Video: Orchestraville "Weatherblown" 9/18/2010

Columbus Dispatch: Local Limelight - Orchestraville

For there last release, the 2010 album Poison Berries, Orchestraville got together and played a rare show, which the Columbus Dispatch covered in this piece:

Time had a way of eroding the well-intentioned plans of the men of Orchestraville-- which this weekend will release its third full-length album, Poison Berries. 

The product gathered dust for almost six years. 

“All of the members were eventually focusing on other things,” said singer-guitarist Chris Forbes, 40. “Dave now lives in Colorado. Parker Paul got sick of baby-sitting me and went on to have two children of his own.” 

With the two other members playing full time in the Columbus chamber-folk outfit the Black Swans, ambitions faded. 

A now-or-never attitude has the 20-year ensemble back on track, said Forbes, whose quartet on Saturday will feature a fifth member - previous guitarist Matt Duckworth.

New Additions: Poison Berries by Orchestraville

Way back a few decades ago, the band I was in played one of it's very early shows with Orchestraville at Little Brother's here in Columbus. At the time I didn't quite get it, as my musically vocabulary simply wasn't that expansive. A band that could incorporate the pop melodies of The Beatles and The Kinks with the more esoteric sounds of Robyn Hitchcock or Richard Thompson was not something I could grasp all that well. I finally got around to digging into the actual catalog, and stating with the latest release and working backward, I picked up Poison Berries recently on crate digging trip to various stores, not able to wrap my ahead around the band what they are capable of pulling off with expertise - pop music for people who don't like their pop on a platter, but parceled out in tasty, albeit layered, bits and pieces.

Know Yer Band: Orchestraville

Band: Orchestraville

Members
Vocals/Guitar - Chris Forbes
Guitar - Brendan McKay/Matt Duckworth
Bass - Dave Pascoe
Drums - Keith Hanlon
Keyboards - Parker Paul

Releases
1992 - I For An I 7" single (Interzone)
1998 - Orchestraville album (Mossy Records)
2001 - At Night It Is Particularly Lovely (Mossy Records)
2010 - Poison Berries (Old 3C Record)
2010 - Waiting For A Chance digital single (Not On Label)
2010 - Invent The Machine digital EP (Not On Label)
2011 - Early Tracks: Outtakes 1991 - 1998 compilation album (Mossy Records)