VILLAGE
VOICE
APRIL
12-18, 2006 issue | Voice Choices for 4/17 show at the Bowery
Ballroom
EAGLE
AND TALON
Two girls, one on “guitar/words” from L.A. by way of Winnipeg
and one on “drums/Casio” from L.A. by way of Taiwan by way
of Cleveland, playing an artlessly jagged post-punk that’s got fun
in it even when it’s being serious. With Sia. (Eddy)
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BOSTON
HERALD
April 21, 2006
| Review of 4/20 Paradise Rock Club show
Los
Angeles girlie-punk duo Eagle and Talon ripped through a rousing opening
set full of artfully executed noise: a guitar and drums-based affair fused
with primal feminine abandon reminiscent of both ‘‘Guyville”-era
Liz Phair and the quirky timing of early Throwing Muses. (Christopher
John Treacy)
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STUCK
MAGAZINE
Aug 1, 2006
Summer
Music Reviews
This LA duo is going to be the death of the stigma that has been placed
on any drums and guitar duo since The White Stripes decided that writing
a Coke commercial would be a good idea. Imagine Sleater-Kinney stripped
down to the bare essentials and with an extra-umph of energy. These gals
are poised to take over any venue lucky enough to have them. They’ve
had plenty of support on the internet, so I’m sure you can find
something from them to sample, but be sure to pick up the full EP when
they play in your town. (Peter Wenker)
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COLUMBIA
SPECTATOR
April 14 2006
Eagle
and Talon present a minimalist interpretation of rock and roll...This
[LA]-based duo comprised of Alice and Kim Talon writes none-too-intricate,
power-chord-driven rock with infectious melodies and beautiful harmonies.
The self-titled EP’s highlight is “Kidnapped in the Yukon,”
which begins with breathy female harmonies a la Sufjan Stevens’
Seven Swans and continues with a powerful, anthem-like chorus proclaiming,
“You’re a devil in the waterbed / Your eyeliner is frostbite.”
While the entire EP is not as strong as this track, these two show a great
amount of potential. Keep your ears open. (JG)
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ASSOCIATED
PRESS - ASAP
June
14, 2006
Earlier
this week, I stumbled upon some video footage from a 1997 Sleater-Kinney
show at CBGBs. After the initial rush of nostalgia (I wasn't at this particular
show, but it was right around the first time that I saw the band live
when I was a teenager), it was impossible not to notice how incredibly
young the band comes off in the clip. Front woman Corin Tucker looks as
though she just graduated from high school. Even though the band's performance
was exciting and inspiring, they were hardly the tight, polished punk
rock veterans that they are today. Mind you, this is hardly a complaint.
Though the mature, super-professional, modern incarnation of Sleater-Kinney
is extremely impressive, I do miss the fresh-faced enthusiasm and artistic
self-discovery of their early days.
Los Angeles' Eagle & Talon remind me quite a bit of this old Sleater-Kinney,
not just in the way that they lay down catchy punk riffs with an urgency
that distracts the audience from noticing their musical minimalism, but
in how singer/guitarist Kim Talon alternates between expressive nuance
and a full-bodied roar without any trace of timidity. There's an obvious
youthfulness to the performance, but rather than sounding weak and amateurish,
it manifests itself in the form of unforced girlishness (Talon gushes:
"You are like cookies and like cake in one!"), and the sort
of manic energy that comes from realizing how much power and freedom can
be tapped into by playing rock and roll music. (Matthew
Perpetua)
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RBALLY.NET
March 1, 2006
| EP Review
EAGLE AND TALON (CARES)
The LA Times wrote that Eagle and Talon's music is "wonderfully underproduced"
. . . and that's the first thing I noticed, the fact that the songs have
edges, that Kim and Alice seem comfortable being inexact.
But the problem with edges (and the whole "deliberately unprofessional
art-rock thing") is that it can all be a rouse, a means of hiding
the fact that the band is incapable of writing a f'ing song . . . I mean,
if there isn't a song somewhere and at some point, then you've got nothing
more than theory (you might as well be the "Robert Christgau Band,"
and I think this is why Sonic Youth sucked until Steve Shelly joined).
Anyway, that's why I think Eagle and Talon work. They're aggressive and
raw, and there's also song and subtlety, even if that's not apparent the
first time you hear the chords that probably aren't even chords.
But what do I know . . . .
Anyway, you should download and listen to this simply because Alice seems
like a damned nice person. I'm serious . . . I would give any band a go
that was comprised of folks who were worth talking to. (Jennings Aske)
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NO-FI
MAGAZINE
Sept
2006 | EP Review
EAGLE
AND TALON EP
I
love it! from the first beat and guitar strums in the song "dropped
down", this band has already won me over. luckily the vocals were
just as good too. this is just the kind of band we like to feature in
no-fi "magazine". i only wish this were a full length album
rather than just an e.p..
