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1 2 3 4The Tripwire Empty Bottle Live Review
Iowa City’s Death Ships are no strangers to the Chicago music scene. They’ve played most of the typical clubs and have been attracting attention from some of the city’s movers and shakers. A recommendation from our own resident music guru Robert English was enough for me to make it out on a rainy, cold, winter night in Chicago to see what the fuss was all about.
Death Ships, looking slightly less cool than the average indie rock hipster in the audience, took the stage around 10pm to a scarcely populated room and burst right into their first song without saying a word. After working the kinks out in song one, frontman Dan Maloney alerted us all that the keyboardist and bass player for the night were not actual members of the band. In fact, they were temporary replacements for this one show and had just learned all of the songs in less than two days time.
Obviously, I was slightly disappointed that I wasn’t seeing the band at full capacity, but the fill-ins, while not adding much in terms of “energy” on stage, did an admirable job and didn’t make any blaring mistakes all night.
That said, Death Ships pulled their set exclusively from their debut album, Seeds Of Devastation, which was released last year via uber indie Faithful Anchor Records. A collection of American heartland inspired ballads, up beat rockers and country-tinged offerings, the album is actually quite good and I’m surprised it didn’t make a little more noise in ‘06.
Live, songs like “Great American” and “Symmetrical Smiles” translate well and show some promise. Maloney and drummer Adam Havlin’s between song banter can be a little “too much” at times however, as they spout off inside jokes and various other random thoughts that add little to the set besides distracting filler while guitars get tuned up.
Overall, I left last night’s show wanting to see the full band, as even with a couple of subs, they still showed a few flashes of brilliance. Maloney is without question a talented songwriter and the guitar play between himself and lead guitarist Randall Davis was exquisite. The band walks an interesting line between John Mellencamp and the Counting Crows and I found myself thinking “America, Fuck Yeah!” at a couple different points in the set, but it worked for them. Word on the street is that these guys have some friends in high places, so with a little fine-tuning and a few of the right allies, these guys just make a splash in ‘07.
Pop Matters Slipped Discs of 2006 Feature 1/12/07
Don’t be thrown of by the band name or album title. This isn’t a dire black-clad excursion into drone and sludge. On the contrary it’s about as far from that as you can get. Iowa City’s Death Ships have crafted a remarkably nuanced rock record that bleeds ever so slightly into alt-country. It’s a sound that, depending on how you hear it, has the band either straining at the confines of their heartland roots or pushing past them with a respectful nod and wave. At the album’s best, the songs on Seeds of Devastation begin as proper salutes to the country rock sounds of John Cougar Mellencamp, Buffalo Springfield or the Byrds, but that propriety never lasts too long. On “City Never Sleeps”, “Great American”, and “Knocks Over Time”, those sweetly-spun melodies spiral into acres of guitar distortion and rising waves of drums and searing vocals. Primary singer-songwriter Dan Maloney’s impressive control over his songs, wringing maximum emotional weight out of a riff or a phrase, is all the more impressive when considering this is Death Ships first release. The bar has been set high.
Written by Peter Funk
Newcity Chicago 1/09/07 Tip of the Week
Sure, Curtains, Deerhoof and Sharks and Seals each make impressive, spasmodic and bizarre creations that somewhat defy categorization, but in the fourth slot tonight is the calm, pretty and pop-sensible Death Ships, whose dreadfully overlooked “Seeds of Destruction” pleasantly flows in its indie-pop accessibility and, at times, sheer beauty. The Iowa City band sounds like The Shins–there’s no avoiding that comparison–but also, much like Matt Pond PA, puts as much effort into emotional, sometimes biting lyrics as they do the music, and it pays off in bundles, or if you wish, shiploads. Some songs are slightly tired, just by their presentation–acoustic ballad “Little Mystery” seems a bit out of place–but in the end, “Seeds of Destruction” is a solid, promising record that has the potential and passion to be someone’s very favorite record, or at least one that they hide from friends and keep to themselves, a personal little gem that’s a confession from the inside out.
Death Ships play January 11 at Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western, (773)276-3600, at 9:30pm. $8.
Written by Tom Lynch
Art Scene Iowa Magazine Winter 2007 Issue
Death Ships – Seeds of Devastation
Five out of Five Stars
Sounds Like: Death Cab For Cutie, Belle and Sebastian, The Arcade Fire
Wow. This is what the “indie” sound is supposed to be. Never forced or phony, Death Ships have married melancholy and metaphoric lyrics with a wall of sound that simply takes your breath away. Beautiful guitar work intricately weaves in and out of this musical tapestry so perfectly that they seem to carry their own voices. Never once does this album falter or fail but for its entirety it cascades layer upon layer of sound, culminating in some of the finest recorded songs that have come from this great State. This is definitely a band to watch for to transcend local status to national very very soon.
Alternative Press Seeds of Devastation CD Review Nov 2006
DEATH SHIPS
Rating: 5 out of 5
Album: Seeds Of Devastation (FAITHFUL ANCHOR; deathships.com)
Who? One of our former AP&R picks who just spent the past month opening and being the backing band for former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett.
Sounds Like? Well-constructed indie-pop/alt-country with equal amounts of lush ballads and uptempo toe-tappers.
How is it? Sometimes bouncy, sometimes pensive, always memorable�Seeds Of Devastation has it all. Death Ships should be the next big thing any day now.
