Leafy Lanes

Well, I've known Dale and Ryan for quite some time. I first discovered this duo on Humblebee Recordings one fateful day in 2006. When I first heard "A Hiding Smile", I was pretty much in love with their music. I never did get my hands on their first tape, but the mp3s were great. With each new release by Apple Orchard it seems that their sound is changing into something even greater. Their beginning efforts were in the likes of St. Christopher, Sweet William, and The Field Mice to name a few. They had their drum machine beats, and jangly guitars. Then, when I listened to "Half-Steps Toward Bright Skies", I noticed there was a change. Apple Orchard moved away from their early beginnings of jangly guitars and hiss tape sound. They did some experimenting with sounds of The Radio Dept., and early shoegaze bands. It's weird, because this particular album of theirs really grew on me. As for their brand new Leafy Lanes EP, I think it is amazing. They became even louder, and I was hinting Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine, and early shoegaze. The opening track "Hit Or Miss" shows Apple Orchard's shoegaze roots. The guitars have become a bit louder, and one could compare it to The Jesus And Mary Chain. The second song "Fall Fast" is a really great track. The opening drum machine, and My Bloody Valentine-esque guitars and sound. It sent chills down my spine, and much like any other band that I enjoy, this duo had me craving more. The other tracks are a mix of their earlier jangle pop. Think of St. Christopher, Trembling Blue Stars, and The Field Mice. The fourth track "Near-Perfect", is a more jangly one, and it is a memory of their C-86 days. This track proves to show they haven't entirely strayed away from their jangly sound. This is a great EP, and I suggest to anyone purchase this EP before it is gone. It is a limited release, and it is to show what is yet to come from this great duo.

-Andrew Likes Pop

Hach, dass es so etwas heutzutage noch gibt - Apple Orchard, eine Band, der man ohne Weiteres abnehmen würde, dass sie ihre Platten auf dem Sarah Records-Label veröffentlicht haben – oder die verschollenen Zwillingsbrüder der Lucksmiths sind. Aber nein, das kalifornische Duo ist brandaktuell und hat gerade seine neue «The Leafy Lanes»-EP herausgebracht, auf der sie wieder den Twee- und Indiepop frönen, dass es eine Freude ist. Fein, gerade in diesen grauen herbstlichen Finsterzeiten.

Translation:

What a surprise to listen to something like this nowadays! Apple Orchard is a band that allows you to think that they released their records on the legendary Label Sarah Records. They could also be the lost twin brothers of the Lucksmiths. But no! The Californian Duo is totally up to date and recently released their new EP "The Leafy Lanes" on which you can find joyful Twee- and Indie-Pop again. Very fine, especially in these gray autumn days of gloom.

- Coast Is Clear
Thanks to Daniel Leckert for the translation.

Apple Orchard are a Filipino indie pop band from San Francisco consisting of brothers Dale & Ryan Marquez. They have been releasing music since 2003 from early releases on cassette labels to their self released debut album last year. On the Leafy Lanes EP, it’s clear that the band's sound is drenched in the history of Sarah Records, Creation and Matinee Recordings. Opener "Hit Or Miss" could be The Field Mice whilst the EP’s best track "That Sleepy Side Of Town" reverberates to the sound of The Loft and Pete Astor. That’s not to say the band don’t have any ideas of their own and on "Near Perfect" and "Because The Waters Are Calm", they mix a luscious keyboard sound with jangling guitars to good effect thus progressing further than their initial influences rather than being constrained by them. A lovely little EP. The Leafy Lanes EP is out now on the bands own Haymarket Records imprint. Order from here. It’s limited to a 100 copies.

-Tom Bartlett, Indie-MP3 Records

Apple Orchard's new, self-released Leafy Lanes EP showed up on my doorstep about two weeks ago – just in time for fall. Despite the EP title's obvious seasonal suggestions, the music within more than drives home the EP's languid, seasonally-thematic overtones. Then, Apple Orchard's brand of indiepop has always been pretty appropriate for the year's colder days – you know, those days when a hot drink just won't do the trick, and what you really long for is the reliable comfort of a dreamy keyboard melody. Ryan and Dale have got them in spades, but on Leafy Lanes we also see the odd jangling lead ("That Sleepy Side Of Town") or slow-burning solo (their cover of Carnival Park's "Fall Fast"). I don't think I've listened to this EP even once past noon and I think that's just fine, and I think the boys of Apple Orchard could only agree. So, if you need a warm wake up call on these increasingly chilly autumn days, I'd recommend picking yourself up a copy of Leafy Lanes.

- Matt, Skatterbrain!

Yeah, indiepop, right - it's all fey pricks with Sarah Records badges and Hello Kitty slides, innit? Yeah. Twee fuckers.

Nonsense, says I! It's a massive, fat fact that not many of the current crop of indiepop darlings sound anything like the stuff that Sarah Records used to put out (I'm ready to be shot down on this one, of course). But Apple Orchard do, and they do it ever so nicely.

On "Hit Or Miss" they sound like Brighter, and there's no-one around at the moment who can sound like Brighter quite as nicely. On "Fall Fast", they sound like Trembling Blue Stars, with added synth. Tick those boxes.

But don't worry - Apple Orchard aren't some kind of tribute act. "That Sleepy Side Of Town" is upbeat, perky, and almost groovy. And sort of indiepopdance song that you could only just shimmy along to, of course, but it top-tapping all the same.

We revert to type with "Near Perfect", but that's okay, because in the absence of Harper Lee, I need some lush introspection every now and again.

That Apple Orchard carry on letting go of these little pop gems after the best part of a decade is a wonderful thing, and if you'd like to share this particular one, you best hurry up, because there are only 100 of them to order.

- Sam, A Layer Of Chips

Leafing Through Memories...

These days you have to learn to appreciate a lovingly packaged cdr. Such as the new ep from Apple Orchard! The sparkle of the clear plastic sleeve immediately promised musical delights and as I turned it upside-down a lightscribed disc fell out. I immediately placed it on the cd tray and pressed close then play. Leafy Lanes contains four new songs and the much older "Near-Perfect". All of them quite similar to the sound on last year's Half-Steps Toward Bright Skies: polished, with well-programmed drums, woozy keyboards, languid vocals and the occasional burst of guitars. It's the little things that make this ep so great. There's a cover of Carnival Park's (one of the best Filipino bands!) "Fall Fast" which I am sure I've heard before but at the moment I can't remember what compilation it is on. My favourite track is the upbeat jangler "That Sleepy Side of Town", but I'm not going to share that since you can already stream it from you-know-where.

Instead, here is another cover. As we all know The Lucksmiths have now split up (they just did their last gig, down in Melbourne), and of course I had the honour of supporting them on their last two European shows, which now seems slightly unreal, but anyway, this is also a tribute to them. Apple Orchard have recorded a fantastic cover of one of the Luckies' best tunes "The Great Dividing Range", and I would also like to recommend the compilation it is from. Music to Hold Hands to is a Filipino tribute cd to the band that you can (and should) download for free here. Apple Orchard is a band that have shared plenty of music online anyway, and you can still find some treats on their site. I'm going to check out that Galaxie 500 cover myself!

- Krister Bladh, Heaven Is Above Your Head