The cinematic sound of indietronica, where visceral beats and synths swirl with guitar sheen and aural luster - or - if shoegazer and electronica were involved in a car wreck at 135BPM. CD release date: December 15, 2006

11 MP3 Songs
POP: British Pop, ROCK: Noise



Details:
upon the much anticipated release of âaethersoundâ on december 15, 2006, press and fans have united with fashionable fervor and gloom-is-cool aplomb. as word spreads in spades across the digital domain, take note of praises earned to date, and why âaethersoundâ belongs in your personal collection:

âaetherâs built a reputation far and wide for their atmospheric instrumental rock and the sound theyâve created over the course of 3 EPs has led to comparisons to Sigur Ros, Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine and The Cure. So it came as a great surprise to learn, in 2005, that the band had added a full-time vocalist, Aaron Pickering (who, for the record, happens to be one of my favorite singers in Columbus)â¦Pickeringâs vocals add an entirely new dimension to the lush instrumentation laid down by founding members Paul Carney (guitars, synths/samples) and Christian Volpe (drums) and relative newcomer Miquel Stubbs (bass). While there is no denying that British-instrumental rock influence, the band now reminds me of the late, great, The Sheila Divine, who themselves were influenced by the likes of The Smiths.â
Donewaiting.com - by Chip Midnight

"The band is still manipulating the boundaries that separate a catchy pop number from an abstract noise piece. But now for nearly every synth riff, drum loop and exquisite crescendo drifting calmly out to space, a lyric beautifully sung implies that the band would like you to join them on a journey into the nether regions of electronic rock.â
The Columbus Alive â by John Ross

ââ¦Most of the record rides a chugging, low-key bassline through dark electronic-pop waters. The band flirts with some lightly shoegaze-inspired experimentation, but ultimately aetherâs sound owes a hefty debt to the gloomy pop of Echo and the Bunnymen. Subtler shades of the Smiths, Bauhaus, the Bravery and the Cure seep into the rich musical mix, making the album palatable for fans of all manner of brooding, dramatically inclined rock. To itâs credit, the group does a really good job of creating a suitably dark atmosphere for itself. It also manages to sound confident and ambitious without seeming pompous or ridiculous â which isnât always an easy thing to do in this genre.
With a strong voice at times reminiscent of Nick Cave, Pete Yorn or the guy from Remy Zero, vocalist Aaron Pickering is the star of aetherâs show. âI want you to notice,â whispers Pickering repeatedly on a quiet, unsettling song. His uncharacteristically airy delivery lands somewhere between Trent Reznor and Greg Dulli, which isnât bad company to be inâ¦.Aethersound is a promising effortâ¦â
The Other Paper â by Karen E. Graves

âæther is firmly planted on the pop side of the noise-pop divide, but Paul Carney and company clearly logged many formative hours listening to "Isn't Anything."
Much of the Columbus group's sound is culled from the heyday of shoegaze and Britpop, with echoes of bands like the Stone Roses and the first two Radiohead albums informing their spaced-out epics.
æther crafts moody, sleek soundscapes from the ground up, with Christian Volpe's drums as the frame, Miquel Stubbs' bass providing the engine and the rest of the band applying a thick, elaborate paint job.
Aaron Pickering's vocals are authoritative, but what you really notice is Carney's sheen of guitars, keyboards and samples, with drones and melodies that make for plenty of texture and tension.â
The Columbus Alive - by Chris Deville

âThe Columbus indie-rock band aether is set to issue its first album with vocals after two years and three previous instrumental releases. The addition of vocalist Aaron Pickering late last year contributed another dimension and, perhaps, a wider appeal to the self-described "post-rock instrumental group."
The bandâs new album, aether sound, seems to compromise little of its instrumental qualities. Pickeringâs vocals sound like a partner and co-conspirator, with the resulting sound echoing the sonics-and-singing marriages of Radiohead and the like.â
The Columbus Dispatch â compiled by Aaron Beck and Curtis Schieber

âAaron Pickeringâs vocals blend seamlessly with the tracks on the bandâs new [release], and Paul Carneyâs two jobs as guitarist and keyboardist are given their full due in each new song. Christian Volpe and Miquel Stubbs round out the bottom end with fleshy, visceral beats and bass that lend the required pulse to music perfect for fans of Bends-era Radiohead or well-made art-rock in general.â
UWeekly â by Josh Reisen