The Gulf was featured online at Stranded in Stereo.

The Gulf is the editors pick in this week’s issue of the Portland Phoenix. The editor described The Gulf as “a twangy, opulent five-piece from Boston I like quite a bit”. Thanks, Portland Phoenix!

Some quotes from a review of Chinatown in DOA:
“macro-musicality…an intriguing album…not an experimental album…songs both familiar and fugitive… large in scope… songs materialize like a forgotten word on the tip of your tongue… deep eclecticism… spaced out but very rooted… folks with eclectic tastes would do well to investigate.”

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Northeast Performer - June, 2007

“According to The Gulf’s press materials, the band recorded its full-length debut in a run-down schoolhouse in Boston’s Chinatown district, changing the locks on a former storage room and converting it to a makeshift studio. Listening to the music on Chinatown, the offspring of this nine-month squatting experiment, one can almost picture the six talented band members making the most of the unlimited recording time in their clandestine studio, bouncing ideas off one another and exploring every musical whim.

Band co-founders Adam Garland and Adam Brock have lived in various parts of the country over the years, and they’ve obviously soaked up the local culture during their stays. Channeling tones from the West Texas desert to the Spanish countryside, with stops at Bourbon Street and even Coney Island along the way, The Gulf create soundscapes as vast as their name implies.

Take “Codeine,” for instance: a Morricone-style trumpet solo drifts into druggy verses, painted with a spacey slide guitar and a jazzy beat, followed by a sloppy barroom sing-along chorus. A few minutes later, a trippy break with the lyrics, “Like a kid in a playpen / No conversations / But I’ve made so many friends,” is dramatically underscored with a full-band barrage of carnival music.

Many songs follow a similar structure, subtly shifting direction mid-song, incorporating extensive instrumental breaks, and building up plenty of tension and release. As dizzy as the trip sounds, the impressive songwriting keeps things grounded and firmly on track, even though many tunes play out like five-minute song-suites with multiple movements.

Stealing the spotlight are the more traditional instruments - mainly Brian McGrath’s trumpet, Adam Brock’s piano, and Dave Barbaree’s slide guitar. Perhaps it’s the use of these instruments, or perhaps the complex, yet seamless song arrangements mentioned above - regardless, there’s an inherent sophistication in The Gulf’s songs that gives them a timeless quality rarely found in today’s hipster elite. This element makes the music a hell of a lot more listener-friendly than one would expect given its eclectic genes.

If your Calexico CDs and Meddle-era Floyd vinyl are getting stale, then try an interesting combination of the two with Chinatown. (Ultracold Records)”

-Brett Cromwell, Northeast Performer Magazine, June 2007

In a live review of their March show in Cambridge, MA, Northeast Performer Magazine called The Gulf “one of the most original acts on the current Boston scene.” Here’s the full review…

Northeast Performer, June 2006.
Live Review by Brett Cromwell

“Filling most of the club’s live performance area, The Gulf was clearly the most anticipated band of the evening. In contrast to the earlier performers, the band displayed a unique ability to marry elements from a variety of genres into a well-executed stew that was completely their own. Long, complex songs brought to mind everything from the desert soundtrack music of Calexico to a heavier, more powerful sound recalling Explosions in the Sky. Keyboardist Adam Brock and guitarist Adam Garland traded vocals while slide guitarist Dave Barbaree and trumpet player Brian McGrath added traces of Nashville and Barcelona to the palette. The band announced that the night would be bassist Sven Larson’s final show. One can only hope his departure will have a minimal effect on his colleagues, as The Gulf is one of the most original acts on the current Boston scene.”

Dagger Zine (Portland, Oregon) reviewed The Gulf’s debut album “Chinatown” in their March 2007 issue:

“Beantown bunch who definitely are not playing the clubs over in Roxbury or Southie. The two leaders Adam Brock and Adam Garland are both quite talented and this spacey/trippy pop will appeal to fans of both Pink Floyd and The Flaming Lips.”

Miriam Lamey did a spotlight on The Gulf in the March 2007 issue of Northeast Performer:

“The Gulf boasts a mysterious history that involves a lot of “random” events,” “a whole bunch of different drummers,” and “a lot of [different] people in every position in the band.” However, the current band members are responsible for the most natural, productive lineup yet, as well as the brilliance behind Chinatown…a dazzling collection of songs that channels elements of Leonard Cohen, early Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Built to Spill, Bright Eyes and rootsy jazz. Each sonic element feels clean and tight, but not overly polished. Rather, all different instruments, including trumpets, piano, harmonica, and strings, come together seamlessly…The Gulf beautifully balances each instrument in their compositions. Equipped with a larger-than-life outlook and a keen ability to produce insightful, intelligent music, The Gulf may soon be everywhere all at once.”

