Upstairs Downstairs drops self-titled LP, video for "Parkas Indoors"

San Francisco’s Upstairs Downstairs released their self-titled sophomore LP on October 1 via City-based label 20 Sided Records. The quintet – consisting of Tory Ford (vocals, guitar), Kyle McGraw (guitars), George Slavik (bass), Isaac Bonnell (“keys and more”), and Dan Caporale (drums) – recorded the new record over the course of a few months at SF’s Faultline Studios with McGraw in the role of engineer/producer. McGraw then mixed the album at Jackpot! Studios in Portland.

Self-described purveyors of “dreamy, folk-tinged indie rock,” Upstairs Downstairs crafted an ethereal and mysterious thirty-five minute follow-up to their debut, 2010’s Inland and Out. The new album bounces between borderline shoegaze material and folk rock, driven by moving vocal melodies (led by Ford’s powerful voice) and McGraw’s intricate and often soaring guitar work. It’s a gripping record from start to finish, pulling inspiration from a myriad of influences.

Upstairs Downstairs will celebrate the release of their new record at a (TBB-presented) show at Brick and Mortar with Social Studies and Tartufi on November 4, which is part of Social Studies’ month-long residency at the venue. All three acts excel in a live setting, as we personally witnessed during Upstairs Downstairs’ performance during night four of the 20 Sided Records compilation release parties last month, Social Studies’ set at this past summer’s Phono Del Sol, and more Tartufi shows than we can count over the years.

In conjunction with the release of Upstairs Downstairs, the band now dropped a new video for the album track “Parkas Indoors”, which features some incredible tape-based animation (that is, masking, duct, and electrical tape) by Ric Carrasquillo of Squillo Studio. Below, watch the video and get full details on Upstairs Downstairs’ November 4 record release show, and then head over to their Bandcamp to purchase the new record. You can also catch the band this Friday at The Lost Church, where they’ll be joining Brian Belknap for his Front Porch Friday Night show.