Crooked Flower is a pop rock band from Berkeley, California.
Crooked Flower | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Berkeley, California |
| Genres | Rock, Alternative Rock, , Experimental |
| Years active | 2013 - present |
| Website | www |
Musical career
editFormed by musicians seeking to develop upon past collaborations, Crooked Flower's first recordings were done in Green Day's Jingletown Studios and engineered by Lee Bothwick, known for his work with NOFX and Machine Head (band).[1][2] It was at this time that they developed a relationship with producer Gordon Brislawn, known for his work with Herbie Herbert and The Expendables (American band).[3] Out of the Jingletown sessions came their debut EP, Between Two Stars which caught the attention of community radio station KUBU-LP DJ, Mike Lidskin. Consequently, he awarded them the stations 2015 'Song of the Year' award for their song 'Too Broke to Fix' and the 'Concert of the Year' award for a performance in September of the same year. In conjunction with this the band released their first music videos for the tracks 'Too Broke to Fix' and 'Between Two Stars'.[4][5]
In 2015 the band returned once more to the studio, to record once more with Lee Bothwick and Gordon Brislawn. These sessions, in conjunction with four tracks from Between Two Stars would go on to become the End of the Rainbow record, the band's debut full length.[6][7] To promote the record the band continued their tradition of promotional videos, this time for the tracks 'Fire' and 'No More'.[8][9] Regular studio trips led to the rapid conception of two more records, The Moon, Anyway and On My Mind both of which were released in 2017. This was accompanied by the band's first touring experience from which the band captured archival footage for future release. These live performances grew into multiple live videos released in 2018, including 'Came To Me In Dreams' which has since cleared 50,000 views on YouTube.[10]
In May 2018, the band released an EP, Darkness and Light, including tracks recorded with Jeff Goodlund, an educator at the SAE Institute. Substream Magazine said "you're gonna want to spend the 24 minutes it takes to experience it in full."[11] Just a few months later, in July 2018 the band released the 'live in the studio' album, Blooming: Live At Lightrail Studios, which was recorded on a previous tour.[12] By October of that year the band released another full length, Into The Light. Obscure Sound wrote of the record, "Their new album, Into The Light, is an impressive one, led by lush grooves and Angie Dang’s smooth vocals."[13]
To promote their 2017-18 music releases, in 2019 the band announced plans to release nine music videos, the first of which, for the track, 'Around and Around' which within three weeks of release had gained nearly 250,000 views.[14][15] The follow-up, 'The Belt' cleared 160,000 views on YouTube within a week of its premier.[16]
Critical reception
editCrooked Flower have received critical acclaim throughout their career, they have been called "party favorites" and "caught somewhere between the spacey-ness of The Grateful Dead and the moody bite of The Cure," by The Big Takeover.[17] Shockya said of the band's 2018 EP Darkness and Light's "smart arrangements and clean production value."[18] Meanwhile, The Spill Magazine wrote that the band, "hits all the sweet spots."[19]
Not all criticism was as positive though, College Media Network wrote some tracks on Into The Light were, "a bit too basic."[20] Meanwhile, No Depression (magazine) claimed the EP, Darkness And Light, only offered, "a very small cross-section of material to nitpick for fans of the psychedelic."[21] In 2018, PopMatters wrote the band, "presents something warm and smooth while also permitting themselves to jump off of the deep end into trippy melodies and ethereal instrumentation."[22]
Other endeavors
editBassist Daniel Erik Tenenbaum has toured nationally with soul rock Con Brio (band) among other projects. Similarly, drummer Pat Shields has recorded and toured with the funk and afro-Caribbean group Euforquestra.
In addition to serving as Crooked Flower's guitarist and primary songwriter, Dan Ingberman is an economist who has taught at University of California, Berkeley, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Washington University in St. Louis and Carnegie Mellon University.[23][24] While at Wharton he won the 1991 Wharton School Outstanding Teaching Award.[25] He has also contributed papers to the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and the Journal of Public Economics. He has also consulted in major litigation on behalf of entities including Google, major homebuilders, the DOJ, and tobacco companies.[26][27][28]
Discography
edit| Year | Release Name |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Between Two Stars |
| 2016 | End of the Rainbow |
| 2017 | The Moon, Anyway |
| 2017 | On My Mind |
| 2018 | Blooming: Live At Lightrail Studios |
| 2018 | Into The Light |
References
edit- ^ "Interview with Crooked Flower". www.rockeramagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ "Working Class Audio #189 with Lee Bothwick!!!". www.workingclassaudio.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ Simmonds-Ronceros, Samantha. ""Into The Light" ~ Crooked Flower - NoHo Arts District". nohoartsdistrict.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ Crooked Flower (2016-02-15), Crooked Flower - Between Two Stars Music Video (Official), retrieved 2019-03-22
- ^ Crooked Flower (2016-02-15), Crooked Flower - Too Broke To Fix Music Video (Official), retrieved 2019-03-22
- ^ Craig, Sherryl (2018-06-11). "Introducing "Darkness and Light" by Crooked Flower". Nashville Music Guide. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ "Need A Psych-Rock Fix? Crooked Flower Deliver with Darkness and Light". Indie Music Discovery. 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ Crooked Flower (2016-07-11), No More (Official Video) - Crooked Flower, retrieved 2019-03-22
- ^ Crooked Flower (2016-03-25), Crooked Flower - Fire Music Video (Official), retrieved 2019-03-22
- ^ Crooked Flower (2018-07-08), Crooked Flower Came to me in Dreams 7 29 17 The Mint LA, retrieved 2019-03-22
- ^ "Crooked Flower Explore Darkness And Light On New EP". substreammagazine.com. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ "Crooked Flower: Blooming – The Light Rail Sessions". Niche-Appeal.com. 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ ObscureSound (2018-11-02). "Listen: Crooked Flower - "Dancing"". www.obscuresound.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ Crooked Flower (2019-02-17), Around and Around Music Video (Official), retrieved 2019-03-22
- ^ "Crooked Flower Drops the Visual For Their Song "Around and Around"". DOPECAUSEWESAID. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ Crooked Flower (2019-03-13), "The Belt" Crooked Flower Music Video (Official), retrieved 2019-03-26
- ^ "Crooked Flower - Into the Light (Self-Released)". The Big Takeover. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ Owen, Grady (2018-06-07). ""Darkness and Light" by Crooked Flower Music Review". Shockya.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ "Spill Track of the Day: Crooked Flower – "Tunnel of Light"". The Spill Magazine. 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- ^ Ashley, Kevin. "Album Review: Crooked Flower's Into the Light". Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ Hinde, Emily (2018-06-22). "Discovering Crooked Flower's 'Darkness and Light'". Retrieved 2019-03-26.
- ^ "Crooked Flower Bring the Rock to LA's Mint with "No More" (premiere)". PopMatters. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
- ^ "Legal Studies Major | Just another WordPress site | Page 39". Retrieved 2019-03-26.
- ^ "Faculty". olin.wustl.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
- ^ "Almanac" (PDF). 1992-05-05. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
- ^ Ingberman, Daniel (2018). Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of Updating the Intercarrier Compensation Regime to Eliminate Access Arbitrage WC Docket No. 18-155. FCC.
- ^ "Search results for "Ingberman" - SourceWatch". www.sourcewatch.org. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
- ^ Baylson, J (2016). Domestic Drywall Antitrust Litigation. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.