caveman

 

“In The City” on YouTube HERE and VEVO HERE

CAVEMAN Out Now via Fat Possum Records

Today, Caveman reveals their first music video off their sophomore album for the track“In The City”. Director Philip Di Fiore made a thrilling portrait of a tourist couple visiting New York City for the first time. Head over to VEVO to see what happens when the couple, played by Julia Stiles and Fran Kranz, discover what lies underneath the surface of the playground of the city…

Recent praise about Caveman’s Caveman:
“…dreamily rendered, deftly executed pop-rock is the stuff of painstaking craftsmanship and creative relentlessness.” – NPR
“…their command of pace results in a climax that feels natural and earned. But the real star of “In the City” is lead singer Matthew Iwanusa, whose voice has an unexpected, striking richness. He demands attention, even in the midst of a weighty arrangement; if Caveman continues to embrace a more expansive sound, he’ll continue to shine.” –Pitchfork
“New Wave daydreamers…Caveman’s earth-toned synth tunnel for “Where’s the Time.” Dusty chamber-folk rarely sways so effortlessly.” – SPIN
“a rich, art-rock lullaby.” – Fader

Caveman—a five-man vibe collective from NYC—released their first album in 2011. As first albums go, CoCo Beware was something akin to a moody statement of intent, a blueprint for a band quickly learning how to create horizon-wide rock songs that were equal parts intimate and expansive. Initially self-released and later snatched up by Fat Possum for re-release in early 2012, the record brims over with four-part harmonies, crystalline guitar lines, and tracks that see-sawed between echoey lullaby (“A Country’s King of Dreams”) to shoegaze-by-way-of classic-FM-radio sprawl (“Old Friend”). The album quickly elevated Caveman from local band to watch to a sizable touring draw and formidable live act, as evidenced by stints on the road with the likes of The War on Drugs, White Rabbits and Built to Spill. Despite being the work of a brand new band,CoCo Beware displayed a kind of Zen-like ease. It was the sound a five friends settling into a nice groove; the music that happens when, for whatever reason, a lot of seemingly disparate elements finally fall into place.

The guys holed up in Brooklyn’s Rumpus Room to start recording in earnest with Nick Stumpf (who produced the band’s debut album) and Albert Di Fiore behind the controls. The album is a kind of sonic microcosm—a series of emotional yet tough mini-narratives operating within the same quixotic musical universe.

The guitars on Caveman are bigger and more expansive, the rhythm section is tighter and more adventurous, the keyboards more opaque and pronounced. Like a marriage between Tangerine Dream, late period Slowdive, and Lindsey Buckingham, tracks like their new single “In the City” and “Ankles” boast synth lines that sound simultaneously retro and futuristic, while “Pricey” and “Never Want to Know” overflow with guitar sounds that could have miraculously floated off an old Cure album. It should be noted that James Carbonetti, the band’s primary guitar player, also happens to be one of the most highly regarded guitar makers in New York City.

And while Caveman’s music could certainly operate on the level of dreamy soundscape and still be excellent, the depth of feeling in front man Matthew Iwanusa’s lyrics helps weave the songs deeply into your memory. When Iwanusa sings Where’s the time to waste on someone else’s life? on “Where’s the Time,” it’s hard not to read between the lines. Wonder and regret seem to fuel the record in almost equal measure.

Caveman tour dates (more to be announced):
w/ Rogue Wave
# co-headline w/ Night Beds

5/25 – George, WA @ Sasquatch Festival (on stage 5:15pm-6pm)
6/13 – Akron, OH @ Musica
6/14 – Champaign, IL @ Highdive
6/15 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House *
6/16 – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
6/18 – Charlotte, VA @ The Southern #
6/19 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
6/20 – Cambridge, MA @ the Sinclair *
6/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg *
6/22 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
6/23 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre *
6/25 – Toronto, ON @ the Mod Club *
6/26 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre *
6/27 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
6/28 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
6/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe *
7/01 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
7/02 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
9/27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival
9/28 – Champaign, IL @ Pygmalion Music Festival

“In The City” Music video credits:
Directed by Philip Di Fiore
DP Christopher J. Lytwyn

Featuring:
Julia Stiles (girlfriend)
Fran Kranz (boyfriend)
Michael Cavadias (bellhop)

Produced by Ben Altarescu
Associate Producer Ari Ingber
Colorist Ron Sudul
Wardrobe Sheyna Imm
Hair Stylist Avian King
Makeup Artist Michelle Coursey
Special Effects Makeup Laura Stiassni
Gaffer James Herron
Props Stewart Gerard
Assistant Camera  Alfredo Alcantara
PA  Marcus Castillo
PA  Isa Alcantara

Special Thanks:  Austin Peters, Michael Kliegman, Rain Phoenix, The Jane Hotel
Production Company:  The Rumpus Room (Brooklyn, New York)

CAVEMAN is:
Jeff Berrall – bass, backing vocals
James Carbonetti – guitar
Sam Hopkins – keys, backing vocals
Matthew Iwanusa – vocals, guitar, percussion
Stefan Marolachakis – drums, backing vocals


James “Cobra” Carbonetti handcrafts and designs award winning electric guitars from scratch HERE
Stefan Marolachakis’ ESPN column about music and sports called “Caveman with a van” HERE

Caveman Website
Caveman on Facebook
Caveman on Twitter
Caveman on Instagram
Caveman on MySpace
Fat Possum
Caveman Girlie Action Press Page

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