Rocks Like: Wilco, the Shins, Iron & Wine
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Blog Myspace band of the week
A few weeks ago I was asked to be friends with a band from Iowa City, Iowa. So after taking out my map to insure that there was actually an Iowa City in Iowa I started listening to the music on their Myspace page and haven’t stopped listening to it since (this is not entirely true I have listened to many other things in the same amount of time and have also spent some brief moments not listening to music, this is in other words an exaggeration meant to imply the amount of enjoyment I have received from listening to this band’s music.). Death Ships are a band that could fly under the radar by virtue of where they hail from, but if that actually wound up being the case it would be darn near a tragedy.
The band is comprised of a bunch of guys that I assume spent most of their adolesence raiding their parents’ music collections and doing lots of things most teenagers do but shouldn’t (if this isn’t true drop me an e-mail and I’ll amend this statement). The result is an affinity for classic rock with loads of melody that shines through each of the four songs on their page. I could sit here and list the bands they sound like but that would be pretty damn boring, instead I’ll tell you that the band is able to craft wonderful pop songs and give them a rocking aspect that will get your toe a’ tapping.
Since hearing the band I have gotten a copy of the Death Ships’ album, Seeds of Destruction, and have loved every second of it. The one draw back to this band is that they don’t currently have an East Coast dates scheduled but I’m sure that will change as a result of this post (hah, right!). If I haven’t already convinced you to go out and check out their music let me try to entice you with a couple of mp3’s and a link to their myspace page where more songs can be heard. Hope you all enjoy them as much as I have, and if you guys from Death Ships read this please make sure to get over to New York as soon as humanly possible!!!
CokeMachineGlow Seeds of Devastation CD Review
August 24, 2006
Death Ships Seeds of Devastation
Rating: 73% = Impressive; well above average
There are several strange and well-known characteristics of college-town life, especially in the Midwest. Kids who will seemingly grope anything while drunk can’t look each other in the eye when sober; hip kids at record stores and coffee shops want to be anywhere else but can’t ever leave; everyone is liberal in a state full of conservatives; the town is boring but we’re staying up all night; everyone has friends yet everyone is lonely, etc. And that makes it a veritable breeding ground for the type of material that makes damn good country music.
Which makes getting to know Iowa City’s Death Ships a little bit about shattering expectations. Where you might expect a band in a college town fronted by an indie record store employee to be an art-rock/noise project or something dripping with irony and pretentiousness, Death Ships’ debut, Seeds of Devastation, is a very clean, very honest alt/pop/rock/country record. They’ve harnessed all the tragedy and irony and joy in small-town life, and in doing so, they’ve achieved, however modestly, something that we non-artists assume all bands are striving for: a specificity that sheds light on larger human experiences.
Album opener “It Remains to be Seen” is indicative of these themes. A line as simple as “People pass you without glancing / And you’re underpaid and tired” is as true in Iowa City as it is in New York City, but the rest of the song makes such generalities effective rather than meaningless. An acute sense of self and cultural awareness distinguishes the track, and sets the tone for the album: “If you don’t already know who you are / it’s ‘cause you wanna / slip beneath it all.” The lap steel, played by Troy Stains, adds just the right Jayhawky vibe, and while “second verse same as the first” works for this particular track, it is a marker for the predictability that it is the album’s weak spot.
“Little Mystery” starts off as country Afghan Whigs, a little electric riff and acoustic strumming as singer Dan Maloney croons “I’m a man that you need,” and “I will make you come inside.” But where Greg Dulli might launch into a testament to masculinity and cocksureness, Death Ships reveal those lines as a façade that cover feelings of desperate insecurity and yearning. The confidence shown early becomes a problematic, likely foolish attempt to convince a “little mystery” (and we’ve all had one) to open up to us, a process all the more frustrating since we know it will fail in the face of our egomania. The song ends with the repetition of “[I’ve] got a whole lot to offer,” as much a lament as a plea.
“Story Never Gets Old” directly challenges Death Ships’ genre classification, since it is essentially a ‘60s pop song. At the song’s foundation is Ofer Sivan’s simple, bouncing piano riff, supplemented by double-tracked lead vocals and various other voices helping out in the chorus and bridge. By the time we get to the climax of this thing, the piano is in full-force, guitars have added their presence along with a muted trumpet and cymbals, and everyone is singing along. The song’s denouement strips most of those elements away, until we are left with piano (now sounding almost honky-tonk) and the acoustic guitar, reminding us of both where we’ve been and where we’re going.
Unfortunately, that path changes a bit with “Knocks Over Time.” The album’s closer is certainly the most “rockist” of the songs here, and ultimately suffers from its own desire to be an anthem. The vocal and guitar distortion that come into play here are tolerable, if uninteresting elements, and their arrival on the last song seems odd since this type of aesthetic is virtually absent in the rest of the album. The vocals do showcase Maloney’s low-range (not Crash Test Dummies low, but think the guy from The National), yet something with this track feels unsettling; after taking us so far through this sexually charged, lonely, political, and emotional journey, someone changed their mind and wanted to rawk! Which might not have been a bad thing, had these elements been sprinkled throughout the disc, although that move itself risks embarrassing consequences for country-ish albums (The Elected’s Me First comes to mind).
For all of the benefits that come from music that seems so tied to place, Seeds of Devastation also suffers from some of the predictability and repetition that plague any town. Maloney’s voice, which is always at the very front of the mix, has character but not quite the range (or lack-of-range-quirkiness a la Tweedy) to carry the record for its whole length, and the rhythm section could use a boost. Lyrically, the album can lean toward the simplistic side, but I can’t imagine these songs being sung with any other words.
