Vision Through Sound

April 20, 2008

by Jennifer Pelly // Fordham University


Rescuing a kitten while on tour in Detroit may not be a particularly rock and roll thing to do, but don’t let that fool you: the New York City alt-rock four-piece Vision Through Sound is decidedly rock and roll. Even the kitten now has a taste for rock, says guitarist and front man Andrew Krolikowski, surrogate father to Monte Shakespeare Stardust (named after the guy whose floor the band slept on while touring in Michigan). “He’s a big Bob Dylan fan,” Krolikowski says.

Krolikowski, a junior at New York University studying education and American Sign Language, and drummer Mike Sarna, a junior at Hofstra studying history, were thirteen when they started VTS. For the most part their musical tastes differed, but their shared distaste for Blink 182 was enough of a bond to motivate their incessant practicing in Sarna’s garage and bedroom. “Mike and I were just happy not to be playing pop-punk,” Krolikowski says.

Just as their musical tastes differ, the two founding members have always disagreed on their visions of what the band should be. Krolikowski says that this tension is what has helped them develop their unique sound—their creative pop experiments manage to be both bizarre and refined, bringing color to one of music’s grayest areas with their catchy lyrics and dance-inducing melodies. This sound shines on their fourth release, Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn’t Everything (2006), which has lead to the guys’ developing a significant fan base on LI Long Island and throughout New York City.

Vision Through Sound has always been a four-piece group, but it took Sarna and Krolikowski a while to find permanent guitarists or bassists. Guitarist Fran Berkman, a 2006 Cornell grad with a degree in Human Development, joined in 2003. Berkman would come home to Long Island to practice and play gigs on weekends—the band would also head up to Cornell for shows, and still continues to do so. Two years after Berkman’s arrival, VTS picked up bassist Mike McManus, a longtime fan of the band and current freshman studying theatre at Hunter College in NYC. Since the band’s beginning in 2001, the songwriting process has become far more collaborative; Krolikowski used to write the majority of the music, but now Berkman also contributes significantly.

The guys’ eclectic personalities heighten the band’s unique qualities. “Honestly, we’re all a bunch of freaks,” Krolikowski says. The guys have been known to distribute containers of bubbles at their shows, and show up on stage in three-piece suits with Converse or quirky vintage hippie-age threads.

The guys like the fact that their musical tastes differ radically, with an assortment of favorite artists including The Beatles, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Neil Young and Led Zeppelin. Krolikowski says that they don’t try to sound like any particular group: “What we write is just organically what happens when we play together.” There is a distinct air of Vonnegut-esque humor that surrounds VTS’s music. One of their newest songs, “Millipedes,” refers directly to lines from the beginning of Slaughter House Five.

Krolikowski also explained that although many bands today cite The Smiths as an influence, most of them don’t catch the epic group’s “absurdly dark sense of humor,” which is something VTS has embraced. “I guess our philosophy is that, yeah, life isn’t all great all the time, but what the hell—we’re going to have a good time and dance and try to find some beauty,” Krolikowski said. These good times are paired with a serious perspective towards their work. Although the guys all work at odd jobs (Fran subs at a high school and Andrew docks boats at NYC’s South Street Seaport), they all hope to one day make the band their full time careers.

After the shows are over and the dance parties and sing-alongs cease, the guys of VTS find deeper reasons to remain dedicated to what they do. “I just feel like the whole point is to make people feel that they are not alone,” says Krolikowski of the band’s music. “That there is something utterly human that we all have in common and that we could all take part in.”

Website: www.myspace.com/visionthroughsound - Newsweek - Current

"Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything" Review

3/20/08

By Will James

I have a feeling that this review will have a lot to do with names.

Names are important to me, and names are important to art. Yes, it’s contrary to our ideals to admit that these stunted little labels factor into our judgments of something so culturally sanctified. But let’s be pragmatic. When we critique a work of music, we are, at some level, passing judgment on the character of the creator. Albums aren’t islands, and I just don’t have the intellectual discipline approach them as such. Just like when we fall in love with a band, we are tapping into an entity beyond precisely what’s projected in data on an optical disc. And names, like cover art, are part of the package.

