Album Notes

Flourishing in obscurity and flying well below the indie-rock radar. THE ATLANTIC MANOR is the alias of one R. Sell. Born in the wake of the early 90's lo-fi explosion albums such as WHEN I AM A VIKING, THE HATE WE GET GOING, THE DESPERATE VIBE OF EMOTIONAL DEVASTATION, FAILING BY THE SECOND and SPECIAL IS DEAD exile the listener to a world of sorrow, isolation, turmoil and loss. Minimalist dirges and stark fractured songs combined with traditional song craft, shardes of feedback and somber confessional lyrics have become a trademark. Fans of the off-kilter sect will find a new Champion in THE ATLANTIC MANOR. With each new release, R. Sell continues to carve his own unique niche within the underground community. REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS ... (The record has just been sent out so keep checking back for more reviews.) The Atlantic Manor: Special Is Dead [Do Too] There are people out there who think for all of Tom Waits' songwriting talents, the man has no business singing in a karaoke bar, no less his own songs. These people may want to steer clear of The Atlantic Manor. R. Sell's latest effort, while certainly an intoxicating affair, features a voice that can at once sound so right while sounding so wrong. Musically, the nine songs here should spark less debate, as each is a wonderfully understated lo-fi offering. Though one could argue the songs are underwritten - and lines forced - Sell is deft at painting a bleak picture, and more often than not there's potency in his sparse language ("Flying Horse Carousel" seems to be about a recurring theme in his relationships). There's a mood/groove to this record and a quiet confidence that might have some thinking of Elliott Smith's Either/Or, or even David Gray's White Ladder, even if it is less accessible. "Classical World," "Hideaway" and "Into the Black" mark a fine trio on an album that is striking from start to finish. SMOTHER ZINE Most of you Smother.Net readers already know who The Atlantic Manor is. And if you don't you should. This DIY indie rock is mostly the work of R. Sell with occasional input from friends. Still in the vein of The Velvet Underground and Neil Young, The Atlantic Manor grows and matures in a wholly new direction of somber songwriting that leaves a distinct impression on the most casual of listener. "Special Is Dead" is a bit of a misnomer seeing as how this album is indeed quite special and possibly one of the top ten DIY albums of '04. - J-Sin UTTER TRASH The Atlantic Manor - 'Special Is Dead' (Do Too Records) Atlantic Manor is awesome, and it's shocking people aren't talking about them already. If you like Clem Snide, Hayden, Neil Young, or any of that dark folk, you will like this. I enjoyed their previous effort, "Failing By The Second", but this one is a lot better. The vocals are really cool. They are quite dark and moody, and make you imagine fall. "Depression Drama" opens the record, and is a mellow number filled with melodic guitars and some brush drumming. Guitarist and singer R. Sell, writes great lyrics, like in the echoey "Into The Black": "I never question your reasons, your faith is a wonderful thing", he says, in this moody love song. Sell seems to be able to somehow conjure hope up in sadness. The closer, "Fire In The Sky", is a super down tune that will likely make you almost cry with it's hopelessness. "There's nothing to live for tonight", he says. Actually, there's one reason to live. The fact that you make amazing music. I loved this record, and you will too or you just suck. (Eddie Fleisher) JERSEY BEAT THE ATLANTIC MANOR - Special Is Dead (Do Too Records) R. Sell's dour mumbled vocals have a certain undeniably straightforward potency to them; his bleary ravaged moan vividly projects a strong sense of deep-seated anguish and defeated ennui thats as haunting as it is touching. The eloquently spare songwriting likewise cuts right to the chase with alarming directness, making its incisive points about human suffering and disappointment with a laudable laconic austerity which successfully keeps mushy sentiment at bay and never overstates a thing. Toss in the tight, muted, gloriously no-frills and unadorned arrangements, the quietly effective rhythmic ebb and flow created by the gradually creepy­ crawling tempos and heavy thudding beats, and a stunningly suffocating atmosphere of all-­encompassing melancholic despair. Add everything together and the net result is a beautifully somber and moving lo-fl minimalist pop masterpiece of remarkable merit and poignancy. - Joe Wawyrzniak INDIE-MUSIC.COM By Kevan Breitinger Very less is more. "Lo-fi and heartfelt." Writer/leader Rick Sell offers up nine songs of brooding intensity, some powerfully moving, others more harrowing. But even the less successful efforts, which at times wane into pretty severe dirge state, still never bore. Sell's voice immediately brings Neil Young's reedy whine to mind, but this music is not as much overtly rock as it is exploratory art rock. And by that I simply mean that Sell is as interested in the journey as he is in the destination. Fiercely independent, an intelligence shines through these songs, and you get the feeling that even when he is droning, even when you sense he has gone too far, he is completely comfortable with leaving you behind. It is not music for the masses but for the unafraid, the willing. My favorite cut is "Classical World," a quiet beauty that draws you into an aching loneliness, Bob Platt's shimmering keyboards reaching deep into your gut and twisting . . . hard. "Death in Spring," with its