reviews - Society, Secret

Click Here to download the current press page for Elevator Action and the release of "Society Secret"

Bring Me Up
Love in an elevator? Not quite.

In 1983 there was an arcade game named Elevator Action. It involved being a spy in a building with a lot of elevators. And the enemies come out from behind closed doors. You get the drift. The game was popular, it was even given a sequel.

(Just a factoid or two for you.)

Today, and for the last several years, Elevator Action is not just a game, it's also a band.

You can listen at their website (linked above) or on MySpace.

In accordance to their name, the last album they put out is called "Society, Secret." So clever. I decided to check them out because their label is MoRisen Records which is the same as "The Sammies" and I love "The Sammies."

The band consists of Eric Gilstrap, Laurie Ruroden and James Donley used to be their drummer BUT they are currently looking for a new one. They have a forceful rock and roll edge to most of their songs. It is a little bit more punk than I lean towards. But with that said, I really like what I have heard when Eric is joined by Laurie in songs. Their voices blend perfectly or on the other hand, compliment each other perfectly. And I think that makes the sound more like a funky pop song, which sits well with me and adds more of a meaningful depth. ;o)

**CMJ 2006 Performer Magazine

Elevator Action came on next and changed the tone from lighthearted and goofy to balls-out rock 'n’ roll. The full-bodied songs had interesting dynamics and chord progressions that stood out from typical garage rock. Singer/guitarist Eric Gilstrap showcased his healthy pipes, with occasional help from bassist Lauralei Ruroden. During one of the new songs they played, Gilstrap and Ruroden sang beautifully together in unison, creating a goosebump-inducing vocal force. The set was polished and even on the new songs the band played like they’d practiced them a thousand times.

Knoxville Times

Persuasive charm gives Elevator Action a lift
'Society, Secret'
Elevator Action (MoRisen)
Rating: *** 1/2 (three and a half stars)
Listening to Elevator Action plow through "Society, Secret," you might find yourself feeling like you're rooting for an underdog at a marathon: You want the North Carolina trio to do well, which at first seems a titillating possibility, but by the end you just want them to cross the finish line intact.
The likable band falls under the label of garage pop, a genre not known for producing releases that thoroughly satisfy. But the threesome gamely gives it a go, and "Society, Secret" is fitfully better than it has any right to be.

Led by mercurial singer/guitarist Eric Gilstrap, Elevator Action hitches into a punchy rhythm at the start with "Surely You Know," and the band eschews formula the rest of the way, twisting around unexpected curves and crude experiments.
Ragged and prone to wrong turns, Elevator Action nevertheless generates interest with "Society, Secret's" quirky hooks and a sound that's like a poor man's hybrid of David Bowie and The Cars. There's also something of a collision between old-school rock and old-school punk going on, though ultimately it's more of a fender bender than a crash, and the results just sound like feisty New Wave.

Gilstrap is eccentric, though not off-puttingly bizarre, as he commandeers the fractured chunks that compose "Society, Secret's" tracks. Whether he's singing, "I shouldn't kiss you, but I wanna" on the buoyant opener, or "What you don't know makes you want to know more" on the "transvestite tragedy"/faux-rock-opera closer "Breaking Glass Plans," Gilstrap barely contains his nervous energy. And the band rubs the sound with discordant blurs and buzzing disharmony as often as it smoothes the groove with mellow rhythms and coherent beats.
Yet somehow the group succeeds with its chameleonic drive, best exemplified on the tracks "Surely You Know," "Start a War," "The Pleasure's All Mine" and "Miss Congeniality." And even when the group doesn't pull it all together, listeners will be pulling for them all the way.

