Biography
"Pomegranates are one of the oldest fruits on
earth, and also one of the most unique. Appealing from the outside, they
harbor an intricate inner fruit structure—small, jewel-like seeds that
glisten like so many quartz crystals inside a geode. Where it may grow
outwardly like many other fruits, the pomegranate’s peculiar inner
structure develops in secret, until the day the fruits of its growth are
opened to the eyes of the world. Pomegranates are a band from
Cincinnati that began as a fun project between two friends, Jacob
Merritt and Isaac Karns, eventually growing into a four-piece with Joey
Cook and, most recently, Dan Lyon. Over a span of two years, the band
released two albums, 2008’s Everything Is Alive and 2009’s TJ
Lipple-produced Everybody, Come Outside!, both of which drew the
immediate attention of independent radio stations like KEXP, WOXY, and
KCRW, and critical praise from the likes of Spin magazine for the band’s
very sudden and prodigious growth in sound. What is that sound?
If the world could lean in and hear the sound of a pomegranate slowly
opening up to the world, this is probably something close to what it
would sound like. On songs like “Beachcomber” and “Everybody, Come
Outside!,” guitars and keyboards shimmer and shine, but never in the
lazy, hazy ways of so many bands today. Jacob Merritt’s
propulsive drumming keeps a nimble pace; while Joey Cook’s clear tenor
and Isaac Karn’s more forceful vocals bounce off of each other atop the
mix. Time signatures leap in and out and jewelled tangents appear around
every corner, but the songs always retain an upbeat and compact
sentiment that belongs in the same sentence with The Beach Boys, Spoon,
and French Kicks, the latter two with whom the band has already toured.
Having notched off those tours, as well as further dates with Islands
and Blitzen Trapper, the band recorded their third LP, One of Us, with
TJ Lipple at The Monastery in Cincinnati. Having cited inspirations like
Spiritualized and Talking Heads for their work so far, the band’s new
“psychedelic dream rock” album looks to push further down experimental
roads, with descriptors like “textured,” “unusual,” and “challenging”
entering the conversation. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, such
adjectives also describe that peculiar fruit called the pomegranate,
which even now is difficult to find and grows rarely. When allowed to
flourish, though, a pomegranate becomes a delicacy, its inner textures
at once alien and familiar, and it is ultimately prized for its flavor.
Where else can one find such a unique flavor? Listen to Pomegranates."http://pomegranates.afternoonrecords.com/
earth, and also one of the most unique. Appealing from the outside, they
harbor an intricate inner fruit structure—small, jewel-like seeds that
glisten like so many quartz crystals inside a geode. Where it may grow
outwardly like many other fruits, the pomegranate’s peculiar inner
structure develops in secret, until the day the fruits of its growth are
opened to the eyes of the world. Pomegranates are a band from
Cincinnati that began as a fun project between two friends, Jacob
Merritt and Isaac Karns, eventually growing into a four-piece with Joey
Cook and, most recently, Dan Lyon. Over a span of two years, the band
released two albums, 2008’s Everything Is Alive and 2009’s TJ
Lipple-produced Everybody, Come Outside!, both of which drew the
immediate attention of independent radio stations like KEXP, WOXY, and
KCRW, and critical praise from the likes of Spin magazine for the band’s
very sudden and prodigious growth in sound. What is that sound?
If the world could lean in and hear the sound of a pomegranate slowly
opening up to the world, this is probably something close to what it
would sound like. On songs like “Beachcomber” and “Everybody, Come
Outside!,” guitars and keyboards shimmer and shine, but never in the
lazy, hazy ways of so many bands today. Jacob Merritt’s
propulsive drumming keeps a nimble pace; while Joey Cook’s clear tenor
and Isaac Karn’s more forceful vocals bounce off of each other atop the
mix. Time signatures leap in and out and jewelled tangents appear around
every corner, but the songs always retain an upbeat and compact
sentiment that belongs in the same sentence with The Beach Boys, Spoon,
and French Kicks, the latter two with whom the band has already toured.
Having notched off those tours, as well as further dates with Islands
and Blitzen Trapper, the band recorded their third LP, One of Us, with
TJ Lipple at The Monastery in Cincinnati. Having cited inspirations like
Spiritualized and Talking Heads for their work so far, the band’s new
“psychedelic dream rock” album looks to push further down experimental
roads, with descriptors like “textured,” “unusual,” and “challenging”
entering the conversation. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, such
adjectives also describe that peculiar fruit called the pomegranate,
which even now is difficult to find and grows rarely. When allowed to
flourish, though, a pomegranate becomes a delicacy, its inner textures
at once alien and familiar, and it is ultimately prized for its flavor.
Where else can one find such a unique flavor? Listen to Pomegranates."http://pomegranates.afternoonrecords.com/