imagery of blood and bone and its offbeat passions, grabs you deep inside as well, Jorge Bejel's high hats lashing you angrily. You feel punished, rebuked, but you probably deserved it. Next cut, "Hideaway," comforts you with its sweet and brooding beauty. Some of the excursions into chaos didn't work for me. "Flying Horse Carousel" is unflinchingly deliberate in its starkness and painfully full of feedback. Sell invites us to observe his self-flagellation; again, not for everyone. But this music is gutsy, with power to maim, and ultimately, you have to admire his brave exposure. SICK AMONG THE PURE THE ATLANTIC MANOR SPECIAL IS DEAD Wow. For some reason you just don't come upon nice surprises like this very often; totally unknown artists that blow you away. Picking up and running with the baton that Damien Rice just wasn't capable of finishing the crucial final lap with is what The Atlantic Manor is all about. Lo-fi, minimal, Blues-based Folk Rock with nary more than acoustic guitar, violins, background single guitar notes hanging in space and drums that play one beat a measure, screams Appalachia, modern ennui and bleeding hearts like nothing I've heard in a long while. Echoes of Nick Cave are here in full force minus the disturbing revival references - noting especially the Lyre of Orpheus - with a nice little touch of Neil Young. Somehow, when The Atlantic Manor sings "Into the black / Deep together / No turning back / Or on each other / Because I love you / Like you love me" ("Into the Black") - lines that would normally make me gag like I'm eating cold oatmeal - actually might just have the power to make you believe in love again, at least for the afternoon. Sometimes the pacing is a little awkward, the vocals are a little out-of-tune and the execution lacks confidence, as in "Flying House Carousel," but that ironically unself-conscious insecurity is probably half of The Atlantic Manor's charm. Rebecca Vernon - Sick Among The Pure SPLENDID MAGAZINE The Atlantic Manor: Special is dead You won't get anything out of Special Is Dead that you don't put in first. Active listening is a requirement, though the straightforward song structures don't immediately seem to demand as much. R. Sell, the main man behind The Atlantic Manor, has created an exhausting aural landscape for us to traverse. That's why he goes for discord and drones so readily: he means to sap us. Of course, the natural response is a knee-jerk "Get the fuck away!", particularly if you were already running on empty to begin with. You don't want him to do that to you, especially because so many contemporary artists seem to go that route for no clear reason. We used to be hungry for artists who were willing to drag us into the muck because nobody would do it. Now it's quite the opposite -- we want bands that are willing to lift us up. Enough shades of gray are enough! However, The Atlantic Manor do what they do for a reason. They are justified. We can see this in the two minute rocker (and comparative powerhouse) "Never Tell". Here, Sell proves that it isn't out of laziness that he keeps his tempos so relaxed, and it isn't a lack of vision that puts the album where it is. This is a deliberate choice. Stop and take in the lyrics: "I never question your reasons / Your faith is a wonderful thing. / Even though / I may be doubtful / When we're down / On our knees." There are two ways to read these words, and they're both probably correct -- the narrator is doubtful in prayer, and perhaps even more doubtful when things are going wrong for the couple. The ability to say two complimentary things in one verse proves that Sell deserves our attention. We get another indicator of the narrative's intended shape in album highlight "Fire in the Sky". A seven and a half minute epic of sorts, it perfectly explains and justifies the feelings of hollowness Sell has been intentionally evoking throughout Special Is Dead. As he unleashes his most unrepentantly gorgeous melodies, Sell sings: "I sit in my car / And I stare up at the sky / The speakers snap and pop / I get the nerve to go inside. / And I don't have the moves / But I am still going to try ... Flashes of static / To soothe and delight / There's nothing worth living for tonight. ... Will she dance with me / Will she hold me tight? / If only she knew / I felt like a joke inside." Special Is Dead is a series of character sketches describing that type of person, if not that particular individual. Sell's characters are broken and hopeless. They are convinced that there's no reason to try -- but for lack of something better to do, they try anyway. This explains the final element, which legitimizes an album that would otherwise be easy to dismiss: Sell's voice. He is, from a technical perspective, ghastly. His thick southern drawl overwhelms any real melody, and his declarative, nasal vocal style (again recalling John Darnielle in spirit) seals the deal. But it doesn't matter. The desperation with which he delivers every word, the total sincerity, is what made his work intriguing in the first place. After listening closely, you'll understand why his mode is so appropriate, even necessary. From there, you can go back to the beginning and start over. Rebuild the music in a new light. Songs that might have bored you before will now have you on the edge of your seat. Sure, it's still depressing. Yes, it's still dissonant country-inflected folk-rock. But where it once seemed like a real downer, it now seems like a thoughtfully conceived, expertly executed downer. Sell saps our energy for the same reasons, and by similar devices, as