The Old Ceremony: "pop noir"

As I noted yesterday, Django Haskins is free to devote all of his time to a new project, International Orange having broken up. And that's probably for the best, because while Int'l Orange made solid, well-crafted pop/rock, his new project, The Old Ceremony is much more intriguing.

It's jazzy, moody, and eclectic, with a core lineup that includes vibes, organ, and piano as well as bass, drums, and guitar, plus an array of come-and-go partners who add violin, sax, trumpet, and so on. I don't always give much credence to bands' self-descriptions, but in this case, the Old Ceremony's "pop noir" fits pretty well. You can hear a bit of Tom Waits in there (though a much more traditional vocal tone), some Kurt Weill, perhaps, thrown together in a smoky jazz cabaret. I wish I could write better about this, but fortunately you can judge for yourself. Give it a listen -- it's great stuff.

MP3: "Blood and Oil"
MP3: "Ole"
MP3: "American Romeo"
MP3: "Shadows On My Trail"
(demos and roughs for forthcoming album)