That being said, “Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn’t Everything,” Vision Through Sound’s fourth release, is something of a partial masterpiece of nomenclature. Song titles like “Moving to Catatonia,” “The Perks of Being a Vampire” (get it?) and “Hello, Cruel World,” help us attach a Shakespearian wit and a lively esprit to the minds behind the music. Even the more concise names (“The Bricklayer,” “Peter, Peter,” “Brown”) exude a mainstream professionalism that makes VTS appear viable beyond the local setting. The greatest parts of Vision Through Sound – the screaming nascent-Radiohead riffage, the bright composition, the Blackbird-esque chord canniness at the start of the very first song – make sense in the context of names like these.

Names work for the band and names work against, though. The name “Vision Through Sound,” itself, is a blemish. Self-reference of the medium? Come on. LSD-induced synesthesia perhaps? Or echolocation? I find I have a deep revulsion toward any band that acknowledges music in its name. It’s kind of unimaginative and it activates some troubled OCD switch within me (at least they don’t have a “The”). It’s not much. But it alludes to the fact that this band is capable of less.

And, sure enough, a great deal of the previously-alluded-to cheekiness is lost in a mess of deflated potential. Lines like “The souls that seep through the sewer tops drop loose change into machine slots,” sound trying-too-hard, delivered in this faux-Pearl Jam bellow, even over clever chords and top-notch production. Is it a joke or isn’t it? It’s all about context. Names, among other things, forge context.

Suddenly, “Peter, Peter,” a poignant, alluring name, certainly worthy of CD package gloss, turns out to just be an inept protest song – the kind of thing that any Long Island kid who listens to enough “Pablo Honey” and watches a few installments of Olbermann could have written. And all the while, Fran Berkman’s scintillating guitar-hope shines on in the background. This whole record is a jungle of self-cancelling forces, one underachieving element or another keeping the whole mess perpetually on the verge of being absolutely glorious.

“E. Smith Street,” one of those stalwart, cool-as-hell titles, sports lead singer Andrew Krolikowski twisting the word “wingspan” into something perverse like “weengspaaaahn,” and announcing, in a single monstrous chorus, that he just doesn’t really get it. At least, not yet. Not quite.

That’s the thing. These guys deserve a huge amount of credit. They really do. In so many respects, they’re head and shoulders above almost every single other Long Island act. But there’s something absolutely crushing about hearing every song proclaim “we could be viable and relevant if we really, really wanted to,” and never quite delivering.

On “Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn’t Everything,” Vision Through Sound rocks out as if they’ve become secure in their notion of their own “voice.” After a series of successful self-produced albums, they’re quite certain they’ve found it, in fact. This represents a failure on the part of the band to recognize that they’re actually, potentially, on the cusp of something. Because every song points to the fact that these four Long Island guys are exceptional in their love of all the right things – Radiohead, angular guitar riffs, the right chords, wordplay, well-placed dance-rock drum lines, wit, and intra-band dynamic – they just need to step back and synthesize. What makes the music they love great? And, of course, how can we turn this triumph of tastes and talent into something novel (which is to say, interesting enough to capture national attention)? Ugh, there’s that pragmatism again. I suggest we just learn to live with it.

Maybe the problem here is that the members of Vision Through Sound have grown too comfortable with their position as the local champions of alt-rock and all-around decent music. Big fish in a small pond syndrome. But the staple of every great band is their ability to unlock themselves from their state of being and continue pushing the envelope even when they think they’ve gotten good. And, for some reason, like a sage reading chicken bones or some hack seeing signs in tea leaves, I have harped upon these song titles as the prime indicator of some huge, not-so-hidden potential.

