Indie Radar

Ambulance LTD - Sugar Pill (mp3)


Ambulance LTD (the "LTD" is a legal thing, the band is refered to simply as "Ambulance") is a New York based rock quarttet, whose influences range far and wide. Listening to their music it is easy to hear Elliott Smith, or The Velvet Underground. Their 2004 self-titled debut album, and only their second release after the initial EP, is a collection of songs that each seem to point in one direction or another of 60's and 70's rock. I don't know how many people reading this have played the PS2 game Katamari Damacy... but imagine that someone went into the rock and roll hall of fame, and picked up the major non-glamrock, non-punk rock music of the 60's and 70's, a little classic rock (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones), a little motown, a bit of blues and jazz, add a some modern indie rock (most notably Elliott Smith and Mogwai) and some not-so-modern indie (The Pixies), rolled them into a ball, and then proceeded to serve it in bowl with a cherry, whipped cream and those little chocolate sprinkles.

Ambulance is in some ways, nothing new. It can easily be described as rehashed and out-of-date stylism. It could be said that they are one band of a movement that is the musical equivilent of thrift store fashion. But they bring something more than that to the table. To be able to recreate a sound, or a certain feeling that music provokes is that something more. Is it "just another" indie rock band? or is it just more of a good thing? That's up for individuals to decide. I just think it's good indie rock.



Links:

Official Ambulance Website

Pitchfork Media Review