It's hard to place a band like this, but if you were a fan of third grade
teacher, that dog. or even early veruca salt, you would probably like
this album. the lyrics are playful and they sound like they are having
fun. i liked the minimal keyboard too. something like this could have
been easily overproduced, but it sounds great. i hope they keep the sound
on their next album though. don't you hate it when you like a band's album
and then their next album sounds like it was recorded in an airtight recording
studio made of gold and crystal? let's hope that doesn't happen to eagle
and talon. i can't wait to hear what they come up with next. (Chris Beyond)
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STUNOFAGUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
May
21, 2006
This is one of the bands that is sort of keeping the rock alive, but they
go against my earlier comment about not liking music made by women. It's
just two girls, one on guitar (and it's an electric, none of that Tegan
and Sara/Murmurs stuff here) and one on drums. Someone plays bass on the
recording, but there are only two members. They're pretty awesome. When
a girl knows how to play guitar, it's mega-hot, but most girls only own
an acoustic and every time they pull it out they're like, "Let me
play you this Ani Difranco song I figured out," or "Can you
teach me that Iron and Wine song from Garden State?" But when a girl
pulls out an electric, I just want to make out with her on the spot. Girls,
you CAN rock. You're not confined to this folky stuff just because that's
what Joni Mitchell and Ani Difranco did. Get out there and do it. (Zach)
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FLUXBLOG.ORG
March
14, 2006 | Eagle and Talon Cares EP Review
YOU
ARE LIKE COOKIES AND LIKE CAKE IN ONE
Eagle & Talon "Dropped Down" - Given that the singer grew
up in Winnipeg and now lives in Los Angeles, it sort of makes sense that
Eagle & Talon's lyrics would be so fixated on differences in temperature,
and that the music would come out feeling like the rock equivalent of
a Finnish sauna. The band is at their best when they turn up the heat
and launch into their hooks with a confidence and power that comes close
to that of a young Sleater-Kinney. (Matthew Perpetua)
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THESPACELAB.TV
April
4, 2006 | EP Review
EAGLE AND TALON: EAGLE AND TALON [CARES]
Angular. Isn't [that] a funny word to describe music? It makes me think
of high school geometry class and protractors and stuff. But angular is
also an often used word to describe certain kinds of indie rock that have
a vague punk influence, and make music in a sharp and pointed way like
Mission of Burma. Eagle and Talon make music that has angularity. It can
be sharp and precise and pointy.
The first song Dropped Down on the EP is the runaway single, all other
songs get compared to this one. It's got all the makings of listenability:
it's short, it's appealing, you can latch onto it right away. The rest
of the EP is interesting, but is not as strong as the first track.
Check these guys out for a quick foray into the LA underground. They're
So Sharp brings retro-vintage keyboards into the mix with an almost wurlitzer
sound. It adds a nice sense of retro kitsch to the already smart music.
Bird That Breaks is a choppy workout of back and forth chords that makes
you bob your head back and forth as you listen to it.
As far as I can tell, its just the two girls. Kim Talon and Alice Talon.
Nice. What happened to the Eagle?
RATING: ***** 4 out of 5 stars (Corey Tate)
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KFJC 89.7 Reviews
June
20, 2006 | EP Review
Two
women out of Los Angeles are Eagle and Talon, Kim on vocals/guitar/bass
and Alice on drums/casio and back-up vocals. They have been described
as the founders of “leotard rock” not quite sure what that
means but the women deliver an amazing debut EP which leaves the listener
wanting MORE. A mere 3 songs all under 4 minutes! A battalion of guitars,
encrypted tunings, intricate rhythms, furious drums, dueling casios and
those voices! Kim’s is sweet without too much sugar, packing a wollop,
melodic and enticing. Alice keeps the rhythms going (on drums) and harmonizes
nicely. The two women compliment each other perfectly. This is a very
nice release and I can’t wait to hear more from Eagle and Talon.
(Ophelia Necro)
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THEBUBBLEDEATH.BLOGSPOT.COM
June
02, 2006
WE
ARE THE VEHICLES
EAGLE
AND TALON: BIRD THE BREAKS
I'm in love
with the slicing melody, the warning, edging attitude. The barely repressed
steps forward, the free and ready to attack guitars. See, this is chained,
glaring, artsy post-punk advancing, stepping on toes and not apologizing.
This is paint splatters upon a metal door, this is spikey delicious duo
of two girls with major hands-on-hips stance viewpoint and plenty of jagged
lyrics to last a while. This is Eagle and Talon, the claws being the song,
and all. (Laura)
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RBALLY.NET
April 25, 2006
| Review
of 4/20 Paradise Rock Club show
EAGLE AND TALON - A QUICK NOTE
rbally favorites Eagle and Talon recently played Boston, and they were
great, just great. I'm a few days late in commenting, but I've got to
say:
1. Alice seemed to have an inordinately good time playing. I have never
witnessed someone who seemed so damned happy on the stage.
2. There were moments where Kim was really intense, and not in some obvious
manner, but subtly . . . she was really impressive.
3. They really are a band that rocks, and not some sort of art experiment
like a few folks have mischaracterized.
4. I briefly had a chance to meet Alice and Kim, and they were gracious
and kind . . . but that we already knew.(Jennings Aske)
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GUAVAMAFFIOSA.COM
March
30th, 2006
If I
were to have a pizza party with anyone right now it would with be two
ladies named Kim and Alice. These women make up Eagle and Talon, an noisy,
art-rock duo based out of Los Angeles. E&T are currently on Spring,
east/west + Canadian coast tour with Australian singer/song-writer Sia.
Kim and Alice aren’t just two spunky females playing instruments,
but they are two incredibly cultured women. My girl Alice traveled to
Taiwan to film a short documentary film on feminism and Kim grew up in
Winnipeg, Manitoba composing music while others were pondering about what
flavor Ramen to chow down for lunch.
The two spunky friends and lovers of Planet Earth recently released their
debut EP Eagle and Talon Cares. Cop that shite on their website. Here
is my favorite track. You grab the paper plates and I’ll grab the
streamers–pizza party time!
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