ODE

Ode is a five piece group made out of strings and sticks and memories that stare at them from the past, like sling shots, drawn back, ready to let go any time something goes wrong. But they stick together, bass or no bass, rent or no rent, slowly but surely they are mistaken for a gypsy ensemble that plays rock 'n' roll-punk and Bolero ballads, maintaing that yearning and earning just enough so that they don't burst in tears, when they are exposed to clean cut jib jab joints and late night star dusting. Backing up mini skirts marching to $50 bills, sticking to the accordion noise that came and left for coastal extravaganza in hope that it'll score a pair of stockings in Umag somewhere. Ode share their dark poems and dreams through an authentic rock vibe, a familiar, yet new wave of melodious tunes that creates a blend of Chicago rock music.
Ode is a five piece group made out of strings and sticks and memories that stare at them from the past, like sling shots, drawn back, ready to let go any time something goes wrong. But they stick together, bass or no bass, rent or no rent, slowly but surely they are mistaken for a gypsy ensemble that plays rock 'n' roll-punk and Bolero ballads, maintaing that yearning and earning just enough so that they don't burst in tears, when they are exposed to clean cut jib jab joints and late night star dusting. Backing up mini skirts marching to $50 bills, sticking to the accordion noise that came and left for coastal extravaganza in hope that it'll score a pair of stockings in Umag somewhere. Ode share their dark poems and dreams through an authentic rock vibe, a familiar, yet new wave of melodious tunes that creates a blend of Chicago rock music.
ODE @ Uncommon Ground : April 3 2009 from zoran orlic on Vimeo.
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Review: April 2009 >>>>>>
http://chicagoist.com/2009/04/02/know_them_when_ode.php >>>>>>
Know Them When: Ode >>>>>>>
In keeping with our celebration of National Poetry Month, we're featuring a band called Ode. If you haven't had the chance to see this local group, go to Uncommon Ground on Devon tomorrow night and give them a shot.
We caught their March 18 show at Martyr's where they were the opening act, and it was proof that the order you go on is not necessarily an indication of quality. Their music has been called ork-pop and Balkan roots rock, but neither description adequately sums up their sound, which is full of dark, sweet melodies and tinges of influence from their native Bosnia, largely in the form of odd time signatures, minor keys, and crying accordion.
The instrumentation for most of their songs - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, and drums - is a common combination, but it's all-too-often employed lazily, producing a boring muddle. Ode, however, produces thoughtful arrangements that alternate between distinct, interweaving parts and a thick wash of sound. Singer Davor Palos's resonant baritone spreads over it all, reaching to the back corners of the room.
The songs are tastefully written, full of graceful, often extended musical phrases that form solid and decidedly hummable compositions. A couple songs contained unfortunate exceptions to this otherwise careful songwriting, with the piano and guitars hammering eighth notes in an attempt to get to an idea they musicians clearly found more interesting, but those instances were outliers in otherwise succinct, polished tunes.
The most striking thing about their Martyr's show was their high energy level at all dynamics - particularly impressive given they performed for a room that could generously be described as uncrowded - and the energy was ratcheted up even further when they played a Bosnian folk song. To our ears, we wish they'd go further in this direction. They're a good rock band, but they're better when incorporating more of their Balkan heritage. The draw isn't the novelty of the folk music, though that's a factor; the music, and, more importantly, their performance of it, produces the sort of infectious fun that gets bodies moving.
By Alexander Hough in Arts & Events on April 2, 2009 4:40 PM
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BY JIM DEROGATIS POP MUSIC CRITIC
Chicago Sun Times
Ode, "On My Way to Learn" (www.odeband.com)
3.5 Stars
Singer-songwriter Davor Palos and his bandmates are mining a much darker and moodier vein of ork-pop, drawing inspiration from that master of the murder ballad, Nick Cave, and evoking the gypsy violin antics of the Dirty Three, thanks to Sandra Korbar's haunting string work. Recorded live at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio Studio, these 12 tracks boast a startlingly powerful sound, shifting at the drop of a backbeat from a whispered seduction to a raging fury, and maintaining a delicious creepiness throughout. ("I wake up every morning/Knowing my dreams/Have been warnings," Palos sings in "On My Way to Learn.")
Source: http://www.suntimes.com/output/derogatis/wkp-news-live16.html
WINDY CITY TIMES
Music: Springtime in Chicago
by Gregg Shapiro
2004-05-12
Ode's Balkan roots set them apart from the other artists mentioned here. Sandra Korbar's "gypsy violin," paired with Davor Palos's vocals give the songs an exotic, but approachable flavor. Highlights from the band's debut disc On My Way To Learn ( www.odeband.com ) include "Nova," "Done With The Rain," "Albany Ave.", "September," and the instrumental "Coffee, Tea or Enemy."



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