BISHOP ALLEN: Charm School

Bishop Allen

Charm School

© 2003 Justin Rice & Christian Rudder (634479439728)

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Bishop Allen is four people playing catchy, thoughtful rock n roll. Rolling Stone gave this record 4 stars. Everyone who has it loves it.

tracks

1 Charm School
2 Little Black Ache
3 Busted Heart
4 Bishop Allen Drive
5 Eve Of Destruction
6 Things Are What You Make Of Them
7 Ghosts Are Good Company
8 Empire City
9 Coupla Easy Things
10 Penitentiary Bound
11 Quarter To Three
12 Another Wasted Night
13 Things Are What You Make Of Them (reprise)

notes

Bishop Allen is a band from Brooklyn, New York: four people playing catchy, thoughtful rock n roll. They have no press agent, no manager, & no label, but by distributing CDs through friends and publicizing their music by word-of-mouth and a stunning live show, Bishop Allen have sold over 8,000 copies of their debut album, CHARM SCHOOL.

They formed in Spring of 2003. They recorded, produced, and released CHARM SCHOOL in May. They then mailed copies to everyone they could think of. This got them glowing reviews, radio play, and shows. Stores soon picked up the album and eventually it appeared on Amazon, where for one heady weekend it was the #2 best seller, between Norah Jones and Led Zeppelin.

This April, BISHOP ALLEN completed their second U.S. tour, playing some 70 cities and headlining sold-out shows in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, among others. The band is currently back in their home studio, wedged into a Brooklyn apartment, crafting their second album. It will be released in summer of 2004.


"4 STARS. Charmed harmonic bliss." - ROLLING STONE

"4 STARS. How rock was meant to be!" - ALL MUSIC GUIDE

"More talented than The Strokes, more charming than The White Stripes. One of the top 10 albums of 2003." - NEWSDAY

"Vibrant, vivid, and refreshingly different." - NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

reviews

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  • Feelgood music.
    author: Bishop allen's Charm School

    Feelgood music. Busted heart very reminiscent of modest mouse. Lyrics could have more thought process behind them, but overall a good buy

  • Bishop Allen british rock feel for an american band
    author: www.GreatIndieMusic.com

    Cd is very well done. Keep up the good work!

  • Simple Polished Excellence
    author: Eric

    I bought 3 CD's for $15 dollars from CD Baby and this was one of them, it alone was worth the $15. It's one of those CD's you listen to and get angry because this band isn't more popular. You are aghast that their talent isn't played more on the radio. It is a must have CD.

  • Freduken Awesome!!!
    author: Mason

    the best cd I've heard in a long time, the whole cd is great, no filler at all. I would definitely reccomend this cd, I can't wait til their next one comes out. Buy it Now!!!

  • Warm and affectionate, yet quirky, rock.
    author: Alun Hughes

    This is an album full of beautifully crafted rock songs that fill you with a simplistic warmth and joy. It's not to say the songs aren't intelligent, they certainly are, but the fluffed warmth and friendly ambience of the tracks gives you the same tingling edge of happiness as the first listen of a Belle and Sebastian album gives you. It's the kind of album that I'd slip on at work and end up being relaxed yet uplifted. Kind of like how I did this morning.

  • The best CD in years
    author: Particleman

    Bishop Allen is a mixture of laid back music, with rockin' lyrics. They can chainge there sound from a Jonathan Richman style in "Penitentiary Bound", to a They Might Be Giants Quirkiness in songs like "Charm School", and "Empire City". Check them out. They're amazing!!!!

  • author: Bjarne, Norway

    Great album. Like a cross between Violent Femmes, TV Personalities and Jonathan Richman.Very good tunes and utterly charming all the way. Everyone with a taste for pop in the purest sense of the word should buy this. I just love this record!!

  • Freaking awsome!!!!!!
    author: Jose Gonzalez

    This is simply an incredibly awsome record that makes you glad there are people like Bishop Allen out there making music. Simply lovely, nuff said. Buy it!

  • Good unless you're brain damaged.
    author: Waldo

    This is one of the greatest albums that I've ever heard. I've been listening to it obsessively for a year. I once met somebody who heard it and didn't like it. She was missing a significant portion of her parietal lobe. I chalk it up to that. Everybody else thinks it's the bee's knees.

  • oh yeah!
    author: nichole

    Bishop Allen totally rocks the casba! put it on when you need a pick me up or to relax. groovy toons from a groovy band. keep on a rockin'!

