The Aviation Orange
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
"On stage was The Aviation Orange. Thanks to the sign in the background you didn’t even have to look up on the schedule to see who was playing. The Brooklyn based indie/pop quintet featured guy/girl lead vocalists Mike Nesci and Cherie Hannouche who had a fun, popping, electric/synth vibe. It was a great sound for a live performance. Watching the everyone dance along to the music you could tell they were a hit with the crowd." - East Sleep Breathe Music
"Brooklyn’s The Aviation Orange put on a wonderful set of songs that didn’t rely too heavily on any member of the band. The guitars were subtle, unique; the keyboards accentuated the melodies with every chord and scale. The drums didn’t overpower, but gave the songs these beats that pulled the rest of the music all together. The trading male/female vocals played off each other so well that most of the songs sounded seamless. A true collaboration, The Aviation Orange brought electro-infused pop-rock to the Lizard Lounge. Think M83 toned down, or the XX with a drum set and a hell of a lot catchier (and less depressing too). It was a pleasure to have these guys in Lancaster, as I became an instant fan of a band that really knows how to capture a certain accessible ingenuity that so many modern bands are missing these days." - Tri State Indie
"Carving a niche in NYC's cutthroat music scene; As the group carves their way through the plethora of music acts The Big Apple has to offer, they know no boundaries and have been on a steady course, accumulating more than just mileage. They are accumulating a vast fan base after steady touring of America's Heartland and making several appearances at some of the nations biggest venues for unsigned acts." - Performer Magazine
"Also participants in the CMJ Music Marathon, this Brooklyn-based band works pop rock and catchy mellow melodies to fit pretty much any occasion. We must warn, though, they are indeed very catchy." - Beat Crave
"East of Here is a great EP that introduces a stand-out band in the Indie-Pop genre." - Digital Hippos
"The band's soft spoken ways translate into sweet lyrics and pleasant melodies... The Aviation Orange's album has a mix of sounds: indie, pop, rock and even some Motown flare." - Channel One News
"the band hit the stage and got right to work. TAO's sound hovers in the triangulation of Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse and Echo & the Bunnymen, with Berlin connecting the dots. The band built steadily from mid-tempo to pulsating crescendo pretty quickly and their engaging Indie Rock/Synth Pop found a lot of fans in the fairly sizable audience." -Brian Baker - City Beat - 9/26/09 - City Beat
"In the studio, The Aviation Orange works a lovely Synth Pop vibe that suggests everything from Echo & the Bunnymen and The Psychedelic Furs to Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand, as evidenced by their new EP, East of Here. In the live setting, AO naturally and predictably grows hair and muscle in a dozen different directions, as the prettier aspects of their sound swells into pure Indie Rock passion, particularly with Rogers and Hannouche’s ’60s girl group harmonies that bristle with a contemporary edge." - City Beat
“The Aviation Orange are fairly new to the scene, but they definitely sound like old pros at this Indie-Pop thing. Put The Pixes, The Strokes and The Killers in a blender and that's kind of the sound you'll get here….East of Here is a great EP that introduces a stand-out band in the Indie-Pop genre…airy background ad-libs, playful synth riffs, and occasional harmonies are what helps distance this band from the competition…This EP is full of upbeat, synthy goodness that's perfect for a break from boring, old adult life.” - DigitalHippos.com
"Infectious indie synth-pop highlighted with beautiful harmonies and compelling lyrics" - PureGrainAudio.com
"For now, you should know that they are fun, quirky, and can make you laugh along with them. What blew me away about them is how extremely talented they all are, each and every one. Hearing them perform live in studio was better than any other version I’ve heard of them. If only I could carry live versions of them in my pocket and have them sing to me when I wanted to hear them, life would be grand!" - Channel One News
"Among the favorites on day two were Brooklyn rockers The Aviation Orange. The indie rock quintet had the gathering afternoon crowd swaying along with their track “Radio” - The Maine Campus
Music video "Radio" peaked at #5 on the most popular videos on MTVmusic.com "Once in a while I click over to the Top 100 videos most viewed on MTVmusic.com . Sure, everyone loves the Lady Gaga and that Taylor Swift is a gangsta video but another/lesser known act shares a spot in the top 20 with them... The Aviation Orange" John Loscalzo - MTVmusic.com/blog - MTVmusic.com
“Channeling a mix of greats like New Order, the Pixies and the Shins,
this quintet from Brooklyn makes infectious indie synth-pop songs
their number one order of business. .”
- Spin Earth - Spin Earth
"Things look pretty exciting for them, and their music offers a lot to be excited about: vocals comparable to Caleb Followill and Zooey Deschanel, a strong guitar section and ambient synthesizer accent."
“The Aviation Orange play alternative electro
with a strong emotional element... the band brings
danceable energy that should translate in a fun live
performance.” - Nicholas Palumbo - The Deli Magazine
“The EP opens with ‘Trammels,’ which features catchy instrumentals, a solid lead vocal from Mike, and a soothing harmony from Cherie Hannouche. It's followed by their rocking title track tune ‘East of Here.’ Particularly impressive about this effort is that all five band members were a part of its writing process, which adds to its relevance and appeal. Equally worthy of a listen are ‘On a Beach,’ and their newest song ‘Ingenious Us.’ It closes with ‘Etch a Postcard,’ in which Hannouche shines yet again with her mellifluous voice…From start to finish, East of Here is well-produced and well-written by the talented indie rock band from Brooklyn. This six-track EP is recommended for fans of alternative and indie pop and rock music.” - Suite101.com
We were voted in as The Deli Magazine's Artist of the month May 2010 - http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/snacks - The Deli Magazine
"Brooklyn’s Indie/Synth Rock band, The Aviation Orange brings to the stage a brilliantly executed work of art with their self-titled debut... The Aviation Orange has got it from start to finish and every song on this album will leave you hanging on for the next. This is the kind of album you can just let play over and over again." 5 out of 5 Stars. - Swift Reviews
Music video "Radio" debuted on MTVu's The Freshmen, and reached the Top 5 most popular videos on MTVU.COM - MTVU
"Their sound is a great mixture of synth, male and female vocals and catchy guitar riffs. Though this is not the first band to perform and play music in this genre, they manage to maintain some healthy differences and set their sound apart in a unique manner."