My recommendation? Drop every ‘90’s throwback element that weighs down the vocals and lyrics and forge on, wild, into the future, armed with your glut of experimental smarts and pop sensibility. Explore the all-too-fashionable planes of indie-pop and folk-rock, fellows, even on a lark. There’s no shame in jumping on the bandwagon – after all, you could do great, great things there.

And, um, consider a name change. - Club Alley.com

Chelsea M. Hathaway

Despite the cloudy, muggy weather, there was a presence of the student population at The Battle of the Bands on Saturday, September 13th on the Old Main Quad. The grassy expanse provided a perfect setting for relaxing amongst friends and enjoying the different bands play.

One of the highlights of the Battle of the Bands was Vision Through Sound, a four-piece rock band from Massapequa, New York. They have played in New Paltz (on campus and off) for about a year, including the SUNY New Paltz campus, Battle of the Bands at Cabaloosa's, 60 Main, and other local venues. The band is good friends with The Rhodes, who play at least once a week in town. Their lineup includes singer/guitarist/pianist/primary songwriter Andrew Krowlikowski, who started the band in 2001 at the age of 13, Franny Berkman on guitar, vocals and theremin, and newcomers Jason Briggs on bass and Hugo Lopez on drums.

The band's performance was tight (as usual), and truly a pleasure to experience. All four musicians put all of their energy and dedication into putting on a great show for all those involved. The suffocating weather proved to be a bit of a challenge, as those watching the performance were not as apt to dance as they would have been under less humid circumstances, despite Krolikowski's suggestion that everyone dance. The band performed a variety of songs from their two most recent albums, "Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything," and 2008's "The History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Vision Through Sound."

When asked to describe their sound, Krowlikowski says that "Minimalizism isn't our style," and cites such influences as The Flaming Lips, The Dresden Dolls and Radiohead, as well as the literature of Ernest Hemingway and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Although Battle of the Bands went well, Krolikowski states that the band prefers to play small clubs and bars, as to create a more intimate setting. Playing outdoors isn't typical for the band. Their goal is for their shows to be "not your typical concert," and for the audience to participate to its fullest. Although not prominent at the Battle of the Bands (due to the oppressive humidity), the chance to dance one's heart out is an appeal to Vision Through Sound's live shows. At the release show for their new album, the band released approximately seventy-five balloons into the audience and handed out bottles of bubbles, so that everyone present could become part of the experience.

The aforementioned show took place on August 15th, 2008, and celebrated the band's new album, "The History of The Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Vision Through Sound," which is a play on the translated title of Christopher Marlowe's Faustus. The album took three years to finish writing, and is a testament to their maturation as songwriters. One interesting aspect of the production of the album is the incorporation of other Massapequa-based musicians; the three members of Exemption provide gang vocals, Fastizio's drummer Johnny Hoblin appears on xylophone and bells, amongst others from the Massapequa area. Also, the album was recorded by Ray Marte, the drummer of Exemption, at Double Vision Studios, also in Massapequa. The immensely talented friends of the band provide the album artwork and photographs features on the cover and liner notes. By keeping the production local and independent, Vision Through Sound supports their local scene and is able to express the importance of their musical family. Briggs and Lopez did not play on the album; the bassist was Michael McManus of Fastizio, and the drummer was Mike Sarna, currently of The Argyles. The album features horns, a strings section and multiple vocalists. Krolikowski says that the album is the band's idea of beauty, and after one listen, it is easy to agree that its contents are quite telling of the band's musical growth. The lyrics are thought provoking and the instrumentation is "grandiose," in the words of Krolikowski. The goal of the band is to "raise the bar higher," and continue to grow as songwriters and people.

