Borne by aspiring novelist and writer Mikel Jollett during a tumultuous
period in his life, the Airborne Toxic Event (named after a section in American
authorDon DeLillo's novel White Noise) were based in Los Angeles, and quickly
made a name for themselves, earning a spot on the Top 25 MySpace bands in Rolling
Stone magazine in 2006. That award was notable given that the band formed earlier
that same year, initially as a duo consisting of Jollett and drummer Daren Taylor.
Soon, a roster expansion was needed, and classically trained violinist Anna
Bulbrook was brought in to play viola and keyboards, jazz bassist Noah Harmon
joined up, and the guitar slot was filled by Steven Chen. Their first show as the
Airborne Toxic Event took place in fall of 2006, and was followed by a regional
rise to stardom, attracting an indie label and critical attention. 2007 would see
the Event record their first EP and single (both titled Does This Mean You're Moving
On?), which only helped to heighten the band's standing in the scene. In 2008, the
band signed with MajorDomo Records, and released their first album, The Airborne
Toxic Event, later that year. The Event played the CMJ Music Festival twice (2006
and 2007 editions) and in 2008 were to be seen at the Austin, TX South by Southwest
Music Conference. In further promotion for their debut, the Airborne Toxic Event had
a full festival appearance schedule lined up for 2008, playing all over the United
States, as well as a handful of shows in Canada and the U.K.
Leaping from an indie to a major for their sophomore effort 2011’s All at Once,
Airborne Toxic Event takes advantage of being in the big leagues, getting the full
effect of hiring a name producer in Dave Sardy. Together, Sardy and ATE clean and
streamline the group’s stylishly romantic, affectedly literary, neo-alt-rock, toning
down the pretension, ratcheting up the skyscraping atmosphere, and honing the hooks.
It’s a record made for the night, but not darkened corners; it’s smeared with streaks
of neon, faded stars, and omnipresent street lights, all conjuring the affected glamour
of a night that never ends. ATE doesn’t shy away from their debts to the Killers and
the Strokes, they brandish their influences so brazenly the echoes reverberate upon
themselves and turn into something not quite their own but not quite recycled: it’s
insistent mood pop designed for its moment, getting enough momentum from its bounce
and melody to be something of a pleasure. Whether it’s a guilty one or not depends
entirely upon the audience.
allmusic review by by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

ED2K Link :
The_Airborne_Toxic_Event-All_At_Once-2011-pLAN9.rar [78.75 Mb]