Seeds of Devastation is a type of still-life with accompaniment. With impressive scope and musical dexterity, it shifts its focus (perhaps unconsciously) from peep-hole to bird’s-eye-view, from charged political narrative to musings on cities and relationships, offering us a varied and refreshing perspective on modern life. Replacing postmodern distance (okay, the name is certainly a joke) with a sense of place and honesty, Death Ships debut is a vessel that should carry them well beyond the confines of Iowa City.
written by Craig Eley
Little Village Seeds of Devastation Review October 2006
Iowa City’s Death Ships seem determined to keep us guessing. Their name suggest something far noisier than their catchy blend of folk and indie rock, a hilarious bit of misdirection so obvious that it had to be premeditated. The gorgeous barnyard scene by Luke Drozd that adorns the cover of Seeds of Devastation, their debut full-length cd, would be at home decorating something with a great deal more twang than the occasional errie lap steel line found here. And did I mention that the record was produced by Atlanta hip hop producer Matthew Malpass? After getting over any of these false expectations, perhaps the biggest suprise of all is how brilliant this moody masterpiece can be, considering the relative newness of the group. Intially a solo project for singer/songwriter Dan Maloney begun in 2001, the Ships have quickly grown into a band in the best sense of the word. Such a great band, in fact, that their first tour behind the record finds them sharing dual duties as openers and backing band for headliner Jay Bennett (ex Wilco multi-instrumentalist). Seeds of Devastation manages to wear its influences proudly while forging something completely original, no small feat for a debut. “Little Mystery,” begins as a simple, lovely ballad that could be a Lemonheads record and builds to a veritable orchestra of layered strings and keys, awash in thick reverb rarely heard outside of My Morning Jacket. The catchy “Symmetrical Smiles” hops along on keyboards straight from Graham Nash’s “Our House,” yet ends up sounding wholly contemporary. It’s no suprise that producer Malpass has a career built on hip hop, given the complex elements juggled in Maloney’s deceptively simple songs, many built around a two-chord guitar part. This is a headphone record all the way, but the jumble of handclaps, guitar harmonics, distortion, crashing drums and even the occasional horns steals none of the intimacy from the singer and his songs. Those songs have a sneaky way of coming around to a single memorable vocal line soaring miles above the lush backdrop, like the great “you can ride with me” sing-along moment in “Great American.” The effect is lonely, futuristic ambience that’s astotunding in its effectiveness. The Death Ships have very quickly become the most talked about band in Iowa City, and it’s clear that it won’t be out little secret too much longer. Dan Maloney and company have created nothing less than the best record to come out locally in a decade or more, although to think of them as local is unncesessary, with something so unniversally appealing.
Written by William Fare
Mammoth Press Seeds of Devastation Review September 24th 2006
Recorded in only ten days but not released until a year later, Seeds of Devastation is a pop album shimmering with easy confidence and solid melodies. Singer Dan Maloney’s olive-oil voice inhabits a slim juncture between David Bezan and Even Dando, and the arrangements have a real eye for the radio in the right way, with lap-steel fills and full-sounding choruses. It’s a surprisingly mature effort for a debut album.
One problem that always comes with maturity, however, is a tendency to play it safe, and if this record has one weakness it’s a sense of caution that pervades most of the songs. There’s not really a single bad song on the record: “Remains to be Seen” for example sounds like a hidden gem from a collection of Teenage Fanclub B-sides, and “Echo Children” reminds me pleasingly of Car, Button, Cloth…-era Lemonheads. The problem is that there’s not really any truly great songs on the record either, no single to rally around and force your friends to sit down and listen to.
But this is definitely a strong enough debut that makes me believe Death Ships is completely capable of turning out great things in the future. Consider this album an appetizer anticipating a memorable meal to come. In the meantime, we’ve got an appealing pop record suitable for rainy afternoons and long drives with open windows, so until that hypothetical great album comes I’m perfectly content to put on Seeds of Devastation and wait at the table with my napkin tucked in and my fork and knife ready.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
RIYL: Lemonheads, Pedro the Lion, Teenage Fanclub, Death Cab For Cutie
Written by Aric Annear
River Cities’ Reader Feature
Death Ships Set Sail for Sunnier Seas : September 20th 2006
On the cover of the Death Ships’ Seeds of Devastation, a resplendent Midwestern farm scene - complete with stalks of wheat, a dragonfly, and a red barn - sets the tone. But on the inside panel, as the barn burns down behind him, a boy in a blue winter coat pokes a white paper boat with a stick.
The band’s name and multiple visual and verbal contradictions create an eerie haze around Death Ships’ debut CD, but the songs are anything but dark. With its roller-rink keyboard, start-stop beat, tambourine, and hand-claps, “Symmetrical Smiles” is a hip-swiveling rocker. The song is fleshed out by a twangy guitar and Death Ships singer Dan Maloney’s clear, bright voice. Similar to bands such as Essex Green, Ladybug Transistor, and Beulah, Iowa City’s Death Ships honor the tradition of ’60s icons the Kinks and the Zombies.
But more in-step with their contemporaries, Death Ships incorporate instruments such as the trumpet and lap steel to liven things up. On “Sarah,” a muted trumpet played by Kathryn Musilek gives this jazzy little road song a burst of speed to keep it driving along.
