Kevin Bronson on July 13th, 2011

1

The adrenaline-fueled folk-rock of L.A. quintet Escalator Hill draws as much influence from the big indie collectives of this era as the past’s purveyors of Americana. The band’s debut collection of sepia-toned meditations and clattering celebrations, “Poplar Avenue,” was produced by David Newton (The Little Ones, the Henry Clay People, among others) and will be out next month. Escalator Hill – like the Lonely Wild – rose from the ashes of You Me & Iowa, with singer-guitarist Tony Benedetti teaming up with string-playing triple threat Nancy Kuo (violin, viola and cello), guitarist Andrew Schneider (from the Lonely Wild), bassist Taylor Lipari and drummer Ryan Selan. Their first single “Long Way Down” both aches and agitates, thanks to Kuo’s strings and Schneider’s electric.

||| Download: “Long Way Down”

||| Live: Escalator Hill celebrates its album release with a show Aug. 30 at Villains Tavern downtown.