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The Press

MusicPhotos

"Co-Op Rock"

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Websites:

• http://myspace.com/thepress
• http://thepressthepress.com/

Bio: The Press is a band from Brooklyn via Atlanta who will release their first full-length album this spring. This remarkable trio has spent the better ... (more) part of the last five years honing their musical skills both separately and together, until they finally coalesced into their present incarnation in 2005.

Founding members Michael Henry and David Schneider met in Boston while they were attending college. One night, over beers, a collective plan to move to Atlanta was spawned. In 2003 they started experiments in recording linear arrangements, alternate tunings, unconventional vocals, and stage antics as David and Michael rooted themselves in Atlanta's exploding artist community. In 2005, Dave and Mike were introduced to Alex Picca and invited him to play drums on a summer tour. Alex, a seasoned musician, had played with the Southern jam band Ghost Trane and art-punk band PPR. Alex fit like a Ringo Star glove and the core lineup was now complete. The group would refine its sound as a trio of singers, songwriters, and multi-instrumentalists.

The band partnered with Goodnight Records to release their first EP Noxious Saucy Beast in 2005, the seven-inch Red Comes Ringin' in 2006 and a second EP Milk and the Times That Never Were in 2007. The releases were met with positive reviews and enjoyed regular spins on college radio stations around the country. The band's tours introduced them to a national and international audience and earned them a loyal fan base.

In 2006, the Press relocated again, this time to Brooklyn, NY. The band’s unrelenting work ethic carried on, as they adjusted to a make it or break it pace. Committed to a cooperative endeavor and inspired by new challenges, their friendship deepened, influences widened and creativity flourished. The bond is visible as their warm and welcoming personas marry their dynamic, often tumultuous, stage shows, where, much like bands such as the Arcade Fire and Beirut, the Press's boisterous energy enthralls and infects the crowd.

You can definitely divine many of the bands influences— Neutral Milk Hotel, New Pornographers, Of Montreal, Built to Spill, The Clash, The Grateful Dead—but the band succeeds in letting their predecessors guide them without defining them. Their debut full-length album (title TBD) is a testament to that. Recorded at the Fort in Brooklyn, the band was intent on creating songs that are as natural and logical as they are adventurous and unexpected. This intention rings through in a thrilling, beautiful cohesion of songs personifying their smart, playful, irreverent, and eclectic character. There are many nuggets to choose from. "Big Boss, Little Boss," a song about recognizing failures, features the earnest cry from all three members at the top of their lungs, "I am right, I am always right!" a chorus that, live or in earbuds, will compel you to sing along. In contrast, "Panther Beach," is a hauntingly complex, lovely song, with luscious Johnny Marr-esque guitar, drums beating out a martial tattoo, and the three harmonizing to redemption. While each song is different from the next, the record is laced with a unified narrative that those who value the lost art of listening to whole albums will appreciate.

The Press is releasing a split seven inch which will feature "Master", an album version and a B-side dub step remix by producer Nate Mars in March. They expect to release their debut album later this summer. (less)