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“Blending country, folk and pop into a seamless package is not an easy job, but West Palm duo Friction Farm has it down...” New Times Magazine read more

“Aidan Quinn's spot-on guitar technique drives the songs plus his backing harmonies at times sound eerily like Lindsey Buckingham” Connect Savannah

“I think Baez and Dylan would approve...Assertive and relevant, Friciton Farm is still a duo of substance” Indie-Music.com read more

“...that rarest of creatures: a local album with great songwriting, solid performances, and excellent production...” City Link Magazine read more

“potential major label pop band” Billboard Magazine

“a knack for writing catchy hook filled songs and delivering them with unbridled energy”The Palm Beach Post

“Aside from their infectiously hummable tunes, the band's focal point is Stay's thoughtful lyrics which are delivered with an endearingly offbeat soprano”
New Times Magazine

“she sings with the strength and drive of Melissa Etheridge and the sweetness and whimsy of Natalie Merchant” Indie Music.com read more

SCROLL DOWN TO READ COMPLETE REVIEWS

New Times Magazine
Blending country, folk, and pop into a seamless package is not easy, but West Palm Beach duo Friction Farm has it down. Singer/guitarist Aidan Quinn (not the actor) and singer/bassist Christine Stay's latest album is their first acoustic CD, stripped down from the '70s rock influence of 2001's Choose Red for the Sky. The opener, "Believe," tiptoes through soft balladry before running into the twangy, pedal steel-laden bayous of "Louisiana" and the lazy waves of pop on "Gravity" and "Washing Machine." Friction Farm's strong point is gorgeous harmonies, which thread nearly every song. Now, if you're a fan of metal or "college alt-rock" and thought this CD might feature foul language because of the slightly naughty name, well, the joke's on you! But if you fancy yourself some good, clean, folk fun, drop this baby in the five-disc changer and, like, relax. - Audra Schroeder

Indie-Music.com
I had to go back to my previous two reviews of this band to make sure I was listening to the same people. Those reviews contain phrases such as "high energy pop/rock," "joyous chords," and "rock symphony." For their latest effort, Aidan Quinn and Christine Stay are leaning toward something different. It's 60s folk with an updated message. They open the very first track with:
Two wrongs for every right
Well you've got to love the odds
To put your money on a man
Who says his faith will not rule
But still puts his trust in god ...
I think Baez and Dylan would approve. Once I got used to it, so did I. And you really can't lose when earth-folky artist Tracy Feldman, also reviewed on this site, contributes lovely, melancholy violin on several tracks.
The music is a more consistent folk sound all the way through, sweet and cool in some places, and in the case of "Drag Me Down," almost ominously steady and deliberate. The music remains wrapped around serious lyrics; after the politically-charged title track, we get the warm, acoustic "Louisiana." This is a song inspired by Quinn's father, who turned down a good job to avoid relocating to an area where his son would grow up in a segregated school system.
They can even turn a song about a washing machine into some serious introspection:
I'm watching the clothes go round in the washing machine
fourth time this week
I hate the way it cycles and it screams but I've got to come clean
I confess all to the trailer park priest, but he cannot save me
I might be living with the traitors and the thieves, but this is not me
Through it all, Stay's voice is as sweet, high, and quietly operatic as ever. They may be exploring new musical territory, but they remain, as always, assertive and relevant. Friction Farm is still a duo of substance in an often mindless Top 40 pop world. - Jennifer Layton

Street Magazine
Dropping the rock band stance two years ago and becoming a country-tinged folk duo, Friction Farm has finally settled into a comfortable musical space. Intimate, sad, and searching, Friction Farm still retains its rock and roll urgency, but has given it a simpler shape within the confines of a voice and a guitar. It suits them well.
This week the duo releases Believe, its first acoustic album. The 11-song CD tries to lie back, but always feels it's on the edge of bubbling over which gives it an odd energy. Listening is a bit of a tight-wire act, as you navigate the tension between the folky vibing laid down by guitarist Aidan Quinn and the wanting-to-be-released voice of Christine Stay. It makes for good drama, and a new life for Friction Farm. - Rene Alvarez

