Halos Were Found At The Landing Site is an independent rock group with a name culled from the infamous "Dr Octagon" alias of the even more infamous hip-hop visionary Kool Keith. Knowing this, you can get a decent idea of what to expect from the group; paradoxes and unpredictability abound. This band of merry men's sound can almost be easily labeled as "arena-friendly indie." An oxymoron? Perhaps, but then again, so is a group that offers dense guitar heavy atmospherics and progressive song structures that whip about in roller coaster fashion deciding to name itself after a vulgar and bizarre indie hip-hop istar. The sound is unpredictable and propulsive as such, blending a churning tapestry of dynamics, dramatic sonics and distinct melodies into a package that's both boundary pushing yet surprisingly accessible.
Hailing from Dayton, OH, the city that birthed many of independent rock's greatest such as Guided By Voices and Brainiac, the group takes pride in the DIY aesthetic made especially popular by those groups, yet they have managed to find a sound that is vast and expansive enough to beckon the arenas since their inception in 2004. With drummer Adam Ciarlariello's previous experience in former Dayton mainstays Parker Ben Parker, he connected with younger brother David Ciarlariello, Marcus Pulkas and Jakob Murphy to explore some electronic and indie rock influenced ideas he was crafting. As the group's collective influences began to take shape, it became apparent that the band was going to be something altogether different than initially planned. Pulling influences such as Hum, The Dismemberment Plan, Jawbox, Squarepusher, Guns N Roses, The Poster Children, Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Maps And Atlases, Bjork, Death Cab, Explosions In The Sky, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Built To Spill, you can expect a vibrant listen, from spaced out bliss, to hushed whisper, and back to the grandiose heights from you which came, usually all within the same song. Having been performing live only since March of 2006, Halos Were Found At The Landing Site released their self titled disc and showed a rapid acceleration in winning over those in Southwest Ohio in search of interesting and original independent music.
Word spread soon, and Halos were soon playing shows throughout the state, and took part in 2007's CMJ Music Marathon in New York. Upon returning from NYC, they were scouted and invited to play at Gigmaven's launch website back in NYC in early 2008. The group continued to work on their next release, Ethics, which would finally see release in 2009 after a lengthy hiatus. Though Halos is currently on another hiatus, their members are still active musically. Adam and David Ciarlariello still show a strong interest in writing their own material. Jakob Murphy plays in Columbus post-rock group, Harboring Ghosts.