A fluttering drumbeat, a deftly strummed acoustic guitar, and Maloney’s crisp vocals fill things out. “Run, run, Sarah, run / Run to Chicago / You’ll be the one.” On a journey of self-discovery, Sarah is the “talk of the town” but wants something more, wants to leave her familiar and safe surroundings behind. And at just over two minutes, the listener can’t help but want to hear more of Sarah’s story.
As with the album’s artwork, Maloney thought it’d be fun to give the band a dark and heavy name that contradicted its pop sound. Furthermore, from being signed to Undertow Management to Maloney’s publishing company being called Faithful Anchor and obviously the band’s name, Maloney is a self-professed nautical fanatic. “[I] love the lore of the sea, pirates, freedom of being on the high seas, the history of early sea exploration,” he said.
While the songs on Seeds of Devastation may not be nautical tales per se, they are tales nonetheless. “Won’t you come and sit with me a while / The wine’s got me talking / And I can’t think of anywhere, I’d rather be.” Simple and direct, Maloney’s lyrics are a welcoming invitation into this epic tale. As a tambourine rings out like sleigh bells, “Great American” is one of the few songs that prominently feature Musilek on vocals.
Her voice becomes intertwined with Maloney’s as the song crescendos from its patient and gentle start into an indie-rock anthem that would make Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard proud.
It’s on two of the album’s slower numbers that the range of Maloney’s voice can be heard. On “Little Mystery,” Maloney’s vocal stylizations are reminiscent of Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers frontman Greg Dulli. Hints of Red House Painters singer Mark Kozelek are apparent on the sadcore wistfulness of “Echo Children.” Still, both tracks resist the moodiness of either Dulli’s or Kozelek’s songs and can’t be considered simple mimicry.
Maloney is ultimately a pop singer, as can be heard on the album’s centerpiece, “Story Never Gets Old.” One of the best songs yet this year, “Story” bops along with syrupy goodness. Everything about it fits perfectly together - a simple infectious melody, a beat like skipping rope, and a familiar story of boy meets girl.
“He was a poet with a knack for prose / She was a thief with a taste for clothes / They worked it out.” Maloney’s crisp, catchy lyrics are buoyed along by a choppy piano melody. With walking bass lines and the bright twinkle of a triangle, “Story Never Gets Old” is like an old-time radio jingle and is endlessly listenable. “Just as the story begins to get old / Life begins to pick it up” - a simple mantra that should have everyone singing along.
Death Ships have undergone a number of changes over its short life. Beginning in 2001 as a solo project for Dan Maloney, it soon developed into something that needed a full band to fulfill its potential. Seeds of Devastation is a document of how the band was exactly one year ago. Ofer Sivan replaced Musilek on keyboards and Randall Davis moved from bass to lead guitar/lap steel. The shifts in the band’s lineup have allowed for new arrangements of the songs.
The band is currently touring with Jay Bennett (also managed by Undertow) of Wilco. Bennett also asked the band to back him up on stage. Maloney expressed his excitement about the opportunity: “We are super-stoked and hope some potential doors will open from that. Needless to say his work with Wilco is [a] fairly obvious influence for us.”
Seeds of Devastation will be a hard album to follow, but Maloney said he is up to the task: “As for the next record, we have enough songs written, but obviously we have to tour in support of [this album] first before we can think about recording it.”
Death Ships - along with Hockey Night and Driver of the Year - will perform on Friday, September 22, at RIBCO in Rock Island. The show starts at 10 p.m.
Written by Culley Smith
Daily Iowan 80 hours Cover Feature
The Shipping News
By: John C. Schlotfelt
“We don’t have a problem with technology,” said Death Ships’ frontman Dan Maloney, taking time out from a Wednesday evening rehearsal for a smoke break with guitarist Randall Davis. “In fact,” said the lead singer, lounging on the brick stoop of his white house, “I’m very excited by its possibilities.”
Despite the band’s eagerness to embrace technological advances, the Death Ships appears, at first glance, to be yet another fairly unassuming Iowa City indie band releasing a new record - Seeds of Devastation - in a very Do-It-Yourself manner.
The band will celebrate the year-long road from recording to release Saturday night at the Mill, 120 E Burlington St., and from that stage, the members hope to launch a siege - with an arsenal featuring shining, alt-country-tinged harmonies and confident guitar interplay - upon the American musical terrain. Emerging from the fractured remains of the Faultlines - Maloney’s previous band - the Death Ships has moved from delicate, acoustic tunes written in a bedroom to cutting a debut disc in a mere four years. The transition from composing pop songs in a basement to the main stage, however, is never without complications.
The band’s first record, Seeds of Devastation, was tortuous enough.
In August 2005, the band loaded up its gear and made the journey to record in the home of crunk-rap, Atlanta. At the boards was band friend and Lil’ Jon producer Matt Mallpass. Mallpass, who cut his teeth on other crunk-rap luminaries, such as the YoungBloodz, proved to be an odd, yet, ultimately beneficial co-conspirator for a band riding on sunshine-bleached keyboard lines - right out of ’60s psychedelia - permeated by crackling lap-steel fills and bubbling over with tight harmonies. The Death Ships’ docking in Atlanta was a brief one - a mere 10 days - but now, a year later, Seeds of Devastation will finally reach audiences.
The primary holdup has been one that relegates many bands to lifelong careers in dive bars and obscurity: no label. Maloney points out the Catch 22 that keeps numerous bands from breaking through: “Labels want you to have a booking agent; booking agents want you to have a label.”
