so Emily and I got an awesome little write-up at the www.localcut.com.. it's pretty neat. i'm not too sure how long it'll stay there or anything. i'm not sure if this link will work, but we'll give it a try.

aaron and emily's article

i also don't know if it's okay to just grab this and use it, but i suppose i'll hear about it if it's not.


by Anika Sabin
Aaron Macdonald is one busy bee, or more appropriately, hen. Or alien. Navigating through numerous Portland band websites that list Macdonald’s involvement (Evil Alien Costume, the King Hen, the Leaning Towers, the Peabodys), he seems to be traversing a plethora of genres, as does his partner-in-crime, Emily (also of Evil Alien Costume and the Leaning Towers).

“Old Fashioned Weapons” surprised me. The transitions are quick and unpredictable with dance-y fits, soft piano breakdowns and pop-induced hooks. “It’s just a bunch of tiny things” Aaron sings in the song’s refrain. And, well, it’s true. The beats, rhymes and riffs are terribly cute and simple, yet when layered atop each other, a beautiful density emerges.

The Leaning Towers’ website (theleaningtowers.com) is a map of their well-documented experiments, and creations that Macdonald posted religiously (almost daily up until about a month ago). There you’ll see that “Old fashioned Weapons” is only three weeks old. The library is a bit overwhelming, with songs ranging from eclectic folk that echoes a living room’s softness to cold industrial landscapes of electronica. Even still, there are distorted-gypsy and power pop ballads, most of which actually works. I’m confused, but impressed.