Rensselaer Polytechnic
Friction Farm brings its Floridian folk
Although this band might seem off the radar on many students’ entertainment scopes, Friction Farm has a great way of bringing the hope out of any situation and bring reality back to the table. The pop-rock duet from Florida has a folk sound with Christine Stay as lead singer and bassist, and Aidan Quinn as guitarist and back-up vocalist. What you’ll find here is lots of emotion and healing. Their new album Believe is all acoustic with a few guest drummers, and contains some new songs and many that the group has been playing for a number of years.
The beginning of the album is loaded with heavy issues. The first track “Believe” touches on terrorism and hate across the world, and offers hope that “the truth will come back in style.” Continuing to further their message of peace, the track “Louisiana” showcases a man’s strength to do the best in his life that he can.
Much of the album deals with simply living life. “Whole Heart Broken” is about not asking for directions, and just letting yourself make mistakes. Learning from an experience is more important than avoiding it. A similar thread is followed in “Better Than This” which is a favorite of the band; honor your past because it could have led you to a worse place than where you are.
The second part of the album is much more upbeat than the beginning, featuring songs like “Gravity” and “Down,” also with a funky side being shown in “Washing Machine.” This half of the album seems to be of higher musical interest than the others and also features Stay more solid and less sad than on earlier tracks. These make up the best of the album, changing a bit from their usual sound. Returning listeners will notice several returning tracks such as “Down,” “Time Runs Out,” and “Better than this.” All tracks were re-recorded for this album, with many changes, including new lyrics and new arrangements.
All the tracks are charged with emotional energy and high quality acoustics, however, the album has no replay value. Once listening to it once, possibly twice, there aren’t many songs that will bring you back to listen to the whole thing again. However, if you feel overwhelmed by life and its many obstacles, take a break and listen to “Believe.” It’s an album for peace and contemplation. Turn down the lights, fire up some incense and relax, because this disc is all about the peaceful and easy.
This album was great, and with both members having graduated from RPI, Friction Farm often returns to campus to visit and display their talents. They played Mother’s Wine Emporium last Friday, drawing a large local crowd as they usually do.

City Link Magazine
Right from the start, this melodic rock band from West Palm Beach set itself a high standard. Its 1999 CD, Galileo's Horse, was that rarest of creatures: a local album with great songwriting, solid performances and excellent production. The followup, the six-song CD Live at the Legendary L7, a live studio recording reprising some of the Galileo tracks, was an energetic showcase. But Choose Red for the Sky surpasses anything the band has done before.
The album opens with its best track, “Arms and Legs” a “happy, weightless, breathless” ode to love and sexuality. The song itself cleverly begins with the sound of a drum kit and guitar accidentally picked up by a distant microphone. This happy studio accident also renders an otherworldly quality to the drum break in the easygoing rocker “What I Am.”
Lead singer and bassist Christine Stay comes into her own vocally, lyrically and musically on this album. Whether singing at a near whisper or belting for the rafters, her vocal confidence and melodic tone never waver. Her lyrics here are strong and pointed: The heroine of “Always the Moon” complains about being ignored and overshadowed by her lover, and the narrator of “Another Bad Day” observes that “it's another bad day for all the kids who choose red for the sky.” The latter number showcases the funky side of Stay's bass-playing in her Rush-like lead-in to that song's instrumental. Original band member Pete Levine returns for this album, playing a variety of keyboards but saving his best work for the piano, including his inspired intro to the Texas-style rave-up “Down.”
Most of the songs in this collection originated during the band's jam sessions, and this seems to have imparted a more unified sound. Whereas Galileo's Horse was mostly driven by guitarist Aidan Quinn, the new album is more evenly balanced among the four musicians. Quinn's guitar solos here are suitably kinetic, but his best moments occur in rhythm parts such as the 1970s-style rock riff that powers “I'm Free.” Quinn also shines in intros like the stark overture for “Falling Mercury” and the shimmering opening to “What I Am.” This latter track is a virtual showcase for drummer Tim Moss, whose intricate playing mesmerizes the listener without overwhelming the song. Moss also delivers a subtle and dynamic performance on the ballad “Rain.” Perhaps it won't be another bad day after all. -Sheldon Robertson

Indie-Music.com
Back again is the band of happy music with moody lyrics. I reviewed Friction Farm's debut a little over a year ago, and now they're back with Choose Red for the Sky. This is actually their third CD, with tracks chosen by the fans.
Same high energy, same impressive vocal power from this pop/rock trio of Christine Stay (bass and vocals), Aidan Quinn (guitar and backing vocals), and Timothy Moss (drums). They've also brought back Pete Levine on keyboards. His beautiful piano jamming on tracks like 'Arms & Legs,' 'Always the Moon,' and 'Down' proves that this was a wise decision.
There's more of a live feel on this CD than on the first one. It sounds like they're playing on a stage instead of in a studio. Unfortunately, this means that Stay's voice occasionally gets lost in the instrumentation, but for the most part, the live feel works. It's raw, rough-edged, and spontaneous. (Check out the seven-minute jam at the end.)
The songwriting shows the same introspection and intelligence I've come to expect from them. The general mood may be sad, but they say something different every time. 'Falling Mercury' is a particular standout, a quiet ballad about staying inside alone during a harsh winter, being turned inside out. The dead of winter permeates the heart and soul. Stay's voice is high and vulnerable here, and I can feel the cold closing in as she sings about how her whole world has turned to winter.
They try a little of everything, tearing into a rock jam on 'Another Bad Day' with a musical frenzy that makes me want to jump up and down when the chorus hits. Stay's voice rips through the air on that one. It later grows defiant on 'What I Am,' an anthem of independence. Friction Farm is fearlessly experimental and very in touch with their fans, who will no doubt have trouble narrowing down favorites for the fourth CD. Full steam ahead. - Jennifer Layton