MySpace Blogger - Performer Magazine

Damn the Bowery Ballroom for not letting me in to see CSS and The Elected! Two of my most favoritist bands! Apparently the venues with the bigger names put a cap on how many badges they allow in, and I could have bought a ticket to get in but I figured I've seen both bands before and I'm here to report on bands from our regions, which don't include Brazil (CSS). So I happened over to Ace of Clubs a little earlier than planned to catch the MoRisen Records showcase featuring a bunch of bands from the Southeast. Dudes, The Alternative Champs rule! I loved them like I love The Product... Meaning, I want to make out with them. If those two bands toured together (which they should!), I'd make out with all 7 members at the same time. It would be that good. Next up was Elevator Action, the band I was there to see .. they were on the cover of Southeast Performer a few months ago. I chatted with Lauralei the bassist for a few and she was a doll. Their set rocked my pants off (because as you know from an earlier post, my socks were already rocked off last night) and they played this one song, I think they said it was new, where Lauralei and Eric sang together so beautifully it gave me goosebumps. Their punk-ish rock was deep and intricate and I really enjoyed them. Ok, enough for now, for more you'll have to read the review in the December SEP! On last were The Sammies, who everybody seemed to be crazy about. Three of the guys from Birdmonster came out to see them (they toured together earlier this year). I chatted with the Birdmonster guys, who remembered me from when I saw them at Great Scott this summer. What a great group of guys; they were wicked wicked friendly (that's New England talk for "very very" if you don't come from my parts). I told them they kicked ass the other night. They play again on Saturday but I think I'm already fully booked that night .. but if any of y'all are in Brooklyn go see them. Anyway The Sammies played their southern fried rock to a very delighted crowd and people were dancing up a storm. Their drummer was remarkable, the bassist reminded me of someone from a movie or something .. I'll come up with it in time for the review .. and the guitarist was so completely engulfed in the music that he played with his eyes closed most of the time, while the singer/guitarist just fired up the stage. All in all it was a great night for rock and roll.

Urban Pollution

Rating
7.0
The survival rate for small town three-piece garage bands is startlingly low. Now, granted, any three people with the majority of their fingers intact can form one of these bands, but it really takes something to convince listeners that lo-fi garage rock is an intentional stylistic choice rather than simply an unfortunate reality. Elevator Action has at least made it past the hurdle of the debut album, and their sophomore effort Society, Secret shows no signs of their slowing down.

The North Carolina threesome seem the most comfortable when they’re playing fast, dirty, and loud. The album opens with a beefy guitar line on “Surely You Know”. Right away they establish a strong sense of musical style. With very little touch up production work, the individual pieces of the song are easily distinguishable; the snarl of the guitar, rapid baseline, the clashing percussion and edgy vocals. The songs are aggressive and thickly layered, and this attitude makes them seem bigger, stronger, faster. “Nuvo” is this aesthetic at its very best. It's one of the simplest songs on the album, but also the nastiest and one of the most memorable. One moment the song is small and unassuming, the guitars plucked meekly, and frontman Eric Gilstrap barely above a whisper. Then without warning, the guitars pounce in over yowled vocals.

The loud and the fast are the most gratifying on Society, Secret, but the band manages to cover a lot more than just garage rock over the album’s eleven tracks. “Don’t Believe” takes a more straightforward pop approach. The melodies are as catchy as ever, but the lyrics wander into some questionable territory. There’s just something out of place or out of character about “Apple pie and shoestrings / broken wings, dirty jeans… oooh yeah”, and, of course, “making love in the rain.” One would like to believe this is all meant to be ironic, but it’s really just not apparent enough… or not at all. It’s almost as if Elevator Action recognizes this, as they immediately attempt to redeem themselves with the next track, “Call Me Transistor.” This second of the slower songs is quite a bit more successful. On “Transistor”, they go for a hazy, shoe-gazer vibe, and ditch the lyrical earnestness of “Don’t Believe”, opting instead for the “waiting for love / that’s never gonna come your way.” In the end, it’s still a bit of cynicism that satisfies.

