Customer Reviews

Palomar 2

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you order a martini at the Bowery Ballroom you should be careful of getting burned. The vodka in mine was at least part napalm.

And I still regret taking such a big gulp of the stuff right before Palomar started playing Trade Off because I definitely forgot to swallow, making the burns worse and sending my esophagus straight to hell.

(As an aside, I hope I'm never accused of calling anyone "700 times a day.")

I'd never seen Palomar before, never heard one of their songs, but even over the fuzzy speakers in the basement bar where I was waiting for Rainier Maria to play, the power Palomar has deep down in all those damn catchy guitar hooks was able to convince me to abandon the burning martini and move my feet toward the stage.

There I came face-to-face with what looked to be an all-female (apologies to the drummer who I couldn't see) four-piece synched together with fearsome split-second precision and some songs that bit and chewed in ways that I'm still trying to get my brain around.

Most of the bite seemed to emanate from the lead singer who might be the only lyricist/musician since Johnny Rotten to blaze with the type of chainsaw ambition that her lyrics were full-of. Johnny Rotten's ambition was white hot and Rachel Palomar's ambition is white cold. Either way you're still gonna get burned.

Outwardly Palomar's sound is a little like what you'd expect if the Beach Boys and the GoGo's got together with Kim Deal and Black Francis to cover a bunch of Alvin and the Chipmunks songs. But that description doesn't do Palomar any justice.

Because trying to understand the war that is popular music in America is all about trying to figure out where the music wants to take you. Britney wants you in a seedy strip club full of ATMs. Wilco wants you at a county fair where they serve vegetarian corndogs. Palomar puts you in overdrive, headed for a place that doesn't exist yet where every bar is full of friends, every friendship is full of honesty and honesty just might be a ticket to heaven.

Listen to a couple of the samples and you will not be disapointed. Fun rock, somewhere between Sleater-Kinney, The Breeders, and the GoGoS. Its been in my rotation for quite some time now.

i remember the first time i heard palomar. their drummer, matt, gave me a 4-song demo tape. it took me a while to actually listen to it. my hopes weren't very high. i can't say i loved the whole tape (though "washington" will always be a favorite palomar song of mine) and i can't say that the vocals weren't difficult to get used to, but that's all changed..."II" is masterfully recorded to really show off palomar's vocal skills, especially in the beautiful, beautiful harmonies. it all makes me think of scooby doo for some strange reason, and the chipmunks (in the hyper-activeness of it all), but in a good way. this is all a tremendous improvement from the self-titled first full-length (which still isn't bad at all), but the sad thing is, its going to be hard to top this record palomar. did i mention the cuteness factor? its hard not to fall in love with them...

This is a great band and you should buy this disc! The first thing that struck me about this CD is that there is a lot going on in almost every song. This is a band that really plays together. The interplay between the instruments and voices is incredible. The lyrics are great; no matter what the story, it is told in interesting and intelligent terms. The disc starts with several very fast, energetic songs, but if you don't like them, just wait a few minutes - there is always something different on the way, including several fairly down-tempo songs that are among the best on the record. The cover of Eno's "I'll Come Running" is suitably bizarre and wonderful. The last song on the disc, "Can't Wake Up" is a great song that comes to a rousing conclusion that makes it sound like the last song on the disc. Overall, this is a great record, and if there is any justice, this band will get the larger following it deserves.

Really great CD by up-and-coming NY band.

Palomar is truly a great band - fully of catchy, angular, pop punk tunes. Every song rocks - it's the kind of music that you can't seem to get out of your head. And I'm not saying that just because my wife's cousin (Dale W. Miller) is now the drummer. Frankly, the bands that he's previously been in have been hit or miss for me. But he really landed in a good situation this time. I believe that Palomar is destined for big things. They kind of remind me of Elastica or the Breeders. Get this album, enjoy the great tunes (especially Knockout & the cover of Eno's I'll come Running), & watch out for their new album, coming out soon!

This is a great band and you should buy this disc! The first thing that struck me about this CD is that there is a lot going on in almost every song. This is a band that really plays together. The interplay between the instruments and voices is incredible. The lyrics are great; no matter what the story, it is told in interesting and intelligent terms. The disc starts with several very fast, energetic songs, but if you don't like them, just wait a few minutes - there is always something different on the way, including several fairly down-tempo songs that are among the best on the record. The cover of Eno's "I'll Come Running" is suitably bizarre and wonderful. The last song on the disc, "Can't Wake Up" is a great song that comes to a rousing conclusion fitting for the last song on the disc. Overall, this is a great record, and if there is any justice, this band will get the larger following it deserves.

My first exposure to Palomar was at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. They blew me away. Their voices are great and their instrumentation was even better. After the show I bought the CD and have been listening to it constantly ever since. The songs are catchy and I find myself humming them all day. It's just a matter of time till they hit it big and when they do it'll be well deserved!

Palomar II is chock full of awesome goodness. Buy it or live in regret for the rest of your sad and lonely life. Seriously. Stop being lame and just love Palomar already. Sheesh.