From Promoter: “The unique conditions that gifted the world Ivy sound more like an incredible movie script than the origin story of an indie band. Dominique Durand had no intention of being a musician, let alone fronting a band when she left Paris for New York in 1989, but events transpired that would change her life forever. There, she met a young Andy Chase, and the two bonded over a shared love of 80’s UK bands like The Smiths and Orange Juice. With her encouragement, Chase began to write his first songs on guitar, eventually placing an ad in The Village Voice to enlist collaborators. The ad attracted Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, who arrived at the apartment with their own plans, hoping to enlist Chase for their new project, the proto-Fountains of Wayne group Pinwheel. Though the meeting didn’t yield either group the players they were seeking, Chase and Durand were impressed with Schlesinger’s inspired energy, and kept up a correspondence. In the coming years, the band would grow into their newfound role as the purveyors of sophisticated, icy pop, releasing a catalog of timeless and critically acclaimed records. There’s the jangly, breezy collection on Realistic (1995), and the breakthrough, four-album run of Apartment Life (1997), Long Distance (2000), Guestroom (2002), and In The Clear (2005). After a brief hiatus, the trio returned with All Hours (2011), a record Durand remembers wryly was “not effortless”. Originally released in 1997, Ivy’s second album is a true gem. Apartment Life includes guest stars: Dean Wareham (Luna), Stan Demeski (Luna, Feelies), James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Chris Collingwood & Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne) and Alan “Mr. Fabulous” Rubin (The Blues Brothers).”
RIYL: Saint Etienne, Lush, The Postmarks FCC: Clean
WRUV Reviews 