In The Ponds - The Last Stop Ranch (EP Review)

Release Date: November 03rd 2023. Record Label: Entelodon Records. Formats: DD

The Last Stop Ranch - Tracklisting

1.You Can Kill Me Anytime 03:44

2.Playing with Matches 02:55

3.Hide and Seek 04:18

Members

David Perez – guitar

Jennifer Gigantino – bass

Review

One of my favourite Post-Rock bands In The Ponds return with their new EP The Last Stop Ranch. This time round In The Ponds offer a more Classic Rock sounding EP compared to their previous releases which were more Ambient focused. There’s also a return of the Western based Soundtrack vibe first heard on their debut EP. 

Throw in a mellow Jazzy attitude with the solemn melodic tones of the laid-back Jazz/Blues Rock guitar from David and Jennifer’s heavy thumping bass and In The Ponds focus on playing music a highly effective style of Experimental Post-Rock with a subtle style of Shoegaze and freaky Psychedelics on the entire EP with the songs Playing With Matches and Hide And Seek being the most effective tracks on the record.

With this being more Classic Rock related, the opening track You Can Kill Me Anytime sees In The Ponds open their creative minds to twinges of Garage Rock and even with this being purely instrumental, there’s a bleak atmosphere with the gloomy song titles telling the listener all they need to know about the entire song and EP for that matter.

The Last Stop Ranch could have done with a couple more songs for In The Ponds to explore this new found creative style of music but it’s always better leaving the audience wanting to hear more than overstaying your welcome. In The Ponds proving once again why they’re such a breath of fresh air within the Instrumental Post-Rock scene. And any release that shines a light on 1950’s Rock and Roll with freaky guitar solos on Hide And Seek deserves credit for doing something highly original.

In The Ponds have delivered the goods yet again. I’m hoping for a full length album in the near future. However, until then The Last Stop Ranch is another impressive release for In The Bands to entice fans and potential new followers with.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Exclusive Song & Video Premiere For Instrumental Post-Rock Duo IN THE PONDS New Song - "Playing with Matches”

On the heels of their second EP Fever Canyon, San Jose-based instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS will release their third EP, The Last Stop Ranch this coming November.

As The Last Stop Ranch release date draws near, the band presents a video for the track “Playing with Matches.”

IN THE PONDS is a poet and a filmmaker getting married and starting an instrumental post-rock duo during pandemic lockdowns and California wildfires. It’s a honeymoon spent in quarantine, staring at soot-filled skies wondering how to capture feelings of isolation, dread, and love without using words. 

Their music pays homage to classic rock while experimenting with atmospheric textures for a sound that’s both familiar and otherworldly.

The Last Stop Ranch works with a classic rock tone palette—sizzly SG humbuckers and wobbly delays,to name a few primary colors. For the band, discovering the tracks was like stumbling across the mouth of a cave; something about it makes you get quiet and crane your neck towards the dark. This is the music they imagine you’d hear from an abandoned mine shaft or a dried-up well if you lowered yourself down and listened to what the walls had to say.

The Last Stop Ranch was recorded by guitarist David Perez and mixed by Art Bertik. The front cover artwork was created by bassist Jennifer Gigantino.

We're happy to be premiering the new video Playing With Matches and proves once again why In The Ponds are one of my favourite upcoming Post-Rock bands at the moment.

In The Ponds say this about the song and video

"Playing with Matches—both as a song and a video concept—came to us at the height of the 2020 California wildfires. Like so many people, we were huddled indoors, staring out at gray-orange skies. Even with all the doors and windows closed, the air smelled like soot and there was this ominous haze blanketing everything. This coincided with Covid and shelter-in-place. You knew eventually the fires and the lockdowns would end, but you didn’t know what the world would look like when they did. It started to feel like nature was cleaning house to make room for something else. The perfect environment for songwriting really—because you don't have to think about what the riff should sound like. You just play until you hear something that sounds like the experience you’re living."

Links

https://intheponds.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/inthepondsmusic

https://www.facebook.com/inthepondsmusic

https://twitter.com/inthepondsmusic

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR For all of the details.

San Jose Instrumental Post-rock Duo to Release The Last Stop Ranch EP Via Entelodon Records in September

On the heels of their second EP Fever Canyon, San Jose-based instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS will release their third EP, The Last Stop Ranch this coming September.

Photo credit: Marissa’s Garden / @marissas.garden

The Last Stop Ranch works with a classic rock tone palette—sizzly SG humbuckers and wobbly delays, to name a few primary colors. For the band, discovering the tracks was like stumbling across the mouth of a cave; something about it makes you crane your neck towards the dark. This is the music they imagine you’d hear from a dried-up well if you lowered yourself down and listened to what the walls had to say.

The Last Stop Ranch was recorded by guitarist David Perez and mixed by Art Bertik. The front cover artwork was created by bassist Jennifer Gigantino.

The Last Stop Ranch Track Listing:

1.You Can Kill Me Anytime (But You Won’t)
2.Playing with Matches
3.Hide and Seek

IN THE PONDS is a poet and a filmmaker getting married and starting an instrumental post-rock duo during pandemic lockdowns and California wildfires. It’s a honeymoon spent in quarantine, staring at soot-filled skies wondering how to capture feelings of isolation, dread, and love without using words. Their music pays homage to classic rock while experimenting with atmospheric textures for a sound that’s both familiar and otherworldly.

