set had multiple floor toms to add onto their music, which intrigued new visitors of their craft. They were quick to set up and the lights eventually dimmed to officially start off the night.

Cheers welcomed the men as the mild thrumming of Stephen’s guitar was unleashed. It was a cacophony of sounds and blasts of grinding blues. Even from the inception, there was hair swaying madness. A blues waltz of rock made Mr. Artemis’ vocals blend in seamlessly to the twangs that followed on his white blues guitar. Both men naturally used all of the tools in their musical arsenal. Case in point, David never spared a section of his drum set with a constant grin on his face pounding with immense satisfaction. Stephen’s slide guitar skills were quick and offered equally great licks. Their flow was fluid but always transitioned in smooth grace among different stylization of the blues genre. For example, their trend usually hung in the grunge-blues realm. Alongside that transition there was obvious and infectious energy that came from the duo. That energy was shared among the audience as smiles and dancing reverberated right back.

Bouncing blues finally popped in and the pounding of the drums were overwhelmed by the guitar licks. Each man was intricately detailed with their instrument. They used stormy rhythm and intense but focused beats. Both musicians often had their eyes closed as they entered their musical moments of zen. Emotion on their faces grew as they contorted with feeling. A slight whirring from the amplifiers in the back never seemed to stop and was only really heard when the men took things down for a bit. Intimacy was welcomed. An alternative route was taken and the fans began to dance with more vigor. Stephen showcased his musical prowess when his harmonica helmed the ship for this alternative-blues segment. A slow and somber ballad held the ears of listeners. It was for all of the lovers.

David gave a groovy drum solo bit, making sure to use all of the drum heads when he could. Despite the musical experience at hand, excited chatter among the crowd remained throughout. That did not dampen the spirit of the two musicians as they continued to keep that beat and force alive. It never went away or was rendered silent. Each song had a climatic ending of worthwhile thrills. David brought out a jimglemute and his drum skills were elevated even more alongside the roaring alternative-blues. It was oily and murky with pleasure for fans who would be jamming into the wee hours of the night.

The Falling Birds gave listeners prime lumberjack-rustic blues to enjoy for the ages. Their dedication and explosive power match their music well. Blues never sounded so fresh and original as with this duo. Stephen and David have successfully placed their own flair to the genre that will only make the music world expand with musical flexibility.

Jam on. - Punchland

Blending folk, punk, and early-90s grunge into their own sound, Brooklyn's duo The Falling Birds are offering an intriguing combination of genres supported by that crucial (and too often missing) ingredient known as 'quality songwriting.' We are premiering right here, right now, their new EP, 'What Is There To Talk About.' The record, streaming below, is set for an official release on February 17th, and includes single "Anything Worse", which was co-produced by Brian Speaker - who has worked with Crazy & The Brains among others. The release party is scheduled for February 16th at Rockwood Music Hall's Stage 2 in Manhattan's Lower East Side. - Will Sisskind - The Deli Magazine

Brooklyn garage-rock duo The Falling Birds have been up to some really good stuff, and today, we’re proud to premiere their newest single, “Cinders in the Breeze,” right here on Pancakes & Whiskey. Dig right in and check it out up above.

The duo, comprised of Stephen Artemis (guitar, vocals) and Dave Alan (drums, keys) show us a pretty different side in this gritty, acoustic track, whose catchy melody has a soft, gradual way of sneaking up on you. Even so, you can almost smell the pine needles and mountain air as soon as you hit play, and the lyrics are just as immersive. As “Cinders in the Breeze” builds, it cooks up a bluesy, dusky, road-trip-ready vibe, with just a twinge of recklessness buried in its rugged strumming.

“I’m really happy with the way this song turned out,” said Stephen of the new work, which was, in fact, borne out of his own childhood memories. “I was feeling nostalgic for the days when I was a kid in upstate New York with nothing but open space in front of me and time on my hands. We used to have bonfires in the yard, and I would watch the cinders rise up in the air and float away,” he reminisced. “I wanted the song to be like that.”

They pulled it off, and we can’t wait to hear more. The Falling Birds are due to release a brand new EP, What Is There to Talk About, on February 17th, 2017, so keep an eye on these guys. - Pancakes and Whiskey

The Falling Birds don't sound like most of the other young bands out there. There's a certain grittiness and vintage feel about them that sounds more like something you'd be likely to hear in an old dirty bar than on modern radio.

The Brooklyn-based trio channels decades-old sounds on their EPs, 'Til We All Fall Down and Native America, but it's all done in a way that creates a new and fresh sound. With a new album due out in early 2016, guitarist/vocalist Stephen Artemis, bassist Nick Albury, and drummer David Burton seem poised to be one of the next big movements in good ol' rock 'n' roll. Artemis took a minute to dish on some of the band's history, and a little bit of its future.

Homebase: Brooklyn, NY

How would you describe the Falling Birds to people who had never heard your music before?

We take blues and folk music and punk it out.

Who are some of your musical influences?

Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jack White, NOFX, Joe Pug, Shovels and Rope, The Band of Skulls, Bob Dylan. We're really big music fans and we're kind of all over the map.

What's life like for an up-and-coming band trying to make it in New York?

It's exciting. It's competitive. NYC is out for your blood.

Can you explain how the band got it's name?

