Ages and Ages is an American

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

from

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. Every member of the band sings accompanied by handclaps, shakers and noise-makers. The group was voted as a top Portland band by ''Willamette Week''. In 2011, they signed a record deal with

Partisan Records Partisan Records is an independent record label with offices in London and Los Angeles, as well as in New York City, where the company was co-founded in 2007 by Tim Putnam and Ian Wheeler. The label, initially run out of Putnam’s South Brooklyn ...

and have since undertaken several national U.S. tours. In 2013 the band changed their name from AgesandAges to Ages and Ages. The rechristened band played their first European dates in the winter of 2014.

Career

Ages and Ages was formed in 2009, founded by Tim Perry (vocals, guitar), Rob Oberdorfer (bass, percussion, vocals), Graham Arthur Mackenzie (percussion, vocals), Kate O'Brien-Clarke (violin, percussion, vocals), Lisa Stringfield (vocals, percussion), Liz Robins (vocals, percussion) and Daniel Hunt (drums, percussion, vocals), alongside others from Portland's music community. ''Alright You Restless'' arrived two years later and immediately proved a critical favorite. An ardent audience also surfaced, a committed cohort that included President Barack Obama who included the album's "No Nostalgia," a song "about transcending "the way things can get dark and you can feel claustrophobic, unsatisfied with the status quo" on his 2012 campaign playlist. Ages and Ages performed at

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

in March 2011. Their song "No Nostalgia" from their first album, ''Alright You Restless'', was previewed on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

. The album was recorded "almost entirely live" with seven voices singing into a single microphone, according to one account. It sounds like "a group of friends who drive around in a van singing songs wherever anyone will let them sing," according to critic Ryan White of ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

''. The group draws "significant sonic influence from his religious upbringing" and from having seven members helps achieve a "congregation sound" even though the lyrics are basically secular thematically. Perry said the sound was achieved by "all the voices chiming in, that swell and spontaneous movement that grabs you," in an interview. In 2011, they released a video for the song "Navy Parade," which was directed by

Alicia J. Rose Alicia J. Rose is a photographer, filmmaker and musician based in Portland, Oregon. Her photography has been featured in Rolling Stone, XLR8R, V, Elle, Spin, Sunset, Filter, Fader, Portland Monthly, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Sunset and many ...

''Alright You Restless'' was produced by Kevin Robinson. In 2014 the band released the album ''Divisionary'' which was produced by Tony Lash. In August 2016, Ages and Ages released their third record ''Something to Ruin'' on

. The album was recorded at Isaac Brock's, Ice Cream Party Studios with the

Modest Mouse Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members are lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. Strongly influenced ...

front-man adding guitar to the track "So Hazy". The first single "They Want More" premiered on the June 7, 2016 episode of the NPR Podcast

All Songs Considered ''All Songs Considered'' is a weekly online multimedia program started in January 2000 by NPR's ''All Things Considered'' director Bob Boilen. At first, the show featured information and streaming audio about the songs used as bumper music on '' ...

. Ages and Age's emphasis on featuring electronic and synthetic sounds makes ''Something to Ruin'' sonic departure from their previous albums. The band members cite a trip to Central America and the observation of their community being exploited by gentrification as the catalyst for the record''.''

Discography

Albums

EPs & Singeles

References

External links

Official website

Ages and Ages on Partisan Records website

NPR Tiny Desk Set
via YouTube {{Authority control Rock music groups from Oregon American progressive rock groups Indie pop groups from Oregon Musical groups from Portland, Oregon 2009 establishments in Oregon Musical groups established in 2009 Partisan Records artists Knitting Factory Records artists