2008 Woodie Awards
CD Review: Cedarwell
Gamboge
Kazuya Hisanaga
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Sheboygan has rarely been known for new indie music. In the middle of a vast cornfield where old-fashioned 80's heavy metal is still played an awful lot, the acoustic duo, Cedarwell, is now trying to break the ice. They bring fresh and creative sounds for every bored youth.
Cedarwell is an indie band consisting of vocalist and acoustic guitarist, Erik Neave, and drummer and harmonica player, Joel Phillip Stokdyk. They formed Cedarwell after they came back from Boston as a former band called Amalgam.
Since Cedarwell was formed in 2004, they have released an album called Gamboge, and they have been touring the country with lively sounds and magnetic performances.
In each city, according to another reviewer, Cedarwell surprises audiences "with a dynamic performance based around Erik's songwriting and vocals, augmented by Joel's amalgam of subtle percussion, harmonica and vocals."
If you want to categorize their sound, I would agree with what one reviewer said. "[They are] less than rock, more than pop." In this sense, you could call them alternative pop/rock.
Though their acoustic sounds are soft on CD, they play more aggressive than rock when they are on stage. Their stage sounds are more dynamic than you could imagine of their simple vocals, acoustic guitar, and drums.
Overall, their first album, Gamboge, is simply a great album. There is no dull moment in every song on the album. The songs are full of variety from alternative country to sing-along to ballad type songs.
Along with their catchy melodies, Cedarwell's music is not something that has gotten demographic of listeners. Cedarwell could be a perfect choice of alternative to mainstream music.
It might be hard to imagine how cool the indie band is when it plays, considering they are a Sheboygan band. I suggest you imagine the Bright Eyes or some other indie bands and singer/songwriters out of the music scene in Omaha, Nebraska.
For all of you who do not understand why I am mentioning the Omaha music scene, you have to open your Internet browser and type Cedarwell in a search engine, I guarantee you will put Cedarwell in your playlist.
Cedarwell is an indie band consisting of vocalist and acoustic guitarist, Erik Neave, and drummer and harmonica player, Joel Phillip Stokdyk. They formed Cedarwell after they came back from Boston as a former band called Amalgam.
Since Cedarwell was formed in 2004, they have released an album called Gamboge, and they have been touring the country with lively sounds and magnetic performances.
In each city, according to another reviewer, Cedarwell surprises audiences "with a dynamic performance based around Erik's songwriting and vocals, augmented by Joel's amalgam of subtle percussion, harmonica and vocals."
If you want to categorize their sound, I would agree with what one reviewer said. "[They are] less than rock, more than pop." In this sense, you could call them alternative pop/rock.
Though their acoustic sounds are soft on CD, they play more aggressive than rock when they are on stage. Their stage sounds are more dynamic than you could imagine of their simple vocals, acoustic guitar, and drums.
Overall, their first album, Gamboge, is simply a great album. There is no dull moment in every song on the album. The songs are full of variety from alternative country to sing-along to ballad type songs.
Along with their catchy melodies, Cedarwell's music is not something that has gotten demographic of listeners. Cedarwell could be a perfect choice of alternative to mainstream music.
It might be hard to imagine how cool the indie band is when it plays, considering they are a Sheboygan band. I suggest you imagine the Bright Eyes or some other indie bands and singer/songwriters out of the music scene in Omaha, Nebraska.
For all of you who do not understand why I am mentioning the Omaha music scene, you have to open your Internet browser and type Cedarwell in a search engine, I guarantee you will put Cedarwell in your playlist.
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