THE SECRET LIFE OF SOFIA Release Seven Summits, Play Rehab Friday

The Secret Life of Sofia's debut LP became available yesterday. The Brooklyn band are opening for A Faulty Chromosome, The Vandelles, and The Depreciation Guild this Friday at Rehab. The new CD is titled Seven Summits and is available at Etherea in the East Village and Soundfix in Brooklyn, as well as by mail via their website.

-The Secret Life of Sofia are proud to present Seven Summits, their first official full length effort. Recorded in an empty farmhouse in rural Massachusetts, the band brings an intimate feel to an expansive and thematic recording.

The Secret Life of Sofia build on a melodic rock backbone with more experimental arrangements, and complex harmonies. Flute, clarinet, dulcimer, keyboards and group percussion add color to the album and help to bring the ambitions, dreams, and fates of the mountaineers of Seven Summits to life. -press release

The Secret Life of Sofia - Outside (mp3)

CMJ Report: The Secret Life of Sofia

The Secret Life of Sofia played the StereoactiveNYC/Hot Rocks official CMJ showcase at The Delancey on Saturday night. I unfortunately only had time to catch a few songs, but what I heard was quite beautiful. Their stage was adorned with the previously mentioned flourescent lanterns, but no projections this time. Still, these guys are a band to keep an eye on. Their forthcoming full-length will be released in 2008, but in the meantime you can get their self-titled EP at IQ Records.

Download - The Secret Life of Sofia - Hospital Inside Me (via the band's website)

STREAM - The Secret Life of Sofia - Various Tracks (from their forthcoming new LP)

-photo by Scot Bowman

THE SECRET LIFE OF SOFIA, INLETS, HAWK & DOVE at Union Hall

Last night at Park Slope's Union Hall a diverse collection of Brooklyn musicians helped create an introspective, yet thoroughly entertaining night of folk-oriented music. The headliner was THE SECRET LIFE OF SOFIA, a four-piece band who play moody, experimental rock. These guys have the potential of evolving into an expansive, opus-driven band along the lines of say MERCURY REV or even DEERHUNTER. The sound was solid and was successfully accompanied with gorgeous projections by Jeremy Helton and flickering flourescent lanterns. Their self-titled EP is available to purchase on IQ Records.

STREAM - The Secret Life of Sofia - Various Demos

-Kyle Wilson of The Secret Life of Sofia

My apologies to the San Francisco band THE DRY SPELLS, as I completely missed their set. Friends told me it was very good though.

-Inlets

Sebastian Krueger's INLETS played an extremely brief and quietly intimate set. Krueger's method and diverse usage of strings (and in other incarnations, woodwinds) puts him in the league of artists like BEIRUT and FINAL FANTASY. I look forward to hearing and seeing more from Inlets in the future.

STREAM - Inlets - Pictures of Trees

For an idea of the stylings that are Inlets, check out LaBlogoteque's Take Away Show, featuring Krueger and Marla Hansen performing in a rowboat on the lake in Central Park. Make sure you get past the 'Row Row Row Your Boat' first, as that is not what I'm referring to.

Inlets w/ Marla Hansen - You Are An Effigy (Take Away Show)

#59.2 - Inlets - You are an Effigy
Uploaded by lablogotheque

You can download Inlets' entire Vestibule EP for FREE at luvsound.org.

-Hawk & Dove

And the main reason I caught this show was to check out my friend Joe's folk-duo project HAWK & DOVE. Little is to be known about these guys as of yet, but that shouldn't undermine the beauty of their music. The guitar work called to mind the weighted atmospherics of COCTEAU TWINS and YO LA TENGO, with beautiful vocalizations and harmonies. Keep an eye out for these guys if you like singer/songwriter types.

All in all, this was an inspiring night of eclectic music. I love nights like these when you discover a whole new array of interesting artists on the scene. I need to do this more often.

-All photos by Scot Bowman

INLETS w/ HAWK & DOVE Tonight at Union Hall

Brooklyn lo-fi solo wonder INLETS (aka Sebastian Krueger) is playing Union Hall tonight with my good friend Joe's band HAWK & DOVE opening. Also on the bill are Brooklyn folk-rock band THE SECRET LIFE OF SOFIA and San Francisco's THE DRY SPELLS. Should be a nice and intimate Wednesday in Park Slope. Hawk & Dove go on at eight, followed by Inlets.