Opinion
Indieville.com - 01.02.2006
"Proggy, jammy relaxed rock is the name of the game here, as The Ebb and Flow combine intelligent pop with meandering instrumentation and a decent amount of experimentation. Even though the style of music isn't usually my cup of tea, I'm really enjoying this record - it's another addictive nugget from the increasingly impressive Three Ring label..."
[expand]. Opener "Sonorous" (a nine-point-five minute epic in two parts) starts things off in a loosey-goosey pop vein before delving into some strong prog territory. It's nice, but the shorter "Firefly" and its strangely awesome vocals are more successful. But "Body and Soul" is the first really impressive song - its shifty chorus and relaxed but bouncy rhythm make it an extraordinarily entertaining listen; its got a notable Grateful Dead influence. After that gem we get a quartet of other songs, including two psyched out wonders ("Farmer Framed," "Country Verses") and a couple of melodic indie pop/rock tunes (semi-traditional "See You in the Fjords" and the daringly oddball "Sweet Southern Harmony"). Overall, Time to Echolocate is seven songs of inventive, melodic proggish rock that is sure to find a welcoming home in any eclectic music lover's record collection. 85%"
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Best of Bay Area 2005
SF Chronicle - 12.27.2005
"While the rest of the world was stuck listening to the same old noise this year from the usual culprits like the Dave Matthews Band and Mariah Carey, we here in the Bay Area once again got to spoil our ears by indulging in tunes that were truly innovative, genre bending and perfectly thrilling. Here, the 21 best local releases from the past year..."
[expand]. And remember, it's never too late to discover your new favorite artist. 1. Colossus “West Oaktown” 2. Sun Kil Moon “Tiny Cities” 3. Devendra Banhart “Cripple Crow” 4. Hey Willpower “Hey Willpower EP” 5. DJ Cheb I Sabbah “La Kahena” 6. John Vanderslice “Pixel Revolt” 7. The Lovemakers “Times of Romance” 8. Goapele “Change It All” 9. Bart Davenport “Maroon Cocoon” 10. The Speakers “Yeats Is Greats: The Speakers Sing the Songs of W.B. Yeats” 11. Loquat “It’s Yours to Keep” 12. Seventeen Evergreen “Life Embarasses Me on Planet Earth” 13. Bill Frisell “East/West” 14. Rogue Wave “Descended Like Vultures” 15. The Ebb & Flow “Time to Echolocate” Made up of Iranian, Russian, and American players, this Bay Area indie rock collective’s music is as complex and captivating as the geographical points that spawned it. "
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Overlooked in '05
Houston Press - 12.08.2005
"Ten great discs that were underserved by the media but are more than worthy 1. Altamont 2. Rusty Anderson 3. Buttercup 4. Vic Chesnutt 5. Daddy 6. The Ebb and Flow, Time to Echolocate (Three Ring Records): At first I was tempted to compare this San Francisco-area band to Bongwater and Thinking Fellers Union, but it's a little more accessible than either of those antecedents..."
[expand]. True story: When first listening to track one, I found myself surreptitiously visiting the band's Web site to see if the chick singer was cute (which is something in itself, coming from my jaded rock-crit ass). Then, when the second song proved to have male vocals, I liked it just as much, despite knowing for sure that the guy was in no way cute. 7. The Gena Rowlands Ban 8. OOIOO 9. Tarbox Ramblers 10. Loudon Wainwright"
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CD Review
Lost at Sea.com - 12.01.2005
"The Ebb and Flow is a retro futuristic trio that glues together the geniuses of a Russian Jew, an Iranian native and a Midwestern girl. On this record they sound like a Siamese experiment that caught everyone in the lab off guard. Their aim consists in recycling good old synthesizers with upfront electronic twists and moves, delivering a sweet aroma that blinks an eye to the swell sound of the 80s while still harassing last week’s disco-goers..."
