- Gareth Duffield: guitar, keyboards
- Brent Bohan: bass
- Greg Pavlovcak: guitar
- Hilary Baker: alto saxophone
- Ted Johnson: drums, percussion
- Matt Lyons: drums, percussion
- Charles Duquesne: drums, percussion
Recorded by Jeff Zeigler at Uniform Recording, Philadelphia
Philadelphia septet Public Record blend together a vast array of musical genres ranging from early-disco to shoegaze; Afro-beat to Scottish postcard pop; and northern soul to Factory Records funk. The product of this co-mingling of musical ideas and sensibilities is a refreshingly creative take on dance music that manages to surprise and bewilder listeners with each changing verse and track. When it’s all said and done they could be described simply as a pop band or a dance band, but it will be their complexity that will allow listeners to enjoy multiple dimensions otherwise figured to be missing from many groups today. The 13 tracks of Public Record’s self-titled debut bring to fruition the band’s unique composite with great intricacy and cohesion.
Reviews
Philebrity.com
“Your new favorite band …anyone can get into them: drum circle nerds, indie kids, boomers,
old timers, whoever.”
Washington Post’s Express:
{Apr 15, 2008, Katherine Silkaitis}
“Public Record’s debut exemplifies Duffield and Bohan’s belief in both moderation and
experimentation…. the two have added five members to the group and created an identity for Public Record that transcends easy genre-tagging… even the biggest music nerd might be thrown for a loop with some of Duffield and Bohan’s references.“
Washington City Paper
{Apr 9, 2008, Maggie Serota}
“The result is subtle and well-orchestrated instrumental riffs that don’t fade into the background as comfortable dinner party music. Public Record advertises to those who use music as an entrancing conduit for getting lost inside their own heads as well as those who
are prone to shaking hips and shuffling feet.”
Reax
{May 2008, Jason Ferguson}
“Public Record is a messy, funky and wide-ranging party band.Weaving afrobeat, dub, indie rock, spazzy post-punk, chunks of driving soul and an atmospheric jazziness into their sound, the instrumental sextet is hellbent on defying any strictures of genre expectation. And they certainly succeed… Public Record is as much about sonic bravery as it is about sweaty fun.”
Girl About Town
{May 2008, Royce Epstein}
“This record is all about versatility, agility, complexity, and diversity. Even though the songs are dance-able, this isn’t a vacant pop record.”
Uwishunu
{Apr 2, 2008}
“After a long time in the making, Public Record has created a masterful debut album that instantly has established the band as one of the best instrumental bands in the U.S. and has set the table for even more innovation in the near future.”
Dream Magazine
{Summer 2008} This Philadephia sextet mix up a heady combination of soul pop, ska, jazz, funk, a dash of krautrock, icy cool, and lots of human warmth. Refreshingly all-instrumental with guitars, keyboards, bass, alto sax, and two excellent drummers these guys stir up a truly joyful noise that will have you dancing even if you’re sitting down, but it’s just as effective to be hypnotized by, as it is to groove to. This outfit is making universally appealing music that will delight even the most jaded hipsters as much as it does dancefloor divas.