Following months without success, the band resurrected a tape club, Faithful Anchor, that Maloney and friends had founded to record and pass along local singles, EPs, and splits. Seeds of Devastation became the first release for the newly founded Iowa City label, Faithful Anchor Records, based unassumingly at 937 E. Jefferson St.
The Death Ship members also dealt with fluctuations in their lineup since cutting the album. One might expect the two newest members, bass player Joe Galloro and keyboard player Ofer Sivan (who replaced the departed Kathryn Musilek), to have an attenuated enthusiasm for the recordings of the previous band incarnation. That is not the case.
“We know we have a good record. We just need people to hear it,” said a mustachioed Sivan, part-owner of Oasis Falafel, 206 N. Linn St. But with music, as with food, he acknowledged with a shrug, there’s sometimes no accounting for taste: “I know my falafels are good, but some people don’t like falafel.”
The only band member who acts less than enthralled by the material is drummer Adam Havlin. When asked for comment, he answered with a wry smile, “I just play drums” - which turned out to be his enigmatic comment for almost everything. But he can’t pretend the gusto with which he attacks his drum kit doesn’t point, beat by beat, to his pride in the music.
With the album ready and the celebration heralding Seeds of Devastation happening this Saturday evening, the Death Ship guys are optimistic about the future. And as it has always been, they’re going to make things happen for themselves. However, as befits Maloney’s technophilia, they’ll be doing much of it from behind a computer monitor. At the intersection of everything Internet and everything musical sits the unassailably popular www.MySpace.com, which is understandably the Death Ships’ first port-of-call. Bands such as the U.K.’s Arctic Monkeys are breaking sales records on their native soil, and the bratty Brits owe much of their overnight success to the social-networking site. “If you don’t have a MySpace site, you’re blowing it,” Maloney said matter-of-factly, after a drag from his Marlboro.
Constantly found among the top five most visited websites in America - jockeying with Yahoo and Google for the No. 1 slot - MySpace membership surpassed the 100 million mark on Aug. 9.
And the Death Ships is experiencing success with MySpace, already listing more than 2,000 “friends” and receiving floods of compliments from fans asking when the next show will be. The band has even tapped in to a specific market of fans: Sarahs. “We have a song called “Sarah” [posted on MySpace], and several Sarahs have said ‘Oh, it’s my favorite song,’ ” Maloney said with a chuckle.
But for the Death Ships, MySpace is just the beginning. Following the success of such bands as Tapes ‘n’ Tapes (for which the Death Ships opened in March), the Cold War Kids, and Destroyers, the band members are eyeing a new form of exposure: MP3 blogs.
Maloney frequents many of the same blogs that have launched the careers of the latest batch of indie-rockers, sites with obscure names, such as Brooklyn Vegan and Stereogum. Maloney, after months of dealing with industry insiders, has latched onto these blogs as a way to reach an audience that still seeks the tingly feeling that comes from discovering a new band, the feeling that nails you to your seat and wraps your mind in its grip as you listen.
These MP3 bloggers are fans who are passionate about the discovery of new artists and just want the rest of the web to be excited with them. And even the most popular bloggers are rarely affected by industry sway or their own influence, like self-conscious indie-music tastemakers Pitchfork or commercial dinosaurs such as Rolling Stone. These blogs provide a perfect venue for the Death Ships’ refreshingly honest, everyman poetry, delivered over tried and true start-stop rhythms or articulate guitar picking; the band is devoid of pretension and just waiting for an audience lacking the same. “Bands are getting popular because some 14-year-old kid in his mom’s basement loves it,” said Maloney, grooming his mustache. The frontman sees MP3 blogs as a kind of circuit breaker to the established route to success, one that locks out the industry middleman and reaches directly to fans.
It is this kind of community the Death Ships hopes to tap. With Seeds of Devastation’s indie-pop luster already shining brightly on shelves of local record retailers, the band is hoping that sending out promotional presses of the disc to MP3 blogs, such as Gorilla vs. Bear or Fluxblog, will result in an expanded fan base.
“The way I look at it, I’m spending $1 on shipping � and that could land us with over 100 new fans.”
With online attack plans set in place, the Death Ships is also looking for more overt and traditional exposure.
The band has recently acquired management through Undertow and with that, a potential, and more customary break into the musical spotlight.
Undertow also manages producer, former Wilco guitarist, and Death Ship fan Jay Bennett. Not only was it on the strength of Bennett’s recommendation that the group was picked up by Undertow, but there is a strong possibility for some steady touring work for the indie-pop purveyors come the middle of October as Bennett’s opener and touring band.
The shipmates see this as a nice fit. Not only are the Death Ship members accustomed to Wilco comparisons, but both Bennett and the boys would benefit. “Whoa. Wilco. That’s some serious shit,” said a smiling Sivan. And then there would be the crowds and attention that an artist of Bennett’s profile would bring. “That could make us,” said the enthusiastic keyboardist, “even though he’s kind of infamous [thanks to Wilco documentary I am Going to Break Your Heart], but infamy isn’t a problem in rock ‘n’ roll.”
E-mail DI reporter John C. Schlotfelt at:
john-schlotfelt@uiowa.edu
Press Citizen: Seeds of Devastation CD Review
Thursday August 24th 2006
Death Ships
“Seeds of Devastation”
Faithful Anchor
Leave it to a band with a moniker and album title that suggest some kind of shrieking, hell-bent Finnish metal act begging for an assisted suicide lawsuit to create one of the year’s most elegant and sophisticated indie-pop albums.