Vision Through Sound's new album, as well as their previous album, "Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything," is available for purchase at Rock da Pasta, a favorite post-show hangout of the band, located at 62 Main St.. Their MySpace is located at www.myspace.com/visionthroughsound, and includes songs from both of their albums. Keep a lookout for future Vision Through Sound shows in New Paltz; they perform locally at least two to three times a month, often with The Rhodes. Their next appearance in New Paltz will be October 10th, 2008 at Cabaloosa's with the Rhodes. - New Paltz Nugget

Liz Pelly 08/31/2006 10:49 am

At only 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 10, a large crowd had already begun to form in front of the stage at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. This, more than likely left some people towards the back of the club baffled, as the headlining band, Days of the New, would not hit the stage for another few hours. Were all of these kids just waiting around for some local opening act?

The answer seems obvious to someone plugged in -- Vision Through Sound is not your average local band. The four piece unsigned alt-rock band, hailing from Amityville and Massapequa sold more than 150 tickets to fans-- a solid representation of their immense local fan base acquired over the years. Fans were glad to have the guys back for their first Long Island show all summer (they've been busy playing as far as DC, and will soon be back on the road for a show in Virginia).

Once 7 p.m. rolled around, the band opened the night with a new song. After that, VTS newbies were already beginning to understand what drew such a large crowd. "For a local band, they definitely sound just as good as any professional, signed band out there, if not better," says Brian Ward, 18, of Massapequa, who was experiencing the band live for the first time.

Following the first new song, which received positive feedback from the audience, the band set out on the remainder of their ten-song set, comprised of a couple of new songs, some tracks off of their 2005 release Stoke Poges, and several off of their most recent record Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything. While the band cites a diverse list of influences ranging from Radiohead to the Beatles to Tool, the result is truly original, as was apparent throughout their set.

Their catchy guitar riffs and memorable lyrics, combined with piano and bongo on some songs, make for a fun concert experience. The crowd was extremely responsive to the music, singing along and dancing energetically. Fans were happy to hear all of the new songs VTS had to offer, as well as their current single "Something to that Defect" classics like "East Smith Street", and the wittily titled "The Perks of Being a Vampire." The set was closed with "Hello, Cruel World" a consistent crowd pleaser.

A few hours and two more opening bands later, headliner Days of the New took the stage. The crowd became smaller and smaller as the night progressed, leaving approximately 30 or 40 fans by the time DOTN played, and making for an intimate setting. As overheard in the crowd, some people present were surprised to see that the band is now actually just Travis Meeks' solo act.

When the band was still all together, Days of the New was known for its Alice-in-Chains-esque sound. Now that former bassist Jesse Vest, drummer Matt Taul, and guitarist Todd Whitener have all departed from the group, the sound has toned down. Often labeled prog-rock, the post-grunge influence is still somewhat present in Meeks' solo acoustic act.

"I liked how he played. All of his guitars were tuned differently. Some were tuned really low and strangely, but it worked," says Lauren Diehlman, 17, of Massapequa.

While the crowd may have been smaller towards the end of the set (which lasted over an hour), there were still several fans singing along and requesting songs. Fans will be pleased to hear that Meeks plans on releasing a fourth Days of the New album in early 2007, titled Purple.

Both VTS and DOTN proved to be extremely different through their performances, but when combined, made for quite the interesting concert. Chances are, prior to reading this, you hadn't heard much about either. One piece of advice: change that. - Long Island Press

August 24, 2006
Rafer Guzman

With an absurdist sense of humor and a jam-band sensibility, the Massapequa group Vision Through Sound comes across like a mix of Phish, Cake and Primus. You say you hate those bands? You should still pick up Vision's latest disc, "Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything." It's one of the most original and accomplished albums to come out of Long Island this year.

The band has a knack for building catchy rock songs out of unlikely material. The first track, "A Song for the Ride Home," begins with a folksy, almost medieval guitar ditty that develops into a lighthearted sing-along. But by the end, it's become a bona fide rocker with a driving drum beat and fuzzy guitar solos. "Something to That Defect" manages a similar trick, combining a silly chorus ("shoo-be-doo-wop-wop") with heavy, hallucinatory guitars.

