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This Friday, anyone and everyone in the know will likely be pouring into Muddy Waters Café for one of Santa Barbara’s most highly anticipated album release parties of 2009. At 8 p.m., the boys of the Martyrs will be unleashing their self-titled full-length debut to the masses and are promising quite the night of hip-shaking festivities to those who turn up.
For the unacquainted, this baby faced three-piece busted onto the scene none so long ago with crunching guitars and yelping vocals aplenty. The trio, made up of Nic Martyr (vocals, guitar), Avery Wheeeler (bass, vocals), and Nate Carlsen (drums, vocals), is perhaps most notable for their collective youth — not one of the boys is over 20. Quickly after the dissolution of the gents’ high school project, The Cosmic Revelators, Marytys was formed. And in less than a year, the guys have managed to develop a sound that pays homage to ‘70s punk influences like the Sex Pistols, but leans a little more towards the modern rock sounds of The White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Strokes. And while the instrumentation is all grainy garage-y roughness, lead singer Nic Martyr tends to sound more like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s Alec Ounsworth than anything close to Johnny Rotten. The result is a genius hybrid of indie innocence and punk rock bravado, solidly backed by a string of clever hooks and catchy lyrics. We recently caught up with Martyr to discuss the album, the release party, and what it’s like to book shows as a member of the under-21 club.
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/may/05/martyrs-unleash-debut-album/ - Santa Barbara Indepedent
MZ was totally lit by this record when it landed on our doorstep. Martyrs are a young band out there to rock the young ones. Brilliantly executed classic vintage recording techniques that sound fuzzy and fat as Electric Ladyland (“Shooting Star”) without ever feeling lo-fi, and with all the vitality of an early Ween (“Tales of a Humble Man”) or Jellyfish (“What’s A Boy To Do”) record, these legitimately melodic young punks are going to shake things up wherever they touch down. Seriously, get on this monorail before you’re left eating your soggy hot dog back at the bus shelter.
MusicZeitgeist: Who?
Kyle Nicolaides/howls/guitar
Avery Wheeler/bass
Joey Benenati/drums/good looks
The music is for people who like to tremble and shake at live shows, find us attractive, like loud drums guitar and bass, and don’t mind a few guitar solos or two. If you like the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana, you won’t like us. Sorry.
MZ: What?
We play loud garage rock. Rock’n'Roll. You can choose the comparisons. We’re out to make kids dance and scream and constantly seek to push ourselves creatively as writers and musicians. The music we play has a push and edge to it. It’s really quite intense and different from most other rock music out there today.
We’re going to take the lead and say that we are the next generation of young rock and roll. There’s a void in the modern day rock scene, being that there are not enough young rock bands that kids can look up to. It’s a void that we are going to try and fill. In April of 2009, we self-released our first album, which we recorded entirely ourselves in my house. Indie right? We then threw a party.
Our live shows are like 1920 religious revivals. People cry, tremble, hit things, their eyes roll back into their heads… its very emotional and by the end of the set, everyone is near collapsing and out of air. Its a scene to witness.
MZ: Why?
Someone has to make those 13 year old girls twist and shout, right?
MZ: Until When?
Until we are:
A. Dead
B. Deaf
C. Get over the whole music thing.
D. Realize our true passion of quilt-making.
MZ: Where?
We all come from Santa Barbara, but we got bored and moved to L.A., which turns out to be a bigger drag, but it’s alright cos there’s a lot going on and a happening music scene.
So we live in L.A now and are playing around the city. We are always looking for shows, so if you want to book us, we’re all pretty nice guys and will give you a fantastic show. We’re also looking for an in/slot at SXSW….if anyone can help.
Listen now to “‘Sweet Girl” by Martyrs at MusicZeitgeist.com
Find out more at:
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sbmartyrs
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Martyrs/162754135530?ref=ts
Martyrs on Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/martyrs/id310658887
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/martyrsmusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mrmartyr - Music Zeitgeist
Discography
Debut LP MARTYRS released April 2009
Photos
Bio
In one short year, Martyrs have wasted no time making their presence known in the modern music scene. Self-recording and releasing their 12 song album, this garage rock trio is quickly causing heads to turn and hips to shake with their unique blend of intense rock and roll, quickly winning the ears and hearts of most who hear.
The music itself can best be described as a mixture of the melodic charm of the Beatles, the intense push and shove of the Stooges with the Swagger and sex appeal of the Rolling Stones. With their look, style, attitude and raw talent, it can be said that this trio is the next generation of rock and roll.
While the music is impressive and mature, is comes as more of a shock that chief songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Kyle Nicolaides is a newly turned 19.
In spite of this, Martyrs have already shared the stage with punk legends the New York Dolls, Apple Corp. royalty Badfinger, and modern day bands Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Band of Skulls.
They have also won the respect of legend, Alan Niven, former manger of Guns'n'Roses who called Martyrs debut "brilliant!", and is an avid fan.
In addition to this, in 2009, they headlined Santa Barbara's 40 year traditional week-long festival, Fiesta, and performed at the first New Noise Conference and Festival, which featured such artists like Jack Johnson and Michael Franti.
They were also hand picked by Marko of Sugarcult to perform on his online TV show, Raw Rhythms, featured on theStream.tv.
In order to truly understand the raw talent and energy of this young trio, however, one needs to attend their live show, which can be considered an emotionally intense and unique experience. A rock and roll revival.
You might need a ten minute break after listening to the songs. Yeah right?
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