AU (band)

Luke Wyland, Portland, OR 2008
AU in its 2012 incarnation at the Treefort Music Fest in Boise, Idaho

AU was a Portland, Oregon experimental pop group established by multi-instrumentalist Luke Wyland. Wyland started AU in 2005 while completing a degree at the Massachusetts College of Art. He later moved cross-country to Portland and established a base in its music community. Now a working live band, AU features an ever-changing roster of players, recently including Jonathan Sielaff (Parenthetical Girls, Nick Jaina) on guitar, clarinets and saw; and Dana Valatka (Mustaphamond) on drums. Contributors to AU's recordings included Mark Kaylor (Hamor of Hathor, CexFucx), Becky Dawson (Saw Whet, Ah Holly Fam'ly), and Sarah Winchester (A Weather).[1]

Its self-titled debut album was praised by such media centers as Pitchfork and Stereogum, and was named #2 Portland Album of 2007 by The Portland Mercury, which said AU "manages to erase the high art/low art boundary between American contemporary classical music and American pop music, blending them into a simple, compelling, verse-chorus celebration... (and) is the rare band that can reinvent its songs live and still manage to match their recorded quality."[2]

Wyland has recorded, produced and released 4 recordings as AU. AU - Au (2007).[2] AU - Verbs (2008). AU - Versions (2009).[3] AU - Both Lights (2012).[4][5][6]

  1. ^ Phares, Heather. "Luke Wyland (Bio and overview)". allmusic.com. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  2. ^ a b Clarke, Cary (June 21, 2007). "Au". The Portland Mercury. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  3. ^ "AU: Versions". Pitchfork. January 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  4. ^ Catling, Simon Jay (March 30, 2012). "AU - 'Both Lights' - His first true masterpiece". New Musical Express. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  5. ^ Longley, Martin (10 April 2012). "AU Both Lights Review". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  6. ^ Friedman, Kevin (March 2012). "Luke Wyland casts light on life, its struggles in 'Both Lights'". OregonLive. Retrieved 30 June 2012.