Bravenoise

The Current – Album Review

Bravenoise/Everything Was and Everything Will Be/Self-released

We usually don’t pick up on independent releases from budding bands hailing from the East Coast. But when, for starters, the music, which is tighter than a new jar of jam, is so well commanded, it’s hard to resist. Throw in the idea that said music is being performed by former Currentland contributor and Tahlequah resident Garron Marsh, not giving it a plug would be a damn shame and friendship ender.
Luckily, Marsh (bass) has found a pair of collaborators in Andrew Bell (guitar, vocals) and Andrea Spadafora (drums) that aren’t afraid to take a stab at rock, reggae, blues and Americana.
The power trio that is Bravenoise can not only be compared to The Police, but their ability to seemingly step way outside of the confines of traditional song structure in the studio makes them also reminiscent of the much larger jam collective Umphrey’s McGee.
All comparisons aside, the music touches on all facets of human emotion, from the reggae-inspired gut-check “So Much for Forever” to the bluesy outcry “Set Up, Set Down.” Even shades of Americana bleed through on “Time, Take Your Time,” which professes an
undying amount of compromise at whatever expense, time included.
Grab your copy of Everything Was and check out other good ‘Noise at www.bravenoise.com. - Joe Mack: The Current - magazine

The Current – Album Review

Bravenoise/Everything Was and Everything Will Be/Self-released

We usually don’t pick up on independent releases from budding bands hailing from the East Coast. But when, for starters, the music, which is tighter than a new jar of jam, is so well commanded, it’s hard to resist. Throw in the idea that said music is being performed by former Currentland contributor and Tahlequah resident Garron Marsh, not giving it a plug would be a damn shame and friendship ender.
Luckily, Marsh (bass) has found a pair of collaborators in Andrew Bell (guitar, vocals) and Andrea Spadafora (drums) that aren’t afraid to take a stab at rock, reggae, blues and Americana.
The power trio that is Bravenoise can not only be compared to The Police, but their ability to seemingly step way outside of the confines of traditional song structure in the studio makes them also reminiscent of the much larger jam collective Umphrey’s McGee.
All comparisons aside, the music touches on all facets of human emotion, from the reggae-inspired gut-check “So Much for Forever” to the bluesy outcry “Set Up, Set Down.” Even shades of Americana bleed through on “Time, Take Your Time,” which professes an
undying amount of compromise at whatever expense, time included.
Grab your copy of Everything Was and check out other good ‘Noise at www.bravenoise.com. - Joe Mack: The Current - magazine

“Impeccably crafted, tasteful adult pop a la Sting…”

Darryl Sterdan,
Winnipeg Sun - Winnipeg Sun

The release of the new Brave Noise album came as an odd but very real threat to the busy work of packing my car for my extended beach vacation. A link to the new songs came in just as I was experiencing a lull in shoving brightly-colored buckets and pails into my trunk, so I set out in search of my headphones.

Truth be told, I've got a terrible soft spot for local bands from the Washington/Maryland/Virginia area, so when I do get the opportunity to review something that's not shipped in from distant shores, I generally jump at the occasion hoping they don't disappoint.

Bravenoise consists of Andrew Bell, Andrea Spadafora, and Garron Marsh, an amicable-looking trio with a somewhat undefinable charm and a unique sound. In the face of the sonic maelstrom of the skin-melting full-on guitar assaults I'd been peppering my playlist with recently, they offered a cool melodic oasis with jangly guitar sounds and pared down arrangements.

That's not to say they can't rock a tune, but the musical direction shifts from song to song, allowing for the sharp contrast of the slower pieces to sweep aside the foot tapping infectiousness of their uptempo work.

Put simply, I liked what I heard.

Never mind that their drummer sites the master of all things percussion (Stewart Copeland, for those of you under a rock) as a huge influence or that their lead singer openly admits to being a huge Voltron fan as a child. These things alone could never have rose colored my glasses enough to elicit a positive response that was not warranted by the music alone.

