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From	tovjim@aol.com
Subject	New Swivel Chairs and Milton & the Devils Party albums!
Date	Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:55:36 -0400

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  Transit Of Venus is proud to announce the release of two great new albums:

Swivel Chairs - The Slow Transmission - TOVCD07004 -
An album that is understated and yet powerful in its impact. Fans of
The Connells, The Reievers will find much to love here. One song(song
#4 below) has the spirit of Chris Bell/Big Star that I can not get
enough of. The album is packed with a memorable collection of songs
that range stylistically from retro guitar-pop to alt-country, new wave
and folk-rock. The album’s cohesion comes from the sharply crafted
hooks that stick with the listener long after it's done playing and the
genuine emotions that come out in their lyrics. 
 “With The Slow
Transmission Swivel Chairs prove a premise that’s been somewhat
overlooked of late, namely that sometimes it takes little more than two
acoustic guitars and tasteful accompaniment to make music that’s
riveting, engaging and enduring. Never mind their inexplicable handle,
Swivel Chair principals Jeremy Grites and Jason Brown’s mastery of
melody, harmony and ambiance is what’s especially striking here. At
times, their earnest delivery recalls America, especially in the pretty
harmonies and caressing refrains that illuminate “10 G (No Say),” the
quiet resolve of “Easy Now” and the gentle sway of “Calloused Hands.”
Mainly though, theirs is an easy, unobtrusive lilt and allure of its
own definition, one that provides an instant connection from the first
listen on. The thirteen songs are of a decidedly mellow persuasion,
suggesting an autumnal atmosphere of low-laying clouds, ashen skies and
barren trees shorn of their leaves. In the midst of this half-lit
embrace, there’s only the occasional surge, suggested in the emphatic
drive of “All At Once,” the steady resolve of “Afterthought” and the
easy lope of “Breaking Up.” Mostly though, The Slow Transmission is, as
its title implies, an album driven by quiet persuasion, and, not
coincidentally, a most memorable effort deserving of much more than a
passing glance.”-Amplifer. You want something different, special and
still filled with lots of hypnotic beauty, it’s right here – don’t let
this one disappear in all the choices out there on the ‘net. 





Milton & the Devils Party - How Wicked We've Become - TOVCD07005 - 


“If you were Shatner / you could choose / between a goddess / or a
muse.” Such is the glib wordplay you’d expect when two wise-guy English
professors from Widner University are left to their own “wicked” (pun
intended) devices in a recording studio. Dubbed Philadelphia’s “rock
band for thinking people,” the creative force of
bassist/singer/composer Daniel Robinson and guitarist Mark Graybill
evoke pleasant comparison to such sophisticated /
tongue-firmly-in-cheek rockers as The Decembertists, Robyn Hitchcock,
Morrissey (who is respectfully name dropped in “Too Old To Die”) and
Ray Davies with and without his Kinks (another pun intended). Though
Robinson’s vocal timbre and delivery could easily be mistaken for
Brit-pop icon Damon Albarn, he maintains his own identity throughout
this jangley collection with a decidedly upbeat middle-aged
perspective. Loss (“Coward of The Conscience”) and lust (“Have To Have
Everything”) are in abundance, as is vengeance (“I’ve Had Your Wife”)
with snug back-beats, swooping bass-lines, and sweet guitar licks.
Highly recommended for fans of the above mentioned references. I could
easily end this review with a quip about achieving the Dean’s list or
affording an A grade, but let’s just say these old chickens make the
best soup.


--Tom Semioli



Coming in October - New Trolleyvox double electric/acoustic album - Your Secret Safe/Luzerne




Coming in 2008 - Julie Ocean & Like A Fox




TOV Releases can be purchased at indie retailer, our website, Insound, Notlame, Koolkate, and the occasional chain retailer.



 


Jim Moran
Transit Of Venus
PO Box 250
Blue Bell, PA 19106
215-625-4884 - Phone & Fax
215-287-4584 - Cell
TOVJim@aol.com
www.transitofvenusmusic.com


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