Shimmering post-rock trio the Life and Times was formed in 2002 after the breakup of frontman Allen Epley's infamous math rock outfit Shiner. Guitarist Epley recruited Someday I's John Meredith on bass and Strings and Return drummer Mike Myers to make for a relentless three piece of layered guitars and driving rhythms. The band's initial output, The Flat End of the Earth EP on 54-40 or Fight! does entirely solidify the group's sound, but demonstrates a new found freedom for Epley to explore songwriting that ranges from the likes of Sunny Day Real Estate to Jawbox to R.E.M.. While not perfect, the EP suggests a fresh approach and endless possibilities for the Kansas City band. ~ Charles Spano, Rovi


"...The slow-churning “Day Twelve” could fit neatly on Failure’s Fantastic Planet, while squiggly synth streaks, reverb-slathered vocals and chugging riffs drive the post-metal trudge “Day Six.” No One Loves You Like I Do’s best songs, however, are brisk and biting: Drummer Chris Metcalf is a ferocious timekeeper who adds menace to the creepy “Day One” and delicious chaos to the instrumental calculus of “Day Two” and “Day Eleven.” The album’s final song, “Day Eight,” is even mightier. After two minutes of vocalist/guitarist Allen Epley accompanied by simple acoustic guitar, the song suddenly envelops listeners with Tectonic-plate-cracking noise and droning guitars, like a TV channel broadcasting the apocalypse." Alternative Press --4 out of 5 stars

"...From the first effected chord struck in the album's opener, "Que Sera Sera", to the moment in "Confetti" where the cacophony suddenly gives way to acoustic strumming, the Life and Times offer listeners a thrilling cinematic journey through their meticulously constructed world of sound." Pitchfork 6.9

"...drummer, Chris Metcalf...played like fucking Dr. Octopus, augmenting their muscular, driving shoegaze-inspired rock songs with the kind of playing you expect to see from John Bonham or some robot designed by Honda. Needless to say, when I saw they were playing again, headlining this time, in support of their second full-length, Tragic Boogie, I might have peed a little bit." Live DC

"...this is a band that navigates the trickiest of processes and feats: It delivers both the unexpected and the familiar. Songs go in directions that aren’t foreseen but that feel natural and comfortable, once you reach their destinations." Kansas City Star

"...As each song unwinds it becomes apparent that No One Loves You Like I Do is one of the most carefully crafted and precise records created. This masterfully recorded album never overuses any instrument or technique and the mix is impeccable. The Life and Times go from constructing giant walls of sound to ambient celestial floating to quieting the most minimal stripped down moments to accentuate the most vulnerable breaths of the lyrics." Mezzic Magazine

"...Tragic Boogie showcases a dozen tracks that were handled with painstaking care and obsessive/compulsive precision. Epley managed to build upon the base he created with Shiner and move his music in a direction that incorporates delectable tidbits from both Shiner’s past and Epley’s present. The result is a second full length album that will most certainly lead indie rock into the future." Amplifier Magazine

"...An exhausting ride, No one loves you like I do is an otherworldly experience. The last track (‘Day eight’) is simply beautiful. The elegant acoustic guitar is elegantly escorted by a droning sound that builds until it explodes. It’s those type of moments, those cascades that hit you right in the heart (and inner ears bits) that make you pay attention to this band.- Soucher Magazine

"...“Day Twelve” was their closer. This is, by far, the hot ticket on the album and in their live performance! It encompassed something for everyone and incorporated some clever transitions. The audience sang along from the beginning. The chorus was true to its word; “No, I can’t get you outta my head.” They played their demanded encore, another head-bobbing beat that wound down an interesting chordal path all the way to the end." Rukus Magazine

"January may seem a bit early to declare the best record of 2009, but I am prepared to set caution aside and predict that this time next year UME will be topping best-of lists. The band's new EP, Sunshower is at once beautiful, brutal, flawlessly executed, and completely unpretentious. It's the type of record that grabs the listener immediately and demands repeated listens. It's the whole package - as close to a perfect rock record as has come out of Austin (or anywhere for the matter) in quite some time." — Franklin Morris, Austin Sound

"They've found their feet on a nice middle ground—in Sunshower's five short, exquisitely polished tracks, Ume delivers a dynamic rock aesthetic that doesn't rest upon classic three-chord rock-n-roll haunches."e; — CMJ.COM

