Us Songs (Grey Vinyl) [LP], Elliott, Vinyl

The birth of Elliott was in the fall of '95 when guitarist Jay Palumbo left the band EMPATHY, moved to Louisville, and joined up with Chris Higdon (vox/ guitar) and Jonathan Mobley (bass). Higdon and Mobley had recently ended an accomplished run with the highly acclaimed band FALLING FORWARD and had been playing music together off and on since childhood. With the intention of sounding unlike any of their previous hardcore bands, a new sound emerged and developed into one that was very much their own: an extremely textured combination of melodic hardcore, rock, and emo. In the fall of '96 they enlisted drummer Kevin Ratterman and the true focus of Elliott began. Elliott's debut full-length, U.S. Songs, came with a lot of hype in the independent music scene, as their previous single had garnered much positive press. Aggressive guitars storm out of the gates with the track "Miracle," and for the rest of the album the band never let's up. For people wanting to understand indie rock music, Elliott is a worthy point of entry, encompassing emotional heights and depths along with the tight musicianship that is expected from a genre known for wearing it's heart on it's sleeve.