How wouldn’t I have been intrigued by a band which is using the poster above in a promo? I was getting off my car when I found myself in front of Albert Camus, Aldous Huxley, and… I still don’t know who is the third guy, is anyone recognizing him? But the poster could have made Titus Andronicus’ Patrick Stickles jealous and I got intrigued enough to do some digging about The Ceremonies, a relatively new band from Los Angeles, which – and I am very late on this –released their single ‘Land of Gathering’ with a stylish black and white video, several months ago.
Just like the three guys on the poster, the Ceremonies are three, three brothers, Matthew, Michael and Mark Cook and their song ‘Land of Gathering’ starts with a flute-like ambiance, tambourines, heavy drumming and especially breezy vocal harmonies. A catchy melody runs through the tune, mixing a soaring chorus, a fast tempo, horns and some 80s electronic synth vibe. It’s complex and layered, even exuberant, with stylish and light harmonies and its peak of epicness mi-song when everything becomes denser and dancier. But I am pretty sure you can hear about anything you like the most in this song, it swarms with influences without belonging to any particular genre.
After reading about the Cook brothers, I can tell you they are brainy (their biggest influences are ‘80s post punk pioneers Echo & the Bunnymen, The Smiths and the Cure, but also romantic poets William Blake, William Wordsworth, and novelist Aldous Huxley), artistic (two of them attended art school) and they like black and white aesthetic. Matthew and Mark even explained their moniker in an interview, as they ‘cross-breed the rock band feeling with a multi-media theatrical element’ when they perform and that’s why they call themselves ‘The Ceremonies’:
‘Ceremonies can be both positive or negative. Ceremonies are held for someone’s funeral or wedding; they are all-encompassing gatherings about engaging with emotion,’ said Matthew.
By the way they were playing in New York just this Sunday, they will be supporting the Fratellis during November, and their debut album will drop later this year on Atom Factory. The video is a bit nostalgic but overall upbeat and as engaging as their street poster… watch it below: