Line & Circle

Photo by Jordan Satmary Hrmmm…where have we been lately?

Fri, 03 May 2013 19:53:13 -0400

Photo by Jordan Satmary

Hrmmm…where have we been lately?

NPR Music: SXSW 2013: Artists To Discover

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:50:00 -0400

Huge thanks to NPR Music for including us in their list of artists to discover at SXSW 2013. So many incredible bands here. Be sure to check out the coverage and download the entire Austin 100 mix HERE.

Stream “Roman Ruins” the A-side from our debut...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:05:00 -0400

Stream “Roman Ruins” the A-side from our debut 7” out now on White Iris Records. Download from iTunes or buy the vinyl.

Stream “Carelessness” the B-Side to our debut...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:01:00 -0400

Stream “Carelessness” the B-Side to our debut 7” out now on White Iris Records. Download from iTunes or buy the vinyl.

Rolling Stone

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:48:00 -0400

Big thanks to Rolling Stone for including us in their December Playlist. Check out the link HERE or read an excerpt below:

Playlist: December 2012

Our favorite songs, albums and videos right now

Line & Circle “Roman Ruins”

The nostalgia-heavy lyrics are well-suited to the soaring jangle of this L.A. indie band’s new single – a throwback to the Eighties which sounds kind of like Michael Stipe jamming with Johnny Marr and is every bit as lovely as that suggests.

Live Review: The Deli LA

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:10:28 -0500

Many thanks to The Deli LA for this review of our show at The Satellite this week. Check out an excerpt below and see the whole thing HERE.

Live Review: Line & Circle at the Satellite, 1/8/13

For the first week of the new year, The Satellite hosted free shows in partnership with Moheak Radio, Grimy Goods, and Downtown Lobby. A great way to lure fans in on cold nights usually spent recovering from overeating and the doldrums of returning to the nine-to-five grind. I ventured out on Tuesday to check out Midwest transplants, Line & Circle, whose anthemic indie rock is drenched in nostalgia. They played an impressive set that proved that while they may be new to LA, they came prepared. Lead singer, Brian Cohen’s vocals harken back to an era before whining was proof of a frontman’s vulnerability, with a haunting quality that at times evoked Robert Smith. Bass player, Nathan Gammill was working so hard, he vacillated between standing eerily still while his fingers danced like lightning across his fretboard, to a mere bob of the head. The theme of the night was maturity - in skill level, and in the feeling evoked through the music. Somehow, their songs give you the sense that they are lamenting heartbreaks and lessons learned from a youth long past, while it’s clear they are right in the midst of it all. But, don’t mistake me, this was not simply a buttoned-up masters class in rock. When Line & Circle hit the stage, they brought the energy up to eleven, and kept it there without hesitation throughout the entire set. A solid set of Indie Rock tunes, just the way you want them - without irony, gimmicks, or arrogance. The duo, turned studio five-piece, recently released a 7” on White Iris Records, which boasts the likes of Beast Coast, Electric Guest, and NO. Check out the single, “Roman Ruins,” below, and keep your eye out for these up-and-comers. - Jacqueline Caruso

"Roman Ruins" Year-End Accolades

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 01:56:00 -0500

Our single “Roman Ruins” made its way onto a few ‘best of’ lists for 2012. Here’s a roundup below. Have a peek and be sure to check out some of these other great tunes as well.

Bowery Boogie (NYC/ US) feature and top ten best songs of 2012

Everybody Taste (US) best songs of 2012

Buzzbands (LA/ US) best local songs of 2012

Bandbook (US) top ten best songs of 2012

Sound of Confusion (UK) top ten best songs of 2012

The Sound of 2013

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 21:07:40 -0500

Many thanks to The Sound of Confusion in the UK for including us in their top ten acts for 2013.

Check out an excerpt below and the read the whole list here.

Line & Circle

As debut singles go, ‘Roman Ruins’ by Californians Line & Circle is one of the best we’ve heard in a long time, even making the top 10 of our tracks of the year list. Surely there’s no way that a band with a song as good as that haven’t gt something else up their sleeves. With just that song and excellent B-side ‘Carelessness’ to listen to we’re eager to hear more.

