20 Watts

The Apples in Stereo release a collection of their best work

PREVIEW: Download The Apples in Stereo “Energy” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 14/20 Watts

Whether you have heard of The Apples in Stereo because you are a hardcore indie music fan, or you just used to be addicted to their Powerpuff Girls promo song, there is no doubt as to this band’s musical genius. Consistently compared to The Velvet Underground and The Beatles, critics agree The Apples in Stereo aren’t like most bands today.

Emerging from The Elephant 6 Recording Company, a collective of American acts that included The Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, and of Montreal, The Apples in Stereo are most notorious for the radiant, cheery lyrics and bubbly, ’60s inspired resonance.

Finally, after over a year of inactivity, The Apples in Stereo are releasing #1 Hits Explosion. A compilation of the band’s most notorious singles and “hits,”  it includes such releases as “Energy,” “Ruby,” “Signal in the Sky” and “The Rainbow” in its sixteen-track ensemble.

The album serves as a chronicle of the band’s evolution, exemplifying the sound and the direction they have been developing since the early ’90s.  Despite it being full of the tracks we have grown to love, you can clearly hear the evolution in the sound, and technique to the fullest.

Sonic consistency is a feather in the band’s cap. Despite frequently changing musical approaches, when listening to these guys, you never doubt what you’re listening to. It is safe to say that the reason for the uniformity is singer/songwriter/producer Robert Schneider. This lead vocalist is the only original band member remaining after the departure of drummer Hilarie Sidney, in 2006, and is as much to The Apples as Jeff Mangum was to Neutral Milk Hotel.

#1 Hits Explosion puts things in fresh perspective for longtime Apples fans.  It consolidates the best of the band’s work, making it the only Apples in Stereo album you will need. Whether that’s good or bad, you decide. In essence this album works as a great palette cleanser for the forthcoming work by The Apples we have so patiently been waiting for. Till then, if this can’t hold you over, you can join The Apples in Stereo mailing list and get a free download of “We R Super Heroes,” Schneider’s new kids project, Robbert Bobbert and The Bubble Machine.

– Irina Dvalidze