The Exeter Popes

YOU CAN BUY OUR RECORDS HERE AND NOW!Snow, Mountain, Geisha ©2007
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
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"Snow, Mountain, Geisha is the second EP out of Stephen Lipuma's Exeter Popes project, following a solid debut that I reviewed favourably. This time around he's recruited a few more people to his band, making for another solid pop outing rife with Smiths and For Against influences. Lipuma has that sort of glazed, passive vocal style used by his influences, which adds a sort of icy, detached feel to these five songs, notably on "Letter from Mr. Smith." Coupled with the ploddingly melodic compositions, this EP can be a bit disturbing for fans of more overt pop music. This effect is not a bad thing - though at times it could be tightened up a bit to add more of the tension present in works by For Against and co. The best song on here is the uplifting "50 Days," with its blissful melody and persistent momentum. However, the spiny guitar chords of "Bristol Takes Arms" and the joyful release of "Bombs...Bombs...Bombs" give "50" as run for its money. Snow, Mountain, Geisha is nice work again from the Popes - if Lipuma can tighten up his sound a tad, his debut full-length could be quite a wonder." - Matt Shimmer www.indieville.com
"5 more songs from the Brooklyn Britpop outfit Exeter Popes. This time around, Stephen Lipuma has assembled a full band, featuring Michael Figgiani, Becky Cousins and Greg Hoy. I can't tell if the bio is joking but I assume it is, when it mentions Cousins being "...fresh off a hippie commune." This ain't hippie music. Since I reviewed the previous Exeter Popes EP, I'm doing this one too. On the new album, the band is heading deeper into Creation Records territory, the vocals becoming more open and emotive, the playing even lighter. On the excellent "Bristol Takes Arms" I hear a low energy, gentle version of Biff Bang Pow and Belle & Sebastian. The differences being that EP use a strummed, echoing guitar sound instead of intense picking, but you could still definitely say they are cousins in sound. (sorry Becky, had to do it.) Lipuma has seemingly been studying up on all those rain-soaked Creation-ists, because he even seems to be using a disaffected English accent, on "Bombs...Bombs...Bombs." Another reason these 5 songs hold up well is because the bio mentions that over a dozen songs were recorded and were winnowed down. Too often a band decides to just throw it all out there and you end up with a mix of good and bad. "Snow Mountain, Geisha" plays like side one of a great mid 80s rainy afternoon band from Northern England." --- 8/11 Leeds top Culture Bunker
"At times moody but always catchy, The Exeter Popes deliver jangly, melodic pop with ease. Relaxed vocals bend while guitar, bass, and drums give and take to all fit into the atmospheric puzzle that is 'Snow, Mountain, Geisha', allowing keyboards, hand claps, and tamborine to fall into the mix. A standout track for me is 'Fair Weathered Friend', a delicate tune accented by a marching drum and shakers, reminiscent of The Red House Painters in mood and The Ocean Blue in melody." - Jess from http://softcommunication.blogspot.com/
"This is a real find! Modest in length and packaging, The Exeter Popes' Snow, Mountain, Geisha comes across big where it counts: songwriting. Equal parts Pinback suppleness and Modest Mouse angularity, the band's riffs are like lightning rods for the best turn-of-the-century influences. "Bristol Takes Arms" plods and stomps on gleefully unsteady footing, and the rhythmic racket that mounts in the background -- beginning with clattering drums and bass, before broadening with hand claps and egg shakers -- is completely charming. "Bombs... Bombs... Bombs" is much more fluid, its guitar line rippling between a shimmery keyboard melody. The formula established between these two songs makes up the driving force behind the remaining three songs on here; there isn't much variation, but when the machine's this well-oiled, there's no need to tinker with it. This disc is unfortunately destined to fly underneath most listeners' radar, but if you're on the lookout for a teaser soundtrack for summer, hunt this one down." - Aaron Shaul www.ink19.com
"The second EP from Brooklyn, Nw York’s the Exeter Popes is a study in maximizing opportunities. Though Snow, Mountain, Geisha clocks in at just over thirteen minutes, the band shows a great amount of wherewithal, mining and exploring a wealth of inspired sound in such a short period of time. Additionally, the five songs included on the EP are rather minimalist in arrangement and structure, yet achieve a hazy, dreamlike brand of guitar pop likely to resonate with those who enjoy the band’s influences (The Smiths, Cocteau Twins, and Clientele are among those listed), as well as modern members of the lo-fi, indie rock camp. Indeed the band’s sound harkens back to more thoughtful, literary bands who found an audience amidst the melodic frenzy of the New Wave era. Tracks like “Bombs…Bombs…Bombs” and “50 Days” display focused interplay between instruments and showcase Stephen Lipuma’s vocal presence. “Fair Weathered Friend”, a gentle acoustic march, closes the record and displays another dimension to the group’s sound. The Exeter Popes are a fresh and welcome face on the indie landscape, and the prospect of seeing their potential extended to a full-length release is intriguing." -by Aarik Danielsen, Popmatters.com
