analog missionary

see more at [url=http://www.analogmissionary.com/reviews.html]AM Press Reviews[/url]
My Analog Missionary position.

Candy- DJ, TK101; 101.5 fm, Pensacola FL.

I finally saw them live. The "them" in question is Analog Missionary and I've heard about them for years.

Quick back story: all of my friends like them.

All of my friends have varied musical tastes. Literally - my friends taste run the gamut of preferred musical stylings. BUT they all love Analog Missionary. After Saturday night, I can see why.

Analog Missionary is a female fronted progressive rock foursome with a side of middle eastern flair and very eclectic.

That's a horribly literal description - but they're hard to describe. The band is made up of really good musicians. Really good musicians - like Primus, Tool, and Rush. Musicians that make it look effortless, but not to the point where you think they're showing off like Tool, Rush and Primus. And just for the record: I like Tool, Rush and Primus.

Also - just for the record I don't like Tori Amos - but I love Analog Missionary - and the lead singer's vocals may remind you of her at times, but it's different. Everything is different with Analog. They are ethereal in every sense of the word. Seeing them will make you wish you never used the word transcindiary before - so you can solely use that word to describe their performance.

The drummer is an amazing percussionist. Face it: with drummers, local and regional: there's good and there's Neil-Peart-good. This guy is Neil-Peart-good and from here on out, Mark will always make my Top-10 lists of drummers alongside Neil Peart, Danny Carey and Bill Bruford.

The guitarist is also amazing. I hate using the word 'amazing' to describe these musicians - because our language has dulled the description by over use. The literal definition is to astound and cause awe and wonder - and that's exactly what happens while watching Kevin play. I can easily say that he is one of the best guitarists I've ever seen live - and those are big words coming from me - I've seen hundreds of shows.

The bassist/guitarist is in a class by himself - he plays a bass and a Chapman Stick, which I've never seen before. While watching them perform Saturday, we were trying to figure out what it was. To the best of my knowledge - it's a bass and a guitar without a body - it looks like a standup fret board. Whatever it is, Tony plays it well. He also plays a bass ... and keyboards ... and foot keyboards (I think) - the guy is a one man band - and by band, I mean like a one-man King Crimson. He, again, like his fellow band mates, will astound you at how (here we go) amazing he is.

The vocalist is one I never would have paired with this power trio. In my head, it doesn't make sense that a sweet girl - who could pass for Sissy Spacek's daughter - could front a band made of progressive rock virtuosos. That is to say, until I saw it - and heard it - for myself. Her voice could melt the ice caps - it's beautiful in every sense of the word. BUT she has more than one voice. I was at first reminded of the Diva Plavalaguna on the Fifth Element.

Anstrom's voice flirts with opera on one tune and then slides in to these transcendental, perfect tones that grab you and hold your attention - marinating your head and body and soul to the point where you just wish she'd start a religion, so that you could worship her and not have it be weird ... and then: surprise - she starts dancing. She moves with the music and it's hypnotic..again. She stops to sing again and then plays the theremin - and she does that beautifully. I would have never thought that I could use the phrase "with grace" referring to a theremin player, but she does. And her voice blends beautiful with every note coming from every musician in the band. I truly think that Analog Missionary is the reason cavemen began searching for sounds with wood and animal hide. Seeing them live is an ear (and eye) opening experience.

Everyone uses the word 'eclectic' to describe them - because they draw from so many sources and influences. I agree - they have their own sound - even when it comes to covers. Saturday night, they played The National Anthem by Radiohead, I am the Walrus by the Beatles and No Quarter by Zeppelin/Tool - all - and I stand by this statement - better than Radiohead, the Beatles and Zeppelin/Tool. In my mind - this wouldn't have worked with a female.

Trust me: it worked and it worked well.

For once, all of my friends were right about one thing at the same time - which has never happened before.

I should have known that any band that would rent out a venue to score "Nosferatu" would be the band to listen to and they are.

This is their myspace page - http://www.myspace.com/analogmissionary please add them and feel free to fall in love with them like I did. I'm actually secure enough to share my crush.
For now.
Candy - Candy- DJ, TK101; 101.5 fm

Best band in town?