First show of 2013

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:50:58 -0500

Happy New Year to you! We’re playing our first show of 2013 next Tuesday, January 8th @ The Satellite, as part of their Satellite Nights series. Check it out here.

L&C Pioneer T-Shirt

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:44:00 -0500

Our first official t-shirt is now available in our shop! Check it out man.

Everybody Taste: The Best Songs of 2012

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:22:07 -0500

The fine folks at Everybody Taste have “Roman Ruins” at #29 in their best songs of 2012. Check out the whole list HERE.

Also, read their review of our 7” below, or check out the post HERE.

“There’s a head-clearing cinematic breeze to the track “Roman Ruins” by Los Angeles band Line & Circle. It’s the sort of song that might soundtrack a scene in a romantic drama where the protagonist and his or her love interest realize they can never actually be together—there’s a touch of cheese and melodrama, but that tragic sentiment is also completely genuine. It’s a song that gets caught in your gut, and only escapes when you turn up the dial on your stereo, crank down the car windows, and drive without really thinking or knowing where you’re going. Buy the 7” from White Iris Records.”

Tour Press Roundup: Seattle CultureMob

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:38:46 -0500

Check out this fine review from our show in Seattle last week. Read an excerpt below, or see the whole review HERE.

“ Line & Circle open with an energetic 45-minute set that blows away the winter blues with a dose of California sun. The venue is still disappointingly empty as the crowd trickles in from the cold, but everyone within earshot sits up and takes notice as soon as Line & Circle take to the stage. Their sound owes more to early R.E.M. than their contemporaries – with a nod to British bands the Stone Roses and The Smiths – but that doesn’t keep them from sounding refreshingly unique. There’s an obvious chemistry at work between these young musicians, and their stage presence keeps even the hardcore rockers entranced. A guest guitar appearance by RNDM’s Joseph Arthur gives their set some variety and texture, while their one hit to date, ‘Roman Ruins‘, provides an upbeat highlight. This is clearly an act to watch over the coming months.”

See more photos from the show by Jason Tang HERE.

Nice Meeting You West Coast, USA!

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:32:43 -0500

Thanks so much to all the new friends we met up the coast these past couple weeks. Pleasure getting to play for you and chat with you. Stay in touch and see you again soon!

WEST COAST TOUR w/ RNDM STARTS TONIGHT!

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:10:00 -0500

Buckle in y’all. See you soon!

Photo by Megan Kathleen McIsaac

KEXP Live Video: Line & Circle at CMJ

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 07:04:00 -0500

The fine folks at KEXP have posted the video from our live session last month at CMJ in New York City.

Check out the post HERE, or read an excerpt and watch two videos below:

“Line & Circle are a dream pop band who’ve come onto the national scene this year from LA. This five-piece started with the songwriting duo of Brian J. Cohen and Brian Egan — both from Akron and Dayton, Ohio, respectively — who met in college before moving from the midwest to Los Angeles. They come out of a tradition of synth and chiming-guitar pop bands like early R.E.M., The Church, or The Feelies — and the reminders of those groups are a strength, not any indication of lack of originality. White Iris Records picked up the band and released a 7″ Roman Ruins (A)/Carelessness (B) in July this year. The songwriting is assured and their performance at CMJ for KEXP’s broadcast was high-energy and transcendent. Brian J Cohen’s voice yearns over top of postmodern and majestic layers of guitar and synth slipping in and around each other. A couple of weeks ago, they released a video for “Roman Ruins,” which follows a group of young 20-somethings blithely road-tripping up the California coast to San Francisco — very apt for the band’s nostalgically earnest landscape. Line & Circle will bring their melodic dream-pop to Seattle on November 27th at the Showbox. Check out the videos below if you want a preview of what should be a great show, and be sure to watch the full performance video, which also features two excellent untitled tracks.”

The Silver Tongue: 7inch Sunday: Line & Circle - Roman Ruins

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:17:00 -0500

Many thanks to vinyl enthusiasts The Silver Tongue for this thoughtful review. Check out an excerpt below, or see the post HERE:

“With their recently released debut single, Line & Circle genuinely comfort us without the easy-going plague of complacency.

