Michael Trew (Seattle)

"...What is immediately striking is the creativity of singer / flutist / guitarist / frontman Michael Trew...The story was beautifully played, with the famous trill in his voice and 'folk sound'..." - - Rinco Ennema of Progpraat Holland

"...lead singer Michael Trew being the focal point of the band, telling stories and doubling on flute and second guitar ...great music and a great start to the festival." - expose.org

"...Trew switched from flute to vocals, his lyrics leading into a slow section then back into uptempo rhythm...soloed on flute then sang in psychedelic vibrato about a "mystical reality...Autumn Electric’s 50 minute set demonstrated without uncertainty that this band is bringing something new and original to the Northwest music scene. Besides Flowers For Ambrosia, they have had several releases since 2008. Their writing and musicality is as strong as it is emotional and vivid, and they convey the sense of taking the listener to places remembered and as yet unknown" - Examiner.com

Description: (The) Autumn Electric is another Seattle-based outfit (one of whose members is multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Johnny Unicorn, also a member of Phideaux) with a very distinctive take on progressive rock. Their second album, Flowers for Ambrosia (released at the beginning of 2014) is an intriguing example of modern progressive folk-rock which runs the gamut from gentle acoustic moments to wild electric guitar forays. It also features a 20-minute epic entitled Orange Stars. The album is highly recommended to fans of bands such as The Decemberists and Espers. - Dutch Progressive Rock Pages

I was quite pleased when I discovered Autumn Electric's previous CD, but I knew their live performances were already including some excellent new material. Flowers for Ambrosia more than exceeds my expectations. It may be divided into ten tracks, but if you listen without watching the track number display, you'd probably think there were a lot less — the first several tracks run together into what sounds like a continuous suite. The lyrics don't necessarily tie together, but the smooth transitions give the impression of new chapters in a continuing story. Not that the tracks sound alike — far from it — but there's an unmistakable flow to the mood. If you're anything like me, by the time you hear the first few bars of "Riding the Rogo," you will be totally hooked. It's got a quick tempo and a catchy melody, and changes meter more times than you can count, all while sounding so natural you'd think all music was like this. Moving along, we find a little oddity called "The Ballad of Magnum P.I." — a nice homage to the number one private detective located in Hawaii in the 80s. But if you've been paying attention to the readout on your CD player, you noticed that track 10 clocks in over 22 minutes in length. As prog epics go, it's of the "Supper's Ready" variety, being a suite of sections that flow from one to the next, some vocal, some instrumental, and occasionally revisit themes from earlier sections. Just to throw out some highlights... Max Steiner is responsible for some really great guitar work, from screaming wah-wah solos to freaky sound effects; Johnny Unicorn adds some nice touches on sax; and Naomi Adele Smith, in addition to providing a female vocal foil to Michael Trew's leads, plays some really good keyboard parts. But it's really the combination of all these elements and more that makes this one of my favorite releases of the year so far (and unlikely to be surpassed in the coming months). - expose.org

"...The band is currently touring throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest...storytelling tone in much of their music (think Conor Oberst)..." - the AS Review (Western WA U. Bellingham)

The Autumn Electric is more than a band; they’re filmmakers as well. This local folk rock trio has been making music since 2008, and last year, they decided to experiment with film making as well. The band caught most of their recent tour on video camera, and will be debuting the “mockumentary” in its entirety at their Neumos show tonight. James Apollo and Abraham open. - SSG

Any band that claims Andrew Lloyd Webber as a musical influence deserves a little respect ... even if it makes no sense whatsoever. The Seattle indie-rockers may not bear any similarities to the 63-year-old British composer of Phantom of the Opera, but the quirky, hum-worthy sing-alongsters do elicit a certain coffee house vibe thats fun and trippy, like Jesus Christ Superstar on LSD. Plus, anyone who drops the $8 to see the three-piece tomorrow night at Neumos will get to see the first ever showing of their mokumentary, which was filmed on their US tour and put together by members Michael Trew and Daniel Desrosiers.

Think about it -- any band that features glockenspiels, flute and accordion is bound to be kinky when the cameras turn on.

Autumn Electric will be sharing the stage June 6 with James Apollo and Abraham, and the doors open at 8 p.m.

- Seattle Weekly Blogs

"Autumn Electric picked up the pace, injecting an infectious, rollicking beat and energy that would fit in with any Seattle pop/indie bill." - Fremont Universe June 30th, 2010