Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Show Preview: The Appleseed Cast, Hospital Ships @ Casbah Sunday May 19, 2013

The Appleseed Cast
The last place indie bands might reside is Lawrence, Kansas. A smallish university community is indeed home base for the two bands playing the Casbah this Sunday. They are veteran band The Appleseed Cast and relative newcomers Hospital Ships. Both bands share the same label, Graveface Records. The Appleseed Cast moved from LA to their current home in 1999. Many lineup changes have occurred within the band, with lead guitarist and founder Christopher Crisci being the lone remaining original member. Their eighth album, Illumination Rituals, was recently released on April 23. Many have described the band as emo or post rock. I would lean toward the latter, as many of the songs tend to feature drawn out guitar riffs, with little emphasis on vocals. Make no mistake, this a blue collar indie rock band, unafraid to play their brand of music to those who either know their style or still desire to discover them. A recent van accident destroyed much of the band's gear (thankfully nobody was injured).

Hospital Ships formed in 2007 as a solo project for Jordan Geiger, who previously played keyboards during a brief period for The Appleseed Cast. Their sophomore release, Lonely Twin (2007), features a melodic combination of guitar, keyboards, drums, and vocals that gel quite nicely. Their third album, Destruction in Yr Soul, is due to be released in June. Guitarist Taylor Hollenbeck will be doing double duty for both bands.

Cap off the upcoming weekend with great music at the iconic Middletown venue. Tickets can be purchased here.

Watch a video of Servants, from Hospital Ships, from their yet to be released album, below.

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