Atom and The Volumes

We’re getting in right under the wire with Atom & The Volumes. I told you last week that I was qualifying “introducing” artists as ones that haven’t yet released an album and have under 1,000 Facebook likes. The four-piece currently has 988, so I’m sure they’ll be out of intro zone before the week’s end, with or without our help.
Marc Borins (lead vocals, guitar, songwriting), Bradley Snider (lead guitar, keys, vocals), Michael Grundy (drums), and Gabe Kugelmass (vocals, bass) are from Toronto. Regardless of their respective roles in the band, all members are multi-instrumentalists.
Pointed Pins was the first track to jump out at me from their self-titled debut EP. It reminds me of Cause=Time, by fellow Canadians Broken Social Scene - Don't Need No Melody

MUSIC | TWM/Greenshades at CMW: Beekeeper, Atom & the Volumes, Technical Kidman, Souls, the Old Salts, We Are Lovers, Sorry OK Yes
Yes, night two of Canadian Music Week is upon us. There's going to be plenty to check out throughout the week, but tonight's showcase at Rancho Relaxo, put together with the help of GreenShades, is certainly a strong contender in the bang-for-your-indie-rock-buck category. The folk tinged-sounds of Old Salts will start the night off, followed by local five-piece Souls. The 10PM slot belongs to locals Atom and The Volumes, who bring a variety of rock influences together, with groove as a supreme but subtle binding agent. Also on this bill are Technical Kidman, riding in with some buzz from Halifax; Vancouver's Beekeeper; Saskatoon's We Are Lovers; and a two-piece that has moved to TO from Italy, Sorry Ok Yes. This will be a good one.
Rancho Relaxo (300 College Street) 7:30PM - BlogTO

Toronto’s Atom and the Volumes’ self-titled EP comes across as built around the idea that the best music feels just like closing your eyes and dancing. The band could be the spawn of Wilco and Failure, a cocktail of raw emotion, storytelling and unexpected flourishes.

“Pointed Pins” is a brooding garage anthem topped with 80’s glam metal flare. The fuzzy, whirling guitars lend the pop-sensible chorus an edge like bacon on maple.

“Lick Your Tears,” about a corroding relationship, has the slowest tempo on the album and is at least twice as angsty as “Pointed Pins;” the short wah-wah riff that reappears throughout the song ends up commenting on the dangers of repression. The playing thickens at about the two and a half minute mark, becoming stronger than the sum of its parts, and you’re liable to be blanketed in sound.

“Boardwalk,” sultry and distant, floats along on an almost country-western twang from both strings and singer. Any Toronto flâneurs looking for a soundtrack best have a listen.

“To The Beat” typifies something to look forward to on future Atom and The Volumes releases: The band has gears. Mellow groove can morph into full-on jam session at the hiss of a cymbal.

The outro’s called “Ultimate Power Question” and its suggestion about what fuels human progress and creativity will have you paying extra attention to your hips.

Get the full scoop here: Atom + the Volumes.
- Trevor Abes

Being fairly knowledgeable of the local Toronto scene, there are numerous bands that I’ve heard the name of many times but have never actually listened to. Not because I don’t want to listen, but more because I’m always listening to something else and trying to cut down the pile of submissions the blog receives.

One of the bands that fell into this category is Atom & the Volumes, Atom being Marc Borins. The band bills its sound as “great northern psychedelia,” which is a pretty accurate description. The band’s two main strengths are its often unabashed lyrics and the grooves that are created by the instruments.

On the lyrics front: I’m always a fan of bands that don’t mince words. Borins is unafraid to say things like “Immaculate when you shake those hips” in EP opener “Pointed Pins.” But it takes guts for some of the less PG lines like in “To the Beat”: “Talking dirty between her thighs.”

On the melody front: this is where the band goes wild. “To the Beat” shows the band at the height of its prowess- ominous drums starting it off, gradually incorporating an extremely memorable guitar riff. It’s a track that could even get people dancing.

“Pointed Pins” is slightly more subtle in its construction, with a groovy bass providing a solid backbone while two guitar lines carve out the main melody. Borins’ vocals are also a little more restrained in contrast of “To the Beat” where Borins lets loose a little more.

