Amazing Baby
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Amazing Baby was an American
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band based in
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
in 2008. The band began as an after-work collaboration between Will Roan, Will Berman and Simon O'Connor, who had known one another from the Brooklyn music scene, and who were working at the same
ringtone A ringtone, ring tone or ring is the sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming call. Originally referring to and made by the electromechanical striking of bells, the term now refers to any sound on any device alerting of a new incoming ...
company. The band's debut album '' Rewild'' was released in June, 2009. O'Connor, Berman, and Roan wrote new material for their forthcoming album in 2010, tentatively titled "Ice Water", and are currently recording with the band and producer/engineer Emery Dobyns.


Critical reception

Before Roan, Berman and O'Connor had formed a true band, they and some of the friends who had performed on their self-produced songs were being called a "hippie cliché" by such journals as NME. The band's debut LP ''Rewild'' received a varied response from critics, and has failed to chart. They have been criticized for being known more for their sense of fashion and connections to popular bands than for their musical talent, The ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' reviewer wrote, "Channeling glam, metal, punk,
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...
, and experimental noise, ''Rewild'' is like a tour through a psychedelic fantasyland, featuring visions, hallucinations, and glimpses of death. Roan coaxes with an almost deliriously euphoric art-rock swagger (see reggae jam "Roverfrenz" and infectious chant-along "Smoke Bros"), while O'Connor infuses every track with hedonistic energy. " ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' when describing Amazing Baby wrote, "On their stunning debut album Rewild (out this month), Amazing Baby deliver tunes that are at times thoroughly vintage and refreshingly futuristic: "The Narwhal" sounds like Led Zeppelin at their druggiest and most mystical; "Invisible Place" soars and swoops like Pink Floyd's "Echoes" and "Kankra" builds into such an anthemic frenzy, you'll be oozing serotonin for days. The crew also have a wonky sense of humor, especially on tunes like the scuzzed-out jam "Smoke Bros," which features stoner-appropriate ruminations like "She protects her animals/ We are starving cannibals.". While reviewer Christian Hoard wrote, "On their debut, the quintet spread the arty Cheez Whiz like
MGMT MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...
and
Yeasayer Yeasayer () was an American experimental rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2006. The band consisted of Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder. They announced their split on December 19, 2019. History Formation The band's thr ...
while bringing a stronger Sixties-pop influence, specifically with swirling keyboards with melodies that recall
Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...
and the
Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark served as the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964 they had their first UK top ten sin ...
. "Roverfrenz," an airy synth fantasia with
Animal Collective Animal Collective is an American experimental pop band formed in Baltimore, Maryland. Its members consist of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Deakin (Josh Dibb). The band's work is characterized ...
-ish percussion, gets by on neato textures instead of sharp tunes. In general, ''Rewild'' could use a little more of the latter, but who has time for that when you're knee-deep in giant guitars and weird ambient vocalizations?" Amazing Baby got a lot of buzz, it seemed people were jealous or angry that these kids could grow so fast and become so popular while not exactly doing things "by the book". Pitchfork wrote, "Coming straight out of Wesleyan to score a ton of SXSW buzz, bro-ing down with MGMT, getting breathless future-of-the-scene press from Interview and Rolling Stone and The Guardian, strutting around in 1971 cosplay while rolling their eyes at journalists..."


Discography


Albums

* '' Rewild'' (2009) * ''Ice Water'' (forthcoming, 2012)


EPs

* ''Infinite Fucking Cross'' (2008) (digital only)


Singles

* "Pump yr Brakes" (2008) * "Bayonets" (2009) * "Headdress" (2009) * "Supreme Being" (2009)


References


External links


Official website

Amazing Baby bio on billboard.com

Summary of reviews on metacritic.com
{{Authority control Indie rock musical groups from New York (state) Musical groups established in 2008 Musical groups from Brooklyn