2004 : Darci Cash - In
The Comapny Of The Strangers(U.S.)
Bright Eyes, Broken Social Scene, Death Cab for Cutie, the Absentee, Elvis Costello, Smashing Pumpkins, the Hanks, Jimmy Eat World, Simon & Garfunkel, Ryan Adams, Depeche Mode, Radiohead
Pedro the Lion, Bob Dylan, Feist, Gram Parsons, Neutral Milk Hotel, the Parson Red Heads, Cursive, Wilco, Eilliott Smith. Sufjan Stevens
もともと、Darci CashはセカンドギタリストのJosh Grondinによって始まったものでした。彼はThe Hanksというバンドのリーダーでもあり、BenがThe Hanksのライブを手伝ったりということもあってお互いのバンドはまるで一つであるかのような活動を続けていました。しかしDarci Cash, The Hanksと別々での活動があまりにも忙しくなりJoshはバンドを離れることになったのです。
2004年にはDarci Cashは彼らのデビューアルバム”In the Company of Strangers”をリリースしました。収録された12曲は彼らがライブでやってきたセットリストを忠実に再現したもの、そしてそこにSide One Dammy Recordsのパンクバンド、The BriggsのメンバーでありサウンドプロデューサーのJason LaRoccaによって味付けされたものなのです。
”In the Company of Strangers”はThistime Recordsより2006年12月13日のリリースが決定した。
On record, Darci Cash make pretty, melodic
pop laced with a tinge of bittersweet attitude and endearing
male/female harmonies. Reminiscent of acts such as Death
Cab for Cutie and the Jealous Sound, the Californian quartet
dynamically switch back and forth between beautiful calamity
and subtler emotional explosions. On stage, though, they
really shine, with tight, sturdy vocals and energetic
outbursts and smiles that make the performance the cutest
thing you've ever seen or heard.
SKRATCH MAGAZINE
(Los Angeles, CA)
I didn't have to wait long before Darci Cash
took the stage. I wasn't sure what was about to stuff
my ears, but the band broke into an amazing set. Their
music was eclectically poppy and fun. At the first song
I was nodding my head, by the fourth I was swaying around,
and during the last couple songs I was bopping around,
grinning and laughing. For once I didn't mind looking
at the sweaty musicians,
because it felt as if they were connecting with every
damn person in the room - a rarity
LOST AT SEA MAGAZINE
Music is a little like humor, in a way -
there's a fine line between "stop me if you've heard this
one before" and "good every time you hear it." Darci Cash
may sound like vintage Jimmy Eat World, but their music
still strikes a chord. Oceanic rising and crashing dynamics,
swells of emotion and a relatable voice, you'll recognize
it all immediately, and if you clung to Clarity, you'll
likely show Darci Cash your favor as well. The group does
manage to vary its influences as it goes, too: "Goodbye"
is Pavementesque and sprightly in places, "June" sounds
like a newly distorted Low track for a very brief moment
and "Honey" is a little reminiscent of a Built to Spill
pop song. Through and through, the songs avoid an overly
emo trap, dodging the usual woeful bullet to instead be
thoroughly affirming, these numbers manage to make you
feel pretty good. The songs stand on their own, as does
the band, even with its evident ancestry, and you're left
with a feeling of pleasantness and sheer likeability.
And really, that's never a bad first impression to make
REDEFINE MAGAZINE
(Seattle, WA)
What is "coffee shop rock?" Los Angeles-based
Darci Cash seem to have taken a claim to that title with
their indie rock album, In the Company of Strangers. In
a world where coffee shop and rock music usually equates
to Starbucks and their growing media of mostly "smooth
jazz" and random tunes that are suppose to make you want
to drink coffee and relax, there are bands like Darci
Cash that actually really do want to make you want to
sit back and enjoy a mocha. Darci Cash is led by bassist
and frontman, Benjamin Welch, and his team of Mack Selvin,
Jeff Baird, and Ashley Powell, who pull together an album
of melodramatic tunes with somewhat happy and uplifting
melodies. The middle of the album shows off the best of
the bunch, with songs like "The Faithful Cynic" and "Sixties
Pop." The former features a wonderful pop chorus like
Pinback, and indie-pop verses that remind you of Death
Cab for Cutie. In "Sixties Pop", the band pulls off some
spacey-jazz instrumentals that work well. While they don't
reach the highs and excitement of say - Interpol, the
jazzier elements, where the low bass lines intertwine
with the hypnotic guitars, are definitely a strong suit.
Darci Cash seem to know what they want to do and aren't
afraid of modifying and tweaking previous formulas to
suit their own tastes. You can definitely feel that cafe-jazz
atmosphere in each and every so
Liz E (from Freezepop)
"These guys are gonna be big... Listen now
and find out before everyone else does!"
