Umbrella Tree RIP

I feel bad about this as I don't have the time at the moment to add the amount this band deserves. But as it says, they are ending sadly (but not surprisingly). Timbre even played on 1 of their albums. Hopefully I'll have the chance to edit in a bit more, but for now, RIP another good 2000's college prog band.

from their latest newsletter:


This is what happens when you run out of gas.
On August 23rd, we celebrated the 7-year anniversary of our first show as Umbrella Tree. We now announce, with introspection and cautious optimism, that Umbrella Tree is no more. So it goes. We part ways with a great surplus of love and mutual well-wishing.

As our final encore, we are now making available the complete, multi-camera, HD video from our album release show this past May. It is available HERE for free. Enjoy it. Pass it along. Remember us fondly, as we will remember you.

Finally, we must thank a considerable enclave of supporters. Thank you everyone who ever bought an album or came to a show or put us on a mixtape. Thank you all Kickstarter backers, everyone who made their own Umbrella Tree music videos, and those of you who choreographed dance pieces to our songs. Thank you to all the bands with whom we played. Thank you Christi Bissell, Matt Slocum, Richena Purnell, Matthew Beale, Chris Click, Adam Troxler, Jamie Bacon, Timbre Cierpke, Anna Fitzgerald, Tia Shearer , Jill Ann Raney, and Poly for performing on our records or with us live or doing sign language interpretation or some combination of these things. Thank you Jeremy Ferguson for everything you have ever done for us, and Jimmy Abegg for introducing us to Jeremy. Thank you Jim DeMain, Loney John Hutchins, Justin Boots Herlocker, Steve Mabee, and Al Willis for your work on our recordings. 

Most of the photographs we have ever used professionally were taken by either Ben Pearson or Sally LaFave; thank you pixels and pixels and pixels. Thank you Amy Smith, Jack and Heath Henley, Kip Kubin, and especially Dave Ogle for your help and work on our videos. Thank you Sandy Craven for your work and personal investment in the band. Thank you Sylvie, Ben Frank, Laura Baisden, and Rachel Gresham for your album and poster and t-shirt art and layout. Thank you Annalise Frank for introducing Zack to Derek, and Justin Spencer for introducing Zack & Derek to Jilly & Ryan. Thank you Stefaniah McGowan for jumping on board in the 11th hour; we wish we had met you 5 years ago. Thank you Kristin Pearson for being our beloved den mother from note one.
 
So that’s that. We had a great time with you. Enjoy the live video. We hope to remain on your turntables, virtual or actual, for many years.

Lovey dovey,
Zachary, Jillian, Derek, Ryan
Umbrella Tree

Umbrella Tree - To the Memory of a Once Great Man (Vinyl pre-order thank you video)

this is very cool! and yours truly is included (as I did pre-order the vinyl) around the 3:33.
And the album, since I've heard it twice already, is definitely worth the cost as I am digging it a fair amount. Some of the saxophone parts namely, and the last couple of tracks stand out among the rest.

Umbrella Tree - To the Memory of a Once Great Man (2012)

Kickstarter Campaign


New video for a song from this upcoming album:


This seems to happen a lot with bands I enjoy, but for whatever reason don't manage to keep up with as daily or even weekly as I might want to. Despite "like" ing them on Facebook. But their Kickstarter Campaign isn't too far away from becoming a success in that they have $875 and only need $1000, and they have still almost 2 weeks left.

Umbrella Tree are a band I want to say someone recommended to me on the Sound Opinions forum like 2 or 3 years ago. Likely 2009, but I'm not certain.

edit; yeah early in 2009. In my rateyourmusic.com review of their last record, I wrote this:

ooh..not at all disappointed on 1st impression here. They share qualities with some of the Indie/Psych-Pop bands like The Jealous Girlfriends and The Ebb and Flow, as well as the epic piano-driven nature at times of Wolf Parade. But not having it become too lengthly..much like a group like Big Fresh. Less-is-more.

Gonna have to spend a lot more time with it, but I enjoyed more or less the whole thing. The piano and male/female vocal arrangements worked really well.

70/100

And since then, I have become more familiar with them, one thing being Timbre I believe played on one or maybe both of their albums.

But at any case, I'm definitely curious about this new record of theirs, even though I haven't really listened to their music in probably over a year. Given this new record is coming next year, but also next week potentially for the kickstarter pledges, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to revisit their other albums soon.