Singer Andrew Krolikowski has a way with words that can be initially off-putting: Sometimes he's impossibly verbose, while at other times he stretches out syllables as if trying to kill time. But at least once per song, a phrase will jump out and stick in your mind. "How long can you hold your breath/Underwater/Without a cigarette?" he wonders in "The Perks of Being a Vampire." On "The Bricklayer," he offers some snarky advice: "Why don't you tip the executioner? It won't do you any good/It won't put your head back on." Krolikowski's strong, appealingly raspy voice lends his stoner philosophizing some authority.

Vision Through Sound plays with the confidence and skill of a seasoned band, but the oldest member, guitarist Fran Berkman, is only 21. (The youngest, bassist Michael McManus, turned 17 this week.) You wouldn't know it to listen to them: They've clearly soaked up plenty of classic rock and fashioned their own distinctive sound. That makes them a rarity on Long Island, and one worth hearing. - Newsday

10/9/06
By Mary McKenna

You won't find studded belts, side swept bangs; or girls' pants on stage with Massapequa band, Vision Through Sound.
However, you may find members of the band carrying light sabers, wearing suspenders, or doing dance moves inspired by Leatherface. So, Vision Through Sound may not be your average band, but their clever lyrics and unique music make them one of the most original and distinc live bands to come out of Long Island in recent years.

It all started almost six years ago, when singer/guitarist Andrew Krolikowski and drummer Mike Sarna were on the same baseball team. Their mutual passion for playing music is what brought them together (that, and everyone. else on the team only listened to rap)
"A lot of bands form and say, '…We want to be a punk band, we want to be a metal band, we want to sound like a classic rock band,' and Mike and I just didn't know what we wanted," says Andrew. "We just wanted to play," Mike adds. And so they did.

Now, four full length LPs, a couple lineup changes, and almost 90 live performances later, guitarist Fran Berkman, and bassist Michael McManus help to form the alt-rock quartet that is Vision Through Sound. Each member has his own strengths, as well as quirks and oddities to bring to the band. This is evident in their latest album “Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn’t Everything.”

Listening to the CD is like being in a different world. The first track on the disc, “A Song For The Ride Home,” kicks off the album with an eccentric style that immediately grabs the listeners attention. Track three, “Something to that Defect,” shows an example of some of Andrew's witty lyrics as he sings, "I’ve fallen madly in love with a hypochondriac/ We exchange disease and realized this is Where love's at."

It's not only Andrew's strong voice and clever lyrics that stop the listener from pushing the eject button, however. Put on track five, "Conducting Electricity," open your ears, and allow the peculiar guitar solos of Fran Berkman into your head.

“My name's Fran. I play guitar. I'm happy to be alive. That's it,” he says.

Fran is twenty one years old, making him the oldest in the band. Bassist Michael 'McManus' is the youngest at seventeen. McManus admits that yes, they do tease him about his age. You wouldn't guess it from listening to their music though. Bass guitar is not McManus' only instrument. During shows, you'll sometimes find him sporting a pair of bongos, manning the piano, or grabbing his guitar for an instrument change. He plays in two bands, and is currently in his senior year of high school.

And please, let's not forget about drummer Mike Sarna. It is well known that the rhythm section of any band can is crucial element. Lucky for Vision Through Sound, their drummer is a. skilled musician. Mike has been playing the drums for ten years, and now spends his Saturdays teaching lessons at a local music shop. His years of experience are evident in every track on the album, and should not go unnoticed.

And now, to the stage. One of their most recent performances was on October 9th, at The Annex in NYC. It was a trendy, slightly cramp bar with small raised stage that stood at one end of a long room. Vision Through Sound kicked off the show with a cover, which, according to fans, is a rarity.