Kafka and Beckett: Kafka had his interminable paragraphs, Beckett had his endless, empty nonsense. Sell -- who isn't at their level by any means, mind you, but is definitely working in related territory -- has his drones. If you're into pitch-black comedy and gothic horror, you can place R. Sell in the tradition of their intersection. -- Mike Meginnis NEO-ZINE The Atlantic Manor "Special Is Dead" I remember liking this band's last recording, but also scratching my head a bit when writing the review. Well, my finger is ready and my head is ripe for abuse, but my ears are at ease. For the most part The Atlantic Manor play nice sad little ballads about love and personal experiences. The oddball thing that you barely notice going on here is that along with acoustic guitar, drums, and piano they sneak in some of the most conventional and natural use of noise that I have ever heard. I mean to tell you that this is probably the first band ever to comfortably include noise as an "instrument" to make viable and acceptable music. It just blends right in. It might take forever until you realize that you don't recognize some of the sounds that are playing a functional role in this music. I'd pick this up if I were interested in a similar experiment. HYBRID MAGAZINE Lo-Fi Neil Young-style Americana. Great songs for staring out windows on rainy days. SPLENDID MAGAZINE The Atlantic Manor: Special is dead You won't get anything out of Special Is Dead that you don't put in first. Active listening is a requirement, though the straightforward song structures don't immediately seem to demand as much. R. Sell, the main man behind The Atlantic Manor, has created an exhausting aural landscape for us to traverse. That's why he goes for discord and drones so readily: he means to sap us. Of course, the natural response is a knee-jerk "Get the fuck away!", particularly if you were already running on empty to begin with. You don't want him to do that to you, especially because so many contemporary artists seem to go that route for no clear reason. We used to be hungry for artists who were willing to drag us into the muck because nobody would do it. Now it's quite the opposite -- we want bands that are willing to lift us up. Enough shades of gray are enough! However, The Atlantic Manor do what they do for a reason. They are justified. We can see this in the two minute rocker (and comparative powerhouse) "Never Tell". Here, Sell proves that it isn't out of laziness that he keeps his tempos so relaxed, and it isn't a lack of vision that puts the album where it is. This is a deliberate choice. Stop and take in the lyrics: "I never question your reasons / Your faith is a wonderful thing. / Even though / I may be doubtful / When we're down / On our knees." There are two ways to read these words, and they're both probably correct -- the narrator is doubtful in prayer, and perhaps even more doubtful when things are going wrong for the couple. The ability to say two complimentary things in one verse proves that Sell deserves our attention. We get another indicator of the narrative's intended shape in album highlight "Fire in the Sky". A seven and a half minute epic of sorts, it perfectly explains and justifies the feelings of hollowness Sell has been intentionally evoking throughout Special Is Dead. As he unleashes his most unrepentantly gorgeous melodies, Sell sings: "I sit in my car / And I stare up at the sky / The speakers snap and pop / I get the nerve to go inside. / And I don't have the moves / But I am still going to try ... Flashes of static / To soothe and delight / There's nothing worth living for tonight. ... Will she dance with me / Will she hold me tight? / If only she knew / I felt like a joke inside." Special Is Dead is a series of character sketches describing that type of person, if not that particular individual. Sell's characters are broken and hopeless. They are convinced that there's no reason to try -- but for lack of something better to do, they try anyway. This explains the final element, which legitimizes an album that would otherwise be easy to dismiss: Sell's voice. He is, from a technical perspective, ghastly. His thick southern drawl overwhelms any real melody, and his declarative, nasal vocal style (again recalling John Darnielle in spirit) seals the deal. But it doesn't matter. The desperation with which he delivers every word, the total sincerity, is what made his work intriguing in the first place. After listening closely, you'll understand why his mode is so appropriate, even necessary. From there, you can go back to the beginning and start over. Rebuild the music in a new light. Songs that might have bored you before will now have you on the edge of your seat. Sure, it's still depressing. Yes, it's still dissonant country-inflected folk-rock. But where it once seemed like a real downer, it now seems like a thoughtfully conceived, expertly executed downer. Sell saps our energy for the same reasons, and by similar devices, as Kafka and Beckett: Kafka had his interminable paragraphs, Beckett had his endless, empty nonsense. Sell -- who isn't at their level by any means, mind you, but is definitely working in related territory -- has his drones. If you're into pitch-black comedy and gothic horror, you can place R. Sell in the tradition of their intersection. -- Mike Meginnis BURNING EMPTYNESS INTERVIEW (France) Q.Basically: who are you? More: who do you think you are? A.I am just a spoke on the wheel. Q. Your music seems influenced a lot by your personal life: most musicians could say so but your music seems so directly connected