The Heavenly States

"As panoramic as the work of such larger-than-life rock storytellers as the Who."--Magnet
"Combining the scruffy shocks of guitar and dyspeptic swagger of pre-grunge rockers like Agitprop and Pavement with a layered late-90's indie-pop aesthetic best associated with Dave Fridmann. the States' mix of beauty and attack are keenly calibrated"--AP Mag



"A couple parts Chuck Prophet channeling Keith Richards, a pinch of chiming indie pop and dashes of naively swaggering Jonathan Richman and Eef Barzelay with occasional dollops of stripped down baroque rock, and the Heavenly States shimmer out of the rising mist. Like Nada Surf with a delightfully impish streak of Beck, the Heavenly States conjure up drama and whimsy with equal passion and often within the same song"--Amplifier Magazine



The States are trying on a slew of different coats here, and if they sound like both a throwback to soulful proto-Bruce Springsteens like John Mellencamp as well as rock revivalists the Hold Steady (especially on "Lost In The Light"), then wait a track or two as they synthesize the coolelectronic textures of the Postal Service and Stereolab ("Make Up") or break into the dreamy, string-swept Bay Area psych-folk of Kelley Stoltz and Vetiver ("Butterflies," "Roses"). Throughout, the Heavenly States' ambitious sounds fit together divinely --Magnet Magazine



Ted Nesseth sings as if he was ordained to front a rock band from birth. Highlights include "Lost in the Light," which recalls the Velvet Underground circa Loaded, the slower-paced "Make Up," which breathes the same melancholic air as Jane's Addiction in their quieter moments, and "The System," which is propelled by the kind of squalling guitar riff that would have rocked just as hard in any decade out of the past five " --KQED Arts and Culture



"Lost In The Light" - reminds me of a revved up LOU REED on "Dirty Boulevard" --Future Sounds



Loaded with monstrously memorable choruses and catchy riffs that are stickier than flypaper A fantastic band armed with a huge sound, frighteningly fragile moments and massively poppy tunes --First Coast News



Top-notch songwriting from the wry opening rocker "Morning Exercise" (with a chorus of "It hurts so bad/This goes on the record") to the ultra-catchy, New Pornographers-like finish of "The Race," this is by some measure the Heavenly States' finest work so far --All Music Guide
Delivers equal parts patchouli-soaked violin and Superchunk-worthy melodies --RollingStone
The last great indie-rock violinist, The Dambuilders' Joan Wasser was known for her dark, sawing ardor, but the States' Genevieve Gagon has a breezy, darting quality that deepens and brightens the hummable angst-purging of singer/guitarist Ted Nesseth. Full of romantic, lefty yearning, Nesseth recalls the sweaty conviction of another Ted (Leo )--SPIN
Buoyant, Bush-baiting pop --Newsweek
Oaktown's The Heavenly States may wear their pulsating hearts on their sleeves, but I'll take earnest power-pop liberalism over bored mall-punk any day. From their self-titled 2003 debut to their recent Black Comet, the bands arch wordplay and jagged composition on tracks like "Pretty Life" and "Borderline" have been as compelling as they have been hilarious. Remember, these left-fielders signed on Hardware Wars creator Ernie Fosselius to direct their video for "Car Wash." So, yeah, they're well-versed in the intersection of entertainment and absurdity, political or otherwise. (For more on that score, check out their hilarious Flash short Osama bin Lozenges on YouTube. It's a riot.) This advertisement of the Heavenly States' artistic agenda was indeed paid for by the L.A. Weekly. But I would have given it to them for free --LA Weekly
Teetering between pristine pop and searing punk rock --Harp
Eschews bobby socks and first kisses for squalling grit à la early-'90s SST tough guys and the noisy theatrics of Dinosaur Jr. --SF Weekly