Pine Barons
Philadelphia, PA | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | INDIE
Music
Press
The stage at Lincoln Hall on Friday night was backlit by four plastic mannequins with big, flat, round white lights attached in lieu of heads. Walking in when the overhead lights were already off and the stage was lit I, and a few others around me, mistakenly thought there were four tuba players onstage, which would’ve been awesome – but either way it made for a very striking look onstage and a great setting for the opening band, who were strikingly weird (in the best of ways) themselves. The members, Keith, Brad, Collin and Shane (described on their Facebook page as vocal angel, vocal angel, vocal devil and percussion wizard, respectively) took to the stage as the Pine Barons. If you’re unfamiliar with the New Jersey ecosystem, which I am, you might miss the cleverness of the name, which I did, but along with millions of miles of majestic trees, this foursome grew out of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (I always feel like with the plethora of just plain old dumb band names out there, it’s worth it to give a nod to a good one – well played gentlemen).
The Pine Barons, who depending on your mood could be described as indie, folk, or psych rock, are nothing if not eclectic – the band’s songs play creatively with texture, tone and have almost a tactile feel to them – the band produces engaging and bizarre sounds that you can almost see them squeezing, shaking and modulating out of their instruments as they float towards you. Take a listen to their 2013 self titled debut album and you’ll get an idea, with its squeaks, splashes, groans and rumbles – it’s anything but ordinary, but still keeps all the hook and catchiness of your more standard indie rock. The congenial foursome made their way through tracks from the 2013 release, creating those same intriguing and mysterious sounds onstage, which was a delight to see. Ending their set with “Don’t Believe What They Told You” the band went a little hardcore, a perfect choice to get the crowd ready for the rock and roll that was about to come from The Districts. - Panic Manual
3. Pine Barons – These Jersey guys are in a pretty enviable place right now. They have super catchy indierock anthems and are tight performers, they’re on tour as direct support for their Philly BFF’s The Districts playing lots of sold out rooms, and they’ve got a new album in the can, waiting for somebody to release it. Hopefully this SXSW helps them out with that. I caught them at the Rachel Ray BBQ day party, and their short set had a lot of fire and energy. It was a hot and sunny day and I definitely got sunburnt. I also got serious Weezer vibes from Pine Barons’ very poppy new songs, which crosses surprisingly well with the Built to Spill / Dr. Dog approach of their earlier material. Excited to hear more from them. - WXPN The Key
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
The band’s debut LP, The Acchin Book (released in 2017), possessed a unique quality from the auxiliary instruments and recording techniques used; feathered paper dragged across paintings, field recordings in the woods at night, accordion, string arrangements and bowed guitars all contributing to the various moods and textures of the record.
Pine Barons’ follow up effort, 2020’s Mirage on the Meadow, released during the throes of the pandemic, was a more insular effort, as all songs were written, produced and engineered by frontperson & multi-instrumentalist, KC Abrams, who explored themes of human connection while acknowledging impermanence and death’s inevitability. Sonically, Mirage on the Meadow is a psychedelic amalgamation of graveyard shifting indie rock – full of the dread we all experience while retaining a cautious optimism that propels its rich, colorful sound towards a brighter future.
During the mixing process, Abrams stumbled upon the music of cult favorite Japanese band, Fishmans (active throughout the late 80’s and 90’s) and fell in love with their peerless mix of dream pop, psychedelic rock, trip-hop and dub/reggae. Unable to speak the Japanese language himself, Abrams set out to discover what the lyrics actually meant, and with the help of a Japanese-speaking friend, came up with lyrical English interpretations of the late Shinji Sato’s words. After Sato’s copyright successor passed along his blessing to move forward, I LOVE FISH was officially born.
I LOVE FISH is a tribute album in the truest sense. Also produced and engineered in house, Pine Barons brings its own flavor to the arrangements and compositions that comprise nine Fishmans songs, including ambitious fan favorite, the 30-minute plus “LONG SEASON”, a song that has never been attempted as a cover before. Abrams recalls hearing Sato’s voice for the first time, noticing that “without even knowing what the lyrics were, I felt such a strong connection to the voice that sang them. It confirms to me the genuine beauty of that voice and how universal music truly is."
Band Members
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