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Birdmonster

 
Artist: Birdmonster
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Group Members:

Justin Tenuto, Zach Winter, Peter Arcuni, David Klein

Similar Artists:

The Automatic, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Razorlight, The Sammies, Ted Leo, The Holy Fire, Franz Ferdinand

Influenced By:

Pixies, Modest Mouse, The Strokes
  • Formed: 2004, San Francisco, CA
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "From the Mountain to the Sea

Biography

San Francisco quartet Birdmonster are kind of like a Bay Area version of Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, except that where Leo and his group have an undying devotion to first-wave new wave and ska groups like the Jam and the Specials, Birdmonster spike their Fugazi-like indie rock tunes with nods to American Beauty-era Grateful Dead and early Bruce Springsteen. Revved-up and punky rockers share space with country-inflected tunes that feature banjo, melodica, and cello, with singer/songwriter and guitarist Peter Arcuni's lived-in vocals the primary point of connection. Arcuni, a native of San Diego, formed Birdmonster in 2004 with three fellow musicians who lived in his San Francisco neighborhood: his childhood friend bassist Justin Tenuto (who also adds banjo, melodica, and a '70s vintage Fender Rhodes electric piano), guitarist and pianist David Klein, and drummer Zach Winter, who doubles on cello on the quieter songs. Determined to maintain complete D.I.Y. control over their band, Birdmonster released their self-titled debut EP on their own and used the proceeds both to tour the nation and to fund sessions for their full-length debut with the well-known producer Bradley Cook, who had previously worked with Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age. Although the band originally self-released 2006's No Midnight as well, the increasingly positive buzz around Birdmonster led them to sign a distribution deal with noted indie SpinArt Records, which re-released the album in August 2006. For 2008's Americana-tinged From the Mountain to the Sea, the band switched to the Fader label, releasing the album digitally that August and physically a month later. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Birdmonster
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Birdmonster
Origin San Francisco, California
Genres Rock
Indie rock
Years active 2004-present
Labels SpinART, Fader Label
Website Official Site
Members
Peter Arcuni
Justin Tenuto
David Klein
Zach Winter

Birdmonster is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California.

Contents

History

Early years

Peter Arcuni, a native of Connecticut and former editorial assistant at Wired, formed Birdmonster in 2004 with three other local San Francisco musicians: childhood friends bassist Justin Tenuto and guitarist David Klein, and drummer Zach Winter.[1]

The band began by playing live shows, initially booking performances by offering to fill in opening act slots. They also courted Internet radio stations, like San Francisco's BagelRadio.com, whose owner convinced a booker to give the band its first high-visibility show, opening for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

EP and No Midnight

The band released their self-titled EP in December 2004 and used proceeds from its sales to tour the United States.[1] In the summer of 2005, David Klein paid $500 to include "Resurrection Song" on a Magnet magazine sampler, which attracted music industry attention.[2] The band received several offers for recording contracts and distribution, but turned them all down. Arcuni explained that "the numbers (risk vs. reward) didn't add up."[3]

The band decided to self-release their debut album, No Midnight, hiring producer Bradley Cook, who had previously worked with Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age.[1] The album reportedly cost $15,000 to record.[3] It was initially distributed through CD Baby, but was later distributed through SpinART. The band toured the United States and Canada in support of the album.

From the Mountain to the Sea

In early 2008, the band began recording material for their new album at Hyde Street Studios in the Tenderloin.[4] On August 5, 2008, the band released their follow-up album, From the Mountain to the Sea. The album was released digitally by Fader Label via iTunes and Amazon and will be in stores on September 2, 2008. The album was produced and engineered by Tom Schick, who has also worked with Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, and Rufus Wainwright.

Hangin' Out on E Street

In late 2008, as part of the Hangin' Out on E Street series, the band recorded a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The Promised Land".

References

  1. ^ a b c "Birdmonster biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57C16DA46AB7620CB963A48E9B272FC1DDF50EE871D244B58DDB234068E027BFD49D6DACCD5BA11C935AAE02CA6450DD3CAE91AFFD6653B3789EEB60045&sql=11:0ifrxqtsldae~T1. Retrieved 2007-05-22. 
  2. ^ Hix, Lisa (2006-04-09). "Birdmonster Takes Wing". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/09/PKGH2I0AJS1.DTL&hw=birdmonster&sn=001&sc=1000. Retrieved 2007-05-22. 
  3. ^ a b The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More - Birdmonster (pgs. 104-106) by Chris Anderson, Hyperion, 2006
  4. ^ Acuni, Peter (2008-01-14). "The Where". http://birdmonster.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
Learn More
From the Mountain to the Sea (2008 Album by Birdmonster)
Birdmonster (Rock Band, 2000s)
No Midnight (2006 Album by Birdmonster)

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