In honor of John Lennon's birthday, they played an excellent rendition of The Beatles’ "In My Life." Andrew's strong voice and enthusiastic stage presence wake him an excellent front man, but he and the rest of the guys weren't the only ones moving around. Go to any Vision Through Sound show and watch as all of their fans go crazy, dancing and singing along to every song. "I want people that come to our shows to be as much of a part of it as we are, because that's where we get all of our energy from," says Andrew. Although, due to restrictions from the venue, their set was a short one, they managed to still make the show a memorable experience.
During one song, in attempt to pull a fan onstage, Andrew stepped off onto what looked like a sturdy surface, and ended up knocking over some equipment, and nearly falling in the process. Immediately, two fans ran over and picked up what had fallen, as Andrew, hopped back on stage, just in time to sing the next verse. The band ended the set by taking a request from screaming friends, who all wanted them to play "Brown." "Brown" is one of their oldest songs, and can be found on "Cheer up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything" as a bonus track from their previous album, "Stoke Poges."
"We have this mentality, that we want all of our fans to be friends and family…This band is my family, and the people who are involved with it are my family," says Andrew. Want to join the family? Check out Vision Through Sound's MySpace, at myspace.com/visionthroughsound for upcoming show dates and more information.

- Five Towns College Record

12/28/06
Rafer Guzman

When this newspaper heralded the arrival of a "second wave" of Long Island bands, reader response was split between excitement and derision. Some agreed the region is seeing a new band boom spurred in part by the success of Taking Back Sunday and Brand New. Others, bless them, felt that Long Island has been producing good music consistently, not in waves. Whatever your opinion, local bands put out so much good music this year that many deserving discs got squeezed out of the following Top 10 list.

7. Vision Through Sound, "Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything." This Massapequa group plays quirky, clever rock with a slightly stoned sensibility. Best line: "Why don't you tip the executioner? It won't do you any good / It won't put your head back on." Finally, fans of Cake and Primus have a local band to call their own.

- Newsday

August 2008

By RadioJ


When I think of Vision Through Sound, I think of band that has a jam band/experimental/classic rock/modern rock style. The Massapequa based band consists of Andrew Krolikowski Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Franny Berkman on Guitars, Vocals, Mike Sarna on Drums & Percussion, and Jason Briggs on Bass & Vocals. I remember Jason from when he was apart of the experimental rock band The Sonitus Revolution. So I was actually not surprised when I heard he became VTS's new bassist, his style fits like a glove.

I first heard about these guys when I heard the song "The Perks Of Being A Vampire" off "Cheer up Chap Middle School Isn't Everything.'' The song has an eerie feel, and is very keyboard driven, but the lyrics are very catchy and it's almost campy like a lot of their other tunes. I think every song they do is very different, some upbeat that you can actually move to, mixed in with long mellow jams. I feel that their music can take you on several voyages. You are bound to get lost with in their sound, and go on a personal mind quest. The band has a very unique sense of humor and a tongue and cheek style to go with it.

When I asked Andrew where the bands name came from, he had this to say; "In regards to the name of the band, well, we came up with it when we were 13 for one thing, and thus, yeah we have gotten a bit of slack for it, but I can safely say in spite of what some people have thought that the intentions in creating it were not supposed to be all that pretentious. I think some people have complained about the name being pretentious, and then some others have been really drawn to it. Some of the people who have been drawn to it are actually people who are physically blind, or know someone close to them who is blind, in which case the name takes on the meaning it intended. It's not supposed to be "vision" as in some big grandiose thing really, but simply just sight. It's just seeing things. The best description I can think of and what it's come to mean to me now is that when I hear a record that I love, the typical thing that draws me to it is that in it a songwriter sings something that hits me in a way that it sums up perfectly how I feel, in a way I hadn't thought of it before. It gives you this kind of clarity about who you are and how you think about things, and to me that's just the power of music. That's always been my goal as a songwriter, to make people feel the way I do when I put on one of these records that I feel gave me such clarity. It reminds you that you're not alone, that there are other people out there who think and feel just like you do, in spite of however isolated you may feel. Vision Through Sound is a reflection of that, an attempt at clarity. We're making sense of our own lives and hopefully we can make listeners feel it and if our music aids in them making sense of themselves than that's the most powerful and beautiful thing a songwriter could possibly hope for."

