press/blogs
"Bellmore's
Brian Sendrowitz has recruited a team of local ringers, including Gordo Gringo
front man Phil Jimenez, for his new group, Beat Radio, which recalls the heady
days of late 1980s and early 1990s indie rock. The early demos are full of droning,
fuzzed-out guitars, bringing to mind iconic groups such as Dean Wareham's Luna
and Galaxie 500. There's a subtle undercurrent of Americana as well: Sendrowitz's
poignantly unsteady voice conjures up none other than Neil Young (an enduring
hero among indie-rockers). At their best, songs such as the buzzing "Elegy"
and the sparsely arranged "A Million Miles" achieve a warm, dusky
glow, like the sad end to a beautiful day. Check out www.beatradio.org."
-Rafer
Guzman, Newsday
"Wednesday
night I saw Beat Radio again, and I was thinking before hand, “Do I really
need to see them again so soon?” The answer came swiftly and with a resounding
“yes.” They are so satisfying as performers that I shouldn’t
question it. Since Brian comes from the folk/singer/songwriter background, he
knows how to write quality songs that, while they may sound hollow solo, really
rock in an ensemble. I can think of another guy that came from a folk background
and with his band added a strong dimension to his material. However, unlike
Alec Ounsworth, Beat Radio fulfills and excels live."
-Yeti
Don't Dance
"A
wonderful mix of jangly but slightly fuzzed-out guitars and wavering vocals
that are backed by good heart-felt lyrics...There is a hint of Americana that
bleeds through their songs and makes them feel warm and familiar. When their
upcoming EP is released, I suggest you check it out."
-Can
You See the Sunset from the Southside?
"New
York based band, Beat Radio, are led by singer/songwriter, Brian Sendrowitz
(guitar), along with Phil Jimenez (guitar and keyboards), Mike McCabe (bass)
and Jim Mansfield (drums). The quartet fit into the 'indie' groove quite nicely.
The vocals and harmonies have that well worn, slightly offbeat/off kilter veneer
that feels organic, and in fact it's Sendrowitz vocals and lyrics which outshine
anything else in the songs. The songs are, for the most part, framed in the
raggedy guitar sounds of the early nineties, but the band is quite capable of
walking or running as the song dictates, despite playing their first live gig
a scant four months ago."
-Alan Williamson, Sixeyes"The songs are simple and uncomplicated in the way that the comfortable and known should be."
-Indie Don't Dance
"But
on to what really matters, which was when Beat Radio finally took the stage.
Each song sounded as good, if not better live, and I found myself knowing all
the words. Had I really listened to them that much in just a few weeks? The
answer is yes. There's a certain mood and atmosphere that resonates from this
band that I just can't get enough of. To say that lead singer Brian Sendrowitz
is a jittery lead singer is not at all a criticism. In fact, it makes for a
great visual. I like jitters. It's that I-feel-so-much-and-want-to-get-it-out
intensity that brought their songs to a new level. Oh yeah, and they played
"Ancient As The Stars." I just adore that song."
-The
Underrated
"I'm so happy that others have caught on to Brian Sendrowitz's band Beat Radio. Right now, the best way to experience them is definitely live. They play Sin-e tonight for a measely 6 bones at 9:00.
-The demo for Treetops (mp3) was on 3 of the 6 3hive contributers Year End lists: 1, 2, and 3.
-Call Me Mickey has the "EP version" of Treetops (mp3) as Song of the Year.
-Even this French blog has put it at #12.
-Two DJs at Break Thru Radio have put them in their Top 5.
-Year of Glad says, "One of the best things I found this year."
Treetops and/or Elegy (mp3) are currently around #14 spot of my most played songs of 2005. So head out to Sin-e tonight. Head here for more mp3s."
-Yeti
Don't Dance
"Beat
Radio play sweet and subtley complex songs. it's familiar music, yet somehow
unique."
-Scatter
o' Light
"This
song (from their upcoming The Ecstatic EP) has been growing on me all week."
-Gorilla
Vs. Bear
"Beat
Radio spin wistful melodies with subtle, vulnerable lyrics in the same vein
as Luna or Sebadoh's more tender moments. Their songs have a radiant, familiar
quality that grows on you with each listen."
-3hive
"I
am not an mp3 blog. Mp3 blogs have an infinite amount of knowledge and discovery
that I just can’t come close. That said, occasionally I will come across
a band by accident that I just have to share. So for this post, I’ll be
that guy writing about that obscure band. Why? Because I love these songs, and
I know a LOT of other people will to (especially bloggers like Rachael, Jeff,
and Nora). Trust me."
-Yeti
Don't Dance
"Have
you ever listened to a song, and realized that you have a ridiculous grin on
your face because you are so struck by what you are hearing? I had that moment
on Monday while riding the train to work. See, sometimes bands send me tracks,
and I listen to them once. Just once. But sometimes bands send me tracks, and
I listen to them once. And then twice. And then, well... you get the point:
the tracks suddenly become the soundtrack for my commute. Beat Radio provided
the background music for my travels this week. I don't know much about them,
but this is what I do know: fuzzy, low-fi sound + strong vocals + catchy hooks
= my head steadily nodding. There is something very simple and beautiful about
the songs. Vocalist Brian Sendrowitz has stolen my heart with lyrics like: I
know I've been walking for a million miles/ I saw something in your eyes/ It
made me smile. If you have time, catch Beat Radio at Sin-e on Saturday, October
1st. I'll be there nodding my head."
-Indie
Don't Dance
"Beat
Radio sound like they could easily have been one of the early Matador bands."
-Chronically
Hip (and in denial)
You know, ever since I've started blogging a few bands have really stuck out in my mind. One of them is Beat Radio. For me, their song Treetops is a real jem. I hope you all check it out."
-A&R Club
"If you've ever happened upon this blog then you've probably seen that I like to rant and rave about whatever music is making me happy. Beat Radio is one of those bands that caught my attention back in September and I haven't been able to get them out of my head since."
-Thank God I'm a Nutsack
"Beat Radio is a New York based indie rock collective that played their first show in June of 2005. In their brief career they've been compared to such luminaires as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Broken Social Scene, and Luna. Recently, they've released a new e.p., The Ecstatic e.p. I've had a chance to listen to three songs from that release and I am honestly blown away by their tunes. After rockin out for the past week, Beat Radio reminds me why I also like well crafted indie rock and pop.
"Elegy" is a fuzzy, addictive mid-tempo rocker. It's backed by layers and layers of sound. With a good pair of headphones, this song is simply magical.
"Mexico" builds on the formula of "Elegy" with a steady, rockin drumbeat and a tempo that's a little quicker.
The real treat for me is "Treetops." It starts with this fragile programmed beat, next some wandering guitars come in, and it's all rounded out by moogy keyboards in the chorus.
-I Rock Cleveland
"Scratch beneath the fuzzy, melodic surface of "Mexico" and you'll find a narrator fighting against life's impermanence and the easy out called compromise. "This morning I woke up I had a melody in mind, I felt like I should sing it but I wouldn't call it mine," Brian Sendrowitz sings. "Then I'm making coffee, then I'm making plans, then the song it slips away like oil through my hands."
-One Louder
we've
also been featured on these fantastic sites:
muzzle
of bees
the
camera as pen
call
me mickey
south
of mainstream
indoor
fireworks
puritan blister
largehearted boy
also, check out these interviews:
herohill, june 2006
portland college radio, april 2006
can you see the sunset from the southside, october 2005
here's a piece Brian wrote about Van Morrison's Astral Weeks for Herohill. There's also an exclusive cover of "the way young lovers do" available for download.