Ear Candle Productions

The first reviews of the new Granite Countertops album are here. Take a look!

“This afternoon I did what – unfortunately –  not many are ever gonna do: I listened, uninterrupted, Grado headphones, all the way through, concentrating. I didn’t follow the lyrics, I used the entire-album-uninterrupted option.

You two are onto something great and stylish here. The fun is apparent, the wordplay sophisticated and of a high standard, the soundscape rich and varied – a wide variety of well-crafted accompaniments. Of course, philosophically I’m on the same page, and can delight in the outré aspects of your presentation, lyrically and otherwise. A particularly engaging and accessible opening number I think. Really good flow down the tracks, with the interchanging vocalist thing, and some lush, cool ensemble vox stuff that is quite enjoyable.

Lots of moments titillated me. Had heard at least 3 tracks before on your threads, so all of it wasn’t completely new. Several songs with chewy riffs I thought particularly strong, like Aftermath Limerick. I imagine I will gravitate to 5-6 favorite tracks emerging over time, but all-in-all very impressive across the board.

Considering all your groups down the years, you have a large body of work, and I don’t pretend to know it all well, but A Priori/A Posteriori certainly impresses as perhaps up there in the oeuvre as a consistent collection of songs, promulgating your social conscience nicely, humorously but with teeth, which is certainly one of your main calling cards.

Very enjoyable…and you guys have earned full rights to be proud of yourselves! Well done!”

-Leslie Medford, The Ophelias

“In A Priori/A Posteriori, the Granite Countertops summarize 2021 for us, now that it’s nearing its end. As suggested by the album’s title, philosophy was used in an attempt to comprehend and adjust to the ongoing instability, or downright lunacy, of society’s shifting structure. 

As demonstrated by the frantically busy title songs, Latin phrases a priori and a posteriori are used to distinguish knowledge based on either evidence or experience. Skeptical Catch-22 examines the paradoxes of daily life, while Transition Fluid uses a rollicking beat to dance through changes and make them happen.

Sweet pop rocker One Day is So Much Like Another opens up the beautifully produced  album, revealing daily life under the all too familiar routine threat of covid. Talking Notes makes me think of a Cannanes song, it’s so light and shimmery.

The organ and drums in My Own Blood make me think of the blood racing through my circulatory system. Father’s Day is an angry jam against authority. In Children of Technology, the line ‘You can’t fly into the future till you buy new wings’ sums up the sheep mentality fueling the industry.

I love the gentle bossa nova ofTime/Life.  It’s absolutely lovely with the melodica jam hopping around in it.

Confusion of an Expressed Mind is twisted and haunting. I especially like the flutey hoots floating through the lyrics while the sitar twang and menacing beat make them pretty fierce!

Morbid waltz Lizard Brain, punky Pissy  Ants, and the gentle acoustic Harbin Undaunted bring sounds of nature into your realm. The dirge-like, comical Aftermath Limerick and Year of the Mask II’s bitter rock statement are two more covid reviews.”

-Patty Stirling, co-founder, Puncture Magazine

Thank you, and keep ’em coming!

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A PRIORI/A POSTERIORI is a moveable feast of sounds and ideas for the new roaring 20s. The Granite Countertops emerge from 18 months of sheltering in place with their sixth album of 16 all-new original songs about survival, knowledge, experience, time, life, sickness, health, and annoying insects.

J Neo Marvin and Davis Jones file status reports on remote life, feel the blood run through their own bodies, marvel in horror at the continuing madness around them, and serenade a hideaway with a dynamic range of surprising musical styles.

Former Puncture writers Patty Stirling (co-writer of several Catheads and Cannanes classics) and Peter Jones contributed to both the writing of the lyrics and the song performance for Aftermath Limerick.

FILMMAKERS: Key, Time, Tempo, Description added to each song for audiophiles, movie directors or whoever wants to use the music for an original film. We can remove vocals from soundtracks per deposits made on instrumental use per individual contract agreements.

(Special thanks to Love Haight Computers in San Francisco, without whom many parts of this album might have been lost forever.)

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