Search - Company of Thieves :: Ordinary Riches

Can't Get Enough of this Band

Danielle Lane | Horseshoe, North Carolina | 07/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Company of Thieves are Genevieve Schatz (vocals), Marc Walloch (guitars) & Mike Ortiz (drums) and on this CD they are backed by various other musicians. The title, "Ordinary Riches" was taken from an Oscar Wilde line "Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you." I learned this as they put the quote on the last page of the CD insert. I'm quoting it here because I believe it to be true.



Something else I believe to be true is that this is one fine Rock and Roll band and this CD on the Wind Up label is one heck of a record. There isn't a bad tune on it. Genevieve has a fresh voice and delivers the songs with a kind of hard driving soul that sends chills up your spine, especially on the anti-war song "Quiet on the Front".



I've had this CD for a couple months now, have played it in my car, have loaded it into iTunes, have it on my iPod, my iPhone too. I can't get enough of this band."

First Musical Surprise of 2009!

James Davis | Newark, DE | 01/07/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"So I came upon this band by accident and was really impressed! They remind me of Fiona Apple with guitars, a mix of classic rock with mid 80's alternative bands. At times, the lead singer sounds like the girl from Paramore but her lyrics have so much substance. Great songwriting musically as well- lots of unexpected twists and turns! I'm now a fan!"

Blindsided by a Company of Thieves

C. P. Toennies | LAUSA | 11/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My days of seeking the 'next new and amazing band that nobody has heard of' are starting to whither away as I realize the purchasing-power deficit that 30 year olds wield against the predominantly teeny-bopper driven Music Industry. However, much like love happening when you stop trying to find it or car keys reappearing after you've given up looking, finding Company of Thieves came into my life by a brilliant stroke of fortuity that was neither planned, intended, nor expected.



I went to The Knitting Factory in Hollywood one night to see a friend's band playing second on a roster of some four other bands. I didn't care who the headliners were, nor did I intend to wait for them to even grace the stage. I was there to support my friends.



After their set, we stuck around, hanging out by the 'merch' (stole that from Wilco) and finishing our cocktails. Lo and behold, a tiny sprite of a woman took the stage, backed by a cadre of what appeared to be your typical, backing musicians. I paid little attention, focusing instead on picking out a tee shirt for my friend's band to shamelessly promote them around Los Angeles.



After a song or two into Company of Thieves' set, I became confused. Having relegated them to background noise, flirting instead with random merchandise hawkers, I couldn't believe that the sprite I'd seen on stage earlier was the very same vocalist transfixing the entire audience. I'd dismissed her as a sound engineer or something. Surely that diminutive girl couldn't belt such fierce notes? However, as most biases are - my prejudices were soon and decidedly dispelled.



Genevieve Schatz is a revelation. Her voice is at one-time Bjork-like, without the kitschy, Icelandic pretense and at another a riveting and commanding Fiona Apple who (happily) doesn't expend all of her lyrics trying to prove how 'different' or 'unloveable' she is. Her onstage performances are intense and focused, as well as unencumbered by fear of any kind. Fear clearly does not exist in Ms. Schatz's dojo.



You can tell she gives it her all with every performance, never seeming to mind if she looks 'cool' while doing it. And yet - that kind of comfort and self-confidence is exactly what makes her so damned cool.



The band, and not to give them short shrift here, are equally intense and focused on nailing their performances. No offense to the guys, who do their jobs expertly and are clearly not just stage-fillers. Rather, they seem attuned to what their front-woman is doing, completely absorbed in the organic performance on a given night. It's just hard to pay attention to them while that Siren is on stage singing, unless of course, you're bound to a mast like Odysseus.



Luckily for those of you not able to catch them in concert, their debut CD - "Ordinary Riches" - masterfully captures a fair representation of what Company of Thieves is capable of. Whether it's their first single, "Oscar Wilde" with its insanely catchy chorus (or the acoustic version also found on the CD) or the strings-dominated and haunting "Fire Song", you too will know that Company of Thieves is capable of stealing your heart...



Especially if you're not looking..."