IN THE PONDS is:

David Perez – Guitar

Jennifer Gigantino – Bass

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter | Instagram

In The Ponds - Fever Canyon (EP Review)

Release Date: March 23rd 2023. Record Label: Entelodon Records. Formats: DD

Fever Canyon: Tracklisting

Lost City

Windmill Blades

Making Time

Members

David Perez – guitar

Jennifer Gigantino – bass

Review

Instrumental Post-Rockers In The Ponds return with their new EP - Fever Canyon. The EP continues their blend of Ambient Rock, Blues Rock and Americana inspired style of Dreamy Post Rock. There’s a lush “Western” vibe on this EP which was evident on their superb debut release Polar Night. The music maybe quite slow in places but In The Ponds excel the most, bringing different creative elements, themes and sounds into the mix for a richer and more engaging sound.

Opening song Lost City is a Psychedelic driven number with a “Barren Wasteland” feeling with the band  employing a killer “Blues Rock” dive on the later stages of the track. Loosely acoustic with a HEAVY sound that richly encompasses the whole atmosphere throughout the song’s four minute runtime. Maybe inspired by EARTH in places but with that Western/Blues Rock twist allowing In The Ponds to create their own original sound that can be quite melodic and groovy in places.

Second song Windmill Blades is another wicked Blues Rock inspired offering with the band carrying on their Acoustic Rock sound. The music has more of a contemporary Americana sound with twinges of lush Psychedelic guitars and funky bass lines. The song is quite riff-focused on the later stages and showcases that In The Ponds definitely know how to write a damn good tune and perhaps even have fun with their music as well.

Third song Making Time is a more solemn and reflective piece with In The Ponds bringing more “SOUL” into the mix. The music drifts from dreamy Post-Rock moments to a heavier Ambient based style of Blues Rock with echoes of almost DOOM ROCK starting to sneak in but the band resist that urge and play a sublime melodic Blues Rock groove that left me wanting to hear more.

Fever Canyon is another superb release from In The Ponds that only builds upon the excellent “Dreamlike” energy from their debut EP and perhaps showcases a slightly different sound from the band along the way as well.

In The Ponds on this form are perhaps one of the best upcoming instrumental Post Rock bands currently out there and I’m excited to hear what they will release next. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Fever Canyon will be available to buy digitally from via Entelodon Records from March 23rd 2023.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

In The Ponds - Polar Night (EP Review)

Date Released: October 19th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Polar NIght: Tracklisting

1.Lonesome George 02:02

2.Someone's Always Watching

3.Haruki on the Sand

Members

David Perez – guitar

Jennifer Gigantino – bass

Review

In The Ponds are a Bass/Guitar Duo playing Instrumental Post-Rock music that adds an air of Ambient mysticism to their music. A Post Rock band without a drummer is quite rare but to the band’s credit, they pull this off with absolute conviction. Their music is more bass focused and the band feel like they’re playing a soundtrack to a long lost western movie with some haunting Psych Rock edges into the mix.

The first two songs Lonesome George and Someone’s Always Watching has an Americana edge firmly rooted in 1950’s style surroundings but with that Instrumental Post-Rock sound keeping everything modern. The instrumental work is superbly played and very discreet with a subtle Psychedelic vibe floating in the background. 

Someone’s Always Watching has a soft Jazz based finish to allow In The Pond to be quite a mysterious outfit. Both songs last around the two minutes mark. Maybe not the most exciting style of music but I enjoyed these two tracks immensely. 

However, the real action appears on the excellent standout track Haruki On The Sand where In The Pond bring a heavier style of Post-Rock that flirts between Classic Rock, Alt Rock and Jazzy grooves for a more well rounded audio experience. Jennifer plays some killer bass lines for David to lay down impressive Psychedelic Western based riffs. The song is slow paced but In The Pond plays some of the most imaginative Post-Rock rhythms and sounds I’ve heard all year. 

Shame the EP only lasts for under 10 mins or so. However, there’s a lot to admire here and this is a fantastic introduction for In The Ponds to make themselves known to the wider Post-Rock community. I’m hoping for a longer release next time round. As I want to hear more.

Overall, Polar Night is a winning collection of great songs and abstract sounds you wouldn’t expect from the Post-Rock field but In The Ponds pulls this off with style and conviction.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Polar Night will be available to buy digitally from October 19th 2022.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

California’s instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS have dropped their first single and music video ‘Lonesome George’

California’s instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS have dropped their first single and music video ‘Lonesome George'

Their debut EP ‘Polar Night’ is due to release October 19th via Entelodon Records.

Watch the YouTube video below.

For fans of: Earth, Grails, The Dead Weather, Cortége, Droneroom

IN THE PONDS is David Perez (Guitar) and Jennifer Gigantino (Bass)

IN THE PONDS is what happens when a poet and a filmmaker get married and start an instrumental rock band during pandemic lockdowns and California wildfires. It’s when they spend their honeymoon in quarantine, staring at soot-filled skies wondering how to capture feelings of isolation, dread, and love without using words. The result is three EPs that pay homage to classic rock roots while experimenting with non-traditional song structures for a sound that’s both familiar and otherworldly.

Digital pre-orders have begun on Bandcamp for ‘Polar Night’.