  • Great pop music really does exist
    author: Brian

    Fans of Modest Mouse, Biult to Spill, and Beck will enjoy this one. Incredibly witty lyrics and catchy melodies. One of those cd's that is better every time you listen to it.

  • Behold, the six-star band.
    author: Requiem, weary soul and in-the-closet claustrophobic

    This is the only CD I can listen to over and over again and never ever get tired of it. On a scale from one to ten I'd have to give the band and their CD a 27, and they're not one of those one-hit-wonder people, who get on your nerves because they can't put out a single good song save it be the one they're famous for. Not stupid and preppy, not dark and depressed, and for Pete's sake, not rap or that crappy stuff that repeats itself and is ridiculously empty (i.e. "Right about now, the funk soul brutha! Check it out now, the funk soul brutha!"). All in all a VERY outstanding band, and just because of them, the star option on this review thing should go up to about 15 stars instead of 5. Thank you for your time, Requiem.

  • to listen is to love
    author: eliza

    if you're sick of only getting intelligent lyrics from dark, mopey music, than this is the answer. "charm school" does not have one mediocre or redundant song on it; it dances around the idea of a thematic concept without getting sucked into one mood or thought. the songs stay fresh and catchy while assuming that the audience is just as witty as the artists. sound-yet-delicate female back ups lend credibility to the quirky male lead vox in a perfect combination. also, the liner notes are some of the best i've ever seen, especially from an independently produced album. if you have any reservations about buying this album, scrap them. "charm school" is your smartpop fantasy.

  • Instantly likeable (loveable) music still exists.
    author: Mike F. Smith

    I searched on cdbaby for "The Shins" and these guys came up. Wow. Wow! I ordered it immediately after my first listen, and I still can't wait for it to get here. I keep coming to cdbaby just to play their tracks over and over again. Instantly likeable: music I knew I loved the moment I heard it. There is no conceivable reason i can see why every major label out there isn't hounding these guys.

  • A Great CD
    author: A Minnesotan

    My husband heard the NPR interview and decided to buy the CD. When I first heard it, I thought: "This isn't the type of music he usually listens to" and I was curious. The more I listened, the more I liked it. Now, when the CD is playing in the car, I prolong my commute (even slow down to speed limit or less) so I can hear all of the songs I want before my drive is over. We've purchased several CDs and given them to friends. The scary part is, we're old enough to be these guys parents. What does it all mean....?

  • Also loved in Holland :)
    author: Mike Willems

    Came in contact with the album thru the add on the Edonkey network, and thanx to my curiosity i started listen to it. Great fun! Next move was buying the album, loved it every second! And instead of reading this review you should be a) order the album, b) wait at your mailbox c) close your eyes and listen to Charm School!

  • I'm a classical collector. Charm School's my first pop purchase.
    author: Trevor Hutton

    I'm a 24-year-old classical music elitist. Charm School is my first ever pop music purchase, and I'm thrilled. I first heard Bishop Allen on NPR's weekend edition, and they won me over with. . .well, their charm--and the witty lyrics I read and heard on their website.

  • C'est frais et malgré tout Rock
    author: Nicolas from Paris ... (France)

    Bien agréable à écouter. Vivement l'album suivant !

  • Don't listen! Help keep them underground by ignoring these folks!
    author: Ben Guthrie

    I saw BA tonight for free. Their CD was $10. It is perfect. They took my favorite parts of Modest Mouse, The Pixies and threw in a bunch of happiness, ernestness and what I gather is uplifting messages and also give you female backing vocals, which I really like. There are some coral parts. Some vocal response parts. Sometimes they have solos, but I don't think any of them are that good at being musicians, so the solos are more poppy than intricate, which I like. Kind of like smelling one, big, obvious pretty flower rather than a mishmash of boquet. They are really good, but I refuse to pay for a reserved seat or more than $10 per show. With their delightfullness, they will probably end up with some sort of loving following and will put John Mayer's drivel out of business.

  • Awesome CD
    author: Josh

    This is definately a 5 star cd. I haven't been able to put it down since I got it. I showed it to my friends and they are hooked on it now. I hope this band will get a big break sometime soon so that we will be hearing a lot more from them.

  • Great Album-POP LIVES!
    author: Jason

    I encourage everyone to give this well crafted ablum a listen. Few CD's grab you in the way "Charm School" does. The songs are catchy, the music is all well done, and the attitude hoists the band's debut effort into the stratosphere. If they can produce another album of this quality...they may achive Indie God status.