[expand]. Take the inaugural, two-part joint “Sonorous”, a polyphonic spree that will leave you defenceless and clueless for the rest of the album. The group proves that the Time to Echolocate is the exactly when organic, analog-driven melodies clash into the electronic, contemplative and frequently overrated blips of today. “Body and Soul” is pretty revisionist in this sense, mixing Casio-like reminiscences with jarring comments about being “time to pay the bill.” The following track - this time a female-vocalized number entitled “Framer Framed” - is dissonant and rebellious, finding its branch on the family tree by way of acts like !!! and Large Number. Sara Cassetti is the US-based one-third of the group and she plays the drums; Sam Tsitrin and Roshy Kheshti are, as the press release puts it, “two illegal immigrants,” who alternate the vocal parts - the latter also plays the Moog synthesizers, the Farfisa organ, melodica and vibes, whilst the former gives birth to the guitar and bass lines. This ethnic mash-up is the fertile soil wherein fine seeds are manipulated and heart-shaped orchids blossom. The Christmas-scented, baritone saxophone-fuelled “Interlude” serves as the perfect appetizer for the Tsitrin-penned, mellow “See You in the Fjords”, as accompanied by a trumpet courtesy of Jeff Jacobs. The dialogue with cross-faded genres does not end here: “Country Verses” attempts to capitalize on the teachings of Willie Nelson with a taste of counterfeit machinery; it does put a smile upon your face, but it sometimes feels like the country legend cheated on an IQ test before conquering Nashville. To set the record straight, The Ebb and Flow prepare a farewell, multi-layered track, “Sweet Southern Melody”, where the keyboards are infinitely warmer and more familiar, and augmented by the voice of the late (and very great) Bob Moog. His analog philosophy is sampled here to a great result, bridging the gap between the manic 80s and today. If only Human League managed to break the time spell, they would sound pretty much like this - but never before bathing in the newest technological fluids, of course - and this should be the best they would ever sound. So, if you still go weak at the knees for scholastic, mathematical disco sound, Time to Echolocate should be a fine treat for you. Just put on your Sunday shoes and dance to this cerebral, electronic ballet. It is defiintely better than any synth-pop accelerated version of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, I can promise you that. Reviewed by Helder Gomes"
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CD Review
Copacetic Zine - 10.05.2005
" San Francisco trio The Ebb And Flow combine post-rock, Krautrock, and prog-pop elements in an interesting and engaging way on this debut album. The songs are built on an instrumental framework of drums, guitar or bass, and vintage keys like Farfisa and Moog. A couple of the tracks utilize additional instrumentation like cello and Herb Alpert-esque trumpet to good effect..."
[expand]. I like the way the opening track, the two-part epic "Sonorous," starts out with with melodica and a decidedly dubby direction, but then takes a left turn toward pop before taking several other twists. This is typical of the album: the more challenging, genre-based influences are balanced out by an accessible pop sensibility. Closing track "Sweet Southern Harmony" includes a spoken-word appearance from the late Bob Moog, holding forth on his analog philosophy. Truly this band are disciples of a vintage sensibility. "
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CD Review: A+
Girlfriends Magazine - 10.01.2005
"From the first notes of Time to Echolocate, you can tell there’s something special happening on this eight track album. The instrumentation is complex and eclectic, perfectly complementing the female vocals of Roshy Kheshti and male vocals of Sam Tsitrin. Sprawling tracks build, move, sustain, and dismantle in an extraordinary way..."
[expand]. Not afraid to bust out a Moog synthesizer, horns, or even vibes, The Ebb and Flow have carved out their own niche in the modern music world. Kheshti and another band member, Sara Cassetti, have been playing music together for twelve years (and have been in a relationship for as long). Part krautrock, melodic pop, and reminiscent of Thrill Jockey, this album is totally fresh and will challenge your conventions. Highly recommended. A+"
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Now Hear This
Denver Westword - 08.18.2005
"Bands are like bats. They make noise, let it bounce back at them, and then use these reverberations to form a picture of their environment and their own place in it. Take, for instance the Ebb and Flow -- drummer Sara Cassetti, guitarist Sam Tsitrin and keyboardist Roshy Kheshti -- who triangulate a space between them that teems with dim shapes and spectral silhouettes..."
[expand]. The San Francisco trio's debut full-length, aptly dubbed Echolocation, is a cross-hatching of off-kilter pop, lambent jazz tones and rich strains of vintage synths and vibes, shaded by the vocals of Tsitrin and Kheshti, a Russian and an Iranian immigrant, respectively. Like Blonde Redhead, Stereolab and Steely Dan synchronized by sonar, the Ebb and Flow ties tinkering and instinct into a vision of indie rock that's both playful and mysterious -- and describes a sonic domain all its own. "
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Cd Review
Salt Lake City Weekly - 08.18.2005
"Tickets to the Moog-synth symphony are now available. Pick them up at a bar near you. Be sure to mention the words Ebb & Flow. Let the doorman know these three musicians live in San Francisco, listento Neil Young, Nico and most post-rock or jazz bands circa 1971. Try to approximate the lead siren's angelic voice (alternating with an unusual male call), but stop if it sounds anything less than disarming..."
[expand]. Once seated, scrap hopes for woodwinds and flutes. Bring earplugs - sweet, lush sounds explode intermittently. Leave with a copy of Time to Echolocate. Listen and repeat."