“Lick Your Tears” immediately goes for a more psychedelic sound with distorted electric guitars creating a slightly more jumbled atmosphere. “Only wanna make you cry,” Borins sings.

There’s also “Boardwalk,” which distinguishes itself by sounding like a bit of a melding of genres. It could almost be a roots song, particularly in the way Borins sings later on, with a bit of a twang.

The EP ends with “Ultimate Power Question,” which isn’t so much a song but a monologue about what the answer to the question is. It’s a strange ending, but of course, this is a psychedelic band we’re talking about, aren’t we?

The EP is available via Bandcamp.

Top Track: “To the Beat”
- Grayowl Point

Being fairly knowledgeable of the local Toronto scene, there are numerous bands that I’ve heard the name of many times but have never actually listened to. Not because I don’t want to listen, but more because I’m always listening to something else and trying to cut down the pile of submissions the blog receives.

One of the bands that fell into this category is Atom & the Volumes, Atom being Marc Borins. The band bills its sound as “great northern psychedelia,” which is a pretty accurate description. The band’s two main strengths are its often unabashed lyrics and the grooves that are created by the instruments.

On the lyrics front: I’m always a fan of bands that don’t mince words. Borins is unafraid to say things like “Immaculate when you shake those hips” in EP opener “Pointed Pins.” But it takes guts for some of the less PG lines like in “To the Beat”: “Talking dirty between her thighs.”

On the melody front: this is where the band goes wild. “To the Beat” shows the band at the height of its prowess- ominous drums starting it off, gradually incorporating an extremely memorable guitar riff. It’s a track that could even get people dancing.

“Pointed Pins” is slightly more subtle in its construction, with a groovy bass providing a solid backbone while two guitar lines carve out the main melody. Borins’ vocals are also a little more restrained in contrast of “To the Beat” where Borins lets loose a little more.

“Lick Your Tears” immediately goes for a more psychedelic sound with distorted electric guitars creating a slightly more jumbled atmosphere. “Only wanna make you cry,” Borins sings.

There’s also “Boardwalk,” which distinguishes itself by sounding like a bit of a melding of genres. It could almost be a roots song, particularly in the way Borins sings later on, with a bit of a twang.

The EP ends with “Ultimate Power Question,” which isn’t so much a song but a monologue about what the answer to the question is. It’s a strange ending, but of course, this is a psychedelic band we’re talking about, aren’t we?

The EP is available via Bandcamp.

Top Track: “To the Beat”
- Grayowl Point

Our friends Atom and the Volumes stopped by our Toronto headquarters this week to talk about their upcoming Indie Week events, their sound, and performed their latest track “Cold Steel” live on our balcony overlooking the city. Look and listen below, and check out their Indie Week showcase Thursday at The Peacock.

http://youtu.be/lz2OKCYkxbA


Atom and the Volumes Indie Week 2012 activities:

10:15PM at Peacok on Thurs, Oct 11th.

2:00AM at The Cameron House on Sat, Oct 13th (JUST ANNOUNCED!)

5:00PM (acoustic set) at The Media Hub (627queen w.) on Sun, Oct 14th - Syncopated Sound

Our friends Atom and the Volumes stopped by our Toronto headquarters this week to talk about their upcoming Indie Week events, their sound, and performed their latest track “Cold Steel” live on our balcony overlooking the city. Look and listen below, and check out their Indie Week showcase Thursday at The Peacock.

http://youtu.be/lz2OKCYkxbA


Atom and the Volumes Indie Week 2012 activities:

10:15PM at Peacok on Thurs, Oct 11th.

2:00AM at The Cameron House on Sat, Oct 13th (JUST ANNOUNCED!)

5:00PM (acoustic set) at The Media Hub (627queen w.) on Sun, Oct 14th - Syncopated Sound

Like a brisk Canadian wind, Toronto based Atom and the Volumes offer something crisp and fresh with their debut EP. With smooth mastery they blend a mix of indie rock and inventive psychedelic riffs full of catchy hooks. One problem, it's over to damn soon!