Beach Magazine
Alternative pop group Friction Farm has always been a band true their music and thereby they have always maintained a definitive sound. With the release of their lastest CD entitled 'Choose Red For The Sky', the band shows how much a band that stays together, matures together.
Bassist/vocalist/songwriter Christine Stay has opened up herself in her song writing and her lyrics reflect a more certain and confident attitude. Songs written by a bass player have a different feel than if written on the acoustic guitar, especially when sung by the bassist. The whispery sweet upper register vocal and the smooth bass lines are very fluid throughout. Aidan Quinn's sublte harmony and accompanying Fender guitar directs the style of the music, and the songwriting between the two musicians is forthright. On drums is Tim Moss whose drumming style has evolved considerably since the band's first CD. He's gone from a more straightforward rock drummer to a percussionist adding more to the melody. At a recent live gig he played congas at the front of the stage adding a new twist to the song “What I Am”. Pete Levine adds the piano and keyboard sections, which are a perfect compliment to the overall sound.<br>
The 10 song Cd was recorded at Echo Beach Studios in Jupiter. The band keeps the studio tricks to a minimum, and overdubs were not overdone. This keeps the raw sound that a three piece band has and gives it a live feel. Every cut has the jangly guitar parts and captivating vocal expressions that Friction Farm is known for, and repeated listening discovers different nuances.”Another Bad Day” and “I'm Free” show where the band has grown musically, and throughout the CD each song has enough variation from the others to keep the listener interested. Its the song writing that stands out on the CD and how much the band has come along in the few years they've been together. The closing cut; “Hello, Hello”; shows that this is still a rock band that can rock out with heavy distortion jam and still come across with a folk based lyric for the storyline.<br>
This is a must for every CD collection. - Geoff Livingston

Indie-Music.com
Artist: Friction Farm
CD: “Galileo's Horse”
Intro/general thoughts: Friction Farm consists of Aidan Quinn on guitar, Timothy Moss on drums, and Christine Stay on bass and vocals. This band started as a songwriting project for Quinn and Stay and has grown into a force that made Billboard Magazine call them “a potential major label pop-rock band.” They are a strong core band that builds a pop/rock orchestra around themselves with equally talented guest musicians on every kind of instrument, including a beautifully untamed violin in “Wasted.” Even when the lyrics are sad, Friction Farm's music makes a full, spiritual sound.
Type of Music: Rock/pop
Hometown: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Highs: I've already mentioned the violin in “Wasted,”courtesy of Tommy Greywolf. Pianist Pete Le Vine provides the full, joyous chords behind “February: Austin, TX.” On several tracks, I feel like I'm listening to a rock symphony. Friction Farm throws a little of everything into their music, including a poetry reading in “(belly of the)Universe” and bizarre ramblings at the beginning of “In the Light.”Stay's voice is another high point. She sings with the strength and drive of Melissa Ethridge and the sweetness and whimsy of Natalie Merchant.
Lows: The rhyme pattern (a-b-c-b stanzas) is used quite often and gets a little predictable in some of these songs.
Favorite Lines: I like the blunt confrontation of “Wasted” “Pick up your shoes, they don't belong here on my floor. You can take them with you as you get dressed, and don't slam my door. Pick up your slack-jawed expression of surprise If you think I could sleep through this again, you're believing your own lies.I've tried, I swear, not getting anywhere...’ I also like the lyrics in “(belly of the) Universe,” which sound Scripture-inspired: “Shepherd me through the fields of my enemies and bring them to their knees.”
Fans: 10,000 Maniacs
Foes: Harder, guitar-heavy rock
Summary: This is music full of energy and light with poetic, passionate lyrics. Definitely worth a listen. - Jennifer Layton

New Times
..as the gig got underway, the the laid-back members of the skeletal audience inched closer and closer to the stage. They were drawn, it seemed, by the raw energy of the acoustic band, which is best described as a tall glass of 10,000 Maniacs with a splash of Janis Joplin and a twist of Edie Brickell thrown in. Aside from their infectiously hummable tunes, which they performed during Love Fest in Hollywood, the band's focal point is Stay's thoughtful lyrics, which are delivered with an endearingly offbeat soprano. - Brian Hyman