To the seventeenth-century poet Robert Herrick, rosebuds were a symbol of the fleeting pleasures of youth. Orson Welles made "Rosebud" the dying word of Charles Foster Kane, again a symbol of the tenacity of youthful memory. Kelly and Ivan - The Rosebuds - make music that embodies that certain spirit: youthful but complex, not at all fairytale but magical, and not realistic but real, perhaps the way youth actually is.
The Rosebuds defy categorization with each new release, like creatures in a myth shifting shape to avoid capture; slippery catfish in a North Carolina river. Mention The Smiths and Ivan will turn his Morrissey croon into a gruff Greg Dulli growl or splash it against some reverb-laden surf guitar. Call them southern gothic and they'll release a dance record. They do not spend time categorizing themselves, each record is simply evidence of new curiosity.
On Life Like (2008), The Rosebuds return to more acoustic territory, barely a year after releasing the synth-heavy dance pop of 2007's Night of the Furies. Crisp says that perhaps they needed to exorcise the anger and disillusion caused by a hard year of terrifying storms, and endless frustration over an ineffectual political state (that provided the need for the Furies metaphor in their songs) before they could move on to explore stories more closely related to their everyday life.
Having just finished the first tour for Night of the Furies, Ivan and Kelly began working on other creative projects in an attempt to take a break from music before going back out on tour. However, they soon found themselves making songs to entertain themselves and realized they had a whole record. So, they ditched plans for a second tour and called in their friends (including Portastatic's Matthew McCaughan, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and Ashley Stove's Jim Brantley) and put the finishing touches on Life Like.
The album retains the band's signature sinister breeziness, particularly on the title track and "Cape Fear," one of two songs on the album that juxtapose subdued hand claps with compellingly dark lyrics. Again, Ivan and Kelly share vocal duties throughout the album, with Kelly singing "Another Way In," and the lush pastoral "Black Hole." On the title track, Ivan is hunted, singing about escape, ultimately describing himself as a "beast trapped in taxidermy," over churning, relentless bass. In "Nice Fox," his warnings are too late to save the dead fox he finds trapped under a collapsed, rotten barn, while Kelly leads the blithe refrain, "it don't mean nothing at all." Catchy melodies house complex lyrical content always with the unmistakable nuanced-pop identity of The Rosebuds.
The Rosebuds have released four full-length albums, two 7-inches, an EP, and a digital-only album of remixes.
www.therosebuds.com
www.myspace.com/therosebuds
The Rosebuds defy categorization with each new release, like creatures in a myth shifting shape to avoid capture; slippery catfish in a North Carolina river. Mention The Smiths and Ivan will turn his Morrissey croon into a gruff Greg Dulli growl or splash it against some reverb-laden surf guitar. Call them southern gothic and they'll release a dance record. They do not spend time categorizing themselves, each record is simply evidence of new curiosity.
On Life Like (2008), The Rosebuds return to more acoustic territory, barely a year after releasing the synth-heavy dance pop of 2007's Night of the Furies. Crisp says that perhaps they needed to exorcise the anger and disillusion caused by a hard year of terrifying storms, and endless frustration over an ineffectual political state (that provided the need for the Furies metaphor in their songs) before they could move on to explore stories more closely related to their everyday life.
Having just finished the first tour for Night of the Furies, Ivan and Kelly began working on other creative projects in an attempt to take a break from music before going back out on tour. However, they soon found themselves making songs to entertain themselves and realized they had a whole record. So, they ditched plans for a second tour and called in their friends (including Portastatic's Matthew McCaughan, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and Ashley Stove's Jim Brantley) and put the finishing touches on Life Like.
The album retains the band's signature sinister breeziness, particularly on the title track and "Cape Fear," one of two songs on the album that juxtapose subdued hand claps with compellingly dark lyrics. Again, Ivan and Kelly share vocal duties throughout the album, with Kelly singing "Another Way In," and the lush pastoral "Black Hole." On the title track, Ivan is hunted, singing about escape, ultimately describing himself as a "beast trapped in taxidermy," over churning, relentless bass. In "Nice Fox," his warnings are too late to save the dead fox he finds trapped under a collapsed, rotten barn, while Kelly leads the blithe refrain, "it don't mean nothing at all." Catchy melodies house complex lyrical content always with the unmistakable nuanced-pop identity of The Rosebuds.
The Rosebuds have released four full-length albums, two 7-inches, an EP, and a digital-only album of remixes.
www.therosebuds.com
www.myspace.com/therosebuds
10/13/09
Today on Converse.com, see The Rosebuds play an acoustic version of “Leaves do Fall” from their 2005 album, Birds Make Good Neighbors, during XX Merge.