Then again, some of the most beautiful music of the ’60s was delivered by The Zombies (a cuddle-resistant name if ever there was one); it’s no coincidence that Death Ships’ singer/songwriter Dan Maloney cites those gossamer Brit wonders among his major influences.
Good news, that. Even better news is how well this Iowa City-based group actualizes — even extrapolates — that particular brand of lush, often-psychedelic dream-pop (along with sonic references to myriad early-’80s UK underground denizens plus sweet traces of country-rock) while maintaining a discernable group sound.
Maloney’s graceful melodic gifts and intimate, breathy vocals simply never fail to hit the mark on this tour-de-force, and his gifted cohorts supply it all with a rich, shimmering soundscape.
Bottom line, “Seeds of Devastation” is a triumph in every way.
In addition to Saturday’s appearances — see “Music Beat” — Death Ships will perform live in-studio on KRUI 89.7 FM at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Tune in for a chance to win discs and/or passes to Saturday night’s release party at The Mill.
– Jim Musser
Alternative Press Magazine
Unsigned Band of Month in AP magazine!
Ap Article in AP&R Unsigned Bands of the Month
May Issue 2006
HQ: Iowa City, IA
Now Playing: Seeds of Devastation (www.deathships.com)
The Story So Far: Orginally started in 2001 by frontman Dan Maloney as an acoustic side project to his then-main band, Faultlines, Death Ships has grown into a full-fledging quartet, dominating radio waves with only a spliy cassette to their name. “I started a label called Faithful Anchor Tape Club, in which I released a Death Ships split with David Strackany,” Maloney says. “(It) generated a small buzz in Iowa City, where our demos reached No. 1 on the University of Iowa radio station, KRUI,” Deep Elm records took note of the band’s gorgeous lush alt-country/folk, and put their song “thelma Lou” on the second volume of its This is Indie Rock series. Dates with Low, Owen, and Limbeck followed.
Why you should know them: Because their as-yet-unreleased debut, Seeds of Devastation, is itching to be your soundtrack for watching leaves change color later this year(here’s hoping it finds a label home before then). The bands mature alt-pop style is wise beyond its years-and is completely unsuited for a band as heavy as the Death Ships. “A lot of people ask me why we call the band Death Ships,” says Maloney. “Part of the reason is I am a nautical fanatic-also, I enjoy the irony of having a tough-sounding hardcore name while we are anything but,” he quickly addeds:”Yet.”
You Like? You’ll like: Wilco, The Good Life, Jets to Brazil
I Guess I’m Floating Blog
Death Ships-Seeds of Devastation (Friday July 28th 2006)
Four months ago I was really enjoying two songs by a band called Death Ships. I liked them so much that I even made a post on them. Well, now Death Ships has officially left the water wings and dove head-first into the deep end. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to be lead singer/songwriter Daniel Maloney. Here is a guy that had all of his songs written and recorded in August/October of 2005 and didn’t get them mastered until June ‘06. Patience is, indeed, a virtue for it has resulted in a solid debut album. Death Ships have been amassing a solid following in the Chicago/Iowa City area and seem to be extremely eager to break free from the confines of the Midwest. Record deal just in time for Fall, anyone?
[MP3] Death Ships - Little Mystery
[MP3] Death Ships - Sarah
Any expectations I could’ve mustered up for this debut have been silenced. The once acoustic side-project of Maloney has now become a labor of love. His labors have paid off and, with any luck, some of the record label types will notice the same.
Buy Seeds of Devastation!
See Death Ships live and be sure to check out their CD Release party/show
Smother Magazine
Death Ships Seeds of Devastation Review (Editor’s Pick)
Iowa is somewhere in the middle of America. It’s known for its agriculture and as the 29th state to join the Union. But maybe it will soon be known as the birthplace of the amazing group Death Ships. Despite their moniker and the name of their album, this isn’t a metal band or anything remotely “heavy”. Instead they lean towards the Shins and Wilco with imaginative indie rock and some alt. country guitar swagger. Deeply melodic vocals haunt you as he relays the message of their enigmatic yet somehow simple lyrics. I first heard them on the Deep Elm Records compilation “This is Indie Rock” and knew that I’d love them—who knew how much?
- J-Sin
Good Hodgkins Blog
Death Ships - Seeds of Devastation (July 24th 2006)
I’ve always been fascinated by the way that bands from certain states tend to share a common sound. It goes without saying that most people know what you mean when you say “California pop music”—it’s actually gotten to the point where you can tell which bands are from Hawthorne and which are from Modesto—or that a band is from New York City (generally, this implies style over substance even in the presence of a substantial amount of substance). In the latest generation of musicians, I’d go as far as to say there’s even a distinct Chicago sound, informed a great deal by Cap N’ Jazz and by a large part of the Polyvinyl contingent (many of whom happen to be former members of Cap N’ Jazz). And of course there’s the plains states (Iowa and Nebraska) that produce bands whose music is deeply rooted in traditional folk and country, in part because these musicians have lived in these states their entire lives and were raised to that music. It’s a sound most notably characterized more recently by many of the bands signed to the Omaha-based Saddle Creek imprint, but equally as well represented by emerging unsigned Iowa City band Death Ships.