  • author: Josh

    Since I got it I haven't been able to quit listening to it. One of the best cds I have heard. A band I hope to be hearing a lot about soon. They deserve to have a large listener base and I hope someday soon they do.

  • Kick Ass, Witty, Clever.
    author: Chucky Mason

    Outstanding! On rare occasions, Simplicity is art. And these guys are very artful. The way they put together snappy rythms, with clever lyrics is very impressive. Not the same style of music, of course, but like AC/DC, they have very simple but addictive songs that grow on you with every listen, I can't put it away. Good job guys!!

  • I'm addicted to this CD!
    author: Tara

    This is hands-down one of the best CDs that I own! I listened to a few songs via the CD baby website and when I finally listened to the whole CD, I discovered it was one of those rare albums that you fall in love with every song.

  • Pop Goes the World
    author: Spud_Boy

    A pearl of an album. Does an exceptional job of synthesizing New Wave, Polvo/Cutie Prog Rock, and straight ahead Rock. Nice production and detailed musicianship from an exciting new band.

  • Top Notch - My CD Player will not give it back.
    author: Coinneach_Macwomble

    Got hooked when surfing CDBaby (you naughty people). Was intrigued by the slightly pixiesish undertones of Busted Heart, and have since fallen in smit with the rest of the CD. Things are indeed what you make of them, and if you fail to make them inclusive of Bishop Allen, then it is your loss.

  • The album of the summer, I think!
    author: Dave

    This CD will be in my player all summer. I am recommending it to all of my like-minded friends, it's the best thing I've heard in a long time. 5,6,7,8, let's stay up late!

  • completely wonderful
    author: Sariah Choucair

    I also heard the group's piece on NPR and couldn't wait to get the c.d. All of the songs are great, the perfect mix of whimsy and literary weight. If I bought no other c.d. after this, I think I could be satisfied.

  • Just what I needed!
    author: J Booth

    I heard a radio piece on NPR about the group with excerpts from their music, I bought it for my 16 year old for his birthday because it reminds me of the music I think he likes. but I liked it, too! I hope that doesn't ruin that for him.

  • New, cool, different, catchy
    author: Tim Hodgson

    Good songs that keep you listening over and over.

  • A good listen, fun, and interesting
    author: GT Smiley

    I really like this CD. The tune Busted Heart is my favorite, but Things Are What You Make of Them is also very good. Every song is worth listening to. I never got the urge to skip over any part of the CD. The second time through is better than the first.

  • A good listen, fun, and interesting
    author: GT Smiley

    I really like this CD. The tune Busted Heart is my favorite, but Things Are What You Make of Them is also very good. Every song is worth listening to. I never got the urge to skip over any part of the CD. The second time through is better than the first.

  • My new favorite CD.
    author: Maggie

    I heard the Bishop Allen interview on NPR and knew I had to have the CD. I ordered it that day. It's a wonderful CD -- I played it continuously until I memorized all the songs. Can't wait until the next CD.

  • Grade A!
    author: akstrgzr

    what a great way to start the summer music season! if you don't own this CD already, you are depriving yourself of some great music. from catchy lyrics to energetic beats, this CD has summer fun written all over it. let's all pick up a tambourine and jingle-jangle together! :)

  • Take these kids home to mother....
    author: Matthew

    i thoroughly enjoy listening to this cd....it's fun, upbeat, and yes, Quirky with a capital Q, plus delightfully free of pretense...."charm school" is by far one of the best songs i've heard all year....it's the fine kind of music that grows on you rather than wears on you....and christ, just open the liner notes and look at these kids. they're so gosh-darn cute you just want to hug them to death. they even put a little mock-intellectual quiz in the booklet. rock on, kids, rock on.

  • I love your CD
    author: Patrick

    Hope you'll play in Switzerland once!

  • intelligent, very catchy, clever , appealing to all ages
    author: Lananda

    I was in the music world for most of my adult life, and when I heard this for the first time, the "hook" grabbed me, couldn't get it out of my mind for DAYS with a smile on my face, and I knew this combo had a hit album . Not just one song, but virtually all of them will delight you. Clever and intelligent lyrics, clean and sophistcated instrumental work, delicious vocals and tunes that will have your whole self shakin', hummin' tappin', quakin' SMILIN'! Watch out world. They are really something else.Reminds me of when David Bowie first came out, and other English music that was really a very new,clever, fun sound in the early 70's.

