Discovery of a World Inside the Moone [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Japanese edition of fifth album from Olympia, Wa based indie pop act with earlier release & two exclusive bonus tracks, 'Hold On To This Day' & 'The Oasis'. 14 tracks in all. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Tracks:

Go
The Rainbow
Stream Running Over
20 Cases Suggestive Of...
Look Away
What Happened Then
I Can't Believe
Submarine Dream
Allright/Not Quite
The Bird That You Can't See
Stay Gold
The Afternoon

Amazon.com

Apples in Stereo's leader, Robert Schneider, never seems to run out of ways to describe the world as a psychedelic place. As the producer for Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel (all members of the elusive neotrippy Elephant 6 collective) and the singer-songwriter for Apples in Stereo, Schneider inhabits a world where the lysergic insights of Syd Barrett, Brian Wilson, and Roky Erickson never die. A childlike enthusiasm infuses tunes such as "The Rainbow" and "Look Away," in which a healthy dollop of Beatlesesque hooks, bright guitars, circus horns, and pop harmonies circa 1966-67 are a sharp contrast from the modern world of endless trip-hop drum loops and synthetic soul. Occasionally another decade slips through. "What Happened Then" has shades of T. Rex glam rock underneath its dreamy surface. But mostly it's as if someone locked this quintet in a room back in the late '60s and forever deprived them of all cultural stimuli. A worthwhile trip in the time tunnel. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

Take it easy...........2006-11-11

The Apples in Stereo -- the most accessable of the Elephant 6 bands -- have always been into retro pop. Colourful, psychedelic, sunny music, which leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

In "The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone," Rob Schneider and his Apples are in their absolute best form, harkening back when music was floating on marijuana and dreams of a sunsoaked future. From parade-pop to fast-running guitars, there literally isn't a song on here that isn't a feast for the ears.

It opens with a fuzzy riff, and a blast of horns in a cheery little tune. "When you're going to the place /where you work you have no face/then you wanna go (go baby)," Schneider sings happily. After some brief interludes into musical chaos, he continus to sing about the places where you wanna "go, baby," sounding happy to oblige.

From there, the Apples venture off into a catchy little guitarpop tune. "Oh when my battery/it just runs out on me/I like to take a walk about/and so it came to pass/I saw you on the grass..." It expands into colourful imagery ("just like a rainbow!"), Beatlesesque harmonies, and some really wonky guitar distortion.

Having snared listeners, the Apples continue with their psychpop. They expand their sound into languid summer tunes, rapid-moving indie-rock, swirling balladry, shimmering psychpop, and electro-edged guitar melodies that race right into the finale, "Afternoon," a folky little melody that finishes things up on a meditative note.

If you didn't know who the Apples in Stereo were, you might think that they were a pop band from the 1960s. Okay, retro-sixties pop is not unique musically, but the Apples have something special -- the wonder-filled, swirling sound inherited from the Zombies, and pop sensibilities inherited from the Beatles.

The music is a dense mass of instrumentation -- nimble riffs, piano and light percussion are soaked in warm mellotron, wavering synthesizer, organ and strings. The melodies are dancey and lighthearted, but just in case not everyone is bouncing in their seat, the Apples insert some soaring trombone, bongos and handclaps. It's like being in an acid-soaked parade.

Schneider and Hilarie Sidney sound a lot like the Beatles in their more whimsical moments here, especially with those pitch-perfect harmonies . Okay, the lyrics are on the lightweight side ("There's a stream running over/on distant shores/everybody's swimming/in the water..."), but the lighthearted, carefree sound matches the music perfectly.

The Apples in Stereo produced the ultimate retro-sixties album in "The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone," with its enchanting music and sunny outlook. Definitely worth getting.

Not the most intelligent lyrics, but great songwriting!.......2006-02-05

Let's take a trip back to the days when The Beatles just started using marijuana, making their music a little more psychadelic. Sort of a mix between Beach Boys, The Beatles and everything inbetween, 'The Discovery of a World' is a psychadelic masterpiece (or something close to one) that you won't put down for a while. From the little jam in 'Go' to the 'yeah yeah's of 'The Rainbow', The Apples In Stereo do a fine job of recreating the 60's/70's feel of music. Yes, it was created in 2000.

They all play such a variety of instruments! I hear a bongo, a flute, and a brass section in 'Go' alone! One of my favorites is 'The Rainbow' with a great catchy chorus that is reminiscent of sugar-pop, as I like to call it. 'Stream Running Over' is good too, with hand claps and acoustic guitar that will help you 'clear your mind' during a bad day at work! '20 Cases Suggestive Of...' is a bit heavier, a bit more distorted, and a bit less innocent than the previous 3 songs. It didn't lose a bit of greatness, though. If you're looking for music reminiscent of Beatles, look no further than 'Look Away'! It's catchy, with pianos and guitars and Ringo-esque drums and it's oh so sweet! Another goodie is 'I Can't Believe', another rocker piece on this great record. And guess what 'Submarine Dream' sounds like? Yep, you guessed it: The Beach Boys. (Sarcasm.)

Overall, it's a great, full album that you won't be putting down. Apples In Stereo aren't the most popular band, but the least popular bands are usually the best. If you like it, check out bands like the Beach Boys and the Beatles. If you haven't heard of those bands, well, that's your mistake for drowning in the crap you people call 'the music of today'.

*2 THUMBS UP FOR 'DISCOVERY OF A WORLD INSIDE THE MOONE'*

Quick quiz to see if you'll like this..........2004-03-28

1) Is asking for "meaning" or "depth" in pop music missing the whole point of it?

2) Do retro 60's and 70's hooks get better the more over-the-top they are?

3) Would it be fun to make your roommate/spouse/parents say "you jerk, I can't get that awful song out of my head?"

If you've answered "yes" to these questions, this just might be the disc for you. Heck, get Of Montreal, Beulah and other Elephant 6 artists while you're at it.

You'll especially like "Go." Imagine Weird Al, whiney voice and all, parodying "Tears of a Clown" by crossing it with the playground song about diarrhea. Watch people around you either writhe in pain or bust out their best ironic disco hipster moves. "Go baby! Go baby!"

As for me, I downloaded "Please" and it seemed like my kind of indie power pop -- a bit simple, sure, but catchy, direct, energizing. I figured maybe I'd luck out and other Apples songs would add some heart to it, as well as wit, like the Deathray Davies... but both wit and heart are sorely lacking on this album, I'm afraid.

Go Baby Go !.......2002-06-23

Grooooovy! E6 release.This could be my fave Apples in Stereo
recording yet!
The Surfs up all over this CD!
Reminds me of the era I think I missed from the 60's in the
California sunshine.
This one stays close to my player.

Wonderful Wonderful Pop.......2002-03-05

Apples in Stereo produce some of the best indie pop. This album is their best effort yet, producing such infinitely hummable tunes as Go, Rainbow, I Can't Believe, The Bird That You Can't See, and Submarine. Whenever I want to convince people that all indie rock doesn't stink, I play this for them. Even if they don't like indie, they usually admit that this is well produced, harmonious, and catchy.