Death Ships first made it onto the blogs about three months ago when lead singer Dan Maloney sent several unreleased demos from Seeds Of Devastation around to various sources. And here I am talking about his album months later and I’ve somehow managed to find it a tad too soon: despite the fact that the album is now done and in our hands and Death Ships are still waiting patiently to be picked up by, well, any label, Seeds is the sound of Autumn. That’s not to say that their sound is only “knee-high by the Forth of July,” so to speak: Death Ships rock with all due pensiveness here, and this is a record I’m more than happy to listen to in any season.
July 24th, 2006 by Ryan Irvine
Creekside Review Blog
Death Ships / No River City - The Mill (7.12.06)
Last night, Agent Disco, Grendel, and I went downtown to Iowa City’s Mill for a Death Ships show. For Disco and me it was the second time seeing the band in just over a week. The week before we were at Gabe’s farewell show. And while it was great to see that show last week and to be there for the debut of a fifth member of the band–a new bass player, Joe Galloro–that farewell show had a jam-packed lineup. This meant a short set from the Ships (easier to type than to say).
The show last night at the Mill was good–nice and long. Standouts include “Great American,” “Story Never Gets Old,” and “Remains to Be Seen.” The lap guitar on “Little Mystery” sounds great; Galloro appears to be a smart addition. He’s as talented as Randall Davis (who’s moved onto lead and lap guitars), and we all agreed that as the band absorbs this new member they’ll be writing songs that make more use of that second guitar. Right now, Agent Disco noticed, on some songs Davis is duplicating Dan Maloney’s guitar parts, who’s pretty much been the only axe wielder till recently. They’re in transition.
Maloney also mentioned something about the completed LP, Seeds of Devastation. I didn’t catch everything but heard “September 1.” I’m guessing they’re letting the label release it? Anybody got the skinny on the record? Say it ain’t so? I was hoping to have this before the end of the month.
Stream yourself some Death Ships: myspace.com/deathships
Test Pilot Blog
Tuesday August 22nd 2006
Death Ships Seeds of Devastation
Out of Iowa, Death Ships first caught my attention with the track ‘Little Mystery’, what with the Band of Horses and My Morning Jacket echo chamber vocals, acoustic guitar and kick-in drums after the quiet lull. With some searching, I found a few other tracks by them that I think get more pop oriented, but you might still be able to find your fix.
No major distribution of the CD is available just yet (unless you live in Iowa City!) but you can send 12 dollars through paypal to deathships@gmail.com and get the hook up.
A few more tracks as well as tour dates here at The Death Ships MySpace page
Little Mystery
Symmetrical Smiles
posted by PILOT SCHMITT at 7:08 PM
Super 45 Blog
Les presentamos a Deathships: Seeds of Devastation
Salió recien el disco de una excelente banda de Iowa City llamada Deathships. El vocalista es muy talentoso, trabajó en una tienda de discos onda High Fidelity, ahorró plata hasta que rompió el chanchito para grabar el disco en Atlanta. El resultado es un disco clásico, lleno de canciones que reflejan el Midwest en su máxima expresión. El calor, el frio, el dolor, la soledad. Acá van algunas canciones de muestra para esta gran banda, the Next Big Thing de Iowa City. Absolutamente independiente. Ahora están negociando con qué sello firmar. Quería involucrarlos en esta historia del indie iowano.
P.D. El tecladista tiene una tienda de falafel, y han añadido el pebre chileno como ingrediente.
The Air Strange Blog
« Sunday, 2 April 2006 »
Mission Creek Festival Show Review 2006 with Tapes ‘n Tapes
Next up were Death Ships. Somebody sign these guys, PLEASE! Dan Maloney was a really great guy and said they were in talks with a few labels right now. Fortunately, they had a six-song sampler of “final mixes” available for sale to tide people over! Didn’t get too many shots at this point, because the place started to fill up. Death Ships have a very loyal local following.
Yoorp blogspot
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Showcase
An occasional round-up of the best of the tracks sent to me recently by new / upcoming bands and artists - all definitely worth a listen.
Death Ships from Iowa make hook-laden alt-pop with indie, folk and country influences. They have been building a name for themselves supporting the likes of The Decemberists and Jets to Brazil, and their debut album will be out later in the year. You can hear four tracks on their MySpace site, and they will be putting up some mp3s on their band site in the near future, meanwhile here’s one to keep you going:
Songs:Illinois blogspot
Friday, March 10, 2006
Unreleased demos from the Death Ships
Death Ships is one of these one-man-band creations that expanded into a full band. The band actually contains five guys but the force behind the group is Iowa City resident Dan Maloney. The Death Ships name is a hint at Dan’s nautical obsession as well as an in-joke (since naming a band something that sounds like a death metal group apparently seemed funny at the time).
Death Ships is working on their first release, Seeds of Desperation, and is shopping their music to different labels. “Story Gets Old” is bouncy pop at it’s best, with Ben Foldsy piano chords, prominent vocals that you can actually hear and understand and a classic sound (RIYL Elvis Costello, Ben Folds, etc). If you like Death Ships’ indie/folk/pop sound you can contact Dan here - malo51@aol.com.
I guess i’m floating blogspot
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Death Ships
I usually don’t have an addictive personality, or if I do it’s only at intermittent times. Everyone goes through their phases of different addictions (love, alcohol, sex, whatever..), my only constant addiction being music. Over the past month, that addiction has been with two songs from one band: Death Ships.