Performer Magazine

There’s something refreshing about calling a snarling garage-rock band that’s just released a stomping record of songs about shattered relationships and catching them in the middle of an after-practice barbecue. Everyone loves a good grilled steak, even post-punk rockers.
The Charlotte, NC-based trio, Elevator Action, has just released its sophomore record, Society, Secret, on MoRisen Records. Frontman Eric Gilstrap, bassist Laurie Ruroden and drummer James Donley have a sound that often brings up comparisons to David Bowie, though Gilstrap says “I don’t really see it, but it’s kind of hard to play in a rock ’n’ roll band and not be influenced by Bowie.” The band’s sound carries the Bowie influence but with a raw feel, perhaps more akin to the MC5 or the Replacements.

Elevator Action (yes, the band’s name comes from the classic ’80s video game) originally formed in 2002, though the current incarnation has only been together since the beginning of 2006, when Donley joined. Gilstrap is the primary songwriter in the band, although his process leaves room for the creative input of the rest of the group. “I hear things in my head and sporadically write them. Sometimes they’ll connect, and I’ll figure it out on the guitar, or I’ll hear a vocal line and try to match it on the guitar. I’ll end up with a chorus or a verse and flesh it out a little, but I like to leave something open to the band. I enjoy how the group interacts and creates that spark.”
Lyrically, Gilstrap likes to leave much of the song’s subject matter open to interpretation, involving the listener in the creative process as well. “Some of the songs have a patchwork feel to them. It hints towards something, but I don’t always want to throw out a literal story. I like to sort of cut and paste things, seeing how it comes together, and leaving things open to the imagination. I drop hints about very, very specific situations, but only the people who were there will know what was going on.”

Gilstrap’s influences aren’t limited to artists with sonic similarities to Elevator Action. He points out that “Elliot Smith is someone I was a big fan of — maybe more as mentor of sorts — I just really like his lyrics a lot. I could never write something in that style, but he’s definitely an artist who provides a lot of inspiration.”
Society, Secret, recorded in Hoboken, NJ as well as Charlotte, marks the second time that Elevator Action has worked with producer John Agnello, whose track record includes Drive-By Truckers, Alice Cooper and the Smithereens. Gilstrap describes Agnello as being “all over the map. For the first record, we were kind of flying by the seat of our pants. He came down, checked us out and said ‘Yeah, I’ll do this.’ We had 15 songs and put 12 on the record. For the next one, he wanted stuff in advance so he could offer suggestions and come up with recording ideas.

“He’s not overbearing like some producers are. He waits and he listens and you wonder what’s happening in his head. Then he throws out his ideas and interesting stuff happens. I like working with him a lot. He’s really into rock ’n’ roll and has produced some of my favorites, like Dinosaur, Jr.”

Despite Agnello’s help, there were circumstances that made the recording process for the album a nightmare at times. Gilstrap says “We had a lot of setbacks trying to get Society, Secret done — a lot of things beyond our control. It was begun in May 2005. We were a couple of weeks into recording, and I lost my voice for two months. I could barely even talk. Maybe it was allergies and partying too much.” Once Gilstrap was back up to speed, the band reconvened in Charlotte to finish recording.

With the final product finished, Gilstrap is able to take a look at the songs a little more objectively. “I feel like ‘Common Man’ is one that I hit right on the head in defining how I felt in the making of all this; it’s very true to life. I’m pretty pleased with ‘Surely You Know’ and the weirdo performance art of ‘Breaking Glass Plans.’ I also like ‘Don’t Believe.’ I kind of have an obsession with that song because I wrote it when I was really young. I’ve been trying to get a band to record that song, and it finally just clicked. It took a while, but I like the final outcome.”

Being a part of the Charlotte scene (and the Southeast scene in general) has helped see the band through some of its ups and downs. Like a lot of indie music environments, “the scene can be very incestuous,” says Gilstrap. “There’s a core group of bands and a bazillion side projects that spin out of those. Everybody’s pretty tight. It is a little competitive, but it’s a hard-drinking, hard-loving town. We all get along pretty well and push each other to do different things and be our best at it. Some of my favorite bands right now are actually in Charlotte. The kids seem to like it, at least.