"Sunshower EP reflects significant advances for Ume in terms of musicianship, songwriting, and overall confidence—the power of those renowned live performances is infinitely more apparent. And even though it partially serves (as EPs often do) as a teaser for a full-length album, Sunshower more than stands on its own." — Popmatters

"Austin TX's Ume newest EP, Sunshower is an impressive banger realized in a taunt 20 minutes. Ume is all about Lauren's ability to make her voice go from virgin to whore in a matter of moments — angelically floating above the spaced out verses and catchy chorus on "Sunshower" and then turning around and getting down in the snarly gutter on "The Conductor." Sunshower is the sound of a band coming into their own — fully realized songs confidently executed in a sweetly dirty little package." — RCRD LBL

"On the Sunflower EP, apparently someone forgot to tell Ume not to make a rock record. I'm glad. I would have had to burn that someone's house to the ground... Bless you, Ume. My ears thank you." — blogcritics.org

"should set a new standard for what it means to be an intensely committed indie band" — Dryvetymeonlyne.com

"One of my favorite music discoveries of 2008 was the Austin/Houston Texas-based trio Ume. In fact they made my 'best of 08' list. Today they release their new EP 'Sunshower' and it's as splendid a burst of powerful alt rock as you'll hear this year." — Pampelmoose.com (Dave Allen's of Gang of Four Blog)

"The tastemaking elite may just be finding out, but those of us who saw them first always knew Ume had what it takes to go the distance" — Houston Press

"Whereas before Ume might have had to grow their fan base by wowing newcomers at a live show, they now have an impressive studio offering that can propel them to the next level. This EP will undoubtedly further Ume's reputation outside of the Austin music scene, and based on shows like the one they put on at the Mohawk to celebrate their CD release, this band is ready to receive all the of the attention they deserve." — Soundcheck Magazine

"Ume, a hard-driving power trio from Austin, TX, has managed to distill its brand of melodic, hooky rock through the filter of singer/guitarist Lauren Larson's strong, but intimate vocals to fashion a five-song record that should set a new standard for what it means to be an intensely committed indie band." — DryveTymeOnlyne.com

"Ume's Lauren Langner Larson--a diminutive blonde rocking opposite her bass-playing husband, Eric-- may be the most promising female voice to smack the indie rock world in years. She turns the pensive femme writer paradigm on its head, sporting a seriously scary welp and a deceptively sultry growl ... Her dissonant guitar pings and anti-chords rail above Eric's bass and the throbbing time-shifts of masked drummer Jeff Barrera." — Grayson Currin, indyweek.com

"How could I have not known about Ume? An Austin trio fronted by a whirling dervish of singer guitarist who in the standard PR band head shot looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly; yet give her a guitar, a Marshall stack and a mic and stand back, way back. She shreds. They have been around since 2003, have an album out called Urgent Sea and according to their 'Space have new music coming soon. I found these guys via the Dead Confederate tour blog as it appears that the two bands were on the same bill down there in Austin, TX. File under - Do Not Overlook and Go Tell Your Friends... " — Dave Allen (Gang of Four), Pampelmoose

"Austin's wild trio ignited Sunday's opening of FFFF with the sharp mortar fire of Lauren Larson's guitar. Like a fiery adaptation of Kim Gordon with avian grace, Larson and her guitar slaying were rabid, her vocals snarly, which is pleasantly incongruous with her petite frame. Drawing a generous crowd, Ume played hard and fast and fully, bringing each song to a barbed peak with its frontwoman's brusque, dark vocals. Sprawling guitar work weaved between the thick threads of Eric Larson's bass and Jeff Barrera's drums, stitching a sturdy fabric of sepulchral indie rock with some frayed, meandering edges. The fury with which Mrs. Larson confronts her guitar makes for sweeping, dissonant sounds that, all together, create clandestinely gorgeous melodies once you sift through and pare the layers. Receptive from the beginning, the crowd's investment increased once each point in the isosceles triangle of Ume climbed through the set to be consumed by the strident melodies and quaking vocals that have become its most unique quality." — Francesca Camillo, Austin Chronicle

"Fuck everyone who spent most of early Sunday afternoon nursing their hangovers. Actually, I just feel bad for them, because they missed Ume give one of the most killer sets of the weekend. If you're haven't seen Ume yet, you're kinda dumb and need to correct this as soon as possible... deserve to be recognized as one of the tightest rhythm sections in town, or shit, anywhere else. Make note, Ume are a band to be taken very seriously. " — Travis Acevedo, Loco Nunca Magazine

