"Local space-rockers Rotary Downs have been together since 1999, and as one of the driving stalwarts in the under-praised genre of experimental New Orleans indie-pop, the band has been a consistent favorite of the WTUL set and those who hung out at the dearly departed Mermaid Lounge. After three wildly eclectic self-released offerings, they've emerged from their Katrina experience with a new lineup and a new 14-song opus, Chained To The Chariot, that's pretty much aces. Drummer Zack Smith and bassist Jason Rhein joined founding members James Marler (vocals, guitar) and Chris Colombo (guitar and pedal steel) before Katrina, when most of the project was written and partly recorded — the band reconvened and wrapped the album in Lafayette after the storm. The addition of more drums, more assertive basslines and especially the presence of the other newcomer, Matthew Aguiluz on keyboards and trumpet, gives their formerly soft fuzz-guitar and pedal-steel-driven sound an extra dose of texture; the rich layers of sound also make it great with the headphones. "g-7 hit!" is a sunny, sloppy, psychedelic march that's the gold-star track for the album. Mahler's laconic vocals and Smith's upbeat drumming on "A Feast in Squalor" evoke Brendan Benson's warm power-pop. The stormy Western ballad "Body of an Outlaw" is a black cosmic gunfight with a dash of creepy circus music. It's a diverse album that ricochets from roots-tinged psychedelia to edgier synth-pop to excursions along the spaceways, but with a sure hand on the wheel."
- Gambit Weekly

"Quitters EP, an abridged glossary of the Downs brief catalog to date. Quirky, countrified indie-rockers and beatific roots-flavored pop waltzes are neatly alphabetized and organized in easy six-song structure for your listening convenience, while the singers subdued baritone laments intelligently for the layman . . ."
- Where Yat Magazine

"The six song CD opens innocently enough hard homogeneous strumming on acoustic guitar then whirls into a solid organ hook backed by atonal guitar noodling . . . the overall flow of the album is great, especially ending with the deliberate and dreamy "Slow Waltz" where the hesitant pedal steel and vocals seem to drag out the inevitable end."
- OffBeat Magazine

"Rotary Downs' second release, Long After The Thrill, was largely recorded at Easley Recording, a classic analog studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The addition of pedal steel guitar, viola, and piano reflects a new direction for the group. The songs have evolved into a thicker, richer, more complicated landscape. The melodies whirl about strands of narrative. A type of psychedelic realism occurs as in certain 70's movies, where the film appears discolored and strangely or under lit. Crucial scenes jump-cut away while seemingly meaningless ones are portrayed in slow motion. Instrumental sections daydream between lyric-heavy phrases..."
- Oxford-American

"Their self-titled debut is a breathtaking collection of metronomic indie rock . . . Rotary Downs pursue blissfully pulsing grooves to their omega point. The 11 tracks that comprise Rotary Downs are dreamy, warm, and instantly familiar."
 -OffBeat Magazine

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