“It really started to heat up around 2001 and 2002, and it’s just gotten better, even, with the opening and closing of different venues affecting things. There’s been a whole underground scene of house shows as well.” The band members, all of them in their late 20s, have also noticed a rise in the number of bands that aren’t made up of those too young to have a legal drink. “There’s a huge thing happening now where a lot of bands are in their mid-30s to late 30s, and that’s pretty inspiring, that it’s not just an age thing. You don’t have to have that ‘Don’t trust anyone over 30’ junk.”

With the record done and in stores, it’s time for the band to leave Charlotte and hit the road for a bit. “We’re going to try and do as much as we can, wherever we can. We’ve done several runs up the East Coast. We’ve got plans to get out west to Arizona and California before the end of the summer. It’ll be much easier once we have a booking agent and aren’t putting the shows together ourselves.”

The band’s live show has also helped to build its reputation. “I’ve been told that I’m like a man possessed. It’s a very electric kind of show with a lot of hi-jinks. James gets pretty nuts. Laurie is at times stoic and other times pretty venomous as well. I’ve developed this bad habit in the last year of throwing guitars. That gets a little expensive. I’ve had to get three new guitars this year. The kicker is having to go back out on stage and pick it up yourself. That’s when you think to yourself ‘I’m an idiot.’”

After the tour for Society, Secret, the band plans to head right back into the studio, with hopes to have another record ready for 2007. Talking to Gilstrap, you can hear a genuine love for rock ’n’ roll in his voice and how he approaches his music — whether it’s writing, recording or taking the stage.
“If you’re being moved by this passionate thing, it just takes over and you should show it. I’ve definitely been known to go there, especially if I’ve had a few drinks. James is never quite sure if I’m going to throw myself at the drum kit or not.”

*Cable and Tweed Blog

"If I had a thousand records released this year this one would be at the top with no question. Finely executed male/female vocals, they have perfected modern trashy, glammy, bubble-gum rock. I dare you to listen to Society, Secret and not make your glam faces/poses - if you can stop singing along at all."

*PerformerMAG.com (PICK OF THE MONTH!)

"Elevator Action have created a rocking CD that plows through 11 garage rock stompers in just over half an hour. These 30 minutes may not change your life, but you’re going to have a big grin on your face the whole time, sometimes in spite of yourself. Elevator Action approached this record with every intention of knocking one out of the park, and they’ve come very close with Society, Secret. The songs grab hold of you so forcefully."

*Durham Herald Sun

MoRisen pumps out two new, punchy indie records

Charlotte's MoRisen Records has made quite the name for itself since industry journeyman Chuck Morrison set up shop in 20001.

Over 5 short years, the label has caddied some of the state's most promising young talent (including The Talk, whose songs have found their way onto Fox-teen drama "The OC"), released the music of at least on time-tested juggernaut (Snatches of PInk, whose alcohol-rock bowled over critics at Rolling Stone some 10 years ago), and put the city of Charlotte back on the musical map.

Today, MoRisen's wheels are spinning fast as ever, promoting the release of two new North Carolina records: en eclectic self-titled debut from Charlotte's The Sammies and the sophomore effort from punchy Queen City three-piece Elevator Action. Unlike The Talk and Snatches, neither The Sammies nor Elevator Action has ventured beyond the Eastern Seaboard indie rock circuit. But, at risk of sounding corny, this scrappy material promises good things for both bands and bodes well for the future of the healthy MoRisen roster.

Youthful Charlotte four-piece The Sammies get by on surprisingly tight song writing and the occasional curve ball. Like the work of musicians twice their age, each bit of the band's eponymous debut feels realized and meticulous. If there's a "right place" for the guitar in the mix, it sits there. If there's a melody the verse begs for, you're going to hear it.

