NYE In Deep Ellum: A Report From Wednesday's Ishi Show At TREES.
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ISHI OPENS FOR NEW ORDER
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"Listening to the album twice last night it was clear that it was near impossible to pick a favorite, or three, or five. But because I need to tease the album a little bit"
The Joy of Violent Movement
"Sonically, the material begs repeated listens – and with each listen it reveals deeper layers of sound you may not have initially noticed. Check out how the synths echo and float about dreamily off the gigantic, subwoofer rattling beats and the subtle guitar strumming during the hook of “Mother Prism.” “Moon Watcher” has layers upon layers of synth backed by a quick-paced four on the floor beat that reminds me quite a bit of In Ghost Colours-era Cut Copy, complete with gentle bits of psychedelica"
"After listening through the album multiple times, I’ve noticed that it’s hard for me to skip a track or become bored while listening to any one track, which is a great sign for any album. The different genres and styles that have been incorporated into Ishi’s album leaves the listener wanting more..."
"The album’s latest single is 'Disco Queen,' a track that seamlessly blends French house and synth-rock influences. It sounds like Alan Braxe remixing U2."
"Seeking some grand balance between the audio and visual spectrums of their art, JT Mudd and Brad Dale, the duo behind electro-pop outfit Ishi, combine bright technicolor beats and pinpoint synths with an 80′s sense of pomp rock. Glistening guitar lines and hushed emotional vocals twist and merge with the elastic beats to form lines of kinetic energy, spilling out in waves from the speakers. Known for their elaborate and often overwhelming live shows, the duo makes music that seems to surround and immerse the listener in a whirlpool of surging musical textures...
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Even though these booty shakers and music makers haven’t released an album this year (not counting the band’s Disco Queen album with remixes of the track of the same name), they’ve been working hard writing and debuting new tunes for the past few months. And their fans keep coming out to shake their dandelions, proof that a band can keep fans entertained without a new, full-length release.
New Order performed for about 90 minutes after an opening set by Dallas’ own folk-electronic ensemble Ishi. The show was akin to a traveling European discotheque. There was a video screen behind the stage projecting images, words and graphics. But the lights were the stars – swathes of yellow, blue and red; criss-crossing white beams; and swirls of color illuminating the platform..
"The two lead singers were dynamic, playing with the crowd and dancing up a storm on their own. John T. Mudd, one of the founders of Ishi, was obviously the star of the show. He sang the majority of the vocals while engaging and orchestrating the efforts from the rest of the band. Becky Middleton, the second vocalist, slowly warmed up in the performance. She went from being a lovely, if stiff, accessory on the side of the stage to a more central player in the set. Guitarist Rocky Ottely and drummer J.J. Mudd (brother of John T.) round out the stellar line-up."
"Picking up where Brown left off and then turning it up to 11, Ishi proved that they are the band in Dallas to get bodies moving on the dance floor. The band’s electronic beats were just the thing to kick the party up a notch, and with lead singer John Mudd’s eccentric dance style and stage presence, it was hard to deny the desire to dance the year away, especially when Mudd put away his cane and donned his signature Indian chief headdress. Continuing a night of retro covers, Ishi’s female vocalist Becky Middleton performed an updated version of The Bangles “Walk Like An Egyptian” which was quite the crowd pleaser."
”Disco Queen” (single) – Ishi: To call the beats of “Disco Queen” infectious is not enough. The track is downright contagious. You just gotta groove to the ‘70s inspired track. We’ll call it an electronic-infused dance epidemic that gets better with each listen. Play this track when you are ready to get the party started.
"Ishi, the brainchild of frontman John Mudd and producer Brad Dale, has been a Dallas mainstay for nearly four years at this point. Their records blend indie dance with touches of folk in an interesting way, but it’s their high-energy live set that has made them so popular in their hometown."
