New Ruins

New Ruins began in 2004 as a home recording project of Elzie Sexton and J.Caleb Means. In 2005 "The Sound They Make" was recorded in the cold back room of a Champaign house. In 2006, New Ruins was signed by A Hidden Agenda Records. "The Sound They Make" was released in 2007 and received positive critical reviews, including All Music Guide and an Emusic editor's pick. Several songs from the album have been licensed for use on tv shows. Sexton and Means are joined by Paul Chastain (multi-instrumentalist, formerly of Velvet Crush) and Roy Ewing (drums/percussion, formerly of Braid).

New Ruins released "We Make Our Own Bad Luck" in 2009 and was a Rolling Stone "Hype Monitor" feature. The album saw the band simplify their sound while creating even more dynamic in their work.

The band is set to release their fourth full-length on September 20th, 2011 via Matt Talbott's (HUM) new label, Earth Analog Records, alongside A Hidden Agenda. Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Califone) produced the album at Earth Analog Studios in Tolono, IL. You can hear Deck's hands in the echoing percussion that wobbles through "Homes Of Rich Blood", the ghostly vocals that creep into "Fast One", and in the clear-eyed vision that allows the band to sound even more punchy and emotive. It was mastered in Memphis at the legendary Ardent Studios by Larry Nix. They are planning their largest tour to date, hitting much of the Midwest and parts of the East Coast to promote the release in fall of 2011.

They have been compared to: Band of Horses, Sun Kil Moon, Modest Mouse, The National, My Bloody Valentine, and TV on the Radio.