Thursday, February 8, 2007

“The Gulf is a Boston band that sent me their CD, “Chinatown” (Ultracold), at least a month ago and I finally got a grip and listened to it. I started with Track 9, “Note to Garland,” because I liked the name. Turns out it was a fine choice. I was lulled into acoustic lala land, against the backdrop of mellow percussion. Dreamy male vocals, courtesy of Adam Brock [sic] who is cousin of Modest Mouser Isaac Brock, are the centerpiece of the song, but then I started to hear horns and piano. “You’ll ease into conversation, without an eighth of hesitation … just because,” sings Brock. Then I went back to the opening song, “Waking,” which was equally enchanting, as was the next one, “The Princess from Rome.” “Don’t be waiting for me, in those pink leather boots. You know it’s been real but you haven’t got a clue,” spills Brock just before a punch of drums gets the point across. I’m having a total “I think this is my new favorite band” moment. The cover of “Chinatown” is a picture of a shop window with chickens hanging in it, and if you look closely a guitar can also be seen. It’s a goofy shot that doesn’t reflect what their music is all about, but all album covers have a certain level of arbitrary artiness to them, so I’ll cut them some slack. Plus, you GOTTA love that their record label is called Ultracold. The local meteorologists may want to adopt this and simply say in the forecast, “Well people, it’s gonna be ultracold. Good luck.”

note: dreamy male vocals in “Note to Garland” are by Adam Garland, not Adam Brock as written in the article. To avoid this confusion in the future, Adam Brock will have his name legally changed to an exclamation mark !

Band caught trespassing: The Gulf to Release Clandestine “Chinatown” Recordings

November 19, 2006

Praised by music insiders and New Englanders in the know, The Gulf is now poised to change the national music scene with the release of their highly-anticipated debut album, “Chinatown.” Recorded over nine months in a Chinatown school building, the album’s release has been a long time coming, with the band’s pre-release mini-tour only adding to the buzz. Finally caught trespassing by the building’s owner, the Boston band has been forced to complete production of the clandestinely-recorded album. Now fans can celebrate the arrival of this landmark effort at the beloved Lizard Lounge on Thursday, December 21, 2006. The party will include an intimate performance by the band–featuring a mix of fan favorites and cuts from the new album–along with the official unveiling of “Chinatown,” and will kick off a US and UK marketing and distribution effort aimed at nothing less than a musical revolution.

In the tradition of the Pixies and Morphine, the Gulf is a Boston band breaking out. The story starts with the band “squatting” in a run-down Chinatown school building where keyboardist Adam Brock held a day job. Taking advantage of the building’s lax management, The Gulf furtively changed the locks on a rat-infested storage room and converted it into a makeshift studio, with secret recording sessions held between midnight and 4 a.m. Although the band now faces eviction from their “studio,” the story is just beginning, and fans are excited about the forthcoming national tour. In a music world restless for change, “Chinatown” is the harbinger of a new sound.

“Filled with ambient emotion and brilliant subtlety, The Gulf’s piano-fueled jazz/pop on their opening track “Waking” is a refreshing change from your average rock and roll din. This song is strictly thinking man’s music filled with rich nuance and stark imagery. If this tune doesn’t hit the Top 40, the powers that be aren’t doing their jobs!

Slide guitar dominates the texture on “The Missionary” as its easy groove lulls you into a euphoric sense of well-being. The bizarre lullaby of “God’s Machine Gun” turns into a frenetic wake-up call on God’s little mortals…time. “Time is God’s machine gun.” Elegantly put.

Piano riffs pop back into the melody on “Get the Feeling” while the vocals get crowded and hurried. This is a wacky and wild little number. Then, the ethereal, organ-fueled “Sensation Z”, reminiscent of Ray Manzurek and The Doors in their heyday, ignites the aural sky in all its glorious pageantry. While the laid-back, harmonica-dotted “Nothing but Neon” illustrates a magical walk down any street through the night, you realize just how originally gifted The Gulf are. The acoustic finger picking of “Tell Me it’s Alright” not only validates their songwriting savvy, but their musical talents as well.

Boasting an album of extraordinary measure, The Gulf have secured their spot in the Boston music scene with Mind in a Helmet.”

Douglas Sloan
Metronome Magazine