"Do ears deceive or is it tongues that bleed/ Our mouths taste stale like we've been chewing on iron bars/ We sustain/ On a diet of moldy bread and gruel," sings Gavin Dunaway on the opening verse of Libel's debut album opener "We Sustain," immediately establishing a strong literary foundation, followed by "We aim to please with our symphony/ But we shan't bother to tune the instruments/ We sustain/ A note that went flat some time ago/ We sustain/ A vision we've long known is lies." But this isn't a band who doesn't tune and doesn't play flat notes. Libel is part of a much needed revival of technically proficient rock bands whose influences come from a time when bands like Jawbox, Sunny Day Real Estate and Shudder to Think were kings, or damn well should have been.
Consisting of current Jaguar Club/ex-Alphabetical Order member Gavin Dunaway (vocals/guitar) as well as Art of Shooting's Julie Rozansky (bass/backing vocals) and ex-Bling Kong drummer Jonathan Hanson, Libel establishes themselves as future player in the NYC music scene with their debut The Prolonged Insult.
For a limited to you can download a free copy of Libel's The Prolonged Insult here. And if you like what you hear, Libel will be playing tonight at Public Assembly's back room with Telltale, Screen Vinyl Image, Young Boys, and Religioous To Damn. Libel goes on at 8pm, so get there early.