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Ebb and Flow conjures up '60s images
Des Moines Juice - 08.13.2005
"It’s pretty much impossible to think of San Francisco without conjuring up images of ’60s anti-war rallies and the thousands of hippies that gathered on Haight Street as a de facto base for the movement. The music that came out of the movement was the drug- induced euphoria of psychedelic rock..."
[expand]. With the use of newly invented synthesizers and colorful imagery, bands pushed the boundaries of creativity and musicianship paving the way for everything from heavy metal to disco. San Francisco’s the Ebb and Flow channels psychedelia by implementing some of the same instruments bands from that period were using. The group performs Monday at the Vaudeville Mews. Keyboardist Roshy Kheshti implements a variety of Moog and Farfisa organ sounds to fill in the space around drummer Sara Cassetti and guitarist Sam Tsitrin. As the group's name suggests, its music has an elusive quality, adrift in time and space and genres. Intertwining male and female vocals bring a pop element to the more experimental instrumentation. Overall the sound feels retro but there are enough elements of experimentation to keep the sound fresh and new. This is psychedelic pop for a new generation of music-lovers — not merely a recycling of a nearly forgotten genre. Their latest full length “Time to Echolate” finds the group roaming from psychedelia to progressive rock with songs that clock in at more than 20 minutes but still captivate the listener. This is music perfect for the classic rock lover deep within the indie-rock scenester."
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Critic's Choice
Chicago Reader - 08.12.2005
"On their new debut LP, Time to Echolocate (Three Ring Records), these San Franciscans traipse along the fine line between whimsical and cutesy—but despite the ambling tempos, the warbling analog keyboards, and a couple lyrics about bats, they hardly ever put a foot down on the wrong side. The disc kicks off with a shuffling reggae lick on Farfisa that’s joined by chirpy pop guitars, faux-orchestral strings, and oboelike female vocals; the rest of the songs are sensual quilts of indie pop, indie rock, and hippie-tonk, stitched up tight with nimble, jazzy drumming and adorned with horns, xylophone, stately church chimes, and some barely angular guitar action that’s so far over to the disco end of postpunk it’s almost lounge..."
[expand]. Fortunately the words are a bit dark and plenty clever—if Elf Power wandered into the magic forest without their toddler-vision goggles, this is what things might look like to them."
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At The Clubs
The Boston Phoenix - 08.08.2005
"An Iranian, a New Yorker, and a Russian Jew walk into a recording studio. The engineer says, "Why the long songs?" No, it’s not a non-joke joke; it’s what we like to think went down last year when Bay Area trio the Ebb and Flow entered the studio with Aaron Prellwitz (Neil Young, Erase Errata) to record their first full-length..."
[expand]. Time To Echolocate (Three Ring) opens with a nine-and-a-half minute two-part epic that sets the eclectic tone for the rest of the disc — a stew of ’70s-influenced stoner guitar rock peppered with psychedelic Farfisa, jaunty synth pop (Bob Moog makes a spoken-word cameo on the last track), lo-fi indie morass, and vibes-and-trumpet-driven twee pop. They’re upstairs at the Middle East, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge | $12 | 617.864.EAST."
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Concert Pick
The Village Voice - 08.05.2005
"The bat on the cover of this organ-blippy and gal-led Frisco post-punk art-pop trio's new Time to Echolocate would seem more clever if the Fruit Bats hadn't already had the same idea on Echolocation a few years ago. Sometimes the vocal chirps slightly recall Kleenex/Lilliput; sometimes the guitars get druggy. One track lasts 22 minutes. "

Critic's Pick
Nashville Scene - 07.28.2005
""Sonorous" is the name of the 10-minute leadoff track on this Bay Area trio's new LP. That title fairly captures the album's entrancing subtleties, especially the reverberant, melodic burr of keyboardist Roshy Kheshti's surging Farfisa chords and Moog sustains. An ominous undercurrent, however, courses through the rumbling, spongy pulse of bassist Sam Tsitrin, a presentiment of danger that's underscored by his jagged, fuzz-toned guitar lines—and by imagery of shrapnel, bonfires and wayside encampments in tracks like "Firefly," an impressionistic yet none-too-fanciful evocation of love in a war zone..."
