Charm School by Bishop Allen

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Quirky | Punk

13 tracks | 38 minutes

Released Feb 2003
on Champagne School

Click for a 30-second preview. All tracks are 192kbps high fidelity sound quality. Protected WMA $0.77 or unprotected MP3 $0.88.

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sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:07 Charm School lyrics BUY MP3 02:07 Charm School lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:07 Charm School

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:47 Little Black Ache lyrics BUY MP3 02:47 Little Black Ache lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:47 Little Black Ache

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:53 Busted Heart lyrics BUY MP3 03:53 Busted Heart lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:53 Busted Heart

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:56 Bishop Allen Drive lyrics BUY MP3 02:56 Bishop Allen Drive lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:56 Bishop Allen Drive

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:35 Eve Of Destruction lyrics BUY MP3 03:35 Eve Of Destruction lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:35 Eve Of Destruction

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:57 Things Are What You Make Of Them lyrics BUY MP3 03:57 Things Are What You Make Of Them lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:57 Things Are What You Make Of Them

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:00 Ghosts Are Good Company lyrics BUY MP3 03:00 Ghosts Are Good Company lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:00 Ghosts Are Good Company

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:41 Empire City lyrics BUY MP3 02:41 Empire City lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:41 Empire City

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:21 Coupla Easy Things lyrics BUY MP3 02:21 Coupla Easy Things lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:21 Coupla Easy Things

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 01:57 Penitentiary Bound lyrics BUY MP3 01:57 Penitentiary Bound lyrics "GIFT MP3" 01:57 Penitentiary Bound

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:20 Quarter To Three lyrics BUY MP3 03:20 Quarter To Three lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:20 Quarter To Three

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:31 Another Wasted Night lyrics BUY MP3 02:31 Another Wasted Night lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:31 Another Wasted Night

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:36 Things Are What You Make Of Them (reprise) lyrics BUY MP3 03:36 Things Are What You Make Of Them (reprise) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:36 Things Are What You Make Of Them (reprise)

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Bishop Allen is four people playing catchy, thoughtful rock n roll. Rolling Stone gave this record 4 stars. Everyone who has it loves it.

Editorial review

Charm School gets off to a joyful beginning with handclaps, duets, and a definite '60s rock sound similar to The Kinks on the title track. And for the next dozen tracks, the listener receives an ample amount of this infectious sound. Bishop Allen frontmen and lead singers, Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, weave another simplistic yet adorable pop tune on "Little Black Ache." Although the sound is retro, the polish Bishop Allen brings to each number is unmistakable. "Busted Heart" is a bit rougher around its sonic edges. The vocals range from resembling Les Claypool on the first verse, to Wilco on the second, while the guitars grow slightly louder. "Bishop Allen Drive", a song speaking about throwing furniture off the roof, features Margaret Miller adding sweet harmonies as a minimal backbeat gives the tune an Americana flavor. Perhaps the best song is the quirky mix of rap and pop on "Eve Of Destruction." Taking portions of the P.F. Sloan cover, the tune's melody comes close to a subdued-sounding Pixies. The momentum continues on "Things Are What You Make Of Them," with the vocals being the closest to Ray Davies' than at any other point on the record. If there's one average effort, it might be the Talking Heads sound of "Empire City," but a minute in, the groove falls beautifully into place. The homestretch of songs rarely falters from the formula they seem to have perfected -- simple, catchy, and highly infectious pop. "Penitentiary Blues" has more handclaps, an acoustic guitar strumming, and a sing-along for its two minutes. Only on portions of the album does the group pick up the pace, particularly during "Quarter To Three," with its Velvet Underground chorus section. This is the way pop/rock was meant to be! ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide

Bio / Background

Bishop Allen is a band from Brooklyn, New York: four people playing catchy, thoughtful rock n roll. They have no press agent, no manager, & no label, but by distributing CDs through friends and publicizing their music by word-of-mouth and a stunning live show, Bishop Allen have sold over 8,000 copies of their debut album, CHARM SCHOOL.

They formed in Spring of 2003. They recorded, produced, and released CHARM SCHOOL in May. They then mailed copies to everyone they could think of. This got them glowing reviews, radio play, and shows. Stores soon picked up the album and eventually it appeared on Amazon, where for one heady weekend it was the #2 best seller, between Norah Jones and Led Zeppelin.

This April, BISHOP ALLEN completed their second U.S. tour, playing some 70 cities and headlining sold-out shows in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, among others. The band is currently back in their home studio, wedged into a Brooklyn apartment, crafting their second album.