Caravela

Caravela are a fantastic indie rock sound/project hailing out of Westchester and Brooklyn New York!
The brother’s duo of Frank & Steven Graniero make brilliant indie pop rock music. The grooves and vibe to their songs are sensationally felt and really gets you moving passionately and proudly to their rocking definition. I was totally captivated by their ace’ tunes and truly couldn’t get enough of their pop rock grooves! A great listen here, for sure!
On that note, I could easily see groove rocker appreciators really sinking their ear music teeth modules into these cats all across the rocking globe!
-Forkster - Forkster

When I picked up "Belvedere" by Caravela, as a free download off the rather obscure band's bandcamp some six months ago, I initially just meant to check it out, not necessarily review it. After a while, I decided not to, simply because I was busy and the release was so low-profile. Then last month I was reviewing And I Was Like, What?, thinking about similarities between that band and Caravela, and upon relistening to "On The Belvedere" I decided that it was actually too good to not tell you about, so here goes a review anyway:

On this five-track debut EP, the three-piece band employs a style of indie/folk/pop/rock (quite a mouthful, I know) that is very hard to compare to a great many other bands. I would say that they sound like And I Was Like, What? - only with cleaner vocals - but then what are the chances you people even know that band? I would liken them to fun., due to the classy usage of a rather folky violin, but then the band seems so much more about easy sincerity than about fun.-type, cheeky theatrics.

I think this is one of these rare cases where my best bet is to just implore you to press play on the player below, and decide for yourself. More so because what really catches my ear about Caravela is how these five songs of theirs possess that elusive quality of just jumping straight out of your speakers and into your head almost immediately. It's not really poppy in the modern sense of the word, nor does it feel shallow or formulaic, it's just really dynamic and well-composed music that it's almost impossible not to enjoy.

The biggest hurdle for Caravela may just be the fact that it's so hard to put in words what's so likeable about them, but so long as their material welcomes the listener back so warmly on each repeat listen, I think it's one that may be cleared quite consistently. And if this also holds true for the LP the band is alledgedly working on, then I'm starting to think that it could be one to really look forward to here in 2011: - Rockfreaks.net

Caravela--certainly not to be confused with the Las Vegas hardcore/screamo act of nearly the same name--is the side project of Moving Mountains' Frank Graniero, and while it's a scaled-back and overall gentler affair than the band's bombastic compositions, the project's first EP, Belvedere, is a surprisingly enjoyable diversion all the same.

Belvedere essentially sounds like the more energetic and memorable Jeremy Enigk stuff--this is melodic and earnest yet thoughtful, emo-influenced indie rockers delivered with some string accompaniment and a boatload of careful modesty. The guitar tone's a little rough, but for basically a demo, these songs have impressive movement and grace.

Graniero imbues opener "On the Belvedere" with a solid introductory hook, while "The War" offers calming, breezy vocals and looser, scratchy moments paired with slightly upbeat, nimble guitar work that kinda brings American Football to mind. Those are probably the standouts, but the other three tracks here are hardly terrible.

This has been out for a few months now, but it's still worth checking out while Moving Mountains warms up the marketing and promotion for their Triple Crown debut. It's certainly a familiar but warm holdover. - Punknews.org

Caravela is collaborative work of two brothers Frank and Stephen Graniero from Brooklyn, New York. Their debut EP Belvedere was released in 2010 and immediately grabbed my attention with it’s synthesis of delicate and frantic moods. The follow up, Coat of Arms (2012), was toned down, still emotionally complex, but showing a more vulnerable side of the band. Comparing the new album Caravela Forever to their previous accomplishments, it does seem at first that there is a great chasm here. However after a few listenings, it comes apparent that it might not be the case. Caravela’s music is still as dramatic and romantic as ever. They however have exchanged their earlier intense and anxious sound to something more relaxed. Interestingly enough, both suits seem to fit the Graniero brothers really well, and they seem to feel comfortable expressing themselves in both emotional states.

Caravela Forever also has a lovely city-by-the-sea feel to it, the sound here is absolutely in love with the summer air and water. It captures a sense of longing in a really beautiful way. The songwriting and recording of the album was a slow and laid-back process, as it was intertwined with travels and playing shows I’m sure it was an enjoyable time for the band. The contemplative, laid-back approach is also present in the tracks ahead. Indeed, Caravela Forever is a lot lighter, more patient to evolve and more nuanced than their previous work. Their current, more reserved sound has a lean towards the eighties stylistics as well, which yet again displays the interesting setting Caravela is venturing this time, it’s utterly charming and sincere. - Sound and Beyond