Hidden Shoal Recordings Release "Lakes and Ponds" by The Hero Cycle

January 24, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Business News
The Australian digital music label, Hidden Shoal Recordings, today announced the release of the ep, “Lakes and Ponds” by US indie pop rockers, The Hero Cycle.

From the exultant indie rock joyride of "Breathing In" to the bursting pop immediacy of "Lovers Crime", "Lakes and Ponds" grabs you by the hand, squeezes your palm, then throws you into its spacious and twisting trajectory. The EP manages that perfect balance between viscera and brains where pop hooks and songcraft walk hand in hand with a big layered sound.

The EP closer and single, “You vs Them” is The Hero Cycle at their very best. The track woos the lis-tener with its swinging upbeat verse while hiding a wonderfully epic sting in its tail that it unleashes with undeniable power. “You vs Them” contains one of the most, hook laiden, unwinding and dizzying rock finales you will hear this year.

With seven band members feeding into the mix The Hero Cycle create a joyously large, textured sound coupled with complex arrangements to produce a feel that is at once spontaneous and measured. The band possess that magic combination of sound and song, pooling all the ingredients of shoegaze rock and indie pop and distilling them into undeniably catchy and driving tunes. The Hero Cycle are, without doubt, one of the bands to watch in 2007.

“The Hero Cycle reminds me a lot of Broken Social Scene with its broad varied textured sounds….I’ve been playing them constantly. Some of my favorite stuff at the moment.”
-False 45th

“Bands like The Hero Cycle don’t come around that often. Infact a collective would be the most accurate term used to describe such a band. Seven members, a whole ensemble of instruments and varied style make for an intriguing sound that bounces from the light and melodic, to a darker, full bodied roar. These guys from Vermont have just released “Lakes and Ponds”, an EP that demonstrates across the board how much talent they possess. From the saga of “You vs Them” to the effervescent pop rock of “Lovers Crime” I was left licking the scraps off my fingers, hungry for more.”
-The Sandwich Club

The Hero Cycle began in the Green Mountains of Vermont in 2005, combining the varied talents of drummer John Gorman, synthist Tom Kelly, and guitarists Mike Prall and Frank Smecker (ex-Drowningman and ex-Escapist). Soon after, the band quickly grew, including fellow Burlington residents Hannah Wall (Magogs) on keyboards, Shawn Flanagan (Fire the Cannons and ex-Starlight Conspiracy) on bass, and third guitarist Adam Fuller (The Year’s Best).

“Lakes and Ponds” is available now from iTunes, eMusic, Sony Connect and The HSR Store.

Hidden Shoal Recordings is an Australian based independent digital music label releasing some of the best contemporary independent music around. The label is a unique marriage of contemporary distribution, marketing and publicity with traditional indie label values and, most importantly, a wonderful catalogue of releases. The label distributes its releases through iTunes, eMusic, Sony Connect and the HSR Store.


Label Site: http://music.hiddenshoal.com
HSR Store: http://agora.hiddenshoal.com