The band has just released their fifth CD: "The History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Vision Through Sound." This was produced by Ray Marté, the drummer of one of my favorite local bands Exemption. This album is going to be the final CD with the band's current line up featuring bassist Michael McManus, recently replaced by Briggs who did not record on the CD. The album features new tunes such as "Invertebrate," "With Keith (Back From Catatonia)," "Missionary Men" and "A Conversation Piece."

From what I heard of the music on the CD, it is filled with a plethora of sounds. Some of the songs are heavier then the others. There are short songs and long jammed out sessions. There are songs you can move to and songs that make you think. VTS's music is driven by their ability to write a good song. I started listening to some of the tracks off of the new CD such as the first track "Titus Androgynous" which has a very trippy classic rock sound with trumpets added in to the mix towards the end, showing the bands unique side. In fact, according to the band they use all sorts of instruments and percussion that you will find throughout the album. There are some very unique vocal harmonies with different ranges, as it kind of reminds me of Frank Zappa. I'm not going to reveal more about "The History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Vision Through Sound," your going to have to wait till their CD release show. Another interesting tidbit is that the cover art features Andrew's cat who they found while recently touring.

They will release their CD on Friday August 15th at the Village Pub South in Amityville. I heard that normally you will see confetti poured into the crowd as well as a lot of singing and dance so far I've seen the singing and the dancing but I have yet to see the confetti. 1 recently saw the band perform at Mulcahey's in Ccntereach for The "Band and Venue" Battle of the bands. The one thing I notice is that Andrew was the calmest person on stage. He definitely has presence that shines when he performs. The guitarist Fran, looks like he's going into convulsions. While playing, every part of his body twitches as his head moves in a fast pace, yet he doesn't miss a note. The sounds coming out of his guitar are quite hypnotizing. You want to go up to him and ask if he's ok, while he probably is in some other dimension. I remember Mike having a smooth yet aggressive approach with the drums. Jason looked like he knew what he was doing, he seemed familiar with every note and you felt like he was apart of the music. He was moving to his own beat yet he was in pace with the rest of the band. They played tunes from their previous album and I'm pretty sure they did a couple from the new CD including their tune "Po-tee-weet." Although I feel they were a little out of their element that night I still feel that the band has one hell of a stage show. I would also like to add the there was a lot of crowd participation. Andrew is the calm ringmaster on the stage leading this musical circus of the mind, as I like to call it. I feel that August 15th is going to be a night to remember when the band performs at their CD release party with all original members, although Briggs may actually jump on stage for one song.

I intend on witnessing Vision Through Sound on this night and I encourage anyone to listen their CD's so you can understand what it is like to be a part of their universe. For more information go to:

www.myspace.com/visionthroughsound

Also hear them all month long on RadioJ (radio for the scene) on www.auralfix.net!
- Aural Fix Magazine

08/2008


By Liz Pelly

The members of Vision Through Sound are an intelligent bunch of freaks, which they prove on their most recent efforts, The History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Vision Through Sound. Just take a look at the album’s title and artwork. (Is that an evil cat lowering down a noose to two cute kittens? Yes.)

Freaky vocals, group chants, screams that might be cries for help, and female harmonies wrap around some of the most thought-provoking and mindful lyrics that songwriters Andrew Krolikowski and Franny Berkman have ever written: “Po-Tee-Weet?” is the band’s heaviest, angriest song to date, drenched in political bits that comment on society at large; the zombies and magic tricks that surface in “Abra” meditate on the meaning of decrepit romantic relationships; meanwhile, all tracks are soaked in the dark evidence that these guys have spent a lot of time in their heads, at the library, reading a whole lot of Vonnegut.

