If you go
Exit Clov CD Release Party with Olivia Mancini and Poor But Sexy
Where: Iota, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.
When: 9 p.m. Saturday
Info: $10, no advance sales, 703-522-8340; iotaclubandcafe.com
Maybe it was karma, fate, or divine intervention. But whatever led three student musicians to informally meet two classically trained violinists gave rise to Exit Clov, a D.C.-based indie rock band with a loyal following that continually flirts with a major breakthrough. Not that the band members dwell on big-time status.
“That is why it has worked for seven years now,” bassist Brett Niederman said of the individual members various pursuits — including audio engineering. “We each are accommodating other interests and that lets us grow together. We almost function like a little record label.”
Although the band members are now akin to a family, it took a bit for the members to meld their individual talents into a collective identity. Perhaps that’s because the women were into a brit/pop sound while the men were more into the 1960s and 1970s Jamaican reggae sound. The collaborative sound — which has won critical acclaim — is explosive with one critic commenting on the group’s “addictive rhythms and dynamic range.”
The band’s just-released new album — “Memento Mori” — is no exception. The difference, though, is the music has a more richly textured sound that shows a relaxed maturity. Consider “Strippers & Politicians” filled with exotic, Far Eastern influences accented by violins or even “The Hate,” filled with haunting melodies and New Age appeal.
“In this album we opened it up and tried a lot of experimentation,” violinist/guitarist and vocalist Susan Hsu said. “The result was some different sounds [some of which include] big outros and other big, gorgeous sounds. Back in the day, we wouldn’t have written anything like that. Before, we reined everything into a tight pop structure.”
Recently the band members, except Susan, have migrated to New York. That distance has given the members a renewed energy and actually strengthened the musical bond among them.
“It’s funny [but now we say] let’s be freer. Let’s not worry about fitting songs into three minutes and let’s allow the songs to be what they are. We are starting [to record another] new record and that’s taking us in new directions than where we are now,” Niederman said. “This newer stuff is really coming together. The goal for the new record is to record it and do it and release it this year.”