The Rosebuds performance completes the six week series at Converse.com showcasing Merge bands performing stripped-down sets somewhat spontaneously in various locations during the festival. Visit the XX Merge section of Converse.com for videos from Superchunk, The Clientele, Telekinesis, Lou Barlow, Wye Oak, and The Rosebuds.
Visit Converse.com to watch the complete series, and don’t forget to check out the Merge channel at Babelgum for live footage from the XX Merge 20th anniversary shows held July 22-26th at the Cat’s Cradle and Memorial Hall.
The Rosebuds performance completes the six week series at Converse.com showcasing Merge bands performing stripped-down sets somewhat spontaneously in various locations during the festival. Visit the XX Merge section of Converse.com for videos from Superchunk, The Clientele, Telekinesis, Lou Barlow, Wye Oak, and The Rosebuds.
Visit Converse.com to watch the complete series, and don’t forget to check out the Merge channel at Babelgum for live footage from the XX Merge 20th anniversary shows held July 22-26th at the Cat’s Cradle and Memorial Hall.
09/14/09
The Rosebuds will bring the party to China and Europe this fall! Kelly & Ivan head to China on Wednesday to play some shows and eat lots of exotic food. Stay tuned to the Rosebuds blog for photos and tales from the road!
Next up, The Rosebuds will tour Europe with labelmates, Telekinesis. Ivan will pull double-duty XX Merge style as the bass player in Telekinesis, too. Telekinesis mastermind, Michael Benjamin Lerner will, no doubt, have lots of great photos on his Flickr page!
The Rosebuds in China:
9/18 Tianjin, China @ Babi Club
9/19 Shenyang, China @ SOS
9/25 Guangzhou, China @ Classic Club
9/26 Wuhan, China @ Return 77
Telekinesis + The Rosebuds in Europe:
* = Telekinesis only
9/26 Hamburg, Germany @ Reeperbahn Festival *
9/28 Ghent, Belgium @ Cafe Video *
9/29 Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix *
9/30 London, England @ Cargo *
10/1 Nottingham, England @ The Malt Cross *
10/2 Belfast, Ireland @ Black Box
10/3 Cork, Ireland @ Cyprus Avenue
10/5 Manchester, England @ Dulcimer
10/6 Cardiff, England @ Buffalo Bar
10/7 London, England @ Windmill Brixton
10/9 Toulouse, France @ Le Saint Des Seins
10/10 Vic, France @ Jazz Club
10/12 Barcelona, Spain @ FNAC In-Store
10/13 Valencia, Spain @ El Loco Club
10/14 Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick Club
10/15 Murcia, Spain @ Media Club
10/16 Salou, Spain (Terragona) @ Zeppelin Club
10/19 Dudingen, Switzerland @ Bad Bonn
10/21 Munich, Germany @ Feierwerk
10/22 Mannheim, Germany @ Alte Feuerwache
10/23 Bochum, Germany @ Banhof Langendreer
10/25 Dresden, Germany @ Beatpol
10/25 Berlin, Germany @ Lido
10/27 Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
10/28 Amsterdam, Germany @ Melkweg
Next up, The Rosebuds will tour Europe with labelmates, Telekinesis. Ivan will pull double-duty XX Merge style as the bass player in Telekinesis, too. Telekinesis mastermind, Michael Benjamin Lerner will, no doubt, have lots of great photos on his Flickr page!
The Rosebuds in China:
9/18 Tianjin, China @ Babi Club
9/19 Shenyang, China @ SOS
9/25 Guangzhou, China @ Classic Club
9/26 Wuhan, China @ Return 77
Telekinesis + The Rosebuds in Europe:
* = Telekinesis only
9/26 Hamburg, Germany @ Reeperbahn Festival *
9/28 Ghent, Belgium @ Cafe Video *
9/29 Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix *
9/30 London, England @ Cargo *
10/1 Nottingham, England @ The Malt Cross *
10/2 Belfast, Ireland @ Black Box
10/3 Cork, Ireland @ Cyprus Avenue
10/5 Manchester, England @ Dulcimer
10/6 Cardiff, England @ Buffalo Bar
10/7 London, England @ Windmill Brixton
10/9 Toulouse, France @ Le Saint Des Seins
10/10 Vic, France @ Jazz Club
10/12 Barcelona, Spain @ FNAC In-Store
10/13 Valencia, Spain @ El Loco Club
10/14 Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick Club
10/15 Murcia, Spain @ Media Club
10/16 Salou, Spain (Terragona) @ Zeppelin Club
10/19 Dudingen, Switzerland @ Bad Bonn
10/21 Munich, Germany @ Feierwerk
10/22 Mannheim, Germany @ Alte Feuerwache
10/23 Bochum, Germany @ Banhof Langendreer
10/25 Dresden, Germany @ Beatpol
