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More John Martyn than John Fahey, an Embryonic Journey for new generations of defunct hippies and malcontents, fingerpicking and cornhusk drums for death portraits and lost lovers. Improvised soundtrack for a Wes Anderson movie that never existed, tension and release without the rock archetype, a Storm and Stress for cowards. This is bright and bouncy folk a la Belle and Sebastian, without cheekiness and with an infectious groove, like Yo La Tengo or Brokeback. Sainte Chapelle was formed as a vehicle for our most personal ideas, our church within the walls of a police state. Though currently on hiatus, Sainte Chapelle will resurface every few years for the refuge of non-song and afterglow.
Sainte Chapelle is Gary Pyskacek and Dan Schneider
Related: Pedal Steel Transmission, The Singleman Affair
discography
cs001 Sainte Chapelle s/t ep
Sainte Chapelle is Dan Schneider and Gary Pyskacek (both of Pedal Steel Transmission) fleshing out ideas and molding improvisations. The group formed in 2000 to release it’s self titled EP for Cardboard Sangria Records, a collection of 5 improvised pieces recorded in a weekend following a mind-bending monthlong trip to Europe, and the necessary withdrawal from life that followed.
tracklist:
1. At The Mercy Of The Queen [3:23]
2. Say A Prayer For Surfer Boy, Wherever He Is [4:17]
3. Spring Forth, Mercury [5:48]
4. Is That The Sun, Completo? [2:51]
5. Dirge [9:29]
press
“…It’s an engaging, postfolky set that’s not afraid to bang down doors when necessary.
The Onion
“The Sainte Chapelle are amazing just for their continuous attempt to leave their really own prints, avoiding to follow the marks of the people that went before them. Check out the final Dirge: more than 9 minutes in the middle between Songs:Ohia and Dave Fischoff.”
BlowUp
“It is a testament to craft and talent that the music stands well on its own. The instrumental
songs bring to mind Will Oldham’s Palace and Pedro the Lion in terms of delivery and attitude.”
Lumpen
cs006 Sainte Chapelle - Soon To Fail
Last minute fleeting attempts at beauty. Sometime nightmare music. Sun-dazed from high expectations and the inevitable crash. Improvisations culled from being locked in a studio with no rules, only a list of ghosts and their moments to chase. “Soon to Fail” is staring into the sunset from the back seat, weather-beaten from knowing good intentions only win from within. This music is our sanctuary, a saint within the walls of a police blockade, like the church the group is named for.
(Gastr del Sol, John Martyn, John Fahey, Simon and Garfunkel, Black Heart
Procession, DMST, Elisabeth Cotton, Django Rheinhart,)
1. Mantra 6:51
2. May 17th 4:44
3. What Do We Call Love 3:23
4. Soon To Fail 3:05
5. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair 4:33
6. Poor Lister 2:47
7. In Search Of Skip 4:04
8. Cartography 2:49
9. This One Follows Me Around 4:11
10. Big Elephant Little Elephant 1:05
11. To Crave 5:27
press
“…simple, repetitive, folky music that’s modestly ambitious but nicely effective at setting a wistful, pastel-shaded mood. The blues-derived but not bluesy fingerpicking of Nick Drake is the most obvious influence on Schneider’s guitar playing, which dominates Sainte Chapelle’s sound. “What Do We Call Love?” is from their upcoming “Soon to Fail,” as is the lovely instrumental “In Search of Skip.”
SALON.COM