Earlier this week they stopped by Syncopated Sound Toronto headquarters to talk about their upcoming Indie Week events, their sound, and performed their latest track “Cold Steel” live on our balcony overlooking the city.
- Popa's Tunes

Like a brisk Canadian wind, Toronto based Atom and the Volumes offer something crisp and fresh with their debut EP. With smooth mastery they blend a mix of indie rock and inventive psychedelic riffs full of catchy hooks. One problem, it's over to damn soon!



Earlier this week they stopped by Syncopated Sound Toronto headquarters to talk about their upcoming Indie Week events, their sound, and performed their latest track “Cold Steel” live on our balcony overlooking the city.
- Popa's Tunes

A few weeks back, we hosted our first-ever event on the Northern side of the border. The show took place at Lee’s Palace in Toronto with a killer bill that included Brooklyn acts Superhuman Happiness and Wild Sick Horses, Toronto favorites Atom and the Volumes, along with a psychedelic liquid light show courtesy of Jason Steidman. For those who were in attendance, we thank you for coming out to what was indeed a truly great night and we look forward to hosting more events in The Great North. Check out photos of the night by DGB contributor Johanna Andersson above, below and beyond as well as a great review of the evening over at Toronto-based blog Society Vernacular. - Dog Gone Blog

Our friends at Dog Gone Blog have just announced their first event outside of the NYC area, and it looks to be a doozy. Superhuman Happiness – an Antibalas off-shoot augmented by some of Brooklyn’s finest session cats - is a burgeoning band that’s loaded with talent. The buzz back in BK is heating up around this exciting new collective and on September 7th, Lee’s Palace will play host to their first Canadian appearance.

An equitable helping of afro-funk is to be expected wherever bandleader Stuart Bogie and his ilk are concerned, but we’re most intrigued by the experimental inclinations of this particular group. The band’s resume cites the integration of “new approaches to tonality, dance music, folk melodies from our collective cultural minds, improv games, constructive collaborative composition, and art/video/costumes.” Like a desire to resist watching the trailer for a film we’re already guaranteed to see, we’ve decided to go into the Superhuman Happiness show with as little exposure as possible to their material. Based on the pedigree of the players, we’re confident that pleasant surprises await.

Another Brooklyn supergroup of sorts – psych-rock newcomers Wild Sick Horses (featuring members of Citay, Bizi Gara, and Persephonee’s Bees) – will support with a set of their self-described “world rock fusion”, but not before Atom & The Volumes lend some local clout to the bill. Opening the festivities, the Volumes’ upbeat garage-grooves will set the table for a night of sundry musical consumption. Triple-stacked and primed to impress, this show promises a bite as big as its bark.

Advanced tickets available here.



Check out some sounds from Superhuman Happiness and Atom and the Volumes here: - Society Vernacular

We are very proud to announce our very first event outside of the New York area! On September 7, Dog Gone Enterprises (the global wing of Dog Gone Blog) will be traveling to the Great North for the first-ever Canadian show with rising Brooklyn experimental act Superhuman Happiness. For those not familiar, Superhuman consists of a core segment of musicians from the illustrious Afro-Beat group Antibalas, along with a carefully selected group of top Brooklyn session musicians, under the spiritual and musical guidance of Antibalas/Iron & Wine sax player Stuart Bogie. It’s a groove-centric astral stew that is quickly becoming one of Brooklyn’s most talked about groups on the scene today. We’re very psyched to be presenting Superhuman in Canada for the very first time.

Taking place at the much-loved Toronto haunt Lee’s Palace, the show will also feature a brand new Brooklyn psych-rock act called Wild Sick Horses, featuring current and former members of Citay, Bizi Gara, Persephonee’s Bees, Ka and more. Lastly, the show will also feature rising Toronto indie act Atom and the Volumes, who have been storming the city for the past year with their gritty brand of garage rock. Liquid visual projections will be provided by Jason Steidman.

Should be a freak family affair. Come shake your shit and zone out. - Dog Gone Blog

If you’re a fan of Degrassi, (which I know a lot of awesome Canadians are) then you may want to get familiar with Atom and the Volumes, an “indie groove rock” band based out of Toronto which was founded by actor Marc Atom Borins.

