Elevator Division
Also credited as The Elevator Division
Kansas City, Missouri8 reviews across 4 releases
The Elevator Division is a Kansas City, Missouri, band formed in the late 1990s. Its early music moved at slow or laid-back tempos, with echoing guitars and layered harmonies surrounding dark, devotional lyrics; Imaginary Days (1999) could sound like dreamy indie rock one moment and a Cure- or Violet Burning-influenced dirge the next. The group also allowed odd turns, including the swing feel of "The Caribou Suit." After the keyboardist left, Movement (2001) reduced the sweeping synth atmosphere and put greater weight on bass, drums and tightly shaped guitar lines. The lyrics became plainer, focusing on relationships and life transitions rather than Psalm-like imagery. The result remained melancholy, with greater melodic focus and force, and a tension distinct from contemporary emo.
Joe Hoskins left for college in 2001, and the band continued through further personnel changes before releasing Years in 2004. The record brought a cleaner version of the band's melancholy pop to larger stages, including an opening slot for Cake and Weezer in July 2005, but Elevator Division played its farewell show later that year and broke up. James Hoskins returned to school, while Jeremiah Gonzales moved on to Lovers in Transit. Sam Hoskins and Joe Hoskins later formed the Slowdown. Elevator Division returned for a benefit concert in 2020 after the death of longtime friend Kevin Eshelman; the reunion led to new songs and further activity, including the singles "Words and Pictures," "Torn Apart" and "Summer Nights."
4 releases reviewed
Movement
What Makes You Happy
Whatever Makes You Happy