"Granada Theater opened its doors promptly at 8 p.m. to about 600 anxious fans and made the announcement that Friendly Fires would not take the stage Wednesday night. And while that certainly pissed some people off, it in no way ruined the show. The show turned out to be free for newcomers, all presale ticket charges were refunded, and local dance-pop group ishi rocked the house with an almost two-hour set that encompassed nearly their whole catalog."
"Wearing a top hat as usual, John Mudd danced around the stage a microphone in one hand, and pumping the air with a cane in the other hand. Though there were a few technical, computer-related glitches, both Mudd, co-vocalist Taylor Rea and the others in the band were certainly in top form, delivering probably the liveliest, tightest set the band has delivered in some time."
"Ishi at Trees for the Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase Why: It was nuts to butts at Trees -- as packed as the storied Deep Ellum haunt's been since re-opening its doors -- and, though at max capacity, a line of eager showgoers still stretched out past the venue's front door, trying to catch a glimpse of Ishi's performance on this night. It was a perfect storm, really: Between the crowds that had come out for the DOMA showcase, Ishi's impossibly high buzz at that very moment, and Trees' unerring sound system, this show seemed destined to be the highlight of this incredibly fun event that also show displays from bigger names such as The Cool Kids, The Secret Machines, Lucero and Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights. And it lived up to its hype, thanks to Ishi's infectious live display. Excerpt from review: "Ishi showed last night that the Dallas music scene is coming back. And, finally, people are actually paying attention".
"Ishi Through the Trees (Make It Records) Ask Ishi what kind of music they make, and they'll gladly claim the title of "folktronic," which is fine if you want to describe the second (and pretty boring) half of the debut release from this set of impressive live performers. There are elements of that "folktronic" sound—acoustic guitar adornments, mainly—in Through the Trees' first half, but they're glossed over, thankfully, with hard-hitting bass, electric guitar riffs and irresistible synth lines. And that first half of the album is fairly undeniable (see: "Pastel Lights"), as co-vocalists John Mudd and Taylor Rea craft a sexual tension ripe for the times."
Ishi was nominated for Best New Act, Best Electronic/dance band, Best Song, & Best Group and won in the categories of "Best New Act" & 'Best Electronic/dance band"
"Ishi Brings Water To A Futuristic Drought, In A Roundabout Way.Somehow stumbled across this edit of the 1986 film Solarbabies, set to a new track from local electro-pop outfit Ishi called "Pastel Lights"--which, for my money, is the best darn thing the band's released yet. Big thumbs up all around--the track, the video, all of it. Anyway, check it out. "
Ishi and "Pastel Lights" Have Us Falling At No. 14
Last Night: Neon Indian, Ishi, Fizzy Dino Pop and Yeahdef at the Granada Theater.
True, the almost at-capacity crowd was primarily there to see the glitter of Alan Palomo and his Neon Indian stage show, but the exposure that Ishi received can't hurt this young band on the rise. Vocalists Taylor Rea and John Mudd combine perfectly as their sultry voices and high energy on stage are the perfect cherry on top of a sound that borrows as much from the swooping basslines of dubstep and drum & bass music as it does from 1980s dance with its synths and robot sounds. "Pastel Lights" served as the band's high-point as the crowd erupted into a dance craze that included one of the first attempts at crowd-surfing seen by this reviewer far too long. And the band also threw in a killer rendition of The Bangles' 1986 No. 1 hit, "Walk Like an Egyptian."
The garden then quickly filled in anticipation of the headlining acts. Ishi fans could be spotted with pastel-painted faces, in tribute to singer Taylor Rea's usual costume. Ishi's vibrant mix of electro beats and calm vocals attract fans like a bug to a light. John T. Mudd and Rea took it to another level: belly dancing, climbing on one another, and walking out into the crowd. The Bangles’ “Walk Like An Egyptian” proved successful with the fawning audience, inciting even more belly dancing from Rea. The crowd seemed to enjoy the sincerity of the fun-loving band. The massively popular single, “Pastel Lights,” ignited more excitement than we thought possible.
2014 Best Electronic Act & Best Pop Act
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