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LaSalle

Expedition Songs (2005)
Thick Records

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Contributed by: Meg
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on December 13th 2005

It’s become almost a proven fact that putting a husband and wife in an indie rock band is a sure combination for success. Now, take into account that the husband is Mike Reed of the late, great Small Brown Bike. And once you add into that mixture the previous drummer of Small Brown Bike, you’ll have a little project known as LaSalle. Whether you were a fan of Small Brown Bike or not, LaSalle definitely make music able to be appreciated by previous fans and newcomers alike.

Expedition Songs is an album that, while definitely reflects a more indie, subdued side of Reed, still focuses on the rock and post-rock elements that made Small Brown Bike so listenable. The chemistry between these individual artists is undeniable and, when brought together, an amazingly cohesive record is born.

The album begins with one of its strongest tracks, “A Prescription for His Social Life,” a guitar-oriented track with semi-muffled vocals about a man’s obligations ("The one thing he knows is the purpose, his requirement"). The album’s next notable song, “Hurt for Long,” presents the listener with a unique melody and tone changes, while Expedition Songs' next track, “Other Side of the Night,” is slower and a lot more melancholy than the rest of the album at this point.

Expedition Songs picks back up during “Vanishing Point” with its catchy chorus of “Hey. Do you need some time? Do you wander through your life? Are you leaving out your pride?” and is quickly followed by “Kissinger,” a song that opens with deliberate, aggressive guitar work. Expedition Songs closes with the twang of guitars in “Don’t Call,” an emotional, slow-paced track.

Despite how sad it was to see Small Brown Bike disband, with such a tremendous band with enormous amounts of potential coming from the ashes, it surely helps to ease the pain. With vocals that from start to finish complment each other and such an unprecedented ability to transcend the genres of indie and rock, LaSalle are, without a doubt, something special.

MP3
Oasis in the Sun

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chorus_of_one (April 2, 2008)

great record

Anonymous (December 20, 2005)

LaSalle is tight, crank the album and Charlevoix kicks ass, yayy for math rock! (and hot bass players)

Anonymous (December 18, 2005)

I LOVE this record.

I loved "The Bike" and I enjoyed Charlevoix as well . . .

This album is neither . . . And I don't mean that in a bad way. If you go in to it expecting SBB or Charlevoix you may come out disapointed but, if you just take it for what it is (a brilliant and nearly perfect indie-rock record made by a talented three-piece) then it's much more enjoyable.

Saw them live recently and the songs came off great

check it out, it's good that's all ya kneed to know.

Anonymous (December 17, 2005)

calling someone attractive is a positive statement, calling someone hot as something making up for the fact their band sucks is a negative statement.

Simple enough for you?

w

GreenVandal (December 15, 2005)

All he said was that a chick was hot. People finding others attractive is actually not a bad thing despite what the republicans and their bibles may tell you. If a girl was here saying a dude was hot no one would have a problem.

Save your equal rights gunpowder for a fight worth the effort cowboy. Your looking for battles that arent there.

Anonymous (December 15, 2005)

"maybe that's why I never claimed to be "punk" anyways"

might also hamper your claim to being a decent human being too.

its called tact. Charlevoix has two very attractive females. I'm sure they would not be painful to procreate with. But I don't go around calling all my attractive friends hot or doable even more distastefully after pointing out its her saving grace after being in a "horrible" band. It's just worthless behavior.

why zo?

Icapped2pac (December 15, 2005)

SO, thinking a chick is hot is un-punk? Well, maybe that's why I never claimed to be "punk" anyways. I guess all you real punks can have the fat, ugly cows, since thinking a chick is hot is below you.

Timis (December 15, 2005)

yeah no shit...

punk rock community wouldnt go see them......they drew more of an indie/emo rock "community" anyway......

Anonymous (December 15, 2005)

I think he means punk rock as a community and not this band.

Timis (December 15, 2005)

since when was charlevoix punk rock?

Anonymous (December 15, 2005)

""And when is charlevoix going to record anything more?"

i hope NEVER...however i didn't mind seeing their hot ass bass player"

Give it up for punk rock, folks. We've really progressed.

Timis (December 14, 2005)

"And when is charlevoix going to record anything more?"

i hope NEVER...however i didn't mind seeing their hot ass bass player

Anonymous (December 14, 2005)

This reminded me of a mix of Rainer Maria and Nail Yourself To the Ground. I like his vocals alot better on this than older small brown bike. He actually holds a little melody rather than bullshit thru parts with a dose of the old "gainesville gruff" vocals that kind of annoys me with older small brown bike. I can mos def see this as a natural progression from nail yourself to the ground.

Anonymous (December 14, 2005)

Was "River Bed" a b-sdie as it's not on the CD or LP, hmm i thinking a No Idea collection perhaps?

VitusTinnitus (December 14, 2005)

yeah, shipwrecked just simply became LaSalle.

and i'd like to know what happened to the river bed b-sides as well.

Anonymous (December 14, 2005)

am hoping to pick this up. Did shipwrecked, the band with just two of the 3 lasalle members get dropped to just have lasalle?

And when is charlevoix going to record anything more?

and what happened to the river bed b-sides?

and why is the activist group christian peacemakers being hassled by the government at guantanamo bay for there protest, and were also kidnapped by a terrorist group in iraq?

There getting fucked on both ends. Whats the deal?

wyzo

thelindberghbaby (December 13, 2005)

rad.