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SIAN ALICE GROUP SET TO RELEASE TROUBLED, SHAKEN, ETC. ALBUM OUT ON THE SOCIAL REGISTRY AUGUST 4, 2009

SIAN ALICE GROUP SET TO RELEASE TROUBLED, SHAKEN, ETC. ALBUM OUT ON THE SOCIAL REGISTRY AUGUST 4, 2009

Sian Alice Group chart transformations from psychedelic rock, pastoral folk, and piano-lounge balladry into analog-synthtronica, free-jazz breakdowns, pounding Afro-tech grooves, and avant-classical composition. The beauty of Sian Alice Group is that the band is capable of creating highly effective music even when they stray far from traditional torch-song territory.” Pitchfork

“Some artists walk a fine line between the abstract and the arranged creating a sense of spontaneity without being overly rehearsed. Sian Alice Group accomplishes just this. What’s more, it does so while simultaneously recalling great artists but sounding completely unique.” Filter

Troubled, Shaken, Etc is set to be released on The Social Registry on August 4, 2009. Hot on the heels of the band’s 2008 debut album, 59.59, comes another lush and hushed beauty from the UK-based band who count Spiritualized among their biggest fans.

Sian Alice Group (pronounced “Shahn”) a collective of UK musicians Sian Ahern, Rupert Clervaux and Ben Crook, amongst other collaborators – surely had quite the rookie season in 2008. From the epic 59.59 and The Dusk Line (a subdued piano and vocals only EP) to the wholeheartedly experimental Remix 12”, the band made the scene, built up stellar stats and positioned itself as a contender to be reckoned with. Now we lift the curtain on 2009.

The band hones in on a genre-busting combination of organic improvisation, process-driven experimentation and the focused strength earned from a year of extensive traveling and touring the world together. You get your minimalist trances, electronic exploration, techno thump, jazz motifs and Eastern music tropes in a joyous and complete listening experience. It’s a snapshot (or more closely, a yearbook) from an eventful 2008 that is more raw, emotional and loud than anything they’ve released thus far.

Let’s put the songs under our trusty microscope and see what we find. Troubled, Shaken, Etc. kicks off with “Love That Moves The Sun.” It’s a bouncy realization of minimalism set to the cosmos. Arpeggios (on both guitar and vibraphone) set a repetitive tone and Sian Ahern’s powerful vocals resemble the sort of expansive clouds we learned about in a 7th grade science class. “Close To The Ground” begins with a Terry Riley meets Theo Parrish figure that slowly morphs into stomp-rock territory with organic four-to-the-floor rhythmic intensity. “Vanishing” provides a unique take on techno. Rupert Clervaux’s drums are like a wild Elvin Jones who lived through the rave era, and the vocals provide angelic whole tones over the unhinged bounce. “White” is a surprise. It makes us want to re-enroll in college circa 1994, take naps on a grassy knoll and dream of the heartbreak awaiting us throughout the next two decades. Simply put the guitar interplay on this track is totally breathtaking. It’s automatic mixtape fodder.

Troubled, Shaken, Etc. reveals an extremely hardworking band that is focused on process, craft and how their interpersonal relationships can serve as a catalyst to document life in an honest, original and innovative manner. The band (led on these technical issues by Clervaux) masterfully handles the production, and we can’t emphasize enough just how strong Sian Ahern’s vocals have come through. As Clervaux reflects: “The developing solidity in Sian’s voice naturally veered us away from using as much reverb as we did on 59.59, which makes the vocal much more immediate. The same can be said for the percussion, which is in abundance, as always, but is now much dryer and louder.”

With guest spots from live mainstays (Sasha Vine, Eben Bull and label- mate Mike Bones), as well as John Coxon (Spring Heel Jack) and Graham Barton, Troubled, Shaken Etc. is a varied record with tons of collaborative hands on deck. Everything is in place and poised to make 2009 a huge year for the band. So much stellar work in so little time. Maybe we should test Sian Alice Group for steroids.

Track Listing

1. LOVE THAT MOVES THE SUN (4.45)
2. AIRLOCK (2.57)
3. THROUGH AIR OVER WATER (3.05)
4. CLOSE TO THE GROUND (7.35)
5. GROW AGAIN, REPEAT (4.15)
6. TROUBLED, SHAKEN ETC. (3.44)
7. FIRST SONG – ANGELINA (6.51)
8. VANISHING (5.28)
9. WHITE (2.45)
10. LONGSTRAKT (1.55)
11. “TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE” (2.14)
12. THE LOW LIGHTS (4.19)
13. SALT WATER (4.13)