third transmission::meet me on echo echo terrace released on graveface records 26 february 2008
for booking inquiries please contact: rachelgoldstar@yahoo.com
college radio promotion by nina wilson for apples & cats media.
applesandcats@gmail.com
third transmission reviews:
"Four years is far too long to wait for new material from a group as dynamic as this Austin space rock quartet. Thankfully, the pay off is considerable. As
with their second album, their third one (Third Transmission, get it?) represents another exponential leap forward from their previous efforts. It’s clear from the opening track, “Stellar”, where the guitars and effects pedals soar across the horizon, blanketing Rachel Staggs’ dulcet crooning in a blustery storm cloud, that this is one of the finest American shoegazing bands of the past decade. But the real revelation here is TJ O’Leary, whose lead vocals on tracks like “Upper East Side” adds a harsher, more insistent rock feel to the band’s ethereal soundscapes. Here’s hoping that their fourth transmission will materialize sometime before 2012. –The Big Takeover
"Third Transmission: Meet Me On Echo Echo Terrace is the third album from the Austin, Texas based Experimental Aircraft. Having been absent for quite some time now, the band has come back as strong as ever with this wonderful album. As far as spacey/shoegaze releases go so far this year, this has definitely found a place among the top of the early pile. In actuality I should use the word shoegaze somewhat loosely with them, as they are much more than your average distortion heavy “wall of sound” type of band. They manage to blend elements of indie-rock and hints of psychedelic influence within the distant sounding fuzz. Experimental Aircraft sound very much like a product of where they are from, with songs that stretch and reveal a hint of haunting loneliness that one can easily be consumed by living in such an area. It sets the mood perfectly. Adding to it all is one of my favorite aspects of the band, which are the gorgeous vocals from singer Rachel Staggs. Her soft drifting vocals complement the bands overall forlorn sound perfectly with her injecting that slight ounce of hope among it all." - Built on a Weak Spot
"Post-shoegazer bands are a dime a dozen this year, but none of them have made a record like Third Transmission, with its shimmering walls of altered guitar and dreamy 4AD-girl vocals. The two principles split singing, each taking the mic for one of two stand-out songs, Rachel Staggs in pulse-droning "Stellar," TJ O'Leary for the more strident, punk-rhythmed "Upper East Side." Both are stunning. No one warned me about this record, and hardly anyone seems to have heard it, but it's a good one, no question." http://30secondsover.blogspot.com/
"With guitarist Rachel Staggs's voice at the fore, the songs on Austin shoegaze crew Experimental Aircraft's latest are Lush-ly haunting, heady squalls of synth and effected guitar getting wrapped by a coo that's almost vampiric—disaffected-cool, certainly, but with a focused, spooky drive. There's a different mood when TJ O'Leary takes the floor on third transmission: meet me on echo echo terrace, and while his strained howl doesn't sound nearly as honed, it's his turns that elevate the disc from finely tuned shoegazer stuff to something more singular—more like sludgy blues-rock smartly drenched in dark atmosphere. Through "Agent 23," O'Leary pulls some of Ian MacKaye's reedy bark into a Perry Farrell-style high-and-winding howl, MBV-branded seasick chords holding a wavering tension behind it. "Keep your voice down boy, careful when you bring it up," O'Leary calls, the gritty stomp-and-swirl he's inside of coming off something like the Black Keys flailing in a fog. The flail here makes the shoegaze tag they'll consistently get pretty unfair, really—there are brainy, inward-focused psychedelics in third transmission, certainly, but the odds of those shoes staying planted in its bouts of bluesy brawn seem refreshingly low." -Paper Thin Walls
love for the last time reviews:
"This review should have been written two years ago when Love for the Last Time was scheduled for its original release. The album was in the can, but troubles with the Austin space rock quartets former label, Devil in the Woods, caused delays and the follow-up to Experimental Aircrafts impressive 2000 debut sat on the shelf. Both the songs and the playing are much more accomplished this time around. Brooding guitars cascade and crash around Rachel Staggss melancholy voice on the aptly titled "Symphony," while a beefy, propulsive rhythm section drives songs like "Johnny" and "Seasick" with a sense of urgent purpose. If 4AD has any sense, theyll pick this band up. They havent had anything this strong on their roster since the heyday of Lush and the Pale Saints." -The Big Takeover
"From time to time, sounds are made that prove electricity to be a necessity. The elongated, ebbing waves that earned Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation a spot in heaven. The slow hypnosis of Bardo Pond's "Aldrin" or the shrill sensurround of Flying Saucer Attack's New Lands. Lee "Scratch" Perry's subversive, psychotic suggestions. The last half-minute or so of "Symphony," Love For The Last Time's opener, dares to nudge the above for a small spot at the foot of the sonic bed. After building from Rachel Staggs's breathy, semi-coherent pronouncements, the band sets the controls for hyperspace and plunges forward, guaranteeing the rest of the album a listeners' unbroken attention. How Experimental Aircraft delivers "Contemplative Silence" answers the question, "What would it sound like if George Harrison had ever played slide guitar with My Bloody Valentine?" One earful of the intro to "Seasick" and it's apparent Ex Air has found god. So here's a raised tonic to Ben Franklin, knowing he too couldn't leave well enough alone." -Magnet Magazine
"What really makes Love For the Last Time excellent is the clash between noise and beauty, the beauty being the gorgeous vocals of Rachel Staggs. Her voice is so sweet, it should be illegal. When it's combined with the music, it makes the noise seem tame, yet dangerous. Guitarist TJ O'Leary's singing provides a nice yin to her yang. He's just as doped-out in his singing, and when he joins Staggs on "Elephant," it feels like you're in the presence of a shoegazing Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. " - Mundane Sounds
Loved your show at the Parish this past Sunday. Went specifically to see you guys and would have liked to have heard more. Can't wait to see your next show here in Austin!!
Oh, and RE: Rachel's message about not being able to make it to MBV... what a shame. I was at one of the London shows, and they are BLINDING live. Get yourself to the next tour!
Hopefully by the time my hearing recovers, I'll get a chance to see you guys!