ANALOG MISSIONARY One of the region's most original and impressive bands, they play what they describe as "progressive/ambient/art-rock." AM plays a complex layer of sounds that can sound fragile or ferocious. The Mobile-area rock band includes, Anstrom (vocals/Theremin), who besides her sultry vocals is likely to belly dance, Tony Novak (bass/Chapman Stick/keyboards), Kevin Kaiser (guitars), and the Mark (drums/percussion). Among the group's many accomplishments is creating an original score for the classic vampire movie, "Nosferatu." Analog Missionary debuted in 2002 with the album, "Transmitter," and followed with 2003's "Voyage of the Demeter," which contains songs from "Nosferatu." Currently in the works is a DVD, "Live in 2005." Forget those mainstream hacks at SpringFest. Don't miss AM. - Independant News, P'cola FL

This is a one of a kind experience. I will not attempt to categorized this music, I will simply tell you that it is unique and must be experienced. If I were to describe it, I might say "Eurythmics meet Pink Floyd meet Spyro Gyra" but that doesn't scratch the surface of this acoustically complex, sonically textured body of work. When it comes on, take a moment to crank up the speakers, close your eyes, and enjoy the road the artists are taking you down. Haunting vocals, bold rhythm, inventive lyrics and musical mastery all combine for one of the best albums I have heard in a long time, and one that enjoys a prime spot in my personal album rotation.

- XCDX.com

Blurring the lines between Tori Amos, Kate Bush, The Sundays, and U2, Analog Missionary's Transmitter offers sprawling, intricate rock with moody, intimate lulls and anthemic rock highs. Marked by immaculate and impressive musicianship, the album is a beautifully produced slice of rock that revels in intricacy. There's almost always something going on that will likely catch your attention, whether it be a well fleshed out bass line, an interesting lead guitar accent, or a spectacular drum fill. Yet, the music highlights and incorporates each musician's talents, from the sometimes Tori Amos-esque timbre and breathy delivery of vocalist Anstrom to the powerful, seemingly U2-influenced guitar work of Kevin Kaiser, without becoming a showcase of sorts.

The entire album is simply amazing...consistently good enough, in fact, that it's actually fairly difficult to highlight specific tracks. Still, "Chaser" and "Dirty Road" probably prove to be the standouts of the album's first half, albeit by a fairly narrow margin. The latter is a spectacular 9-minute moody rock epic with a killer chorus that later explodes into an amazing all-out rhythmic jam, while the former is an emotional, powerful rock number with another great anthemic chorus and a killer guitar solo. Of the disc's second half, the lovely-albeit-more-formulaic ballad "Interference" and the disc's title track, with an intense, almost PJ Harvey-esque chorus, prove to be the most memorable.

As a whole, Transmitter is a spectacular, exceptionally memorable rock epic with remarkably strong songwriting, performances, and production. Powerful, emotional, and intense, it's immediately accessible but also deep. Likely to appeal to a very wide array of music lovers, from those with mellower tastes that prefer artists like Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, and Cocteau Twins to those interested in more up-tempo stadium rock a la U2, Analog Missionary's Transmitter shouldn't be missed.

- Grave Concerns magazine

Editor's Review:

This Alabama-based quartet gives U2 a run for their money in the epic soundscapes category. Analog Missionary has a pristine, multilayered sound which is anchored by the sultry vocals of Anstrom, a female vocalist of remarkable range and clarity. All together, they form a roiling musical concoction, full of depth and emotional vitality. - Cnet/Download.com

Sometimes it’s as if a particular drummer and a particular band were destined for each other. We all know the legendary match-ups (Bonham/Zeppelin, Mitchell/Hendrix, Pear/Rush). But it can happen on a small scale too. That’s why, when The Squid heard The Mark laying his foundation for the ambient electro-rock explorations of Analog Missionary, it seemed as if the stars had aligned (as they sometimes do even for the general rabble of aspiring talent). It doesn’t hurt that The Mark’s sweet hybrid Tama Granstar/Roland V-drum setup provides the perfect electronic/acoustic rhythmic cocktail for the band’s music. Laying down an unrelenting backdrop of roiling V-toms and shimmering acoustic cymbals, The Mark’s clean execution and driving rhythms keep the attention of Analog Missionary focused on the mission at hand. Sticking since he was seven years old, The Mark isn’t even close to finished exploring the worlds of “electronic triggers, polyrhythmic layering, and nonlinear song formats.” Talent and innovation are always in demand, but The Mark’s special blend must have Analog Missionary singing “hallelujah.” - Enter Music Publishing, inc.