Matthew Gray began his young career as a solo performer playing locally while fine tuning his craft for songwriting. Before long it became apparent that his musical vision included more orchestration and hands; enter The Arrogant Sea. Matthew and The Arrogant Sea is four parts family and 2 parts friends, making the six piece a true 'friends and family' outfit. Watching them play together is a magical experience filled with dreamy omnichord pop and hints of folk psychedelia. On the strength of their live show and past EP, the band has created a strong following locally and generated great anticipation for their forthcoming album, 'Family Family Family Meets The Magic Christian'. Slated for release October, 28th of 2008 on Nova Posta Vinyl, (Formed by fellow Dentonites Robert Gomez and Eric Pulido of Midlake) the 14 song odyssey is filled with melodious gems that evoke the experimental natures of The Flaming Lips and Animal Collective perched upon harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys and The Mamas and The Papas. Matthew and the Arrogant Sea's 'Family Family Family Meets The Magic Christian' is sure to make great waves this year and for many to come.
"Anyone who's ever listened to Matthew and the Arrogant Sea would expect to be blown into a fantastic explosion of a world of imagination where anything and everything becomes a possibility" - Exp/Am Review-
The band's sound seems to fall somewhere between Nick Drake and older Animal Collective, drawing from strange, dramatic 70's folk acts such as Fairport Convention and Pearls Before Swine (whether intentionally or not) and dressing those influences up with the sounds of a variety of contemporary indie touchstones ranging from Espers to Fruit Bats to Devendra Banhart to the experimental tribal avant folk of Sunburned Hand of the Man. The result is a solid base of acoustic pop lying beneath layers of swirling noise, reverb and other textures that give much of their music a sense of loneliness, distance and detachment. Songs like "The Irony of Anigav..." buzz with tin can percussion, bits of white noise and a hypnotic use of repetition, while "Pancakes on Mars" treads on more traditional folk turf but remains interesting due to it's recording, which creates an artificial acoustic space reminiscent of hearing an old country song in a car on a long dark highway. And while the band hasn't exactly invented the particular styles they are working within, their take is unique and quickly rewarding, displaying a locally uncommon willingness to create experimental pop that is both experimental and, well, poppy.
-weshotjr.com
chad says.. 2:28 AM
MATAS are really good and if you don't think so you don't own enough Donovan records.
OUR NEW RECORD WILL BE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE ON OCTOBER 28TH. BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE HAVE OTHER RECORDS WHICH ARE NOW AVAILABLE @ RECYCLED BOOKS & STRAWBERRY FIELDS IN DENTON. & GOOD RECORDS IN DALLAS
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Abilene show was freaking amazing. i kinda felt like a dork being the only one dancing, but i loved it. and thanks for the pick, although im still kind of disappointed in the lack of mock origami