But the album is a far throw from a downer: Krolikowski’s uplifting, trademark vocals return and take center stage, peeking in and out of Fran Berkman and Mike McManus’s melodic, memorable guitar riffs and bass lines (part psychedelic/dance/funk, part Nirvana/Pixies/Pumpkins) that seem to sometimes fight for the spotlight, all while the three run full speed ahead, away from Mike Sarna’s fast-driving drums. Cameos from ex-Nothing Plural members Michelle Kovacs and Chris Fleming on trumpet, flute, violin, and cello, layered over other various accompanists on bird flute, Theremin, xylophone, bells, clapping, grunting, and general freakishness, make for some of the most epic, crazed instrumentals to ever surface on a VTS record.

“Missionary Men” is undeniably the album’s defining track, a representation of the band’s ability to take a dark, terrible situation and turn it into an intelligent dance song.

“I feel that [Missionary Men] defines us as a band,” says Krolikowski. “This song is an attempt to mobilize those who have had horrible things happen to them; to look atrocity in the eye and laugh, but not mindlessly—always being aware of it, but also being aware of the power of the human spirit to be able to overcome these things. I have lost my faith in a lot of things, but this song is a reflection of my faith in the power of music, and even though a song can’t single handedly right all of the wrongs in the world, it can hopefully at least bring people together to give living an enjoyable life a try.”

Though the album is the last that Sarna and McManus will ever record with the band (perhaps the reason for the band’s self-proclaimed “death”), Krolikowski and Berkman’s lyricism are undoubtedly the band’s biggest evolution and the album’s biggest accomplishment, keeping spirits high that there will be reincarnation and years of future lives for Vision Through Sound. - Official Press Release

Tuesday, August 19, 2008
By Liz Pelly


Being as over half of BU's students seem to be from Long Island, some WTBU fans may be familiar with the name Vision Through Sound. Last year, Newsday's music critic named their album, Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything, as one of the most creative and accomplished albums to come out of Long Island in 2007. And this month, they've been named Band of the Month by Aural Fix. But true Vision Through Sound fans know that the four-piece alt. rock band's audience spans further than the suburbs, gaining them a fan base throughout New York City and other parts of the country. Rightfully so: in contrast to most bands that come out of The Island, their original sound and dark sense of humor proves they've absorbed an array of classic rock and literary influences. (They tend to attract fans who are also into the Radiohead, Nirvana, and The Smiths.)

On their new album, The History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Vision Through Sound (released August 15 via DoubleVision Records), freaky vocals, group chants, screams that might be cries for help, and female harmonies wrap around some of the most thought-provoking and mindful lyrics that songwriters Andrew Krowlikowski and Franny Berkman have ever written. “Po-Tee-Weet?” is the band’s heaviest, angriest song to date, drenched in political bits that comment on society at large; the zombies and magic tricks that surface in “Abra” meditate on the meaning of decrepit romantic relationships; meanwhile, all tracks are soaked in the dark evidence that these guys have spent a lot of time in their heads, at the library, reading a whole lot of Vonnegut.


But the album is a far throw from a downer: Krowlikowski’s uplifting, trademark vocals return and take center stage, peeking in and out of Fran Berkman and Mike McManus’s melodic, memorable guitar riffs and bass lines (part psychedelic/dance/funk, part Nirvana/Pixies/Pumpkins) that seem to sometimes fight for the spotlight, all while the three run full speed ahead, away from Mike Sarna’s fast-driving drums. Cameos from ex-Nothing Plural members Michelle Kovacs and Chris Fleming on trumpet, flute, violin, and cello, layered over other various accompanists on bird flute, Theremin, xylophone, bells, clapping, grunting, and general freakishness, make for some of the most epic, crazed instrumentals to ever surface on a VTS record.

“Missionary Men” is undeniably the album’s defining track, a representation of the band’s ability to take a dark, terrible situation and turn it into an intelligent dance song. Listen to the song (as well as three other tracks from the new album) on the band's MySpace, here: myspace.com/visionthroughsound. - WTBU