As a result, The Sammies makes some brassy stylistic leaps from track to track presumably in the name of song servicing. The aptly titled album opener, "Coming Out Wild," starts things off with rock swagger and jangly guitar bounce - a boiled-blood tailoring of 20 year-old Athens mystique. But only two tracks later the band has moved on to pure indie pop, resembling a mannered Nada Surf, creaming up guitar leads on "Falling Out." Later, The Sammies morph into a smoky Wolf Parade approximation with the drunken duo of "Caretaker" and "She Died," only to return to the blaze of "Wild" for the record's home stretch.

It's a bit erratic, but somehow the journey works, each song's mini-aesthetic fitting into the overall feel of the record. "The Sammies" isn't so much brave as it is self-assured, a solid cycle of good songs. But, really, what more could you ask from a debut rock record?

"Society, Secret," on the other hand, is anything but a genre-hopper. Elevator Action's MoRisen release starts in a dust cloud of sassy riffing, and ends just the same. It's a dingy, garage-y slab of rock 'n' roll - owing as much debt to '70's glam rock as '80's punk. It isn't ground breaking. The Makers, The Dirtbombs, The White Stripes - you've heard it all before. But that doesn't detract from guitarist/vocalist Eric Gilstrap's hollering six-string and over-it attitude. Whether it's the sneering "Surely You Know," the Miracles-knicking "Start A War" or the beer bottle ballad "Breaking Glass Plans," these are 11 tracks of truly spirited stuff.

And while neither of these releases is capable of catapulting MoRisen to Merge status, it's inspiring to watch this small operation do such a fantastic job of supporting its handful of North Carolina's best bands. If anything, "The Sammies" and "Society, Secret" surely portend more great things to come.

- Robbie Mackey / The Herald-Sun

*acousticshock(german source)

....three young, talentierte Americans from North hide themselves Carolina, which quite captivate with their mixture from skirt(rock), Glam and easy Punk influences and cause inspiring storms.

*Outlawtorn( German source)

....Surely You Know is fine garage a Rocker with Pop Appeal, which quotes within certain ranges post office Punk. A trace better is however Nuvo, which can switch between calm Verschnaufpausen and punkiger rage attacks very fast.

*Crazywire(German source)

....Surely You Know makes a connection between T - Rex, the Sex Pistols and The Kinks. With high Mitsingfaktor, a quantity Sha well well and full guitars, the Song emerges as in former times high point of the plate.

*Elbows Blog

I'm entirely exhausted from the continued circus that is my job this week (hence no post yesterday). I'm still pretty much devoid of anything remotely intelligent to say, but I did want to share this North Carolina band with you because I'm really digging their stuff. According to their website, the best way to describe them is, "Just take 1oz. 70’s punk, 1 ¼ oz. Ziggy Stardust and a dash of bubble-gum pop. Shake feverishly, serve in a dirty ashtray with a garnish of agro-rock star attitude.

*Daily Tar heel

"Elevator Action came to rock....leave you wanting more....really exciting stuff in here..
'Nuvo' hits with its insistent beat and unexpected dynamics.."

*Poisonfreee.com

"I can imagine this being played at the local alternative disco next to The Clash, Franz Ferdinand, The Hives, and Placebo...a strong rocking edge to it...and can get you going in a minimum amount of time...quite diverse....what rounds this record up is the good production by John Agnello (Dinosaur, Jr., Screaming Trees)."

*DIYROCKSTAR blog

When you think of a hotbed for indie culture, you probably tend to think of New York, and LA, but there is really a lot of great stuff going on in North Carolina. The home to Merge and Yep Roc records, there is quite a scene in that area. One of the lesser known components of this scene is Morisen Records. Recently, they sent me a couple of CD's and I really like them both. One of them is called Society, Secret by Elevator Action. It is a great CD of great guitar rock, and is another fun and easy listen. It is one of the better CD's in that sub-genre that I have heard lately.

