Since
their debut at New York City's CBGB's in 1994, Helium Angel has developed
a formidable repertoire of original music. Relentlessly melodic and lyrically
thoughtful, their music delivers a cornucopia of 60's-tinged melodic pop
that borrows as much from Bends-period Radiohead as it does from Rubber
Soul-era Beatles or late Jam.
Helium Angel's latest CD, Early Clue to the New Direction, is receiving acclaim from the press and from fans (see self-congratulatory remarks below). The 15 tracks on the CD run the spectrum of potent powerpop - from the acidic psychedelia of "Soma Book of the Dead" to the sheer pop exuberance of "The Crowd Appears." Excerpts are already getting airplay on radio stations in San Francisco, New York, and Europe. The band has also been featured recently on a BamBalam Records compilation along with members of Cheap Trick and Wilco, and a Del-Fi Records Release, International Pop Overthrow '99, with Jason Falkner.
Helium Angel has recently performed at industry showcases such as CMJ in New York City, the International Pop Overthrow festival in Los Angeles, and Poptopia North in San Francisco. To find where the band is appearing next, check out The Helium Angel Listings Page.
Today Helium Angel is more interested in creating lasting music for a broad audience than in romanticizing the downwardly-mobile outsider ethos of so much of alternative rock. From Stephen's life-long affinity for Liverpool's Fab Four, Blake's bittersweet jangling guitar, Adam's groove-driving bass lines, and the group's resounding vocal harmonies, Helium Angel weaves a sound that is at once fresh, powerful, and (dare we say) optimistic.
Ambitious, captivating, and full of surprises, Early Clue To The New Direction is one of the most all-around enjoyable CDs I've heard this year...The sheer scope of Early Clue To The New Direction is quite awesome... Convinced that there is indeed little that Helium Angel cannot do, I for one am looking forward to hearing where this band goes from such an impressive point.
Mark Beland, Shake It Up! Magazine
Early Clue to the New Direction showcases Helium Angel's deft ability to write songs that veer away from traditional pop structures, yet still remain decidedly pop...In fact, a lot of the songs feel like 1967 collided head on with 1998...Helium Angel are not a retro 60's band. They are a great band that just happen to have great influences...The band then adds their own "x-factor" to create music that is at once timeless, yet immediate...you're going to buy this CD if you have any taste or wits about you! My personal faves include: "When The Plane Touched Down", "On My Side", "Butterfly Girl" and "Georgie" -- but that's irrelevant because there is absolutely no filler on this disc.
Scoot! Quarterly, Fall 1998, available at Tower Records worldwide
This pop trio has enough '60s-tinged melody and high-energy guitar to guarantee that a crowd jumps and swings. Many fans showed up to check out the new direction displayed on Helium Angel's new CD, Early Clue to the New Direction...Both regular fans and drop-in clubgoers were able to wrap themselves around the band's catchy sound and lively performance. Lyrics like "You cannot mend a broken heart upon a broken soul" were performed with resonance that stretched beyond pure mod-kid glee. The opening number, "The Stone Is Half Thrown," gave plenty of the good vibe and sing-along fun that is Helium Angel's calling card. "Motorcade," "Sparkle," and "Soma Book of the Dead" brought their Byrdsian jangle into the '90s...
San Francisco Bay Guardian
To hear a tantalizing snippet of what everyone (on this page) is talking about, try The Crowd Appears or check out both our CDs at the Broadcast.Com website.
To see the lyrics that resonate "beyond pure mod-kid glee" click on these Thoughtful Lyrics (you get stuff out of it)
To learn the strangely fascinating life story of Helium Angel, check out the Obligatory Band Bio or Press Kit and Photos, or to hear more about what the record companies, DJ's, and fans have to say, check out these Glowing Recommendations.
To purchase Early Clue to the New Direction head to these fine stores and record labels:
(online)
Mod Lang Records
in Berkeley, CA
Amoeba Records in San Francisco and Berkeley, CA
Rasputin's Records in Berkeley, CA
Kim's Records and Video in New York, NY
Not Lame
Recording Company (online)
To obtain a complimentary CD (bona-fide DJ's and industry only) or to get on the mailing list, write us at helangel@aol.com Our management information (for those with unsigned recording contracts):
manager LizNoel Duncan telephone 415.285.5181 pager 415.998.2960 p.o. box 40716 san francisco, CA 94110 U.S.A.All photos by Loralie Miller
Listen to our debut CD at the Broadcast.Com website
