Moneytree: The Great Indoors III

aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnndddddd we’re back………….. after taking a much needed “break” I’m thinking on musical terms again.

Today we have Moneytree, a quartet from Southampton, UK, who have undergone some lineup changes over the years but seem to cleave to brothers Campbell and Ollie Austin. They’re just finishing up a UK tour to promote this EP, the third in a triptych, The Great Indoors III. You’ll hear a myriad of sounds and influences in these seven tracks, everything from American indie to modern jazz and math rock as well as a nice kick in the pants (trousers) of popular pop-punk. Their first two installments in the triptych, The Great Indoors, aptly named The Great Indoors I, and The Great Indoors II (with collaborations featuring Mumford and Sons, Mystery Jets, The Holloways, Modernaire and Sotones music co-op: Moulettes, Lonely Joe Parker, Jackie Paper (Thomas Tantrum), Haunted Stereo, and Peter Lyons.) I couldn’t find much in the way of reviews of either of those, and that’s a pity because this band does one thing that I love: they clearly have the “thing,” to write those radio-friendly, hook-laden pop songs, yet they also have the “other thing,” which is enough curiosity still to be bored by those songs. It’s the same way with some Chicago bands I love, Maps & Atlases, or Joan of Arc, which provide so many technical delicacies and melodic twists to compliment their solidly good songs. I can just see them sitting around in a practice session and saying, “Well we could do it that way, but why would we when we can go this more interesting route.”

Reviewed by Drowned in Sound back in January of 2006, Moneytree was presented as an odd if not slightly unpredictably volatile bundle of energy to watch out for in the coming year. I think you’ll see from the videos below a little of what they were impressed/afraid of. Go buy this new EP, it’s out today, and it is stunning. Seven tracks, all different from the other and fitting together nicely. I’d venture to guess that this band has matured and perhaps harnessed some of that kinetic force. For what I hear on this EP is certainly not tame, not what most casual listeners would choose to put on their workout mixtapes. But it’s interesting, and captivating to anyone who listens to music intently and appreciates those twisty, unexpected paths.
(go to their MySpace page for show dates if you’re in the UK, you lucky bastards)

Moneytree – The Science of Gambling by abadgeoffriendship

Thank you for your patience, I’ve missed you all! It’s been very lonely without new music and your lovely eyes and ears to join me on this page of discovery. I’ve put some hard thought into a lot of things, both the obvious, and also on the direction of this blog and what it should say and might say and so on. It always is just really a reflection of my life, and my taste, and what crosses my path. You who have been reading me for a while now know that. You who have just popped in recently should know that when skimming through these many words to learn about the band I’m featuring. Life took a wicked turn lately, I’m getting divorced after 17 years and well, it is what it is. I really couldn’t face writing about anything for the past weeks until I got a handle on the situation and on myself. Deep breath, and well…. So, on with it. I’ll try and keep at this as consistently as I can, xoxo