Ryan Carbary - guitars, piano, vocals
Tim Kim - electric guitar, vocals
Pete Wilson- bass guitar, vocals
Ivan & Alyosha is a folk-pop rock band from Seattle, Washington with a sound that combines artists like The Beatles, Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons, Billy Joel, etc. Ivan & Alyosha formed in 2007 when Tim Wilson nd Ryan Carbary met and spent almost a year writing songs for their first debut EP, "The Verse, The Chours". Released in March 2009, the EP generated a surprising amount of exposure in the U.S. as "Easy to Love", one song off the EP, received some airplay. The band also generated word-of-mouth popularity after playing at the SXSW Festival. The group was then joined by bass player Pete Wilson, whose songwriting talent contributed to the band's creative sound, and Tim Kim, whose guitar playing provided a new dimension to the band's sound. After that, Ivan & Alyosha released their second EP, "Fathers Be Kind", their first LP, "All the Times We Had, and has spent time touring the United States. The band's energetic, exciting live performances and LP and EP releases were critically acclaimed and helped develop a loyal fan base. According to iTunes, Ivan & Alyosha "mixes wonderful melodies with thoughtful, intelligent lyrics and gorgeous four-part vocal harmonies". ("Ivan & Alyosha.")
After listening to many tracks by Ivan & Alyosha, I think the group has some of the most emotional pieces of music I've ever heard. For example, "All the Times We Had" reflects a person's nostalgic feelings when going through a major life transition, such as moving away and leaving loved ones behind, as evidenced by the lyrics, "It's hard to feel the end". Also, "Don't Wanna Die Anymore" tells the story of a person recovering from drug addiction and wanting to make changes to his life. This track brought me to tears as it made me reflect on a close friend of mine who went through a similar situation. Other songs Ivan & Alyosha released deal with emotional and personal issues, such as overcoming obstacles and finding trust in yourself and others. I highly priase teh impressive melodies, Time Wilson's outstanding vocals, and the band's wonderful harmonies taht give emphasis to the emotions and meaning of the band's songs. In addition, I enjoy "The Folds" for its beautiful mix of piano and guitar. Tim Wilson's vocals on the track sound similar to Brandon Flowers', lead singer of The Killers. Finally, due to the two songs' vocals and music, I think "Be Your Man" has a Black Keys-vibe and "God or Man" has a Billy Joel-vibe. I believe Ivan & Alyosha will reach many people emotionally through its lyrics, and is capable of exposure on mianstream radio if the band expands its popularity.
Written by: John Dirscherl
Works Cited:
"About." Ivan & Alyosha. Tumblr, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
"All The Times We Had Lyrics." Ivan & Alyosha. LyricsFreak, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
"Ivan & Alyosha." ITunes. Apple, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ivan-alyosha/id305962919>
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