What people are saying about Erik's debut solo album "The Way We Live":

The 10-track album reflects Blood's love of MBV and the Jesus and Mary Chain's clangorous melodic efflorescence, but it's enriched by a patina of romanticism that evokes John Hughes's '80s films. The album—mastered by Shockabilly/Bongwater legend Mark Kramer—exudes a grandiloquent cinematic aura. Nearly every cut aches to be set to crucial scenes in quality Hollywood fare, especially the climactic "Better Days," a rapturous, string-laden ballad that practically glows. "Birch Effect," which actually may appear in a small indie flick, possesses an understated buoyancy that recalls Modern English's "I Melt with You," before blooming into an epiphany of a chorus. "Broken Glass" rampages and blisses out with Loveless-like (b)luster.

...Crafted with care and expertly produced, The Way We Live seems destined to attain pop-classic status.

- "Shoegays Rock and the Pop Narcotic" - The Stranger

KEXP DJs and Listeners push Erik Blood's self-released debut album "The Way We Live" to the top of both KEXP's national Variety chart and the Northwest Chart: He stays in the top 10 of both charts for over 5 weeks

#1 album - Variety chart (all artists) - May 1 - May 7, 2009
#1 album - Northwest chart - May 1 - May 7, 2009
#5 album - Variety chart (all artists) - May 5 - May 14, 2009
#2 album - Northwest chart - May 5 - May 14, 2009
#6 album - Variety chart (all artists) - May 15 - May 21, 2009
#1 album - Northwest chart - May 15 - May 21, 2009
#8 album - Variety chart (all artists) - May 22 - May 28, 2009
#2 album - Northwest chart - May 22 - May 28, 2009
#8 album - Variety chart (all artists) - May 29 - June 4, 2009
#2 album - Northwest chart - May 29 - June 4, 2009
#14 album - Variety chart (all artists) - June 5 - June 11, 2009
#2 album - Northwest chart - June 5 - June 11, 2009
#2 album - Northwest chart - June 12 - June 18, 2009
#2 album - Northwest chart - June 19 - June 25, 2009

- KEXP Charts

Only two songs into Erik Blood’s brilliant debut record, The Way We Live, and I’m stopped cold...One of the most unforgettable albums to come out of the Northwest this year.

Three Imaginary Girls - Chris B.

Erik is more known for his producing skills (The Moondoggies, The Lights, Tea Cozies) and his work in local psych-pop band the Turn-Ons, (who by the way are offering their latest record “Curse” for free download at their website) than for his solo material. That has all but changed since the release of his self-released solo debut “The Way We Live”, which has earned much acclaim in local rags. I love the records atmospheric guitars and delightful melodies, and am sure this performance will be a highlight of REVERB.

- Seattle Rock Guy Blog - Reverb Festival 2009

"Really Awesome" "Sounds like a combination of Bob Mould and My Bloody Valentine"

- New Music - The New Gay

His excellent solo debut is a well-crafted set of shoegazer pop, blending jangly, atmospheric guitars with soft, hazy vocals and blissful melodies.

- KEXP Album Review
People often say Seattle is a small town and once you start getting into band genealogies you understand why. One name that has come up consistently while I’m doing my research for these posts is today’s artist, Erik Blood. He just might be the Kevin Bacon of Seattle. Blood expends his creative energies both as a musician (The Turn-On’s, The Little Penguins, Mountain Con) and as a producer (The Moondoggies, Altspeak, The Lights, Romance, Tea Cozies, and many more). The Way We Live is Blood’s first solo effort and the initial response to its digital only (for now) release has been very positive. Its blend of melodic shoegazey pop draws easy comparisons to the influences Blood talked about in a recent article in The Stranger, which include My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus & Mary Chain, and the Cocteau Twins, but Blood’s music has added cinematic elements which take it beyond mere reproduction. I recommend checking today’s song out with headphones on, preferably whilst reclining, allowing your mind follow Blood’s daydream inducing lyrics.

- KEXP Song of the Day May 15, 2009 - "To Leave America"

Blood...enchant(s) audiences with breathless observations of love and beauty set atop well-crafted riffs

- Reverb Show Suggestions - Seattle Weekly

Take one part Matthew Sweet add a dash of The Strokes and throw in some early 90s Bob Mould and you're getting close to Erik Blood. He straddles the line of sensitive, introspective songwriter and overly ambitious rock singer extremely well on "The Way We Live." He almost fools you into thinking he's more of the former on the record's self-titled opening track but then songs like "Birch Effect" and "Broken Glass" come along and sucker punch your ears with infectious energy and ambition.

- earcandybeat.com

The album is called The Way We Live, and is just about perfect. If I had a ratings system it would get lots of stars. The album is a blissful mix of shoegaze, dream pop, blue-eyed soul, but above all pure pop genius. Every song on it is so immediate, incorporating stuff from the 80’s like the guitar pop of the first two Wire Train albums, shoegaze from the 90’s like Chapterhouse or the poppier side of Swervedriver and on into the 00’s nu-gaze scene like Deerhunter and Brother Kite. If you liked the more structured pop songs off the Deerhunter’s Microcastle, or the Beach Boys harmonies mixed with shoegaze of Brother Kite, this album will hit you in just the right spot. My favorite song on the record is the blue eyed soul of Better Days. Blood’s smooth croon floats over top of a beautiful sting arrangement, that turns into a bit of blue eyed shoegaze for the chorus. I like to call it soulgaze (go ahead, roll your eyes). On paper you might not think this would work, but the results will have you reaching for the repeat button. It’s the perfect end to what is nearly a perfect album.


Better Days was egregiously left off the set, but with the pop dynamite of songs like The Way We Live, To Leave America, She’s Your Everything, Broken Glass, hell any other song on the album were more than enough to pacify its conspicuous absense. I nor anyone in the Comet was disappointed from his set. His band, with two guitarists (three when Blood picks his guitar up), one of which is Corey Gutch of the Turn-Ons, ably creates a wall of sound as well as two and three part harmonies. The place was full for his set and noticeably cleared out after it, giving me hope that people in this town are slowly catching on to how great these songs are. With an album this great, let’s hope Erik Blood doesn’t remain a secret of the Pacific Northwest for much longer.

- “Blood and Bullets at the Comet” - The Finest Kiss

The songs are beautifully crafted...Blood is a very intelligent and gifted songwriter.

- “A Memorable Evening with ...” - Three Imaginary Girls

And then there are producers like Blood. The geeks. "I'm someone who likes music, instead of someone who likes recording," he says. "I've dealt with so many people who are really into the gear and pushing buttons. Whatever. I have fun in the studio, but I know nothing about all that shit. I'm just a guy who sets up a microphone, and says, 'Play!'" Some producers spend hours with an artist before they ever set foot in the studio, attending practices, helping polish songs; Blood's idea of preproduction is a few rounds of drinks while spinning beloved records with his potential charges.
Thus far, his approach has paid off. Blood produced three of this year's finest local discs: The Lights' Beautiful Bird, Charmparticles' Sit Down for Staying EP, and East, the sophomore full-length by his own band, the Turn-Ons. In addition to the just-released Lights EP Wood and Wire, a slew of finished Blood productions will hit stores next year, including the debut full-lengths by Charming Snakes and the Catch, as well as the second Lights album.

- “Blood Simple - Local Producer Turns On, Pops Out” - The Stranger