[expand]. The incantatory vocals of Tsitrin and Kheshti likewise convey a sense of urgency and peril, yet also a humanity, an affirmation in spite of itself that's ennobling. The trio's international makeup—Tsitrin is a Jew from Moscow, Kheshti the first Iranian to graduate from Nashville's Glencliff High School (drummer Sara Cassetti is the only member of the trio who was born in the U.S.)—embodies a similar ideal, a matter-of-fact assertion of unity in our uneasy age of globalization. Time to Echolocate, the pregnant mandate/title of the trio's album, hints at these themes as well, its intimation of a convergence between resonance and location alluding to more than just the tidal sweep of the group's warm, tensive grooves. "
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Show Preview
Albequerque Alibi - 07.21.2005
"The Ebb and Flow with FOMA and Babelshack Tuesday, July 26; Burt's Tiki Lounge (21 and over): When I first heard San Francisco's The Ebb and Flow I thought, now here is a band that travels well. As in, I'd like to take this album on a long car trip, possibly at night, through the Arizona desert. Maybe it's because their first full-length album is called Time to Echolocate and depicts bats in flight on the front cover..."
[expand]. After all, bats are nocturnal creatures that fly long distances through the desert. But I don't think it's as simple as all that. There's something far less tangible in there, and it keeps propelling me down the same phantom mental freeway. Take the first track off of Time to Echolocate, "Sonorous." It glides for nearly 10 minutes; first plodding, skipping then running, then on to a full gallop through a forest of moogs and organ, guitar, strings and jazzy drum change-ups. The band itself travels light, with only three members to split between two vocal parts and a tight, diverse instrumentation that somehow manages to sound simple and loose. It's like a trompe l'oeil of the ear. Which I guess makes sense in the whole bat-scheme of things, because that's exactly what sonar and echolocation is all about—using sound for sight. Give them a listen and see where it takes you. "
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Cd review
Aquarius Records - 07.01.2005
"Wow! Some sorta transformation has taken place with this band in the couple of years since their last release, the 2003 Mur Murs ep. They're definitely much more confident, complex and dynamic, and these developments are made more than apparent right from the get-go. Indeed, you need look/hear no further that the excellent lead-off track "Sonorous", but of course with such tantalizing edgy pop sounds you'll want to! It's a lengthy number (subsectioned into "Time To Echolocate" and "Ear Of The Other") that effectively presents the many facets of the band..."
[expand]. They've veered away from they're former Chicago post-rock scene leanings, into something more un-pinpointable. Their increased attention to song structures and arrangements do much to define a sound of their own. Like an agile juggler they keep their atmospheres, time signature shifts and multi-part vocals aloft. Speaking of which, the vocals are definitely a key ingredient in Ebb & Flow's magic. The wonderful soaring female vocals contrast nicely with the male ones which approach a moody, withery Interpol-ness. Pretty darn great!"
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Cd Review
Smother.net - 07.01.2005
"The Ebb and Flow have launched their first full-length album entitled “Time to Echolocate” and are poised to turn more than just heads. Starting your album off with a two-part, ten-minute opus is dangerous and yet courageous but only if you can pull it off right. The Ebb and Flow nail it. Their sound is a mixture of ‘70’s era rock, post-rock, and synth-pop, which while challenging, is a simple delightful listen..."
[expand]. Mathematically precise and rich in melody and texture, “Time to Echolocate” is on the short list of 2005’s must haves."
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All The Little Indie Rockers / Kimberly Chun
SF Bay Guardian - 06.08.2005
"Indie rock that really rocks - that could be some kind of marketing slogan for the Ebb and Flow, who like to follow cello with psych freak-out on their new album, "Time to Echolocate." It's driving you batty, but admit it: You like it. You really, really like it."

CD Review / Maveric Vu
The California Aggie - 06.01.2005
"Rating: A- Every once in a while, I come across a fantastic band that I choose to keep a secret. So when prompted to explain my new favorite band, I can snootily reply, “Oh, you don’t know?” However, I’ve decided that I will share my recent find in hopes of becoming a better person. Thus, I introduce to you experimental art-rockers The Ebb and Flow, who create a dynamic experience that true music fans should not miss. The San Francisco-based trio melds a smooth blend of ’70s prog-rock, synth-pop and folk into a quirky and unique sound..."
