SOME QUOTES
"The textures are a blend of the ancient and the ultra modern. Realism coexists with surrealism, and synthetics and acoustics are interwoven. A record of dark brilliance." ~Dave Jennings, Melody Maker, London
"An album that hypnotizes, disturbs and drags up all the images of David Lynch's movies you might or might not have seen." ~Time Out, London
"Brilliantly peculiar ... new music with gnarled and twisted roots." ~Daniel Gewertz, The Boston Herald
"A band that's earned a buzz ... The Horse Flies churn out swirling, addictive songs, blending tradition with invention." ~Eliza Wing, Rolling Stone
"Unabashedly cinematic and experimental…” ~All Music Guide, writing about The Horse Flies’ Until the Ocean
"The film is an evocative, painstaking period piece enhanced stunningly by a spare, pulsating score by The Horse Flies." (from a review of "Where the Rivers Flow North") ~Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
"Music of astonishing centrifugal force ... breathtakingly complex rhythms ... unexpectedly rich textures ... stunningly modern ... gravity and grace ... Their ancient, yet modern sound and their easy, seemingly limitless energy make The Horse Flies special." ~Carlo Wolff, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
"Influenced by everything from Balinese dance music to modern minimalists like Steve Reich and Philip Glass, the Horse Flies call their spooky sound 'neoprimitive bug music.' I call it weird, wicked, wild and wonderful." ~Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News
"Much like Talking Heads in its early days, the Horse Flies combine musical and lyrical quirkiness with beguiling wit and intelligence on their second album, "Gravity Dance." Chief lyricist Jeff Claus may sing "I've tried psychotherapy, TV and beer / But sometimes I still feel like Van Gogh's left ear" one moment, but a few songs later he's tackling more serious concerns. Musically, "Gravity Dance" is a melange of rock, folk, and minimalism, all held together by Judy Hyman's haunting violin and a glove tight rhythm section. This is music that challenges the brain without sacrificing the groove." ~Dan Kening, Chicago Tribune
"...demented, post-modern mountain music..." ~Robert Christgau, Village Voice
"The Horseflies' excellent score for Where The Rivers Flow North punctuates the plight of a stubborn ex-logger who refuses to be bought out by a hydroelectric company intent on flooding the valley in which he resides. Utilizing their enormous talent for atmosphere, and an almost organic use of electronics, the band hones in on the film's weary protagonist like a predatory bird, painting his every move with fingerpicked guitars, subtle percussion, and cricket and loon samples. …The signature delay-heavy fiddling of violinist Judy Hyman is more subdued here than on previous outings, yet retains the same fluidity and impeccable intonation that has made her a much sought-after session musician. … The Horseflies don't just interpret these characters; they are these characters. After spending the majority of their lives in upstate New York, they have a better perspective on the somber autumns and dark winters that blanket the hills of Kingdom County than any hired gun, which makes their reverence for its fiction that much closer to fact." ~James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
"It's not necessary for you to know that Boy with a Fish is an offshoot of the Horse Flies, the much heralded Ithaca, NY twisted folk/rock outfit. But if you have an affinity for quirky Americana with a hushed but hauntingly powerful electric shiver, you should seek out Boy with a Fish's gripping new album, Birds Fly Backwards. The heart and soul of BwaF mirrors the Horse Flies' creative engine of vocalist/guitarist Jeff Claus and violinist/vocalist Judy Hyman. Claus sings in a reedy plea that sounds like a keening hybrid of Freedy Johnston, Jules Shear and David Byrne, while the band (fleshed out by Plastic Nebraska's Rick Hansen and Jay Olsa and, on this recording, Laurie Anderson drummer Ben Wittman) offers a dustily expansive soundtrack of melodic melancholy, airily suggesting the electric pop texture of Talking Heads and the authentic crackle of 16 Horsepower. From the shimmering opening strains of "Sometimes," with all the noir-ish menace of a Stan Ridgway short story/song ("Losing hair since I was twelve/and I think my car wants to hurt me/I can see it standing there/It's unsettling me..."), Boy with a Fish makes a deep impact with the simplest instrumentation and the sparsest arrangement. Birds Fly Backwards is quietly compelling..." ~ Amplifier Magazine
"The title track is gloriously spacious ... and the hypnotism in this song is intense and mesmerizing! ... This is up there with the very best material I've listened to this year ... superb stuff!" ~ Neil Thomas, Indie Music Digest, where the Boy with a Fish album, I Put My Tongue On the Window, was nominated for CD of the Year
"I Put My Tongue On the Window is packed with driving, swirling grooves, and haunting atmospheres. Lyrically, the album is quirky and poetic, the kind of album that makes you want to sit and pour over the liner notes while you listen. The title track is powerfully and artfully urgent. ...tough drums, moog synth, electric guitar, and big reverb violin. ...Boy with a Fish cook up some edgy food for thought." ~ Round Magazine