Not only is Marc known for being the brother of the Canadian folk star Dave Borins, he also made guest appearances on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Missing, starred as Peter Van Daan in Stage Centre Productions’ The Diary of Anne Frank, and even snagged a spot on Howie Mandel’s television show Howie Do It.

Borins formed Atom and the Volumes in 2011 along with drummer Michael Grundy, bassist Gabe Kugelmass and keyboardist/guitarist Bradley Snider, (of the JUNO-nominated band Never-Ending White Lights); and despite the fact that the band only formed last April, they have already been featured in NOW Mag, Indie Week and The Indie Machine.

Atom and the Volumes are currently working on a forthcoming EP release, and you can stay up to date on any updates from the band by checking out their Twitter and Facebook accounts. But in the mean time we invite you to listen to the band’s first studio mix, (“Lick Your Tears”), which will be available as a free download for a limited amount of time in honour of their one year anniversary:



And because we’re huge Degrassi fans we thought we’d include Marc’s demo reel for your viewing pleasure:



{Facebook} {Myspace} {Twitter} {ReverbNation} {Tumblr} {CBC Music} {Photo credit: Atom and the Volumes}
- Rex Manning Day music blog.

Meet local indie-rockers and friends Atom and the Volumes, whose highly anticipated EP has been making waves in Toronto’s blogosphere, for good reason. With influences like Wilco, the Grateful Dead and Radiohead, band leader Marc Borins knows no bounds in his songwriting, and their diversity and talent translates from the album to the stage. Their groovy sound has been honed in some of Toronto’s favorite venues, and the group has grown to emanate a raw garage style while staying true to their upbeat jams and quality instrumentation. Listen to their eponymous EP below and catch them at Rancho Relaxo on August 16. - Syncopated Sound

Back in the spring we did a Band Watch article on Toronto indie rock jam band ATOM & THE VOLUMES, though at the time all they had were a few rough demos kicking around the internet.

We’re happy to report back that the comic book loving quartet recently released their debut self-titled EP and it’s currently making the rounds. We’re really feeling it: from the garage-rock tinged Lick Your Tears to the bluesy Boardwalk (which could be likened to an INCUBUS-lite) and the straight-up made-for-driving theme To The Beat – but check out the whole thing for yourself in the embed below and let us know what YOU think.

If you like what you hear, you’re in luck: if you head out the door in the next couple hours and make your way over to Clinton’s Tavern you’ll be able to catch them live in person thanks to our friends at Don’t Touch That Dial – more info can be found on the Facebook event HERE. - The Indie Machine

Back in the spring we did a Band Watch article on Toronto indie rock jam band ATOM & THE VOLUMES, though at the time all they had were a few rough demos kicking around the internet.

We’re happy to report back that the comic book loving quartet recently released their debut self-titled EP and it’s currently making the rounds. We’re really feeling it: from the garage-rock tinged Lick Your Tears to the bluesy Boardwalk (which could be likened to an INCUBUS-lite) and the straight-up made-for-driving theme To The Beat – but check out the whole thing for yourself in the embed below and let us know what YOU think.

If you like what you hear, you’re in luck: if you head out the door in the next couple hours and make your way over to Clinton’s Tavern you’ll be able to catch them live in person thanks to our friends at Don’t Touch That Dial – more info can be found on the Facebook event HERE. - The Indie Machine

MUSIC | Don't Touch That Dial Presents: Shabamzy!, Hey Brother!, Mr. Pharmacist, Atom & The Volumes?A great musical line up rocks Clinton's tonight. Don't Touch That Dial, a "music and culture agency" is curating tonight's bill, and will be doing several shows at Clinton's this Summer. Tonight's headliners are Shabamzy, who describe themselves as "country gonzo punk", while Brantford's Hey Brother, have an earthy, alt rock vibe with a modern edge. Also on the bill is Mr. Pharmacy, a Fall tribute band. Opening the show will be Atom & The Volumes, who just dropped their debut EP a few weeks ago and have a tight, raw, groove-infused approach, and they are also impeccable dressers to boot! Should be a good one.?Clintons (693 Bloor Street West) 9PM $7 - BlogTO

