la.thedelimagazine.com
12/11
The Los Angeles-based
psychedelic outfit Secret Alphabet put out an album, played some shows, and
then they kind of just disappeared earlier this year, leaving us all twiddling
our thumbs. To be fair, the band did notify its fans on its site that it would
be on hiatus until October, but the month came and went with no sign of the
experimental droners. In mid-November, the quartet finally broke its silence,
announcing plans to record a second (and possibly last) album. If Secret Alphabet
can release something as colorful and melodic as its debut, it will be a good
year for the four-piece. I look forward to seeing what 2012 has in store for
these guys. - Katrina Nattress
l.a.
record 3/11
ALBUM REVIEW:
Hear those lush reverberated cacophonies coming out of Highland Park? That is
Secret Alphabet, and this four-piece band drones and smashes its way through
its latest offering, The Light, The Way. Reviews of the band liken them to Spacemen
3 and the Jesus and Mary Chain, and from the opener, “Dirty Magazine,”
you can tell those influences will pave the way for what is in store for the
rest of the album: fuzzy-distorted guitar riffs hovering over simple steady
drumming and droning bass lines. The standout cuts for me were “By Design,”
“Something in the Air,” “What’s Your Name?” and
“27”—on these tracks, the melodies really expand and the guitars
become more distinct, complementing the monochromatic landscape of the album.
It is these tracks that keep the entire album from sinking into that ever nebulous
shoegaze label. Yes, I absolutely love the forebearers of all things shoegaze
and yes, I even love some of the latest reincarnations of the genre; however,
many of these new bands fail to realize that some of the pivotal shoegaze albums
of the 90s were merely snapshots of one phase in those bands’ musical
progressions. These kids get it. The Light, The Way has the feel of band’s
journey and exploration of a musical landscape, and hopefully progression.
—Gabriel Aguirre
mercury
in motion 12/10
ALBUM REVIEW:
Smooth, obscure psychedelic rock-pop-punk music, otherwise referred to yours
truly as "drug rock," with some catchy beats to boot. This band from
Los Angeles, California is akin to Spacemen 3 and Lupine Howl. Kick back, zone
out, enjoy the ride! Sample the full CD on the website:
dreams
in colors 12/09
LIVE:
A few drinks into the night, Im convinced by a friend to head out to a random
show in Highland Park...
Before i know it, taking the stage with nary a word or glance shared between
members, LA band Secret Alphabet immediately launched into, "Dirty Magazines,"
a hypnotic mantra-riff fusion that had the audience swaying like hippies.
The 4-piece roared with wails of feedback and driving rhythms smashed into one
another, creating a gleeful, cacophonous sound. The volume was explosive and
thunderous; the decibals were high enough to enduce bodygasms. The closed eyed
swaying girls out in front of the small stage of the Wolfgang Sound Gallery
were more than convincing that I wasnt the only one feeling this.
The rest of the night is pretty much a blur, but it proved to me there is much
more out here in L.A. than the typical hipster bands that are force fed to us
by what seems to be hundreds of local bloggers. (or is it one blogger with hundreds
of blogs?)
Whats more- theyre actually from L.A., (except for the new drummer) a rare thing
indeed.
If youre tired of your run-of-the-mill, over-hyped transplant bands in Silverlake/Echo
Park, keep heading East... yes- past the "Eat Well" and the "Little
Joy"... where no skinny jeans are required. AT
feed
your head 11/08
LIVE:
Secret Alphabet got the evening off to an atmospheric start. I enjoyed their
music and its hazy psychedelic sound. Heavy with ambient bass and guitar, Eddie
drones his vocals sideways into the microphone, treating his voice as just another
instrument in their oceanic sound. They played about 5 or 6 songs to an ever
expanding audience. -B
Music
Connection Magazine 10/08
Led by singer Eddie Figueroa, this foursome have a droning, hypnotic sound pioneered
by Spacemen 3 and Jesus & Mary Chain- droning vocals, bags of guitar squall
and copious volume. SA's minimalist attack on the songs "27." "The
Light/The Way" and "Where To Go" is seductive, arty and psychedelic.
What the band achieve on these songs is effective- but it only goes so far;
to truly stand out they will need to explore, develop further, reach a breakthrough.
At this point there is a strong foundation for them to build on.
feed
your head 9/08
On Saturday (September 13) my intention was to go see a band called Secret Alphabet,
who had extended an invitation for me to come see them sometime. I didn't know
their music, but when I listened to a few of their tunes on their myspace page
I was impressed. They play the kind of shoe-gaze, psychedelic indie rock that
I'm instantly partial to, and they play it well... B
fantastic
weapon 9/08
Eddie Figueroa just SOUNDS like an important name. Like he could be a boxer
or a car salesman or the varsity quarterback - but he’s not. He’s
the brains behind the operation referred to as Secret Alphabet. The oddly shoe-gazey,
dream-poppy, yet somehow still jam-bandish foursome is made up of some dudes
from Highland Park, and you should totally swoop on their free mp3’s before
you check them out in September. Seriously, go see them now, cause I promise
you that in December your way-too-indie pal is gonna be all, “Dude, there’s
this band called secret alphabet, you should check them out.” And when
he does, you can be a pretentious fuck and go, “Uh, yeah, I’ve known
about these dudes since like September, man.” CS
rock
sellout- smash or trash 8/08
7 dollar taxi ten years out of date TRASH Astronauts of Antiquity the Jury is
out i nearly posted on them myself Jaguar Farm think he is deluded needs a day
job he may be influenced by these great bands but TRASH, The Frowns did nothing
but remind me of Nickleback so you can guess where im sending them you saved
the best till last Secret Alphabet i kinda like SMASH im more moody than Simon
Cowell in this comment sorry to all the above artists except Secret Alphabet
-london calling
to
deny a sound 7/08
I'm tempted to think of bands like Elika, My Bloody Valentine or Languis and
LSD And The Search For God... but still damn distinctive.
Fuzzy but so romantic and poetic. VS
mp3hugger.com/breakthruradio.com
7/08
The only thing wrong about ‘27’ is that it ends too quickly. I just
love the tumbling instrumentation and even though the vocals are fairly monosyllabic
they seem particularly apt in this instance. It is a delicious taster from Secret
Alphabet’s new EP (it’s free if you ask them for a copy!). The quartet
come from L.A. and by the looks of their still-in-construction webpages they
are just getting off the ground. ‘27’ is a broody little number
that is both fleet of foot and full of cerebral manoeuvres. It has a grinding
momentum that builds to a cascading crescendo and boasts tons of atmosphere.
If this were the 80’s I’m sure there’d be a 12-inch remix
whereupon ‘27’s curvaceous aura would be given a thorough workout
and our thirst for more of the same would be fully sated. Damn De Lorean, never
about when you need it. KD