Check out Everything Was And Everything Will Be on iTunes or Amazon and pay particular attention to my personal favorite "Night Of Pleasure" or the oddly familiar "Come Onto Me" ( *cough* Police *cough*). - Culture Brats

Interview with Bravenoise
- by Dawn Reed

The Baltimore/DC/Italy hybrid band that is Bravenoise have been voted your Band of the Month for August, and we were wondering what made these guys bring their rock to a "make it funky!" level! So we riled together the dudes behind the noise, Andrew Bell, Andrea Spadafora, and Garron Marsh, to find out. Here they spill it on the awesomeness of girlfriends, Craigslist, and good Italian espresso...



Deli: How did the band start?

Andrew: I'd been writing songs for years and trying to form a band with little luck. I did some home recordings where I was playing all of the instruments myself under the name Bravenoise. Over the years Bravenoise had undergone several manifestations before arriving at what it is today. I met Andrea a few years ago when I was posting an ad on Craigslist for a drummer. He had just posted an ad looking for a band. We had a lot of the same influences, I had just returned from studying in Italy. To make a long story short, we ended up playing music together for a few years in various groups sometimes using the name "Bravenoise", sometimes not. We'd played with several bass players....quite a few wackos, but no one really clicked. We reluctantly decided to post on Craiglist and Garron was one of the first people that responded. From the first rehearsal it clicked and we've been playing together ever since. That was a bit over a year ago.

Where did the band name come from?

Andrew: I saw it on the cover of a guitar magazine when I was a teenager. It was used to describe Sonic Youth. I saw it and immediately decided that was going to the name of my band.

?What are your biggest musical influences?

Andrew: The Police, Sting, Radiohead, Nick Drake, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Sade, Bob Marley, old Motown, Stax, and Atlantic R&B, 80s rock/pop, 60s Jazz. A lot of Brazilian stuff: Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Jorge Ben, Seu Jorge. I have a degree in Classical Guitar Performance so a lot of Classical Music: Rodrigo, de Falla, Albeniz, Bach, Turina...and can't forget about R. Kelly and Boney M.

Garron: I'd definitely have to list Sting, James Jamerson, & I'm a huge admirer of Edgar Meyer. But really I think I've probably taken a little something from everything I've heard. When I was learning, I liked the pocket, grooving stuff a lot more than the flashy solo guys. Family Man Barrett, Paul Denman, guys like that.

Andrea: My musical motto in a nutshell is: MAKE IT FUNKY! This has been inspired by such drumming monsters as Stewart Copeland, Aaron Comess, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Tullio De Piscopo, John Bonham, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, and Steve Gadds, to name a few.

What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

Andrew:The Strokes, Local Natives, Bon Iver, Martin Sexton, The Black Keys, Kid Cudi, TV on the Radio, Kanye West, Lykke Li, Natiruts, Phoenix, A Silent Film, Washed Out.

Garron: I have obscene amounts of The Police & Radiohead on my iPhone at all times. But really it just varies. Listen to Sigur Ros pretty often. Andrew's turned me on to a lot of Brazilian stuff that I wasn't familiar with. In the office it's a lot of Thievery Corp. or chillout/trip hop kind of stuff. Locally, I've only just discovered Bluebrain & I think they're fantastic. Drop Electric & the B-Film Extras both seem pretty interesting, too. I'd like to catch both their shows sometime.

Andrea: I'll listen to anything with a good groove. Michael Jackson, Spin Doctors and Sting/The Police are always on my playlist. I love Stevie Wonder and Pino Daniele (a well known Italian artist). And as far as local music, I'm eagerly awaiting the new CD from Nelly's Echo. I have his first album on repeat in my truck.

What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

Andrew:The first concert that I remember attending was James Taylor. I think the first album that I actually bought with my allowance money was a tape of True Blue by Madonna.

Garron: Honestly don't remember my first concert, but the first album I ever bought on my own was the Beastie Boys - "License to Ill."

Andrea: The first concert I ever went to was Michael Jackson's Dangerous World Tour in 1997 and I still look back on that as one of the greatest experiences ever. The first album I ever bought was Micheal Jackson's 'Thriller". I listened to it until I knew every song by heart and it's still always next to my cd player.


What do you love about DC's music scene?

Andrew:The politics...

Garron: Honestly, I've not paid much attention. I usually don't have time to catch a lot of shows, & sort of serendipitously come across most of the local stuff I hear.

Andrea: Drumming circles! Seeing music in everyday places, coming across an impromptu jam session in the City, anytime when people are living music- that's what I like.

What would you like to see - The Deli Magazine