Since 2006, Empty Orchestra has been making music that is both catchy and thought provoking, with masterfully played and crafted songs built on a refreshing combination of intellectual and visceral elements. Started by Stephen Wisniewski, Empty Orchestra is comprised of a group of eclectic musicians and equally unique instrumentation - from banjo to flute, organ to melodica, the music reflects a truly collaborative songwriting e_ort. The band's music draws comparisons to Ryan Adams, The Hold Steady, Cursive and Tom Waits. Empty Orchestra's new album for Pentimento Music Co., "One More Time, All Together Now.," is a powerful new musical statement that is at once diverse and cohesive. Produced over the course of almost two years, this collection of songs was recorded in a variety of spaces in Chicago, Illinois, and in the band's hometown of Flint, Michigan-including living rooms, bank vaults, basements, abandoned buildings, and professional recording studios-with longtime engineer and founding member Mark Michalik (the Swellers, Into It. Over It, We Are The Union). Over the album's 12 diverse songs, Empty Orchestra's legion of players (a dozen members contribute to recording, and the band operates as a musical collective in the studio) simultaneously define and defy labels like "Americana," "punk," "folk" and others with expert musicianship and impeccable songwriting. So what is this album "about?" Well, the human condition, of course. The Big Things via the little things. It's about the possibilities and limitations of community. It's about the beautiful and dangerous act of performance. It's about the politics and poetics of "home," and what it means to be a part of a city or a band or a family. It's about love, and labor unions, and violence. So what does this album "sound like?" Well, it sometimes sounds like well-crafted indie / folk-rock-songs like "Broken Record" and "Trust Me" feature warm chords, pedal steel and harmonica. "The Audience" and "Lo and Behold!" on the other hand, are taut and angular, and hum with dark intensity. And acousticbased songs like "No Such Place" and "We Have Ways of Making You Talk" deliver heartfelt yet cerebral lyrics with beautiful harmonies Record Label: Pentimento Style: Independent