Omaha, NE’s Twinsmith will release their sophomore album Alligator Years on May 5th, 2015 via Saddle Creek – their first full-length for the label.

Alligator Years expands upon the charming surfy haze of Twinsmith’s 2013 eponymous album and “Honestly” single, with the band pushing themselves musically while moving toward a more dynamic pop sound. Each diverse track is imbued with an individual voice and style, and ranges from propulsive, melodic rock (“Seventeen”) to buoyantly playful pop (“Alligator Years”, “Said and Done”); from soaring, sing-along retro pop (“Is It Me”) to sumptuous, evocative new wave (“Constant Love”); from shimmery, summery pop (“Said and Done”, “Haunts”) to moody, slowburning ballads (“Dust”, “Carry On”). There’s a youthful sense of longing and exploration that permeates the album, which reflects on the highs and lows, advantages and disadvantages, hopes and fears of 20-something life with crafty, unassuming depth. Not just any band can examine anxiety, uncertainty, and commitment through tales of homicidal girlfriends and zombie apocalypses with such aplomb. 


Twinsmith -  Seventeen

Omaha, NE’s Twinsmith will release their sophomore album Alligator Years on May 5th, 2015 via Saddle Creek – their first full-length for the label.

Alligator Years expands upon the charming surfy haze of Twinsmith’s 2013 eponymous album and “Honestly” single, with the band pushing themselves musically while moving toward a more dynamic pop sound. Each diverse track is imbued with an individual voice and style, and ranges from propulsive, melodic rock (“Seventeen”) to buoyantly playful pop (“Alligator Years”, “Said and Done”); from soaring, sing-along retro pop (“Is It Me”) to sumptuous, evocative new wave (“Constant Love”); from shimmery, summery pop (“Said and Done”, “Haunts”) to moody, slowburning ballads (“Dust”, “Carry On”). There’s a youthful sense of longing and exploration that permeates the album, which reflects on the highs and lows, advantages and disadvantages, hopes and fears of 20-something life with crafty, unassuming depth. Not just any band can examine anxiety, uncertainty, and commitment through tales of homicidal girlfriends and zombie apocalypses with such aplomb.


Twinsmith - Alligator Years

"Powerful Man" is the second single from Hop Along's new album Painted Shut. Order the LP/CD/digital here: saddle-creek.com/store/663

Hop Along - Powerful Man

Space Oddity

Performed live with the Brooklyn Brass Quintet at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Mixed by Ravi Krishnaswami. 

No Eye Sees Us Now

Cute?

Faces

Wire And String

Kinfolk, pt. 2

The Balcony

My name is Ryan Keller and I have an inescapable itch to write and create music. It’s an itch that’s been there since I was a child and has grown into a full-on eczema patch that covers my whole soul. 

I began writing music before I knew how to play music. When I was young, I would have a song in my head and I would just have to figure out how to play it on a guitar or piano. I learned how to play drums on a beat up office chair turned around backwards. Fortunately, my parents saw the initiative and got me a drum kit. Then it was on. I would experiment with an old tape recorder in various locations in my room to find the most optimal recording spot, letting that Yamaha keyboard I’d gotten when I was a kid play a recorded midi riff while I played the drums along.

When I was a teen, I got a hold of an old Tascam 4-track and my whole life changed. I went through a lot of recycled church sermon tapes (you know, the white ones), making all kinds of weird recordings. I used that 4-track to record the first band I was in, a long-genre-titled metal band. Shortly after, I upgraded to two Fostex 8-tracks in which I developed my musical writing in the most awkward, metaphorically pubescent way. By my late teens, my bedroom was a tangle of wires, knobs, and instruments.

But the itch grew. In my twenties, I continued playing in a hardcore band while expanding the musical styles that I recorded across many genres. There was even a really strange and awkward rap period that was short-lived and just terrible. I held on to those Fostex machines for some time before joining the computer recording revolution. Now, I record digitally which allows me to be a lot lazier and crank out songs much faster. 

The music ranges from acoustic and original rock tones using all real instruments to electronic sounds and beats. The lyrics go from broad to simple, covering the whole emotional spectrum. Every song is an expression of mine. I hope you enjoy!


Space Oddity

Ryan Keller

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