Darling Johnny selected as International Track of the month 12/09 - Raised on Indie
“Mixing sounds of The Cure and your favorite garage rock indie band, The Aviation Orange have a hit in
the making here.” – Under The Gun Reviews
- Under The Gun Review
"The members of NYC’s The Aviation Orange have mastered the art of blissful, atmospheric indie-pop—no song on their recent self-titled album is without a healthy dose of sanguine synth, delay-heavy guitar, and infectious male/female vocals. But that doesn’t mean the band plays spaced-out shoegaze either; the tight-knit rhythm section adds a post-punk edge that propels the songs relentlessly forward. The likes of The Cure, New Order, maybe even some M83 are evident in the songwriting and the band also has its own sonic signature, with subtle layers of ambient noise and feedback hovering under the hook-laden melodies. TAO has been playing around NYC for some time now, and other U.S. dates, including a September 25th stop at the Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati, are on the horizon." -H Magazine – 9/20/09 - H Magazine
Discography
Self Titled Debut LP - 7/21/09
East of Here EP - 8/9/11
However Wild LP - 7/31/12
Photos
Bio
Over the last couple years THE AVIATION ORANGE have been perfecting their unique mix of guitar and synth rock. Adept song writing, sonic experimentation and dueling male and female vocals combine to make this band stand out. Only together a few years, THE AVIATION ORANGE has managed to garner positive accolades nationally.
THE AVIATION ORANGE blossomed from the childhood friendship of Michael Nesci and Alex Beninato. "I didn't really pick up an instrument until high school," Nesci says reflecting back. " When my friends were looking for a bass player for their punk band, I went out and bought a bass so I wouldn't feel left out. I quickly realized that playing was really all I wanted to do." Nesci decided that music was his passion and studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Upon graduation, Nesci moved to Brooklyn where he reconnected with Beninato and along with two other childhood friends came together as THE AVIATION ORANGE. Over time, the players and sound changed. In 2007 the group linked up with drummer Josh Harris and began evolving their sound, more closely to the bands they were influenced by, such as the New Order, The Smiths, The Psychedelic Furs and The Cure. They added a vintage Roland synth to their collection and sought after the perfect player. In 2009, Hana Mogulescu joined the group and added female vocals to the mix.
In July 2009 THE AVIATION ORANGE released their eponymous debut LP, featuring the first single "Radio."The corresponding video--directed by Kacie Barton--premiered on MTV U's The Freshman and following its broadcast, "Radio" climbed the charts on MTVMusic.com peaking at #8 and leading to a spot on the website's Top 100 All-Time Videos.
"Radio" was a song that the band thought encapsulated the sound we were going for," explains Nesci. "When our friend Kacie approached the band with a concept for a music video, it became obvious that that would be the song to lead with."
The debut brought further attention from various publications including: a "NYC Artist on the Rise" feature on The Deli NYC blog noting, "The Aviation Orange play alternative electro rock with a strong emotional element...The band brings danceable energy that...translate[s] into a fun live performance" (2/15/10) and this led to winning Deli Magazine's Artist of the Month for May 2010; being chosen for a spot in the June 2010 music sampler for Under the Radar Magazine; and becoming Filter Magazine's "Undiscovered Band of the Month" for July 2010, which praised THE AVIATION ORANGE for bringing "their own unique tone to the genre."
They quickly began expanding their reach and touring the country, including performances at Cincinnati's Midpoint Music Festival, New York's own CMJ Music Marathon, and several showcases at the 2010 SXSW in Austin. THE AVIATION ORANGE also earned a spot on the main stage at the 2010 Kahbang! Music festival in Maine alongside OK GO and B.O.B.
Following the success of the first album, Mogulescu decided to leave the group on good terms, citing creative differences and the desire to purse a different career. Through an auditioning process, the band met Kate Rogers, a Pittsburgh native new to New York City. Originally brought into the band to fill the vocal/keys void, the group quickly learned that Rogers was a proficient bass player and she soon moved over to that role. Cherie Hannouche joined and it was clear that this group of five worked musically and personally and the current line up was set.
In 2011 the band is looking to build on their past success. THE AVIATION ORANGE finished up recording their follow-up EP EAST OF HERE (August 2011). Recorded at James Iha’s Manhattan studio Stratosphere Sound--where Nesci has established himself as an audio engineer on projects with The xx, Florence and the Machine and Iha--bandmates Nesci and Beninato took helm of engineering and producing duties, bringing the band a renewed sense of focus and a matured sound.
Musically THE AVIATION ORANGE wanted to challenge themselves to look for more interesting sounds with the new EP. "I like nothing more than really well-crafted pop song, but when you can make something that’s catchy but also off-kilter that’s a real accomplishment," Nesci explains. "I think we were hoping to make a little of that happen with this EP."
Each member of the quintet contributed to the song writing process. Some tracks began from a guitar riff, or a drum machine pattern, or just a chord progression, but before completion each member left some kind of mark on the track. All songs were tested live, followed by six months of recording--and sometimes throwing away--several ideas until the six tracks that make up East Of Here were finished.
Highlights include the opening track "Trammels"--the blinders used in horse training. The song moves from opening atmospherics to bouncey verse and back again. The infectious chorus finds Hannouche singing, "In a moment
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