There’s a new band hitting the scene and they are a whole whack of quirky electric fun. Atom & The Volumes mixes upbeat jams with a youthful, garage rock rawness. Experimenting with levels of feedback and reverb sets a backdrop of kinetic tension – making the music move. Bouncy guitar riffs and Borins’ bright vocals push a boyish hopefulness through some of the dirtier electric grooves. With diverse influences from psychedelic rock to indie-electronic, Atom and the Volume’s high-energy performances embody a cool lightheartedness that keeps audiences dancing along. The group features Bradley Snider of Never Ending White Lights on keyboard and guitar, Michael Grundy on drums, Gabe Kugelmass on bass with Marc on guitar and lead vocals.
They just played a big show at The Peacok for Indie Week 2011 and I have to say I adored their set wholeheartedly. While promoting the show as Marc does best they went and did an acoustic session for Tranquilizer Radio and you can check some of the few songs they did here:

http://youtu.be/rA2HGrAdo14


If you want to catch their full on electric goodness soon you have the chance! They will be playing on November 1st at The Horseshoe Tavern for NuMusic Nite! So come out and rock with us!

Don’t forget to follow them on twitter

http://www.twitter.com/atomsvolume

And facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/atomandthevolumes

Oh and you can give them a good old listen on sound cloud too

http://www.soundcloud.com/atomandthevolumes
- Strength.Through.Music

Toronto-born actor and performer, Marc Atom Borins heads up Atom and the Volumes for an unforgettable evening at the Boat on December 1, 2011. This friendly group stopped by Tranquilizer Studios for a little acoustic jam and interview for Tranquilizer Radio.
You can check out their performance and interview here:

The Toronto Takedown presents: Atom and the Volumes

Like what you heard then head on down to the boat on December 1, 2011!



Continue reading on Examiner.com Atom and the Volumes to Perform at the Boat.... - Toronto Live Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/live-music-in-toronto/atom-and-the-volumes-to-perform-at-the-boat#ixzz1nZHpQ1WU - The Examiner

In honour of their Feb. 23rd show at the Silver Dollar Room, Toronto’s indie-groove rockers Atom and the Volumes are asking fans to get creative, and add colour to a black and white version of their latest show poster, by artist Jamie Goodman. The comic book style poster is a running theme for the Volumes, and this fifth edition is as rad as the first four. Check out this refurbished poster (below) by the talented Carly Gallinger and download and submit yours before next Sunday.

Keeping busy in the studio working on their forthcoming EP, frontman Marc Atom Borins and the rest of the Volumes have big things in store for us. We stopped by to snag a first listen to some of the fresh tracks and were inspired to snap some pics of our own. We like what we hear and are looking forward to sharing the release with you… stay tuned!



Follow the Volumes on Facebook, Soundcloud and Twitter to stay in the loop on their creative happenings. - Syncopated Sound

Mixing influences of psychedelic, indie-electronic, and garage-rock with upbeat guitar-heavy jams, Toronto-based indie groove-rock troop ATOM & THE VOLUMES might not have any serious recordings under their belts – yet – but they’re definitely worth keeping an eye out for.

Fronted by actor/guitarist/vocalist Marc Atom Borins, and featuring guitarist/keyboardist Bradley Snider (Neverending White Lights), drummer Michael Grundy, and bassist Gabe Kugelmass, recordings are allegedly well-underway for this quartet. Until then, check out “Boardwalk” and “Gonna Lose Me” from their demo jam cuts (on Soundcloud) below.

http://soundcloud.com/atomandthevolumes/boardwalk-1

http://soundcloud.com/atomandthevolumes/gonna-lose-me-preview

The band also seems to have a flair for the comic book side of things art-wise (especially in their poster art), which you can check out over on Facebook.

For more info on ATOM & THE VOLUMES, hit them up online HERE.

http://www.facebook.com/atomandthevolumes

Upcoming Shows:
02-23 – The Silver Dollar – 10:40PM – EVENT HERE
03-15 – Lee’s Palace – 11PM
03-31 – El Mocambo (downstairs)
04-20 – Cameron House (1 Year Anniversary Show)

Stay tuned for their Horseshoe Tavern (EP release) - The Indie Machine