(updated: 6/3/10)

ANTIMUSIC "Six O'Clock Saints exhibit the same passion and emotional density that has come to be associated with original alternative rock music. Think Erasure, Depeche Mode, and the like. Except they add a twist of pop, electronica, and good old-fashioned rock and roll to the cocktail.”

AIDING & ABETTING "The sound may be a bit of a throwback, but it's a welcome one to my ears. Excellent melodic work paired with some serious power. This package is well put together.”

Hailing from an abandoned gallery warehouse in Reading, PA, SIX O’CLOCK SAINTS have meticulously forged their craft – redefining the term “art rock” by distilling a myriad of influences into a dark pop sensibility and fusing that sound with an artistic and powerful live show. The result? SIX O’CLOCK SAINTS aren’t merely a band who accompany their performances with visuals; nor are they merely accompanying their visuals with music – the two become inseparable, coalescing in one sensory-engulfing package that is at once transcendent, sexual and powerful.

Sonically, the band combines contemporary dance music, retro-New Wave and electronica influences with a solid backbone of rock and pop to create a sound that occasionally touches upon the music of acts like DEPECHE MODE, EDITORS and SHE WANTS REVENGE.

Visually, the band members distill imagery from their collective consciousnesses – retro horror, exploitation films, vintage pop culture references, scientific information films, public service announcements and more – to display a tongue-in-cheek nod to the influential media of their past and present.

The band’s debut full-length, Exculpation, shows SIX O’CLOCK SAINTS making good on the promise of their live shows. The dark pop sensibilities of the album’s songs are funneled through an emotionally charged story, fusing melodies and harmonies with themes of loss and perseverance.

Refusing to release a sub-par product, SIX O’CLOCK SAINTS went through several studio attempts to capture the band's true essence before ultimately pairing with New York hip-hop producer DJ Luciano, who produced and engineered the endeavor in the now former Oxygen for the Arts gallery warehouse. Luciano utilized the sounds and natural acoustics of the vast areas within the space (take note of the shattering glass, pounding machinery and the build up of pressurized water hoses in "Cancer Girl"), all while in the company of live sculptors, painters and a collection of various underground and low-brow artists, creating a sound that manifested itself through a synergy of eclectic talents and influences.

From the atmospheric, layered melodies of "Myself Underneath" to the visceral energy of "Cancer Girl" to "Pretty Face" – an epic tale of heartbreak and convalescence – SIX O’CLOCK SAINTS' debut full length, Exculpation, commands attention from beginning to end. Some bands make rock devoid of art; others art without the rock. For SIX O’CLOCK SAINTS, the two are simply inseparable.

 

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