1956 celebrated their ten year anniversary in 2009; and it was a sincere reason to celebrate. Ten years of consistently creating thoughtful, yet emotionally imbued rock music. Ten years of honing their unique style of crafting songs, fine-tuning them in front of live audiences, and finally recording them. Tenure of that length gives reason for pause whilst offering a more intuitive element into perspective. It illuminates a wider scope that only comes with experience. The band used this reflection as an inspiration, & felt emboldened with this daring spirit to push themselves not to repeat in any and every capacity.
"LOWTIDE", 1956's fourth release, is the result of taking these chances and accepting the challenges. Produced by rising star Shane Hochstetler, who also produced 2007's "Saboteur", it is once again a product of sincerity; seven songs in which every note and word holds the key to expression. During pre-production, the band realized that this collection of songs was quite different in almost every nuance. The goal during recording was to simply capture what the songs seemed to be. Simply is a relative word. To begin with, the band needed to expand its sound or sonic palette to effectively reach the textures they envisioned. This meant adding not just instruments, but instrumentation. Arrangement of timbres, melodies, rhythms, and performances into a coalescence of atmosphere and chemistry was the challenge; violins, piano, female vocals, and various percussion are all weaved throughout "LOWTIDE" to incredible effect.
"Pull Away" is the title of the track chosen to introduce listeners to "LOWTIDE", for reason. It serves as the initial pulse into the overall essence of the recording…in broader terms, the primary nature that there is no positive without the negative; no push without the pull. In the art that is creativity, much as in the energy of living, this is the balance that compels and enables us, or conversely repels and disables us. Throughout the songs on "LOWTIDE", the pull seems to pervade…The slight insistence of rumination during "Signals"; the prescient veiling and unveiling characterized by "Dressed Rabbits", the hangover that bests the buzz within "Trim The Wick", the intrinsic embodiment of relationships that is "Like You Wouldn't Believe", the invective that lust can outweigh love on "Hey Hey Hate"; and the conclusion that the small moments can more than equal the big events in "Hearts Racing On".
1956 has not merely existed for over a decade, evidenced recently by headlining the inaugural Verge Fest in their hometown of Milwaukee. Furthermore, they were a staple on Milwaukee airwaves throughout 2008, culminating with "Saboteur" single "Persistent" being voted into "Best of 2008" by 88NINE Radio Milwaukee listeners. The band has cultivated a highly-regarded indie status by manifesting its artistry through constant seeking, steering through the cycle's floods and ebbs. With the release of "LOWTIDE", 2010 and 2011 is abounding with the promise of a new kind of energy, though still with a sense of the tide to it.
***PRESS / REVIEWS**
Milwaukee's 1956 pounds out the heavy, chugging alternative-rock riffs like the ones that proliferated throughout the early '90s, but underneath the grind, the band reveals an unexpected softer side. "Persistent," one of the standout tracks from the group's measured 2007 album, Saboteur, is steeped in the same bleary-eyed pensiveness that made The National's Boxer such a treat. -The Shepherd Express
Saboteur is one of my favorite CDs to come out of Milwaukee in 2007. Their live show is as good as their studio stuff. Tight sound and some of the hardest working guys I've come across in quite a while. The sound reminds me of at least five of my favorite bands but no one I would dare compare them to (although The National did come up when we had them on our show). The tracks on Saboteur are not only great but their placement makes the CD a great trip. Can't wait to see them again! -Adler, Kramp & Adler "Mornings of FM 102.1 WLUM"
Worth the wait; Whether it's an issue of time, money, or perfectionism to the point of psychosis, sometimes it takes a long time for a band to finish a record. In the case of 1956, it took four years to finish the moody SABOTEUR. But the effort paid off. -Steven Hyden, The Onion: Best of 2007
At the risk of bludgeoning the band with a comparison that it is bound to resent over the next couple of months, 1956's latest album, Saboteur, sounds an awful lot like The National. FM 102.1's morning DJs, Kramp and Adler, have already made the connection on air; I'm pointing it out again; and countless others will come to the same conclusion once they hear the disc. The band is going to have to learn to politely smile this one off.
Of course, the comparison is meant as a compliment. The National's newest album, Boxer, has been one of the best-reviewed albums of 2007, and Saboteur nails the same tricky dynamic: the brooding vocals, the
hypnotic, slow-burn tempo, the poised guitar hooks, the alternating whiffs of melancholy and triumph. And it's not like Saboteur blatantly seeks to replicate Boxer. 1956's underlying sound is much heavier than The
National's, grounded in hard alternative and tough post-hardcore groups like The Jesus Lizard and Helmet. In their earlier days, 1956 played up those louder influences; now they're shooting for something a little more reserved and even-tempered.-Evan Rytlewski, Shepherd Express
1956 is one of those bands that remind you of what music is missing today. It brings me back to the days when Music meant something more then just how the lead singer cut his hair or how many myspace friends a band had. 1956 has a rhythm section that can't be denied. The bass work on some of these songs is great, really exploring the possibilities of the instrument in context with modern rock without showing off or losing focus. -Benjamin Weinman (Dillinger Escape Plan)
1956. part Helmet, part Deftones, and all rock n roll. They bring a fresh new sound to the Milwaukee music scene. A band to watch for!! -Kurt Baron, 94.1 WJJO FM
An assemblage of three men, all dedicated to the creation of strong rock music since 2001, 1956 enter the venue prepared for an aural, yet visceral, onslaught of sounds, pushed to the limits of conventional musicianship. -Mario Martin
