A Band To Watch In 2009: Versant
A few years ago, I heard Shiny Toy Guns up in LA. They were opening up for another band that I’m pretty into. When I first saw their name on the bill, I had no idea what to expect, “Shiny Toy Guns” kind of sounded like the name of a teenage punk band or something. Oh how little I knew. Their show was tight, very well produced; all of the effects were automated, everything kicked just right. I saw them again a few months later in Northern California and they sounded exactly the same; consistently tight due to the programmed tracks carrying most of the musical weight rather than relying on live instruments to deliver a dynamic sound. STG hadn’t released an album yet, so I had to wait a while before We Are Pilots hit store shelves and I could snag a copy.
That album left me wanting a lot more, but it would be a couple years before STG’s sophomore release, Season of Poison, was announced. Amidst the hype of the new album, in August 2008, it was noted that singer Carah Faye Charnow had parted ways with STG, and Sisely Treasure had stepped in to fill the role of female vocalist. The news broke with mixed reactions among fans, some saying that Carah was the defining characteristic of the band. Others felt that Sisely, who had gained notoriety from a Pussycat Dolls reality TV show, would bring a new and improved dimension to the group.
Season of Poison was released this past November on the heels of the band’s new single Ricochet, and it was a letdown. Even allotting it some grace for being the dreaded sophomore release, following a Grammy-nominated first album, it was missing something. That something was more than the usual sophomore slump could explain away. STG’s second album grossly exposed that Carah Faye was more than a pretty face signed to sell records, but she was in fact one of the driving creative forces behind STG’s unique sound, and subsequent success.
So where has she been? I’ve been keeping tabs on Carah Faye’s new project Versant for several months now, and have been waiting for a full song to be posted before I wrote about it. For a while, they had a quick peek into what they would sound like via a 90 second clip on their MySpace page. They’ve now elected to post the full version of Push Away and it’s what we all thought STG’s second album was supposed to sound like; a more mature, epic and polished STG, driven solely by Charnow’s voice instead of splitting time with Chad Petree.
Check it out here, and keep an ear out for Versant to go big in 2009.
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5 Responses to “A Band To Watch In 2009: Versant”
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Thanks for the recommendation. I will keep in eye and ear open for them.
A band I would suggest would be So Many Dynamos. They are a local band that just got signed and are working on an album. Really good and unique.
I also put a recommendation on bwacks forum for people to go through you to buy the best of radiohead. Just a heads up and maybe you can put something up.
Hey Kyle,
Thanks for the comment. I’ll check out So Many Dynamos. I tried to go to their page, but in typical MySpace fashion, the page didn’t load the player.
Thanks for the plug too!
Tim
Just heard "Out Of Touch" by Versant- sounds great! Carah reminds me a bit of Dubstar's vocalist Sarah Blackwood. Very much a band to watch- they need to get signed and get this music out there
Hey Johnny,
Thanks for the post. I like "Push Away" a bit more than "Out of Touch," but they both have something unique to offer, and the production is great. Their album ought to be out a bit later this year, and I'm sure they'll start picking up tons of buzz once they hit the road again too to support it.
Check them live if you get a chance. I really dug STG live, and would expect Versant to be even cleaner and tighter.
Tim
[...] you to keep your ears out for former Shiny Toy Guns lead Carah Faye, and her new project Versant, earlier this year. Well, it’s looking more like they’ll break in 2010 instead of what little is left of [...]