ATA's Latest Review!!

Review from David @ DTHROG SKA Review

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010

Across The Aisle "Change Nothing" EP Review

Across The Aisle (ATA) is a ska and punk influenced band from New York City. They have a fairly standard ska lineup featuring guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, and saxophone. Megg Howe brings a unique element to their sound with very powerful vocals. There is some resemblance between Megg’s voice and Monique Powellformerly of Save Ferris. Both singers can really belt out the vocals with a powerful stage presence and plenty of vibrato.

“Change Nothing” is Across The Aisle’s recent release and is the follow up to 2008’s debut “The Mercy EP”. ATA mixes a ska influenced sound along with elements of punk usually with heavier choruses. The bass lines tend to be more punk influenced and aggressive than the walking bass lines that are sometimes found in ska. Backup vocals are common throughout the EP and there is a great depth of sound and multiple layers. You can hear the New York City influence throughout.

“The Elephant” leads off with a horn riff introduction before a driving verse. The song is about uncomfortable situations and the elephant in the room. There’s a really good pre-chorus at 0:33 with plenty of accents beats. The driving beat throughout should keep the live crowds moving.

“Everybody Lies” starts much slower with dual vocals backed only by the drums before the guitar starts playing an arpeggio lead riff. The whole band joins in for the verse. The chorus is much more upbeat with punk style power chords. The chorus is catchy and again should keep the crowd moving.

“Born Dirty ‘09” is an interesting track instrumentally because it begins with a drum fill and just bass guitar by itself before the guitar and horns trade off melodies. The song then moves to the verse with a stripped down ska guitar strum central in the mix. The pre-chorus is heavily accented. I like the backing vocals in the chorus.

I like the two-tone inspired guitar sound to the introduction in “Roots”. The song talks about your hometown growing up. The verse is laid back and heavily ska influenced before an urgent and upbeat sound in the pre-chorus and chorus.

I’d recommend this release. It’s unique in some respects because it’s not just a pop ska album, or a skacore album, or a girl vocal ska album either. It’s a mix of all of those things with a greater depth of sound than you may expect, especially from a young ska band. The depth of sound should give it staying power.

Currently, the best place to find the album is at ATA shows. It will soon also be released through CDBaby and iTunes. You can catch an excellent interview with Megg and Jay over at Duff Guide to Ska as well as a review of their previous release.

The Mercy EP Review from "Duff Guide To Ska"

We got this amazing review yesterday, from a legend in the Ska world! Steve Shafer, who reviewed our EP is a former employee of Moon Ska Records! Thanks Steve, Madd Love from ATA

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Duff Review: Across the Aisle-The Mercy EP

Across the Aisle
The Mercy EP
Self-released
2008

On The Mercy EP, NYC's Across the Aisle crank out loads of hooky, tart, and rambunctious ska-punk-pop in the vein of such 90s acts as Dance Hall Crashers and Save Ferris, but with Mighty Mighty Bosstones Devil's Night Out-type muscle and bite (pay close attention to the lyrics--the world according to ATA is quite bittersweet). Powerhouse singer Megg Howe has an extraordinary command of her rich alto voice and is more-than-ably backed by her musical cohorts on these four studio and four live cuts. "Better Off" is a gleeful kiss-off to obnoxious backbiters ("Thank you for leaving/we're so better off without you/Thank you for leaving/Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"), while a public break-up on the angrily catchy "59th & Lex" leaves the singer stunned, incredulous, and pissed-off in his wake. "Beer Song" is a ridiculously addictive, over-the-top ode to suds, which swipes part of the melody from "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves for its intro, and sports these great lyrics: "Rum and coke, whiskey on the rocks, don't give me Long Island iced tea--NO!/My liver needs a break/but I can't seem to shake my love for beer!" Special Brew indeed.

The live tracks prove that Across the Aisle is no studio creation--but a super-tight ska musical machine. The best of the lot is the noir-ish "Total Stranger," a deadly serious and slinky jazzy/punky/reggay number about a philandering musician on tour running through more groupies than towns and his very aware and wounded girlfriend hot on his trail ("And how's Miss Sunshine State?/Or the punk rock chick near the Michigan lakes?/Then there's goody two-shoes Seattle/All you do is kiss, but it gives your brass a rattle/Don't treat me like a groupie/Treat my heart with care/I might give it back to you, so don't you dare/Put my high heels on the line/It's such a stupid wager/You don't know her like me, she's a total stranger..."). And not a shred of self-pity is found in Megg's voice--knowledge is power and she's gonna use it.

The Mercy EP is one hell of an impressive debut--somebody should sign 'em to a label now!

The Duff Guide to Ska Grade: B+/A-

A Review By Lucid Culture

Back in November we played a benefit for Just Food, which had a somewhat all over the place line up. The kind folks over at Lucid Culture had these kinds words about our set.

Female-fronted ska rockers Across the Aisle were next, blending ska with a brassy, chipper, cheery, occasionally sarcastic pop feel - imagine No Doubt without the weight of the corporation beating down on them, and with a horn section so tight you couldn’t fit a piece of paper between the sax and the trumpet. Everything they did was infectious: the sly Born Dirty, their signature song Across the Aisle which they began at hardcore speed, the impossibly catchy Out of Sight, Out of Mind, the sexy urban tale 59th and Lexington, a straight-up reggae number and the sardonic Everybody Lies: “Don’t be fooled by assholes,” Megg their frontwoman grinned. Thy Burden were a hard act to follow, but the party didn’t let up til Across the Aisle left the stage. All they need is some college radio exposure and this band will be huge.

Much appreciated. We thought the rest of their review was a little harsh on the band that played prior to us, as they weren't really intended to play that night anyways, and truth be told, they were catchy as hell.