*LOOKINGATTHEM blog

I'm entirely exhausted from the continued circus that is my job this week (hence no post yesterday). I'm still pretty much devoid of anything remotely intelligent to say, but I did want to share this North Carolina band with you because I'm really digging their stuff. According to their website, the best way to describe them is, "Just take 1oz. 70’s punk, 1 ¼ oz. Ziggy Stardust and a dash of bubble-gum pop. Shake feverishly, serve in a dirty ashtray with a garnish of agro-rock star attitude. This elixir of the rock gods is what we simply call Elevator Action." Okay, sure, I'll buy that.

*ZINK MAGAZINE

Manic Epsisode of Shopping/Cleaning/Making Out:
Elevator Action's "Society, Secret" (MoRisen) has enough dance-worthy energy to keep up with your joyful episodes spent racing around the mall, cleaning out your disaster of a closet, or fooling around with your new Mr./Ms. Right Now.

*MYFACE blog

When I was growing up, there was only one music for me, and that was punk rock. I lived according to the principles of The Clash and Minor Threat.As my tastes slowly began expanding, I looked into the roots of punk. I found Bowie and The New York Dolls, and Iggy Pop. All that classy glam stuff. In a similar vein as my glam-punk favorites is Elevator Action, a band with whom I share a hometown of Charlotte, NC. Apparently the corporate oppression of the banks, yuppies, suburbs and soccer moms affected these folks too, because the music is raw, and aggressive yet somehow liberating and honest - exactly what punk should be. Elevator Action has created the sound of asphalt: rough, ragged, dirty and gritty, but with a glittery sparkle that's damn pretty when the sun goes down. Male-femal vocals create a sonic point-counterpoint that fills out the songs, adding extra layers to the already beautiful chaos of the mix. Granted, Society, Secret has a bit more studio polish than Black Flag ever did, but it's OK. The album's bubblegum melodies are the better for it. Elevator Action - fortunately for us - knows that, at heart, all punks ever wanted was to be pop. The Ramones wanted to be The Beatles on speed, and Elevator Action picks up with that legacy offering delicate harmonies and catchy hooks, without sacrificing unflinching honesty or those lovely chainsaw guitar riffs punk fans have come to love and expect. Never pandering or falling into stereotype, Elevator Action is destined for the indie scene, and even then as underdogs. And they're all the more punk for it. Johnny Rotten was wrong. There is a future, and its name is Elevator Action.

*Celebritycafe.com

The sophomore album by Elevator Action Society, Secret is like a combination of an amusement park thrill ride and fun house. The music consists of pure samples of rock, punk, pop and glam sounds. Combine that, with the gruff and edgy vocals, its like a dropped bottle of soda, that when opened, explodes into a wild scene of chaos. Now thats fun!

With 11 tracks of deserving awesomeness, each song delivered something exciting, unusual, stylish and energetic to the mix. Here are my most played. Surely You Know, Start AWar, The Pleasures All Mine, Common Days, and Vicious Hands spun me around faster than a freshly oiled seat on the "Tilt-A-Whirl especially with my humdinger favorites ranking in respectable at #1 and #2 Nuvo and Secret Society.

Elevator Actions Society, Secret becomes available on Tuesday, June 6th. Hey, thats just around the corner, so the wait isnt long at all, not like those thrill rides you have to wait for.

Reviewer: Lynda Dale MacLean new pop
Reviewer's Rating: 9 (out of 10)

*BullzEYE

Elevator Actions second album, Society, Secret on indie MoRisen Records is the follow-up to their acclaimed debut, Its Just Addiction. With screaming guitars, ballsy vocals and a thundering rhythm section, Elevator Action is a garage band that is heavily influenced by punk and glam elements, and with a few exceptions, Society, Secret hits the gas pedal and doesnt let up. Songs like Surely You Know nd Nuvo are potent rockers, and Start a War is endearing in a Plimsouls-meets-Duran Duran sort of way. But some of the exceptions (Call Me Transistor and Vicious Hands) miss the mark in a big way, and that will temper some of this bands hype. This is probably one of those bands that puts on a better live show than what translates to record, but if youre looking for some cool music to put on at a party to get the chicks to shake their asses, this is one you should pick up. - Mike Farley