The single’s cover juxtaposes outdoor serenity with a hint of distortion creeping up from below. With the image just blurry enough to illicit second glances, the songs behind the artwork convey a similar vibe. Neither side of the release is quick to reveal itself; rather, the songs are both slow-burning jams that last far longer than they sonically appear.

“Roman Ruins,” as vividly captured in the video below, embodies a playfully youthful spirit of blindly traveling. The song coasts through calming melodies without the need for straightforward answers or conclusions. Frontman Brian Cohen’s voice holds a familiarity that comforts and cohesively matches the reflective instrumentation.

The B-side, “Carelessness,” has an unexplainable complexity within its four minutes. Guitar progressions are often limited to a single chord, and the piano flirts quietly overtop the track, but the combination of these simplicities with the rest of the song creates an infectious energy that fluctuates with each member’s participation. To witness an outfit combine their skills with such precision is both a treat and pleasant surprise.”

"Roman Ruins" Video (Stereogum Premiere)

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:09:00 -0500

The video for our current A-side “Roman Ruins” is premiering today on STEREOGUM. It is directed by the incredibly talented Mr. Jordan Satmary.

Check out the post HERE, which also includes our new upcoming West Coast tour dates with RNDM:

11/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
11/23 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/25 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/26 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
11/27 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market

Thank You America

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:06:00 -0400

Deep love and thanks to all our new friends we met out there on our first ever U.S. tour. The shows were truly special because of all of you. Lots more exciting news coming, so stay tuned. See you again soon! x

KEXP at CMJ 2012, Day 3: Line & Circle

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:08:00 -0400

A million thanks to the incredible folks @kexp for making our live session @cmj last week so memorable. Check out a recap of the performance below, and read the whole article HERE.

Line & Circle have had a busy week! Touted as the next best thing from Los Angeles their infectious sound will definitely leave an impression. The vocals and lyrics of Brian J Cohen are rich and warbling. The combination of these two elements makes Line & Circle out to be an Americana post-punk mashup, like Modern English written for aimless drives through midwestern countryside. So far, they’ve got one single to their name, “Roman Ruins” and the b-side “Carelessness” both are available via White Iris (stream them here).

This year’s CMJ Music Marathon @ Union Square Ballroom during KEXP’s live broadcast is coming to a close but not slowing down-at least not if Line & Circle have anything to do with it. Eager to play for the audience that braved the rainy weather to get out early they ripped through a set of “Discontents”, “Roman Ruins” and introduced listeners to a new song,”Mine is Mine.” Lead singer Brian J Cohen originally hails from Akron, Ohio and his midwestern-hometown vibe radiates with a warmth that has gained them comparisons from everyone from Athen’s R.E.M to New York’s The National. The ease with which Brian Egan (keys), Eric Neujahr (guitar), Nathan Gammill (bass guitar) and Nick Cisik (drums) come together makes their songs even stronger. Make sure to catch them as they head out from their shows this week and continue on their takeover of North America and continue to attract new listeners with each unveiling of their upcoming debut release.

photos by Lauren Slusher and Ben Mobley

KCRW: LA Bands to Watch at CMJ 2012

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:13:42 -0400

KCRW included us in their article on LA bands to watch at CMJ 2012. Read an excerpt below, or check it out here!

“The great thing about music conferences like CMJ is that you start to notice the competing geographic music scenes on a national (and even international) level. There’s no doubt that Brooklyn, Austin, and the Seattle/Portland constituencies have always had great indie success. But there’s always been something unique about the diverse musical landscape of Los Angeles and it seems to be getting bigger and bigger by the year.

This year is no exception with the buzz behind the young pop diva Sky Ferreira, LA indie supergroup JJAMZ(amazingly pronounced Juh-Jamz), 80’s inspired college jangle pop act Line and Circle, Glassnotes 8-bit warrior Robert DeLong, electro pop dance rockers Capital Cities, dreamy shoegazers Tashaki Miyaki, Echo Park indie rockers NO, indie-tronic R&B trio Wildcat! Wildcat!, and Psychelectric blues rockers American Royalty.

Despite the obvious home court advantage of the conference taking place in NY, I believe LA may escape CMJ with a gutsy road victory thanks to some late game heroics from the aforementioned acts…”