Blossoming from the seed of a one-man band, Death Ships has been in the works since early 2001. Like bundles of other collegiate students, Dan Maloney started making some music while an undergrad at the University of Iowa and opening for local bands and regional bands alike. Soon enough, Death Ships numbers grew from 1 to 4 and recording sessions ensued. With their fan base steadily growing in the Chicago/Iowa City area, Death Ships has plans to release a full album titled Seeds of Devastation sometime this year (with a full scale tour to follow).
Their sound is centered around singer/songwriter Maloney, and with good reason. His simple guitar chords escalate into a crescendo of looming vocals and a potpourri of keyboards, bass, and guitar. Keyboards are an essential part of this band, like harp is to Joanna Newsom. Blending elements of indie pop and jazz influenced folk music, Death Ships is convincing many (including myself) that their debut album is gonna be loaded with great music.
( Full Article)
Press Citizen clip (Go! Iowa City)
Fronted by ex-Faultlines singer/songwriter Dan Maloney (with Randall Davis and Adam Havlin), Death Ships is an inventive trio whose creepy, metallic moniker belies the group’s melodic indie/folk/pop direction. Great — often beautiful — tunes and fine singing are hallmarks; a full disc has been recorded in Georgia and is due out soon. The band Why? shares the bill.
Interview in the Daily Iowan
The blend of folk-rock and country blues with a strong indie sound is not unique but, then again, few bands are. That the band began as a solo project is evident; Death Ships relies on Maloney’s intimate melodies and lyrics, coupled with the backing vocals Havlin and Davis provide, to produce a comfortable, intrinsic vibe seemingly suited for the introverted Garden State soundtrack.
Interview in Tasty Fanzine
1. In a nutshell (or any other shell for that matter) how would you describe your music?
If I had to describe my music I would say that its a indie/folk/country/pop hybrid that basically sums up my musical taste in general. I love hip hop but I don’t think you can hear any hip hop influence in my music, at least not sonically. My music is
mostly plaintive yet direct. Sometimes my songs reflect my own life our a fictional life.
Punknews.org Live Show Review
October 18th 2002
Deathships is the side project of Faultlines singer Dan, and it’s quite the departure from the Cursive-esque rock of the former. Deathships is more along the lines of Bright Eyes in style, but Dan’s vocals are infinitely better and the music sounds more sincere [to me, at least]. Their truncated set covered folk, rock, and country, and left me wanting more [and getting it later as I picked up their split cassette with Infinite Jest]. 2 bands down, 3 to go, and so far everyone’s been on top of their game.
Em P Me Death Ships feature
Lazy reviewers will quickly say that [Death Ships] sounds like Bright Eyes, because, well, reviewers are lazy and he’s just a guy recording with his guitar and some electronics and various percussive noise makers, but the fact of the matter is that this first song from Death Ships couldn’t be further from the Omaha-an (that’s not even a word) that everyone loves to hate. The composition has more to do with the strong tradition of story-telling Appalachian folk music than it does with hypocritical, self-concious Omaha recording artists. A strong reference could also be made to fellow Iowa native William Elliot Whitmore.
Tasty Fanzine review of This is Indie Rock
Two of particular note here are a stunning band called Sedona, a steel string Americana tinged wonder that will have you stomping your feet and clapping right along, and also album highlight Death Ships with Thelma Lou, a Papa M inflected number that is one of my new favorite songs.
Feast of Hate and Fear review of This Is Indie Rock
Death Ships, from Illinois, was Bright Eyes going heavier on the alt-country, yet winding up much more tolerable.
Now On Tour review of This Is Indie Rock
The good. There are more good songs than bad. In fact, there are five exceptional songs on the album: “My Brain” by Bernard, “Thelma Lou” by Death Ships, “New York” by Meredith Braggs and the Terminals, “Red as the Moon” by The Forecast and “Cold Shivers” by The New Lows. These are my favorites because they feature more of what I think indie music should be. The melodies are simple, the vocals are emotion-filled and the music captures your attention. You are left wanting more. I would buy these bands’ albums if the rest of their songs had a similar feel.
Culture Bunker review of This Is Indie Rock
DEATH SHIPS is another jangly acoustic outfit that are influenced by, seemingly, Simon & Garfunkel and Will Oldham, it’s very folky but still kinda cool, especially how high up the register the singer runs his voice before plunging back down;
Delusions of Adequecy review of This Is Indie Rock
But the best idea of all was throwing in the mellow stuff, as Death Ships’ alt-countryish contribution “Thelma Lou” is worth the cost of the album with an amazing set of vocals, clever lyrics, and brilliant use of subtle atmospherics. If you don’t believe me, go hear the song at www.purevolume.com/deathships
Crooked Camera review of This Is Indie Rock
This (Volume 2) brings us another bag filled with variety and healthy goodness. Bands to keep an eye on that we dug were Cameran, The Forecast, Maxel Toft, the Forecast, & Death Ships.
Iowa City musician is gaining worldwide buzz
The amount of effort that Dan Maloney's putting into his Deathships project has been increasing exponentially in the last month. With very good reason.
He's fielded interview requests from the United Kingdom, received e-mail from one of the emo generation's prime forebears in Braid/Hey Mercedes lead singer Bob Nanna, asking him to open some shows and has been written about as the breakout star of the recent Deep Elm Records compilation "This Is Indie Rock (The Bands You've Never Heard Vol. 2)." He's been routinely spotlighted in reviews of the disc that assembles unreleased songs by 12 bands that have no current label affiliation.