" I'd never heard of these guys before I saw them open for Ladyhawk earlier this year, and I was absolutely blown away."
-Page 300 (Next Big Nashville)
"For whatever reason the gig was delayed, a mostly-full venue of cigarette-buzzed 20-somethings didn't seem at all fazed. In fact, it's rare when the opening band seems to gobble up all the attention like Nashville's own Eastern Block did. An unsigned four-piece with little more than a MySpace page to their name, the band welcomed a wealth of cat calls and applause in between songs."
-Nashville Scene
"New Nashville band Eastern Block officially released their self-titled EP this month. They have been earning local credibility by playing shows all over Nashville in the past seven months as they follow in the footsteps of local favorites like Death Comesto Matteson and Imaginary Baseball League. They play indie pop that has just enough singer-songwriter influence to win over casual listeners and hipsters alike.
Eastern Block show serious potential on their debut, especially for a band that has only been together for about a year. The first song on the EP is an acoustic number that features a waltz-like guitar backing a very Thom Yorke-ish vocal delivery from singer Aaron Ahlstrom. After the first track they immediately launch into the faster paced "Pre Dawn Cantina" and deliver a healthy dose of Brit Pop influenced guitar riffs. My favorite track is "The Woods." Intimate vocals and subtle instrumentation slowly roll forward as the song builds momentum. The song never climaxes as you would expect it to however; clever song structure keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for an eruption of some kind, but in the end it's strangely satisfying how it never comes.
I see Eastern Block moving in one of two directions on future endeavors: they can play the upbeat garage rock that is all the rage right now, or they can continue moving forward and building their own sound that is present throughout much of their debut. They have the talent and song writing ability to pull either scenario off but hopefully they'll continue to explore a sound of their own. You can hear the EP in its entirety on the band's Myspace page. Highly recommended for fans of Kent, Radiohead, and Death Comesto Matteson."
- Jason Goucher
(The Deli Magazine)
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