StompTown Revival

"Sophisticated lyrical imagery...impassioned vocals...riveting music..." - GrassRootsMusic.com

"Haunting strength and conviction..." - Indie-Music.com

The ace in the hole for Circle Slide is lead vocalist/lyricist Gabe Martinez, whose voice is appealingly ragged one moment, perches delicately the next, and soars like an eagle for an encore.

His vocal on the apocalyptic "Weather Boy" is a marvel, truly one of the finest rock vocal performances in ages. With all the elements in place for a solid, if not exemplary run, Circle Slide stand at the dawn of their career with Uncommon Days, a harbinger of many artful, accessible and important releases to come.

Circle Slide has a big, anthemnic quality to a lot of their writing, as chiming guitars and insistent rhythms frame their insightful, yet very accessible lyrics. Songs often draw from scriptural ideas but communicate them in modern language.

The group has plenty of talent and originality on hand to avoid being labled a copycat band, as they explore more pop oriented territory than their mentors though there are definite elements of the sonic density and haunting, ethereal quality that have fueled the Choir's best work.


- Shawn McLaughlin

I was also impressed with a young new rock quartet from San Antonio, Texas called Circleslide.

Yep, if the name sounds familiar, well, it should. That was the title of the Choir's stunning 1990 album. And as Circleslide lead singer and guitarist Gabe Martinez tells it, "the Choir were ahead of their time," adding that the "Circle Slide" album was "revolutionary for us."

And talking to Gabe and his bassist brother Tim Martinez, it's clear that they have an appreciation for quality pop and rock music. They referenced the 77's, Rich Mullins and U2 as sources of inspiration.

And listening to their just-released EP "Connectology," the atmospheric rock and pop connection is crystal clear. The stunning opening track, "Home," starts out with some strings and a Coldplay-esque piano. Then Gabe bursts with energy and passion ...
"Follow the light into the sun / follow the road to everyone / autumn is brown, winter is gray / you are still here, day after day / I'm coming home, I'm coming home ... today / Home, where the flowers grow, a place for us to go, where I don't feel alone."
It's a very inspiring and uplifting track.

"Soul," with it's jangly and moody guitars and tambourines is a dead ringer for Travis, circa "The Invisible Band," except that unlike Travis lead singer Fran Healey, Gabe Martinez has a bit more optimism in his voice. You sense that things are going to be all right in the end, as he bares his soul.

And just as the song title implies, "Possession" has a bewitching quality that also, thanks to some screeching guitar effects from lead guitarist Aaron Gillies and the rock solid drumming of David Blackburn, has an epic quality that is hard to shake. It's really rather stunning hearing it, particularly for a band just really starting out.

The final song, "Next Best Thing," is pure Brit-pop-via-Texas pleasure. It brings to mind the music of the Ocean Blue or Poole, except that the vocals are much more upfront and midway through the song, Gillies' guitar gets a bit more muscular, giving it a more straightforward rock sound and approach.
"I'll never break your heart," Martinez sings in the chorus, as the band forges ahead. Man, this song should be on modern rock radio stations from coast-to-coast.

And I know it may sound cliched, but I really believe Circleslide is a band to watch and a band we'll be hearing from in the future. I mean, how can you go wrong when you've got Steve Hindalong's blessing?

- Andrew West Griffin

I liked what I heard of Circleslide's stage act --hard and heavy, but with lots of classic rock sounds. I got the CD to the car and listened.

I heard rock with U-2 and even Tears for Fears flavorings. I had a hard time thinking "americana." I want to call Circleslide "alternative with some classic and ethereal flavorings." With their stated influence, The Choir, it's also easy to class Circleslide with Cush, The 77s, Starflyer 59 and others in that artistic Christian fringe.

Read Raised by Wolves, and it'll tell you a lot about that group of true artists who won't sacrifice their message for the sake of popularity.

Circleslide could well be on the pop edge of that group. I could see them going a long way. Who knows? After Circleslide tells a few more folks about their influences, maybe those underground-greats will start getting the air-time they deserve.
- Paul Landkamer

If you are a fan of Brittish-syle pop-rock then you will be sure to love Circleslide. This is their first album, but already you can hear influences to great bands like U2 and Radiohead. If their live show is as good as some say it is, then these boys will soon be a force to be noticed in the industry. Looking for a good pop-rock album to listen to? If so, give Circleslide a spin.

- Radiant Rock