[expand]. Time to Echolocate falls somewhere between a caffeinated Broken Social Scene and a more eccentric version of Arcade Fire. Yet, the band’s effort to push their personal boundaries seems to counter any attempt at genre pigeon-holing. The beauty of the album is that it constantly flows from one spot to the next with ADD-like intensity. Echolocate’s opening nine-minute opus “Sonorous” is broken up into two parts, starting out with a mellow, honey-tinged cello melody and transitioning into frantic guitar riffs. Like a wandering alcoholic, the track eventually finds its way back home, accompanied by Roshy Kheshti’s sweet voice, which is held constant throughout. As the band’s name suggests, the songs smoothly flow and spill into different sounds and musical styles, but all with the same captivating intensity. “Framer Framed” is one of the more upbeat tracks melding introspection with dancehall moments. “Body and Soul” takes on a more somber tone, pairing subdued percussions with a simple keyboard-synth hook. The lyrics are also simply affecting, as the band’s other singer, Sam Tsitrin, broods: “Let’s stop breaking our backs now/ There’s no more tracks to lay/ And I’ve been working, oh, so hard/ Now it’s time to pay the bill.” The worst part of Echolocate is when it ended. The album is relatively short with only nine tracks, including a hidden song at the end, that clocks in at just over 40 minutes. Yet, The Ebb and Flow’s creative intensity makes use of its short run-time. Their sound is expertly employed and straddles a balance between experimental and pop-worthy elements. In fact, even further tinkering with instruments and percussion would have been welcomed. For information on purchasing Echolocate visit theebbandflow.com. Now that the secret is out, I think I can be excused from doing any more community service for the rest of the year. "
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Cd Review / Connie Hwong
West Coast Performer - 06.01.2005
"Perhaps the Ebb and Flow would have been more comfortable in the early �70s, during the heady days of prog-rock in the US and Britain. How surprising it is, then, that two of the trio�s members were born and raised far from Anglophone soil: guitarist/vocalist Sam Tsitrin hails from Soviet Russia, and keyboardist/vocalist Roshy Kheshti once called Iran home..."
[expand]. In comparison, drummer Sara Casetti�s New York roots seem pretty normal. However, Time to Echolocate is anything but normal, featuring epic, psychedelic anthems reminiscent of Jethro Tull interspersed with spare, folksy ballads that are equal parts Americana and Pavement. It is an eclectic aesthetic that extends to their choice in instruments, which include a Farfisa organ and a vintage jazz drum kit. The album opens and closes with long, meandering songs which gradually build into near-operatic rock arias, demonstrating that Ebb and Flow are well-versed in the works of their compatriots Mates of State, as well as the oeuvre of the Doors. Kheshti�s chirpy vocals form an unlikely companionship with gratuitous organ chords and trance-inducing Stratocaster action. Sandwiched between these grandiose efforts is a collection of humbler pieces. �Firefly� is a plaintive organ ballad showcasing Tsitrin�s haunting vocal talents. He shifts styles to channel Neil Young in the twangy guitar tune �Contra Verse.� The most startling departure is �Framer Framed,� which includes frantic Sleater-Kinney-style guitars and a hiccupping vocal track from Kheshti, as well as loud bridges that suddenly revert back to quiet bits, and then back to loud again with alarming (yet entirely effective) abruptness. While the Decemberists and company have certainly mastered the art of the nautical hipster epic, the Ebb and Flow are hot contenders in their own expansive category, layering dense female vocals over droning melodies for their closer, �Sweet Southern Harmony.� The hypnotic wall of noise, as the band�s name implies, ebbs and flows into your ears and mind. (Three Ring) "
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Cd Review / Joel Doss
The Owl Mag - 05.09.2005
"The Ebb and Flow sports two vocalists, indie-rock inclinations and a variety of instrumentation that's as wide as their collective Iranian, Russian and American heritages. Time to Echolocate is a complex arrangement that sprawls around syncopated avant garde explorations, but manages to remain anchored in a listenable groove. Keyboardist Roshy Kheshti's synthesized arsenal of sonic flavor lays out everything from classic jazz progressions to niche experimentation, all the while meshing seamlessly with guitarist Sam Tistrin's eccentric hooks..."
[expand]. The trio is completed by drummer and self-professed musical encyclopedia Sara Cassetti, who skillfully pulls it all together like a tractor beam. The end product is lyrically rich, musically fascinating and undeniably unique. "
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Show Preview
Flavorpill - 01.18.2005
"Sometimes it's hard to predict the next full-on musical trend, but the Ebb and Flow's much loved multiple personalities give them as much of a shot at being part of the next big scene as anyone. Progressively synthetic and eerily melodic, this local trio loves its Moogs, Farfisa, and horns equally, quickly shifting from post-rock jazz grooves to rainy-day soul..."
[expand]. Having played with both Stereolab and Modest Mouse, the Ebb and Flow now headline their own challenging pop show. The sing-along and dance-athon begins with local shoe-gazers Astral and the premeditated ruckus rock of Scissors for Lefty. "
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Band Interview / Jeremy Sampson
SF Station - 05.01.2004
"SF Station is debuting a new Q&A feature profiling local musicians. The idea is to provide our readers with an introduction to rising Bay Area artists, as well a greater sense for what life is like in the trenches of our city's dense music scene. First up: The Ebb and Flow. It's fitting that our first Q&A features a band whose name means back and forth: The Ebb and Flow..."