*Creative Loafing

Elevator Action's previous release on Charlotte-based MoRisen Records, It's Just Addiction, was a solid debut outing, to be sure. Produced by John Agnello, a man with a knack for recording guitar-heavy, meat-and-potatoes rock records, there were riffs-a-plenty, lots of trebly screamed choruses and enough atmosphere to populate a small planet. It was volatile, and sometimes seemed to exist in a vacuum. Society, Secret suggests that vacuum might have been the oft-incestuous QC music scene. The new disc examines the pleasures and pains of nightlife and relationships, both lasting and liquored-up. Songs like "Miss Congeniality" and the title track take advantage of an admirable male/female, he said/she said dynamic (courtesy guitarist Eric Gilstrap and bassist Laurie Ruroden) to give the album a lyrical and emotional thread that never fails to hold strong. Quite possibly MoRisen's best release to date. (Davis)

*Germany

Elevator action is a trio from NC that has been making music together for several years. They began with a debut album in 2004 titled “It’s just addiction.” They are now releasing their 2nd album which is a delightful mix of garage pop, glam punk, and quality songwriting.
The album begins with a glam punk feel. “Surely you know” is nostalgic of the 1970’s. Somewhere between the sex pistols and gary glitter, "Nuvo" is a bit dirtier, where the deciding influence is front man and guitarist Eric Gilstrap's voice, which groans and croons into the microphone in a wonderfully impudent fashion.
The guitar moves into the foreground with “Start a war,” while “the pleasure’s all mine” features the bass played by Miss Laurie Ruroden. “Common days” plays once again with a fun punk sound. “Miss Congeniality” accommodates all aspects of music, which is not a simple task, as this track, and all others on the album are seldom longer than 3 minutes.
Whether it’s the guitar, bass, or the drums of James Donley, there is a beautiful interaction of instruments and voice in “Don’t Believe.” Gilstrap sounds a bit like Axel Rose and Laurie’s sweet voice comes on like a rockin’ chic.

“Call me transistor” wisks us away again into the wild 70’s. (dosen’t fit) More in line with the album is the title song, “Secret society.” The bass gives the song a quick beat, which is skillfully taken up by the guitar, and supported by the drums. “Vicious Hands” also builds on the two different singing styles of the vocalists.

Little flashes of B 52 here and throughout makes you feel like dancing. The album ends with a lazy SouthernStates sound, probably inspired by the trios hometown of Charlotte, NC.

So the album delivers a wide variety of sounds. It is produced by John Agnello, who has worked with Dinosaur Jr, Alice Cooper, the Lemonheads, and Jimmy Eat World.

The circumstances under which “Society, Secret” was created are quite memorable. Singer Eric Gilstrap lost his voice for two whole months, alcoholism, cutting and various relationship issues accompanied (supposedly) the creation of the album and is reflected in the lyrics. Despite all those problems, it is a fun album to listen to, and is packed with good rock songs.

*High Bias

The indie arcade’s on fire from the sophomore CD by Elevator Action, a talented trio seemingly named after the popular 1980s video game. Look for these hot hipsters to rise to the alternative penthouse like label-mates the Talk (who were recently featured on Fox’s teen drama The O.C. Unlike similar contemporaries, Elevator Action’s record Society, Secret is diverse, containing raw songs like “The Pleasures All Mine” and warehouse pop like “Call Me Transistor.” Like a love child of Jack White and Karen O, Elevator Action contains edgy passion. This record is recommended for those camping at Coachella’s Mojave stage. Deirdre Walsh

*The Daily Texan, Austin, TX:

Society, Secret is the second album from another Morisen find, Elevator Action. The album isn't bad, but it's not great, either. It definitely captures the indie-rock sound that has become all too familiar (soft rock meets punk lyrics with elements of '80s techno and '70s style), but that's as far as it goes. For the most part, it sounds just like the next underground group. But to their credit, Elevator Action's high-voltage sound probably makes for an electrifying live performance.

- Robert Brown