The Old Ceremony - Cat's Cradle - Feb. 14th, 2009

Who - The Old Ceremony
Where - The Cat's Cradle
When - Feb. 14th, 2009

It's been a while since the release of Our One Mistake, The Old Ceremony's sophomore release, and after finally pulling Walk on Thin Air out of... yeah, you can make up your own joke and insert it here... the band offers fans a spot-on Valentine's Day gift at a CD release party/concert.

The Chapel Hill based pop-noir band has amassed a loyal following within the local music scene, noted for their unique circus-like stage presence and implementation of multiple instruments (ranging from guitar to violin to cello to xylophone to cow bell). The Old Ceremony is a crystal clear example of how music has not lost its integrity.

Playing to a sold-out Cat's Cradle, The Old Ceremony figuratively grabbed the audience, "by the haunches and humped it into submission," with an enamored vitality and surging live show rivaling falling power lines in a circus tent.

With hanging luminaries and Christmas lights in check, TOC boisterously exhibited an eclectic collection of inspired pop/rock jams, channeling everything from a house band at a 1950s sock hop to harmony based world music to Houses of the Holy era Zeppelin - all engineered to melt your face with unexpected jam sessions including violin strumming and xylophone solos.

Album - Walk on Thin Air
Released - Feb. 14th, 2009

Walk on Thin Air is easily the band's most progressive release to date. Throughout the album, vocalist and songwriter Django Haskins fathers conceptually stunning moments and emotionally melting lyrics that never weaken nor falter.

Utilitarian, perfected and lyrically moving moments like those infused within the title track, Walk on Thin Air, are what drive the album to the limits of brilliance. From the upbeat melodies on tracks, Someone I Used to Know and Ready to Go, Haskins limitlessly toys with the concept of masking dark lyrics with cheerful melodies; it’s both provocative and inspiring.

This is an album that anyone can connect with and one in which anybody can find more than enjoyable. It’s expressive, without being cryptic. It’s moving, without being cheesy. It’s minimal, without losing its complexity.

Walk on Thin Air hardly feels rushed and incomplete - it's one of those albums you'll always keep alternating between your CD player and the visor. If anything is apparent at their shows: it's that devoted fans are never far away - showing the same dedication as other notable bands from the Carolinas - i.e. Jump, Little Children.

(And coming from me that's a huge compliment.)

www.myspace.com/theoldceremony