[expand]. More appropriate still is how neatly the band's sound befits their chosen name; for a little over three years, Roshy Kheshti (keyboards/vocals), Sam Tsitrin (guitar/vocals) and Sara Cassetti (drums) have spliced their distinct life experiences into a sound that surges from genre to genre. Together, Kheshti's new-wave style moog lines, Tsitrin's crooner-ish vocal delivery and Cassetti's intricate drum lines inhabit a land somewhere between avant jazz and indie rock (whatever that means – but we'll get to that later.) This is a band at a pivotal moment in their short career. They've hit all the important small SF venues, and established the beginnings of a loyal fan base on the strength of mesmerizing performances and two solid studio EPs. So what's next? We sat down over beers with Kheshti and Cassetti to discuss where they're headed, and in the process caught some damn interesting banter on their SF experience and issues relevant to today's independent music scene. SF Station: So what do you guys listen to? The "influences" question is so typical, but we're curious because it seems like you guys pull from many different genres. Roshy: I wish Sam were here because he really draws from a whole body of music that doesn't really overlap with me personally. Sara: For the most part, Roshy and I listen to the same stuff. We have one CD collection. R: One of the things that I've come to appreciate more through Sam is a more fluid and free relationship to music. He has a deep knowledge of jazz. I always try and absorb from him – he knows about certain things that I would never even feel were listenable. I like to learn from him. He's a big fan of Charlie Parker, for example. As for me, The Pixies are something that I started to get into through Sara when we were in college. And I absolutely love Joanna Newsom's record. Some nights I go to bed and I think I can't listen to her CD anymore because I can't get the songs out of my head. That was a surprising new discovery. I've been a Stereolab fan for many years and that's something that has never changed about me. And I absolutely love Broadcast—whenever I listen to Broadcast I study it, because it's so intricate and so textured and so sort of eerie and weird but really kind of happy. I also really love Afro-Beat and Fela Kuti. So that's me. S: I second all that. I think where our tastes differ is that I also get into more "rootsy" stuff. I like Songs: Ohia, and I like Will Oldham a lot. Roshy and I are musically on the same page, and Sam is the one who tempers what we do and adds a different kind of element. In terms of direct influences on our music and not just what we listen to, he is the one that pretty consistently introduces another element that's totally outside of the vacuum that we work in. SF Station: So the logical question is, how does that all fit into the songwriting process? S: Sometimes it's difficult. How it really plays out is that we have to be conscious of how we communicate with each other when we're writing a song. The way that our disparate tastes come together is in recognizing that it's important that we do this collaboratively. This usually means spending a lot of time working on the most minute details just because we're trying to do it together. I mean, we spent probably an hour on a one-minute part last night. Ultimately we end up spending more time on the writing of the songs, and then trying to delicately and directly communicate our ideas to each other. R: We were in a band before this called The Hairdressers, and it was very much the lead singer writing all the songs—he was the center of focus. It was a bizarre project for me personally to be in because of the instrument that I play. I don't do a good backing part. Before that, we were in a band that was a lot more obviously derivative of [Sara and my] influences, so it's refreshing to have someone that challenges me to go beyond what comes very naturally. Sometimes Sara and I sit in the studio and we're just fucking around and suddenly we'll come up with something and we'll laugh at each other. S: Things can get musically incestuous with us… R: That comes very easily to us. But the stuff that Sam brings really complicates things in a refreshing way. That causes me to step back and look at the situation differently. SF Station: Sam's singing style is very unique, especially in combination with the kinds of sounds you guys are producing—where does it come from? S: Sam has four solo albums. He has a pretty long history of making music on his own. He's a published poet. R: In terms of his singing he's very influenced by Neil Young. S: The Russian interpretation. R: He imagines his voice to be exactly like Neil Young—that's what he hears in his head at least. I feel like his voice sounds a lot like [Sonic Youth's] Jim O'Rourke in a frighteningly similar way. Sam has frequencies that are really high in his voice. SF Station: It's an interesting idea, Neil Young through a Russian filter—so Russian is his first language? R: Yes, he moved here when he was 14. SF Station: The race thing gets brought up a lot in the press, it seems like everything that's been written about you mentions it. [Roshy is Iranian and Sara is from New York] R: It's not surpising at all. The fact of the matter is that indie rock is very very white and very very male. So when you embody something other than that, it's the first thing that people see. It becomes something that people capitalize on. It sticks in their minds. SF Station: That makes us think of Pretty Girls Make Graves. Everything you read about them mentions that they have the only black guitar player in indie rock. S: Of