I moved to New York and I was so preoccupied with making a living that I didn't have time to play music anymore. I was working all the time just to make rent and I was miserable. About a year after moving I finally had enough so I decided to put a band together. We booked our first gig but we didn't have a name and the venue was bugging me to come up with one. Just a few days before the deadline to come up with a name all these birds fell out of the sky in Arkansas, and I thought it was a cool metaphor for how I felt not playing music. So that became the name. I think all those dead birds might still come up towards the end of our google results.

How did the Falling Birds start?

It was like when you put sea monkeys in water. We just kind of formed out of the ether.

How did the band's grungy/bluesy/indie rock sound come about? It's different than what you might normally hear.

It's really not premeditated, it's just that it's a mashup of all our influences. Grunge was one of the first sounds that appealed to me as a teenager, because it was loud and wild. Then as we got older, I started appreciating blues and folk rock more. So I wanted to write songs that represented those interests and incorporate my younger (more rowdy) influences. I thought it would be cool to try and combine those things together. I thought it would be an interesting challenge as a songwriter to put those influences together to try and make something new.

What's the coolest experience you guys have had so far as a band?

The coolest thing by far is how we got our UK tour set up. We started putting our demo out on social media and all of a sudden we wound up getting picked up on a UK radio station... then another... then another. The next thing we know we've got people in the UK tweeting at us and asking when we're going to come over and play. We didn't know the first thing about setting up a tour, but we wound up meeting a great friend via Twitter and she helped us connect all the dots. (Thanks Sam!) We never thought anything like that would come from the demo and we were absolutely floored when it happened.

Where do you draw inspiration for your music?

Inspiration comes from all over. A lot of the lyrics are drawn from my own experiences or those around me. If you hang out with me, watch out because you might just end up in a song. Or maybe a part of you will.

What's something you've learned in your time as a band?

I've learned a lot about managing the business side of things and how much goes into that. You've got to be more than a musician now-a-days, you have to be more like a small business owner.

Are there any specific goals the band has in mind?

Just to keep making the best music that we can. We have so many songs that still need to be recorded and released we've already got our eyes on the next record.

What's the songwriting process like for the Falling Birds?

Basically, I will write the guitar and vocals and bring that to the guys. We'll play with the songs and try out different parts around what has been written. We just get together and do what comes natural. Then presto, we've got a record.

If there's one thing you wish everyone on the planet knew about the Falling Birds, what would it be?

I think they should know that we're really a live band. The studio is nice, but its the live shows that we really love. We leave it all out on the stage. - Myspace Music

Brooklyn-based garage rock duo The Falling Birds—composed of Stephen Artemis (vocals/guitar/harmonica) and Dave Alan (drums/keys)—first met in 2011 and quickly went to work dismantling their collective influences, building something new and exceptional from the bits of rock, punk and pop floating around in their heads. Despite the craggy nature of their work, there is a soft melodic nostalgia roaming through each song, but it's not the kind of dreamy, half-baked reanimation of simple inspirations that fuel so many other like-minded artists. The Falling Birds fashion a true and sincere expression of their associative musical histories without resorting to pale imitation or mimicry.

On their recent single, "Cinders in the Breeze," the band drags out the vintage garage rock swagger, as well as a more polished melodic underpinning that owes its dusty trail assertiveness to a particularly rustic branch of classic rock. Suggesting a more laid-back version of The Mekons or The Meat Puppets working a bender filled with repeated journeys through Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska," this track gives the band the freedom to indulge in their garage rock inclinations without sacrificing the force and vigor inherent to the punk influences that creep up on occasion. They offer a twangy garage aesthetic that lifts you up and carries you toward the horizon, eventually bringing you to a campfire where Camper Van Beethoven and Marty Robbins swap stories about life on the road. - Joshua Pickard of NPR WUTC and Nooga.com

I don’t know where you currently reside, but where I am, we are experiencing a cold snap that crushes even the most cheerful of spirits. The months after the holidays are always rough here. It is crucial during these times that we find the right soundtrack to nudge (or drag) us out of our winter blues. On these cold days, piano ballads are simply not going to do the trick. We need rock, and it has to have teeth.

Enter the garage duo from NYC known as The Falling Birds. Their brand of fuzzed out lo fi rock is reminiscent of Nirvana in a way we have not heard before. Instead of blatantly ripping off the sound of early grunge, they reimagine it with their own ferocious voice. Their upcoming EP What is There to Talk About (February 17) is garnering praise and anticipation. Recently they have won accolades like “10 Must See Trios at CMJ” and Myspace Music Artist of the Day”. Their sound has been described as being “chock full of the kind of fuzzed out western grunge any god fearing parent would not want their teenager to listen to” (The Vinyl District). Lead singer Stephen Artemis has a mixed range that sounds like Jack White meeting Billy Corgan.

The strength of The Falling Birds is not doing too much but simply letting the music lead them into the pit of classic rock, grunge, and punk influences. They are the perfect sound for your winter frustration and are one of the most exciting bands we have heard in awhile. Make sure to listen to their newly released “Let’s Rewind” below and while you’re at it, check out their acclaimed video for “My Girl”. Hold on, spring is coming. - ar To The Ground Music

“Grungy rocker”, “blues infused”, “country with a whiskey roughness”, “punk too limiting”, “melting pot of American music” are just a few of the adjectives music critics use to describe TheFalling Birds. Their musical range, creativity and instrumental skills defy easy categorization. They are consummate storytellers. They spin tales of joy and heartbreak, honed in the cauldron of life growing up in Albany, New York and the rural Mohawk River Valley observing first hand their inexorable economic and social decay. - Daily Motion