duggup

“Two Loons for Tea“. Isn’t that just a great name for a band? And even better there is a lot more to these guys than just a great name. A quick listen to the tunes available at either two loons for tea or http://www.myspace.com/twoloonsfortea and you find a great voice, really interesting melodies, left of center lyrics AND of course great guitar .

In their first two albums Sarah and Jonathan explored a huge range of influences, from Aphex Twin to Xenakis, most of the way through the alphabet. Asked about the band and it’s influences Jonathan said…

“To a large degree, what makes Two Loons for Tea’s music unique is that it is a hybrid of many distinct musical species . . . rock, pop, jazz, classical, funk, folk, and various ethnic musics,” he says. “And yet, despite the many parental sources, it has a distinct identity of its own.”

Jonathan sure got that right.

Now the song that has captured my ears is “Sunset Room“, the layered electronics of the backings, the impeccable guitar and Sarah’s voice. The vocals seem to run you through an emotional gamut. For a contrast listen to “Monkey“, a lovely piece of pop that will worm it’s way into your brain and hide in the corners waiting to jump out and surprise you.

I should also point out that Jonathan and Sarah run Sarathan Records, with a roster that includes amongst others Abra Moore, who we reviewed last year. Where they find the time to run a label and make their own music has me beat, but they seem to be doing a pretty good job of both.

Highly Recommended