Builder of the House

Nearly 600 still images were used in all (for the stop-motion music video), and when played back at 3.17 frames per second, they create a undeniably charming and laudably complicated clip. - Pat Levy - Consequence of Sound

Today we have a special treat from Portand, Maine indie-folk group Builder Of The House. It’s the project of Robert Cimitile and Elliot Heeschen, who recently released their new EP Hourglass, their first release on Louisville record label, sonaBlast! Records.

Builder of the House have a brand new music video for “A Plot In Falmouth,” and they have given us the honor of premiering it to the world. It’s a smokey and mysterious track and its video features an all too perfect short film, that gets tied into footage of the band playing along. The video was directed by Derek R. Brigham, Rob Cimitile, and Will Porensky. - Will Oliver - We All Want Someone to Shout For

Intelligent, well-played, often irresistibly catchy indie folk, concealing a philosophical and spiritual moodiness and a certain dark narrative, like Jack Johnson and Sufjan Stevens were shut in a room together and told to write a song.

It’s nice to hear traditional storytelling in a song from a local songwriter; Cimitile knows how to weave a compelling lyrical and musical tale.

Heeschen's elegant percussion work is perfectly complimentary to Cimitile's playing; you can tell the two musicians have spent a lot of time working out a careful dynamic, each one holding back when the other moves ahead, building a uniquely eloquent sound and story. - Emily Burnham - Bangor Daily News

“This is the End of Our Correspondence” is a gorgeous song

The EP “Hourglass”.....houses four carefully crafted songs that scratch well beneath the surface of human emotions. - Aimsel Ponti - Maine Today

"This Portland, Maine (artist) delicately blend elements of folk, bluegrass, and Americana into a pleasingly fragile, jaunty, and harmonic whole, with the snappy tempos and jubilant beats creating a happy vibe that’s rousing and endearing in equal measure. Moreover, there’s a sweet and upbeat quality to this music that’s impossible to either dislike or resist." - Jersey beat

"This Portland, Maine (artist) delicately blend elements of folk, bluegrass, and Americana into a pleasingly fragile, jaunty, and harmonic whole, with the snappy tempos and jubilant beats creating a happy vibe that’s rousing and endearing in equal measure. Moreover, there’s a sweet and upbeat quality to this music that’s impossible to either dislike or resist." - Jersey beat

By Aimsel Ponti

This interview can be read in full at the URL - Portland Press Herald

By Wil Whalen

This interview can be read in full at the URL - WCSH in Portland and DangerWilRobinson

By Wil Whalen

This interview can be read in full at the URL - WCSH in Portland and DangerWilRobinson

By Kristin DiCara-McClellan

"With some musical comparisons to Jack Johnson and Elliott Smith, Cimitile has that whispery-thin, "maybe I care, maybe I don't" style of singing that has become really popular in recent years. The difference here is that Cimitile's lyrics are so meaningful and deep that the contradiction of a carefree spirit within the music composition makes for an interesting ride." - Portland Press Herald

A project called Builder of the House, headed by guitarist/singer Rob Cimitile, is our SoundClouder of the Day today (March 22, 2012). Based in Portland, Maine, they like to blend a mix of bluegrass, folk, and Americana music with a little kick! Check ‘em out! - SoundCloud

By Sam Pfeifle

....the six-song EP is a fairly restrained affair, full of breathy vocals and acoustic guitar and hummed backing vocals. There's very little bravado here at all, actually, and Rob Cimitile, the principal songwriter who started out as something of a one-man band before adding Elliot Heeschen (percussion) and Peter Himmer (bass, keys, etc.) for live performances, comes off as a modern-day bard more than anything else.

He's got this smirk in his voice, a subtle and knowing wink, that makes all of his playful and upbeat songs at least one level more interesting. - The Boston/Portland Phoenix

By Sam Pfeifle

....the six-song EP is a fairly restrained affair, full of breathy vocals and acoustic guitar and hummed backing vocals. There's very little bravado here at all, actually, and Rob Cimitile, the principal songwriter who started out as something of a one-man band before adding Elliot Heeschen (percussion) and Peter Himmer (bass, keys, etc.) for live performances, comes off as a modern-day bard more than anything else.