10/25 Berlin, Germany @ Lido
10/27 Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
10/28 Amsterdam, Germany @ Melkweg
| 03.19.2010 | Asheville, NC | UNCA Alumni Hall in Highsmith | |
| 03.20.2010 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle | |
| 05.08.2010 | Beaufort, NC | Beaufort Music Festival |
The Rosebuds vs Utah! [7"] (Pidgeon English)
Make Out [cd] (Merge) October 7, 2003
"I'd Feel Better" on Survive and Advance Vol. 3 (Merge)
"Governor's Daughter" on Compulation: Volume One (Pox World Empire)
The Rosebuds Unwind [ep] (Merge) April 22, 2005
Birds Make Good Neighbors [cd] (Merge) September 13, 2005
Night Of The Furies [cd] (Merge) April 10, 2007
Life Like [cd/lp] (Merge) October 7, 2008
Make Out [cd] (Merge) October 7, 2003
"I'd Feel Better" on Survive and Advance Vol. 3 (Merge)
"Governor's Daughter" on Compulation: Volume One (Pox World Empire)
The Rosebuds Unwind [ep] (Merge) April 22, 2005
Birds Make Good Neighbors [cd] (Merge) September 13, 2005
Night Of The Furies [cd] (Merge) April 10, 2007
Life Like [cd/lp] (Merge) October 7, 2008
Press - Christina Rentz: christina @ mergerecords.com
Radio - Lindsey Kronmiller: lindsey @ mergerecords.com
Booking - Jim Romeo @ Ground Control: jim @ groundcontroltouring.com
The Band - Ivan & Kelly: therosebudsrock @ yahoo.com
Radio - Lindsey Kronmiller: lindsey @ mergerecords.com
Booking - Jim Romeo @ Ground Control: jim @ groundcontroltouring.com
The Band - Ivan & Kelly: therosebudsrock @ yahoo.com
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Caribou [+]
| April | ||
| 19 | Manchester | Deaf Institute |
| 20 | London | Corsica Studios |
| 21 | Amsterdam | Paradiso |
| 22 | Brussels | Beursschouwburg |
| 23 | Paris | Le Point Ephemere |
| [see all] | ||
The Clientele [+]
| March | ||
| 09 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall |
| 11 | Portland, OR | Doug Fir |
| 12 | Seattle, WA | Tractor Tavern |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN | Cedar Cultural Center |
| 16 | Madison, WI | High Noon Saloon |
| [see all] | ||
The Ladybug Transistor [+]
| March | ||
| 19 | New York, NY | Bowery Electric |
Let's Wrestle [+]
| March | ||
| 15 | New York, NY | The Knitting Factory |
| 18 | Austin , TX | Cedar Street |
| 21 | El Paso, TX | Black Market |
| 22 | Scottsdale, AZ | Chyro Arts |
| 23 | Los Angeles, CA | Bootleg Theater |
| [see all] | ||
Oakley Hall [+]
| April | ||
| 02 | Brooklyn, NY | Knitting Factory |
Radar Bros. [+]
| March | ||
| 26 | Los Angeles, CA | Spaceland |
The Rosebuds [+]
| March | ||
| 19 | Asheville, NC | UNCA Alumni Hall in Highsmith |
| 20 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle |
| May | ||
| 08 | Beaufort, NC | Beaufort Music Festival |
She & Him [+]
| March | ||
| 15 | Los Angeles, CA | Largo at the Coronet |
| 25 | Los Angeles, CA | El Rey Theatre |
| 27 | Savannah, GA | Trustees Theatre (Savannah Music Festival) |
| 29 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 30 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| [see all] | ||
Shout Out Louds [+]
| March | ||
| 23 | Rostock | MAU |
| 24 | Hamburg | Uebel & Gefahrlich |
| 25 | Berlin | Astra |
| 26 | Dresden | Reithalle |
| 27 | Munchen | Backstage Werk |
| [see all] | ||
Spoon [+]
| March | ||
| 18 | New Orleans, LA | Republic New Orleans |
| 19 | Birmingham, AL | Workplay Soundstage |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | Tabernacle |
| 22 | Washington | 9:30 Club |
| 23 | Washington | 9:30 Club |
| [see all] | ||
Superchunk [+]
| March | ||
| 19 | Austin, TX | La Zona Rosa |
Telekinesis [+]
| May | ||
| 21 | Eugene, OR | Sam Bond's Garage |
| 24 | Solana Beach, CA | Belly Up Tavern |
| 25 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| 27 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall |
| 29 | Portland, OR | Wonder Ballroom |
| [see all] | ||
Wye Oak [+]
| March | ||
| 12 | Frederick, MD | Cafe Nola |
| 13 | Pittsburgh, PA | Brillobox |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | Vollrath Tavern |
| 15 | Memphis, TN | Hi-Tone Cafe |
| 24 | Atlanta, GA | The Earl |
| [see all] | ||
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