to your personal life it feels strangely intrusive to hear it... What do you think? A.Most of my songs over the last few albums were written with just a few people in mind. These are just the type of songs that I am writing now. A broken heart is to blame I guess. Writing and recording these songs are like therapy for me. I don't know what I would do without them. Some of them are very personal and others are not. It's my on-going response to my side of the story. My own Coral Castle. I wish things could have turned out differently. Q. How do you record your stuff? A.Gorilla Recording is just the term I use to describe the way I record my music. Jorge Bejel who plays drums on my records has a little recording studio set up in his spare bedroom. When we get together to record Jorge has no idea of what he's about to hear. I'll go in and show him the chord progression and than were off to the races. He is a fantastic drummer and plays with such great feel and power and because we've played together for so long now we seem to know where we're going with the songs. Everything is recorded on the spot and with no rehearsals. After the basic song structure is done little melody lines are added pretty much on the spot. Q Don't you see this way of recording as a limitation? A. No, not at all. I like the spontaneity of the whole thing. I like going into it not knowing what it's going to sound like when we're finished. Q. You always keep a very low profile, like saying your music 'flies well under the indie-rock radar' or saying you're not an interesting person. What are you trying to prove in doing so? A. I have been told this before and I don't know why I am like that. I am a quiet guy and it's just my nature I guess. If you don't expect too much than you wont be let down. That's a fucking sad way to look at things I know. Q. There's something about the Atlantic Manor, like Lou Barlow for Sebadoh or Joey Mascis for Dinosaur Jr, it seems to be R. Sell and the Atlantic Manor, like you being the frontman and all. Wouldn't you prefer to record everything by yourself instead of having guest musicians? A.If I was that talented maybe I would but to be honest I enjoy collaborating with others. If what I hear fits within my vision of the song than it stays. Q. If Sony came and asked you to release a record on some kind of indie-like subdivision, would you do it? If I was granted total control over everything sure I would. I would demand as much money up front as I could and than record the album for $500 bucks and pocket the rest. A.Do you play live? Who would you like to play live with, in reality and in your wildest dreams? I don't play out because I just don't think anyone would be interested. Playing with Rocky Erickson would be a dream coming true. Have you ever heard his version of Heroin? If Lou Reeds version is some guy shooting junk in an apartment somewhere then Rocky is the same guy off his head standing naked in the middle of the street while holding a human head and screaming to the world that he is God. I get chills when I hear him sing that song. I would love to record some songs with Jad Fair. I love his voice. He's a fantastic song writer. I just did an interview with him for Tim Hinleys' zine Dagger. Q. To me, you're the perfect guitar anti-hero. Maybe you should show Steve Vai a few anti-tricks, although I'm not sure there's any lesson he can learn. A. I'll take a great one note guitar solo over Steve Vai any day. Anti -guitar hero? I don't know, maybe. I only play with 4 strings anyways. It just makes things easier. I name my own guitar chords - I'm a disaster but it hasn't stopped me. Early on I read a piece titled "How to play guitar" by David Fair from the band Half Japanese. It should be required reading for anyone who picks up a guitar. I took great inspiration from it and their DIY spirit. Q.You said you played on four strings, is that a real downtuned 4 string guitar or just a normal one with 2 strings removed? A. It's just a regular guitar with the two high strings removed. I think I play in tune but sometimes things get a little scary. Does it matter anyways? I'll record on one string and bang on a shoe box if I thought it sounded good. I just rely on my ears and what sounds good to me. Q.I think your music should be taught to beginner guitar students as an example of what type of excellence can be done with only a few chords and to super-advanced guitar students as an example of what should never be lost in guitar-playing: sobriety, simplicity, beauty. Do you teach music? A. It all comes down to feeling and what it is your trying to say. That's why a band like Galaxie 500 can move mountains with just two chords. And no, I don't teach music and the world is a better place. Q. In this world of heavily technology-influenced music, your music feels like a breath of fresh air to my ears... Do you refuse technology? Or simply the part that's not useful to you? A. I just don't think that you can beat the sound of what you hear on The Velvet Underground or AC/DC records. I like to keep things simple; it fits well with what I do. DAGGER ZINE top 10 list for October 2004 TOP 10 CDS FOR OCTOBER 2004 1. american music club- love songs for patriots (merge) 2. plush- underfed (drag city) 3. dolorean- violence in the snowy fields (yep roc) 4. nancy sinatra- s/t (sanctuary) 5. the mice - for almost ever scooter (scat) 6. arcade fire- funeral (merge) 7. saturday looks good to me - every night (polyvinyl) 8. neko case- the tigers have spoken (anti) 9. boyracer- happenstance (hhbtm) 10.the atlantic manor- special is dead (do too )