He's got this smirk in his voice, a subtle and knowing wink, that makes all of his playful and upbeat songs at least one level more interesting. - The Boston/Portland Phoenix

By Chris Robley

So, here’s what I think is brilliant about this whole thing, if it isn’t obvious already: Builder of the House brings their Facebook marketing into the real world in a relatively non-obtrusive way, silently broadcasts their band name to the entire crowd for the duration of the evening, and adds the extra human touch– a guy coming around introducing the band to each person at the show, inviting them to like ‘em on Facebook, and rewarding those who do with a free MP3.

Best of all, because I was given the details in-person during the opening band’s set, I had the rest of the night to get my smartphone out and press that one little button. With 2 more bands left to perform, set breaks, lulls in conversation, and lines at the bar– I definitely had a few empty moments to fill with a smartphone.

Builder of the House’s MP3-giveaway strategy didn’t just require planning on the front-end. The band had to then go to their Facebook Page’s admin panel the next day and personally contact every person who liked them during the show in order to get them the MP3. So if you plan on putting this kind of thing into practice, be sure to follow through– and in the promised timeframe. Builder of the House did, and I had a free track from them within 24 hours! - The DIY Musician - CD Baby

Builder Of The House is the one man band created by Rob Cimitile along with a few friends offering support. I Am A Tidal Wave differs from the average twenty-first century solo project in that Rob's tunes are threaded with elements normally associated with folk and bluegrass. But the six songs on this EP are mainly pop songs...yet they have different intoxicating flavors. To our ears, these tracks sound something like a cross between Elliott Smith and Ray Davies (more the former than the latter). Rob writes great memorable tunes with super smart lyrics...and he has a nifty voice that is instantly warm and appealing. We particularly love the band name and web site. This guy's going to develop a sizable following fast... - babysue

“Fire Dawn Breaking” is probably my favorite due to how far out Cimitile lets himself go. With guitar, bass, electronic bells and multiple tracks of affected vocals, the tune builds a dense atmosphere to get lost in. “Schizophilia” closes things out on a much lighter note, filled to the brim with harmonies and held down by finger snaps and ukulele." - Dispatch Magazine

"On I Am a Tidal Wave, Cimitile employs a host of local musicians, and impressively navigates many avenues in the folk neighborhood, from upbeat bluegrass to Jack Johnson-y melodrama, though at his most compelling, his songs fall adhere to patient, plaintive, wistful arrangements which recall the finer moments of Nick Drake, only less dead." - The Portland Phoenix

"The soft, instantly-palatable folk instrumentation is perfectly accompanied by Cimitile’s warm, whispery voice." "The first track, “Niktricity,” has nearly the same vibe as Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche’s score of the 2007 film “Dan In Real Life.” The movie chronicles a family vacation at a cabin surrounded by woodsy views and loved ones, so that comparison is desirable." "The title track sounds like the type of music Jack Johnson would have made had he been from the South instead of constantly trying to catch the next big wave in Hawaii. The jaunty tune shares much of the whimsy prevalent in Johnson’s material, but the “lalala” chorus adds a slight sense of melancholy before picking the happy right back up. The contrast adds a nice dynamic, giving the song more dimensions and thus making it more enduring." - The Maine Campus

Derek R. Brigham of Through the Door Productions lent his talents to cutting out lyrics while Cimitile and Heeschen together cut out every single visual you see themselves with just a plain old pair of scissors and some construction paper.

In a world where video effects are typically computer generated, this ‘throwback’ style of practical effects (though incredibly time consuming) emphasizes the fun and charming vibe of the new single from their latest album, Hourglass and definitely stands out. - Anna Gravél - 9.49 WHOM