"Exeter Popes son la banda de Stephen Lipuma y en este, su segundo EP presentan un indie pop introspectivo. Un pop fresco que pese a venir de Brooklyn hereda la tradición de bandas británicas como los Smiths o Cocteau Twins. En todo caso, los toques de oscuridad son muy sutiles sobre un lienzo que revela pinceladas más felices aunque introspectivas, de bandas como Death Cab For Cutie o The Shins.Por la primera parte de sus influencias no extraña que recuerden a una ciudad inglesa en "Bristol Takes Arms" que ya pone la sensación agradable que acompaña a los cinco cortes. "Bombs...bombs..bombs" se anima algo más al modo lo-fi e invita a cabecear al ritmo de su batería. "50 Days" registra una cierta tensión dentro del ambiente de placidez general, mientras que "Letter From Mr. Smith" suena a optimismo de The Shins y "Fair Weathered Friend" es tal vez la más nebulosa y evasiva del conjunto.Una vez más, no inventan nada, pero lo que hacen, lo hacen más que bien y logran el objetivo de un EP, que es levantar interés y dejar con las ganas. Así pues, los escasos 13 minutos de "Snow, Mountain, Geisha" son un agradable hilo musical sin sobresaltos para acompañar cualquier tarea o el tipo de discos que ponerse antes de dormir, que no para dormir." - www.ociojoven.com (Spain)
"Snow, Mountain, Geisha" is the second Exeter Popes EP within the past year...with some assistance in the producer's chair from fellow local scenester Greg Hoy, who also plays drums...a nice introspective feel that mixes Elliott Smith-styled vocal ruminations with a shambling lo-fi indie rock backing that vaguely recalls The Smiths and The Clean. What I enjoy most about these five songs is that they're free of pretension and never easy to pin down emotionally. Even after several listens I can't tell what tracks like "Fair Weathered Friend" and personal favorite "Bombs...Bombs...Bombs" are about, but they're interesting enough that I keep guessing. Look for a full-length from these guys later in 2007." -Losing Today
"new EP is an excellent slice of jangly indie rock"
- Gimme Tinnitus
"After an interesting debut, Stephen Lipuma is now joined by a new cast of characters, and seems to have somewhat reinvented the band for their second EP. The first thing I noticed is that the songs are generally poppier this time around, with only a hint of the dark and swirly sound that was highlighted on the first EP (and really only in a couple songs). Also, there's a bit more variety among the songs here, both in style and tempo, although all of them are under three minutes. Even the production quality is much improved on this record, with a cleaner sound for the guitar. In fact, if it weren't for the vocals, I wouldn't even think this was the same band! With such a marked improvement in such a short amount of time, I'd love to hear what they come up with next! MTQ=5/5 " - Indiepages
"Stephen Lipuma a donc décidé de faire abstraction du présent, voire même de la dernière décennie. Comme nous le disions déjà pour son premier ep., pour lui, l’histoire de la musique n’a jamais franchit le cap des années 90. Il y a eu un après The Carpenters puis The Smiths, une période fantasque survolée par la scène écossaisse (The Pastels, Cocteau Twins) et depuis, la musique est retournée à l’anecdotique. Comme il doit lui paraître inconcevable d’enregistrer de la musique composée à partir d’un ordinateur, pire de le faire en solo en usant d’artifice pour multiplier les instruments virtuellement, d’abuser des mélodies d’autrui par sampler interposé, il s’est entouré de quelques amis et The Exeter Popes, pour cette seconde réalisation, prend des allures de groupe. Un groupe, c’est-à-dire un ensemble composé d’un chanteur, d’un guitariste, un batteur, et un bassiste. Pas un assemblage de circonstance de mecs réunis pour leurs coupes de cheveux et leurs belles tronches. En attendant un album à paraître, Snow, Mountain, Geisha réunit, sans faillir, 5 compositions d’ultra-pop, efficace et un rien mélancolique (50 Days, magnifique), catchy à souhait, ne dépassant pas le format réglementaire des 3 minutes. Tout est aussi calibré, magnifiquement chanté, agencé sans aucune fioriture pour répondre les canons de la pop. Hors du temps et imparable."
- Autres Directions (France)
Self-Titled Debut EP ©2006
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"This three-song EP by The Exeter Popes would make fans of bands like Belle and Sebastian, The Smiths and Morrissey somewhat happy. Short and to the point, the group paints a pretty sonic picture with the lovely but simple "The Moon Is Red" with its subtle keyboards and other knickknacks thrown in. The New York band nails the song without any problems thanks to lead singer Stephen Lipuma's deft touches. Just as appealing, although not as grandiose is "Temporary Skin' that brings to mind Travis covering Radiohead. The only thing missing is a loud, bruising guitar solo that could fit well over the rhythm section. The closing tune is "King Waltzer" that takes on, you guessed it, a waltz-like pop hue. On the whole 'tis a very good introduction into what hopefully is an equally appealing debut album." - PopMatters.com
“The Exeter Popes' sensibilities of winsome guitar pop with a hint of '80s post-punk haze isn't far removed. It's a quick but engaging enough start for the duo, so time will tell what will become of them.” - All Music Guide
“Lipuma's subtle-yet-pretty guitar playing and reverbed vocals show a strong potential for more good songs to come. “
- Losing Today
“Britishy vocals lead the strangely mesmerizing piece, whose minor key melody takes a sort of Smiths influence but makes it the band's own… boast a type of unsettlingly infectious melody...want to hear more.”- Indieville.com
“Mellow and dreamy with a bit of Brit/shoegaze to it, The Exeter Popes show potential” - Lost at Sea
“The Carpenters for the new age”- Hybrid Magazine.com
“The Exeter Popes already have my attention...they fill in the gaps between jangle pop and British invasion...Stephen Lipuma sings with the nonchalance of many Britpop stars of yesterday.” - Culture Bunker
“Debut EP filled with melodic love songs that bring strong comparisons to past 90's indie legends; Ride, The Pastels, and Teenage Fanclub.” - Crashin'in