  • Cute and Fun Music
    author: Vikki

    Charm School is a wonderful CD with cute and very catchy lyrics that will have you singing them all day long. I got this CD a few days ago and I'm in love. A few of my favorite songs are Bishop Allen Drive, Empire City, and Penitentiary Bound. The lyrics and music style is delightful and is great for a fan of almost any type of music.

  • French review
    author: PLF

    J'ai connu le groupe par l'intermédiaire d'un peer to peer qui leur faisait de la pub. L'initiative était plutot bonne car les 3 titres de Bishop Allen, promus en première page, ont du faire rougir un bon paquet de modems. "Charm School", l'album, se compose de 13 titres pop-rock, dans une tradition songalong réduite au minimum mais qui aura le mérite d'etre directe et incroyablement efficace malgré la simplicité de la composition et de la production. Batterie assez lourde et basse collée au charlet (les 2 nanas), seules les guitares se permettent quelques subtilités (les 2 mecs), meme si la virtuosité n'est pas le souci premier du quatuor. En tout cas, les mélodies sont là, les chansons sont accrocheuses et l'attitude dandy décalée est amusante. Meme si Bishop Allen n'invente rien, "Charm School" respire la bonne humeur et ne ressemble à aucune sortie actuelle. Un quatuor mixte sympathique à découvrir. bientot dispo sur http://www.kronics.fr.st

  • Pure pop ear candy
    author: Chris

    If Bishop Allen got any quirkier, they might get arrested and deported to a quirkier country than America....perhaps Sweden? (I don't know). Crafting some fine pop tunes and an ear for the uncanny, Bishop Allen gleefully meander through 13 multi-instrumental songs without ever losing the listener's interest. That's a good thing. Experimental pop music should always be this engaging, light-hearted and effective. A stellar first effort and a must have for fans of indie pop music.

  • pop it in, let it play!
    author: geek-boy

    This is one of those rare albums that you can just put in the stereo and play it from beginning to end. Not every song is a gem, but most of them are, and the rest come damn close. I found myself singing these tuneful tunes to myself during a 14 hour shift in the datacenter. 4 stars, baby!

  • This is what music is supposed to sound like.
    author: ghost.frog

    This is the best thing I've put in my ear in a long long time. Thank you, Bishop Allen for your lovely sounds, and thank you, cdbaby, for your prompt delivery.

  • i really liked it, it seemed kinda of odd the first time i heard it .i love it a
    author: rachel

    i really liked it. it isnt very often i can find a cd i like that much. but yeah its awesome and i recommend listening to it at least once to everyone.

  • Put This Album In Your CD Player...and Sing Along!
    author: Chris Bitados

    When I first played this album, I thought to myself, it was basically another decent pop album. The first 3 songs confirm this theory. "Charm School", "Little Black Ache", and "Busted Heart" are good decent pop songs but the real gems are the songs that follow. As "Bishop Allen Drive" hits and moves along until you get to the end of the album, the songs are marvelous little sing along nuggets. The light-hearted but substance-filled tunes will grow on you with every repeated listen and eventually stay with you through out the day. Quite charming, indeed! My favorite tracks include: "Empire City", "Quarter To Three" but the real gem of the album has to be "Another Wasted Night".

  • Bishop allen rocks!
    author: Josh M

    Man, this cd is great... From the start to finish some part of your body will be tappin or shakin or something.. until you learn all the words.. and you will..then you'll be singing along... AND tappin/shakin/something.. cause you just can't help but get into this music... The musical style is just great, can't really be explained... only heard.. and the lyrics are just awesome... its the kind of stuff that will stay with you all day... and you might get distracted for a minute.. but then it'll come back and you'll get a big smile on your face as you start singing outloud.. (I sing "Things are what you make of them" at work all the time) Can't wait to hear more from Bishop Allen

  • I love it!
    author: Ingeborg

    This cd is 'gezellig', as we say in Holland (not that I'm dutch..). Or charming, if you like (no pun intended). I especially love.....well...all the songs, really! Great melodies and lyrics, they really make me happy. I see no reason why someone would not like Charm School. It has become one of my favourites after I got it a few days ago. If you really hate it (which you won't), you can take your anger out on the pop quiz in the booklet, so you really have nothing to lose.

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