showdown at the equator

indiepages.com This band comes from Ann Arbor, and some of its members have played with Saturday Look Good To Me and Flashpapr, which is not surprising, as this band shares the same sense of musical diversity that's evident throughout the Detroit/Ann Arbor collective. The group shows a strong bossa nova influence (especially noticeable in the strummy patterns of the main guitar throughout most of the songs), but also reveals hints of indiepop, 70s pop and even jazz in these ten songs. The songs are very light and easy-going, but generally upbeat, and the vocals are split between the male and female singer, who sometimes even sing together on a few songs. I can't really think of many bands that I could compare this to, with the exception of True Love Always (actually, "Out Of Sympathy" is very similar to TLA), who also share an affinity for jazz and bossa nova. This is actually the band's second album (the first was self-released, as well), but I hope they can get enough exposure to get their next album released on a good label. Were it released twenty years ago, this impressive record would've found a perfect home in the Él catalog! MTQ=9/10

www.thinksmall.nl Het nadeel aan mijn associatieve manier van muziek luisteren is dat ik bij bands heel vaak aan andere bands moet denken, zo erg dat ik er niet omheen kan de naam te noemen. Maar dat ik me dan ook wel weer realiseer dat het de meeste lezers weinig zal zeggen. Ik bedoel: True Love Always? Gaat er nu een belletje rinkelen? Ik moet er elke keer aan denken als ik dit tweede album van Showdown At The Equator (uit Ann Arbor, MI) in de speler stop. Vanwege dat hele heldere popgeluid, dat ontsmet lijkt om elk spoor van rock uit te wissen. En nu moet je niet denken aan publiekslievelingetjes The Shins, want die klinken hiermee vergeleken echt als een stadionrock-act, en het is ook geen bubblegum-hitparade pop, SATE maakt misschien wel indiepop in haar zuiverste vorm (een iets bekendere referentie is Unrest en haar navolgers op Teenbeat). En laat ik nu net heel erg van indiepop houden. En al helemaal als er af en toe een meisje de microfoon in handen neemt, wat bij SATE inderdaad gebeurt. Als het aan mij ligt is er na twee eigen beheer albums (het debuut staat in zijn geheel van de site van de band te downloaden) eens een groter label (Magic Marker?) zich over de band zou ontfermen. De muziekwereld verdient dat best.
Martijn Grooten
9 september 2004 English Translation

adecouvrirabsolument.com Quand on fait de la pop, on est forcement influence par les années 60. De Love aux Beatles, quelques uns des plus grands morceaux de l'histoire de la musique ont vu le jour alors que la plupart d'entre nous n'étions pas nés…enfin presque. Showdown at the equator, aime la pop, aime sûrement le psychédélisme, mais à l'instar d'un the sea and cake, le groupe aime également aller farfouiller un peu plus loin. Une entrée en matière presque parfaite avec ce Character Study, parfait mélange entre the american analog set et the sea and cake. La suite est faite de pop songs discrètes et accueillantes (Powers, Turnpike), de morceaux plus rock (dear friend), et de morceaux terriblement mélodiques, qui vous emmènent sur le dance floor en claquant des doigts (Urban camping). Le disque étant auto produit, on sent quelques lacunes au niveau de la production, parfois le son est moins fort, les instruments pas forcement toujours bien mis en valeur, mais cela renforce la qualité mélodique du groupe, qui arrive même avec des moyens modestes à réaliser un très bon disque de pop. Personnellement je mise quelques euros sur ce groupe…En tout cas une reconnaissance à leur juste valeur ne serait pas volé . - Vinz English Translation

Real Detroit *4* With airy vocals and familiar-pillowcase comfort, Showdown at the Equator have all the makings of a cherished twee outfit. And maybe it's just me, but at certain points, a few electric-guitar melodies even glow with a '70s AM-radio vibe. Precarious and precious, light and lulling, Showdown's latest compilation of tunes, fittingly titled Character Study, sweetly holds your hand with naïve romanticizing, preoccupied daydreams and unbridled infatuations. The shooting synth of "Dear Friend," appeased by singer Kelly Caldwell's whispered voice, breaks SATE out of their usually polite mold, but it's relatable pure indie-pop pieces like "Turnpike" and "Urban Camping" that give Character Study a heart. The urgent, soft strums of "Powers" and "Psychopathic I" soar around the boy/girl vocals and misty guitar sounds with ease. Lyrically literate and at times cutesy (but earnestly so), the sunlit songs on Character Study float into one another as freely as a summer breeze. Makes me feel fine . Reason to Buy: Emo, twee, it's all the same. Someone hold my hand. Best Listening Experience: "Powers."
- Shannon McCarthy

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