"Imagine if Blonde Redhead grew some balls or if Sonic Youth got hungry again. Actually, scratch that. Thinking hurts. Instead just make sure you're in the same room as Houston trio Ume when they hit town and plug in. Guitarist/violent squaller Lauren Larson is a force of nature, leveling ears with blasts of sonic six-string fury and gut shrieks that far outpace the vocal capabilities of most humans. Her husband Eric holds down the low end with solid, treble-heavy basslines that meld in lockstep with drummer Jeff Barrera's enormous skin pounding (get your mind outta the gutter). Their debut full-length Urgent Sea is about as good as it gets. Every song creates its own distinct mood while managing through the magic of smart sequencing, to work together seamlessly as a whole." — Brian McManus, Philadelphia Weekly

"Marnie Stern is one of few indie-rock guitarists today with a legitimate claim to the status of "shredder." (One of the others is Austin's own Lauren Larson, who often sounds like she's calculating long division on her six-string during Ume's snarling, math-y breakdowns.) — The Onion

"Fun Fun Fun Fest Sunday Pick: Lauren Langner Larson's a whirlwind of blond hair and guitar, but that's not what makes Ume explosive. The local three-piece oozes the ramp-up, its slow-and-steady turning into volcanic rupture in three minutes flat. On the eve of releasing an EP, Ume is situated to reintroduce rock to roll." — Darcie Stevens, Austin Chronicle

"The thing I love Ume is their ability to completely throw any preconceived notions about bands and how they're supposed to sound right under the bus...With Lauren's honest vocals ranging from slight pleas to intense screams, and the band's unfaltering weight carrying her through, Ume's crowd began to grow once the trio took stage... And I can't tell you how many times I heard people asking who they were, gladly accepting my position as an already established fan by replying, "This is Ume, they're badass." " — Sonya G, Sonic Itch Blog

"Featuring a totally hot, totally married, willowy pixie frontgirl who slays the guitar and screams so fiercely, she makes every axeman on Red River look like a complete pussy. Seeing Ume live is an experience where you are completely transfixed by the terrifying power of someone who is like the sexy version of Janis Joplin. Oh yeah, and I think there are a couple of dudes too, who play instruments and stuff." — Misprint Magazine

"When Touch & Go had its 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago two months ago, the old and abrasive cognoscenti - Shellac, Scratch Acid, The Jesus Lizard - gathered with the label's new blood, a hit-and-miss convocation of bands that can only fuck with Austin's best indie rock trio, Ume, in their nightmares. Led by the banshee sweetness of Lauren Langner Larson, who howls and hums like a the human embodiment of histrionic, Ume lets its bombs tick over bold math-rock clocks, shifting and spreading through arrhythmic, atonal and perfect excursions that are as complicated and calculated as they are emancipating and explosive. If you see one band this month, make it Ume. As with openers Bellafea, there's a lot worth knowing here." — The Independent

"Ume had been recommended to me by a good friend on several occasions and as I have had them on my list of bands to check out, I now regret I didn't make it to their one of their shows earlier. First off, let me tell you that Ume is not some low-fi, cutting edge, indie-pop, twee rock band... they are straight up rock in the Sonic Youth, Nirvana, PJ Harvey sense of the word and could fall in line with any of these bands at any given time. Originally based in Houston, the trio have most recently completed their relocation to Austin, and I for one couldn't be happier that they are going to be of a local convenience. Lauren fronts the trio with a ferocity almost unimaginable to be delivered from the tiny cute blond physical existence that she posses, with husband Eric on bass, and Jeff on drums. No offense to Eric and Jeff, who do a great job handling the rhythm section of the band, but Lauren takes the songs to a whole new level live with her manic guitar playing, hair flailing, acrobatic style that sends chills up my spine when witnessed in person. This girl is Kurt Cobain and Thurston Moore on the guitar while conjuring thoughts of Kim Gordon and PJ Harvey's vocal stylings. I hate to make direct comparisons, as bands sometimes cringe from such, but in this instance I would hope that it would be a compliment. Lauren is a true treat to witness live, and I hope that we are provided the opportunity to witness this talent for years to come. Ume-Check this band out if you get the opportunity, and your next one is coming soon here in town." - Sonic Itch Music

Census started in November of 2011 as a recording project consisting of Nathan Aguilar and Marc Deriso, both live members of New York band Cults.