course now TV on the Radio is on the scene--so that's going to alter the face of indie rock. R: I was actually talking to the only white guy in TV on the Radio about this and he actually said that they want to make "race music." And I found that to be so powerful and exciting. Have you ever heard that term "race music"? It's what white parents were calling black music… S: ...rock ‘n roll R: ...around the late 50's. When I heard that I thought it was so inspiring. S: So TV on the Radio is putting themselves in the same context, but it's indie rock instead of rock ‘n roll. SF Station: OK, so what the fuck is indie rock then? R: Yeah, I don't know. I kind of know because we just played in LA with a bunch of bands that were distinctly not indie rock. S: We know what it's not, at least. R: We've played with these really derivative caricature bands that are trying to be something that they think works. S: ...that incorporate different aspects of Top 40. Whether it be the kitschy Top 40 metal band, or the "dude song writer guy" a la Matchbox 20, or just generic pop punk type stuff… R: ...or even a band that's trying to look like The Dandy Warhols—really chisled, model-esque people that have an "act" prepared. SF Station: Like The Darkness for example? R: Unfortunately not even that engaging. S: Nobody did any splits or anything. R: More revolting really. But I try not to identify [our band] as "indie rock" because I don't feel like [we] identify with that moniker at all. SF Station: Well that's the problem with the term. There are so many bands that people call "indie rock", but they sound nothing alike. You don't sound like At The Drive In, for example. S: It's as useful as saying "alternative" really. SF Station: Exactly. It seems as if "indie rock" is taking over for "alternative." You have a radio station that just started in LA called Indie 103.1, operated by Clear Channel. "Indie Rock" is a new catch-all phrase for music that young people think is different. R: And that's happening to film and fashion too. I wonder if there was ever a moment where it was actually authentic? S: If maybe there was a moment where it meant something more specific. I don't think it's a matter of authenticity, I just think "alternative" at one point meant something like The Smiths, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, and then it turned into "indie." And those bands were all major label artists. There are indie labels now that are just as huge and profitable and corporate-like as the majors. SF Station: And a band like Modest Mouse makes "indie rock" but they're not indie at all, by the definition of the term. OK, switching gears, can you talk a bit about logistics of being in a band in San Francisco? For starters, where do you rehearse? R: That's the downside of things—this is where it gets ugly. Before we moved to California we used to live in Indiana and everyone there has a basement. When we moved out here, it was like "Oh my god, we have to pay for our space. We have to take on a whole new lease." So we rehearse down at Secret Studios on Cesar Chavez. I'd rather not have to spend money to just practice, but that's how it works. We share a room with two other bands. SF Station: How often do you rehearse? S: Twice a week. It's a pretty good set-up. R: Before the crash happened in 1999, you used to have to wait on a list forever. We couldn't even dream of finding a studio. SF Station: You played the upstairs area at the Fillmore recently during a sold-out Modest Mouse show. How did that go? R: It was really fruitful actually. It was great exposure and there were a lot of people from out of town who seemed to be really excited to be out and were really open-minded. SF Station: How long have you guys been playing together? S: Since January 2001. It was kind of a lark that we got together. I worked in a restaurant with Sam. It didn't really make sense, because I knew that he was into some weird shit, and didn't really know if I would have any point of entry with that. R: He gave us a copy of his album and it sounded very esoteric. His solo stuff is very obscure and very avant in a queer way. Not gay queer, but queer as in weird. When we went into it we were thinking, "This is not going to work, why are we wasting our time?" And then we started playing and we wrote our first song that night. S: It was pretty easy considering how we felt going into it. SF Station: How did you end up in San Francisco? R: After we moved out here from Indiana, we were in Santa Cruz. We moved to San Francisco because we were coming up here three times a week to see shows. It felt like we were commuting to our lives, rather than to our jobs. So we moved here in 1998. S: We were writing in Santa Cruz, but the whole time we were there we just didn't have anyone to play with. R: You need a catalyst to create music. [Sara and I] are in a relationship together so it's hard to switch gears when you go into music mode, so it helps to have someone else there to change that environment. We're much more productive when we have someone else to work with like Sam rather than trying to do stuff solo. SF Station: So what's the dynamic like – being in a relationship with a band mate? R: It's hard to be in a relationship with someone and be in a band with them. There are millions of examples of how it doesn't work. The Cocteau Twins… S: Sonny and Cher! Rainer Maria, Quasi… R: ...and Stereolab, of course. SF Station: And how does Sam fit into this? R: It's pretty miraculous that he can deal with it. I think that says a lot about him. Obviously [Sara and I] have a chemistry that Sam and I don't have, and that Sam and Sara don't have. S: And Sam is also difficult in his special way. We all have this chemistry to deal with, so we give each other shit mutually and we've all learned to deal with it. R: It's not like it's a power struggle. When you're working with someone in a band it's kind of like being in a relationship with them. S: Generally speaking we're all happy when we're at practice because we're all doing something we really like doing. We spend a lot of our time doing stuff we don't like to be doing, so we're very appreciative to be in that space when we're with each other. SF Station: Your website says you're going to record your first full length in July. R: Yeah, we're writing songs for it right now. It's going to be songs from The Architects and Engineers EP [available for download on the Ebb and Flow website] and maybe one or two from the MurMurs EP [available at .]www.cdbaby.com]. S: We're working with the most immediate goals in mind. We're recording the full length because we feel like we've been together long enough and we want to have accomplished the task of recording an LP. We'd also like to get a label to release something of ours. For a lot of people, that may have more symbolic value than anything. No matter who you're working with, they give you an advance and you have to pay it back, so it's really no different than putting the money up yourself, except for the promotional aspect. R: We've learned over the years that the dream that musicians have is very much like a wet dream— it's a fantasy. In reality, the amount of money that becomes owed to the label is really significant. And there's really no such thing as money from the label; they're basically a lender. They're lending you money that you have to recoup in your record sales. I have a very realistic sense of what I want. Which is a relationship with a label that is somewhat altruistic and not in it for the big profit, and recognizes my needs as a worker. It becomes a mutual relationship. SF Station: There's the rub, finding a label that's really interested in putting out good music as opposed to turning a big profit. It seems like it might be possible to find the former in San Francisco though, doesn't it? S: I'm hopeful that we can find something like that. In the near future, though, we would love to be doing more touring that we don't set up completely on our own and maybe have five people show up. It's one thing for us to bring out our own people that get together for our shows, but we really want to play with other bands in the Bay Area, and outside the Bay Area, that draw similar crowds so we can expand our listening audience. That's been the biggest challenge and concern playing locally. Playing with bands that have a decent draw and appeal to the same audience as us is worth its weight in gold compared to playing a show with four totally different bands who all bring their own crowds. SF Station: Who do you put in that grouping with you? S: In March we played a show at Café du Nord with Citizens Here and Abroad. That was a really good night for us because those guys are a little more established on the scene and are on a label, so they draw more than we do and their audience was very receptive to us. So it was a great opportunity for us. Coming up in June we're going to be playing a CD-release party for Call and Response. We want to start doing more stuff like that. It's not a matter of opening or headlining. At this point, it's more appropriate for us to open for bigger bands than it is to headline. In terms of immediate plans, we're trying to hoof it through this new album. R: And we're playing Mission Creek Music Festival (www.mcmf.org/mcmf8 on May 30 at the Make Out Room. That's where we played our very first show, so we're really looking forward to it. The Ebb and Flow: www.theebbandflow.com "
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Show Preview
Flavorpill - 02.17.2004
"Each member of the Ebb and Flow strikes an intriguing figure on stage: frontman Sam Tsitrin does double-time on guitar and vocals, drummer Sara Cassetti drives the rhythm section, and Roshy Kheshti commands an impressive array of Moog keyboards and synths. Together the three create their own cohesive, yet musically diverse, take on indie rock..."
[expand]. The result is enthralling, and you're nearly guaranteed to lose yourself in their jazzy improv jams more than once during the show. The Ebb and Flow are a local talent, and this is their well-deserved, first-ever headlining gig. Jeff Jacobs of Drift adds trumpet to the mix."
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Cd Review
Aquarius Records - 07.01.2003
"A short six-song introduction to this new SF band. This half dozen has a definite Chicago jazzy post-rock feel with some great horn accents, interesting textural details and arrangements. There's a nice vocal contrast from song to song too: breathy yet strong female leads on one, yearning, slouchy male voice takes over on another, a very Exene/John Doe-ish interplay on yet another..."
[expand]. Me thinks, The Ebb And Flow would fit perfectly on a bill with Mates Of State and/or Call & Response (if they haven't already!). Very nice."
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Nitewise - 10.15.2002
"The Ebb & Flow project a definite Chicago jazzy post-rock feel with some great horn accents, interesting textural details and arrangements. There's a nice vocal contrast from song to song too: breathy yet strong female leads one, to a male voice that takes over on another. Formed a little over a year and a half ago, they have quickly become a band with its identity in place with a complex sound that is surprisingly palatable. "