Welcome To Ashley: Absent Man

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2009 4:37 PM
Welcome To Ashley
photo: Zoran Orlic

Welcome To Ashley have tried to cram all of their musical heroes into a four-track EP called Absent Man. This Chicago band has internalized all the major all the cool vintage UK New Wave bands with singer Coley Kennedy channeling the trembling vocalization of Johnny Rotten in his PIL-phase.

With their Nashville roots this band it's no wonder that they get it just right with the backbeat - dry laidback drums courtesy of Sherrlia Bailey and crawling bass by Jeremy Barett. With guitar player Pete Javier waving jangling soundscapes a la Johnny Marr - yes, with quite a lot of treble - Absent Man is a serious contender for the late night programming of alternative radio stations.

Coley Kennedy: vocals
Pete Javier: guitar
Jeremy Barrett: bass
Sherrlia Bailey: drums

Welcome To Ashley: Absent Man

Absent Man is a self-released EP. Buy it from the band's website.

Tracks:
  1. Absent Man
  2. Trust In Me
  3. Nothing But Grey Skies Ahead
  4. Band, You're Dead

MP3: Welcome To Ashley - Bang, You're Dead

Live dates:
  • 06/26 Cedars Lounge, Youngstown, OH
  • 06/28 Arlenes Grocery, New York, NY
  • 06/29 Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn, NY
  • 06/30 Lit Lounge, New York, NY
  • 07/01 The Khyber, Philadelphia, PA
  • 07/08 Double Door (free show), Chicago, Illinois
  • 08/12 Schuba’s (JMA Showcase), Chicago, Illinois

» myspace.com/welcometoashley

Feedback

# re: Welcome To Ashley: Absent Man

7/28/2009 7:29 PM by Jeffrey Jones
Welcome To Ashley is a band that deserves to be famous...provided, of course, that they wouldn't have to sell their souls and relinquish control of their destiny. "Absent Man" continues WTA's creative upward trajectory from their very impressive 2006 s/t debut and its astonishing 2007 follow-up EP "The Catbird Seat," which made a true believer out of me.

I had the pleasure of hosting Welcome To Ashley in 2008 for The Park Theater's (Hayward, WI) Indie Rock Series following the "The Catbird Seat" release, and they delivered a blistering show...everything I expected and 10 times more. Granted, their recorded output is superb, but Welcome To Ashley is a band that also must be experienced live.

Clocking in at 15 minutes and some change, "Absent Man" is the 200-proof distilled essence of everything I love about WTA. It's a brief hit from the bottle that leaves you thirsty for more.

Buy this album...hell, buy 10 copies and pass them out to your friends. Then buy 10 copies each of the previous releases and do the same. Hound your favorite independent radio station or indie music blog to add WTA to their playlists. Make requests to Sirius XMU...whatever it takes. Welcome To Ashley is a great band, period. They deserve their props.

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