Underclaire
Location: Little Rock, AR
Website: http://www.facebook.com/underclaire2
Biography:
Bryan Baker, Edison de Leon, Mike Mullins
The band formed in 1997, establishing themselves through a mega-decibel two-guitar onslaught! Winning a New Music Monday at Vino's the band traveled to Memphis to participate in the Crossroads Music Festival where they were featured on the local morning news show. Playing gigs regionally the band honed their songwriting and released their debut "Lights Out, Cairo", recorded at Poynter's Palace, in 1999.
"It is very obvious that Underclaire has staked out a beautiful sonic territory full of amazing dynamics. You get a sense from listening to this disc that the members of the band have been in the trenches and that the songs they sing about are full of the life experiences of their various members. They seem to be close to the march and visions of battle seem to creep into the auditory brain stem."-Paul Lovett (HTS Recording)
"Whoa. I'm trying to think about the great guitar records I've heard in the last year or so. There was that Built to Spill and the Sleater-Kinney and, well, put this local band on the list. The thundering riffs work because they are tied to great structures in solid songs. "Hurricane" gives off chills. "The Last Smile" ends with a whirlpool of glistening shards. There are times when the choppy heavy metal gets to be too much and the darkness gets a little too dark. But mostly Underclaire stomps its way to a remarkable finish. A- -- Werner Trieschmann (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
2003 found the original members refreshed, experienced, and united; and they began working on tracks for a second album. In February 2004, Underclaire sought Barry Poynter, once again, and launched into sessions for their sophomore release, "Smalltown x". The time apart had proved beneficial and the band began forging a different sound: just two guitars and drums- no bass guitar. The band has matured and this album proves it. It is more stripped down. The guitars are still prominent, their tone clear and distinct. The songwriting has evolved to embrace the lack of low end notes; there are more dynamics, odd chord shapes, and the kick drum has a very distinct low end. The tracks on "Smalltown x" still stake the claim in guitar-band territory yet teeter on the verge of New Wave.
"Now this isn’t the Underclaire I remember. True, it has been a while, but I recall a bracing, willfully difficult Little Rock squad that dropped guitar clank and scrape on your brainpan like it was medicine they thought you needed. This Underclaire — Michael Alan Mullins, Bryan Allen Baker and Edison Siongco DeLeon — has developed a relationship with song structure, dramatic tension and modulation. In other words, Smalltown X pulls you in and holds you. The guitars are still what turn these boys on — even if the instruments are in an autumnal mode here — and the lyrics are just some non sequiturs to spout to in between riffage. Just when you think Underclaire might be fading toward the end, "The Memory of Water" puts a seriously lush exclamation point on the project. Welcome back. A-" — WERNER TRIESCHMANN (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
"Making Sky", Underclaire's 3rd studio release, will be available in the fall of 2009. Recorded at Poynter's Palace with Barry handling bass guitar duties. A different approach was taken with this project; it is a concept album, chronicling the tale of a female serial killer and her twin brother. The album is lush and layered, as compared to Smalltown X. Artwork is provided by Canadian artist, Socar Myles.
Website: http://www.facebook.com/underclaire2
Biography:
Bryan Baker, Edison de Leon, Mike Mullins
The band formed in 1997, establishing themselves through a mega-decibel two-guitar onslaught! Winning a New Music Monday at Vino's the band traveled to Memphis to participate in the Crossroads Music Festival where they were featured on the local morning news show. Playing gigs regionally the band honed their songwriting and released their debut "Lights Out, Cairo", recorded at Poynter's Palace, in 1999.
"It is very obvious that Underclaire has staked out a beautiful sonic territory full of amazing dynamics. You get a sense from listening to this disc that the members of the band have been in the trenches and that the songs they sing about are full of the life experiences of their various members. They seem to be close to the march and visions of battle seem to creep into the auditory brain stem."-Paul Lovett (HTS Recording)
"Whoa. I'm trying to think about the great guitar records I've heard in the last year or so. There was that Built to Spill and the Sleater-Kinney and, well, put this local band on the list. The thundering riffs work because they are tied to great structures in solid songs. "Hurricane" gives off chills. "The Last Smile" ends with a whirlpool of glistening shards. There are times when the choppy heavy metal gets to be too much and the darkness gets a little too dark. But mostly Underclaire stomps its way to a remarkable finish. A- -- Werner Trieschmann (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
2003 found the original members refreshed, experienced, and united; and they began working on tracks for a second album. In February 2004, Underclaire sought Barry Poynter, once again, and launched into sessions for their sophomore release, "Smalltown x". The time apart had proved beneficial and the band began forging a different sound: just two guitars and drums- no bass guitar. The band has matured and this album proves it. It is more stripped down. The guitars are still prominent, their tone clear and distinct. The songwriting has evolved to embrace the lack of low end notes; there are more dynamics, odd chord shapes, and the kick drum has a very distinct low end. The tracks on "Smalltown x" still stake the claim in guitar-band territory yet teeter on the verge of New Wave.
"Now this isn’t the Underclaire I remember. True, it has been a while, but I recall a bracing, willfully difficult Little Rock squad that dropped guitar clank and scrape on your brainpan like it was medicine they thought you needed. This Underclaire — Michael Alan Mullins, Bryan Allen Baker and Edison Siongco DeLeon — has developed a relationship with song structure, dramatic tension and modulation. In other words, Smalltown X pulls you in and holds you. The guitars are still what turn these boys on — even if the instruments are in an autumnal mode here — and the lyrics are just some non sequiturs to spout to in between riffage. Just when you think Underclaire might be fading toward the end, "The Memory of Water" puts a seriously lush exclamation point on the project. Welcome back. A-" — WERNER TRIESCHMANN (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
"Making Sky", Underclaire's 3rd studio release, will be available in the fall of 2009. Recorded at Poynter's Palace with Barry handling bass guitar duties. A different approach was taken with this project; it is a concept album, chronicling the tale of a female serial killer and her twin brother. The album is lush and layered, as compared to Smalltown X. Artwork is provided by Canadian artist, Socar Myles.