An Albatross

Brothers and Sisters! An Albatross is an aural emancipation via sacred sonic offerings FREE of the cynicism and post-post-modern mire that so much of today's underground culture is entrenched in.

Their mission: to attune you to the "Kinetic-Life" and yield an experience gratifying to the body and the soul alike: a communal gathering of bodies in motion devoid of inhibiting, hyper-individualized frame of thought. "One congealed mass!" their mantra is proclaimed on stages across dozens of countries in clubs, artspaces, bars and basements and livingrooms.

An Albatross is a psychedelic sonic orgasm; a barrage of mechanical, jerky and discombobulated time signatures eclipsed by hectic Farfisa organ/synthesizer melodies. Not unlike sitting down with an average American family during primetime television, the music is unquestionably attention-span friendly for an ADD-diagnosed society: unbelievably short, complex, infectious bursts of polyrhythms and spirit.

After solidifying their early tour experiences and songwriting in the studio, a fledgling incarnation of the band in 2000 released the 12" EP "Eat Lightning, Shit Thunder" on Philadelphia upstart label When Humans Attack! The enhanced CD version released soon afterwards on Bloodlink Records, featured early explosive live footage and eloquently captured the unique synergism between the band and their audiences, and thus set the precedent for nearly a decade of ritualized "be-ins" the band has subsequently become famous for.

In 2002, An Albatross signed on with New York City's Ace-Fu Label and subsequently released the infamous & merciless 2003 8-minute aural onslaught, "We Are the Lazer Viking," - an enhanced CD/EP produced by sonic savant Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Helmet, Dinosaur Jr.). Surrounding the EP's release, the group cut it's teeth by beginning a several-year long tour which amassed a considerable cult-following. During the grueling touring process, a short break yielded a follow-up split EP with Oakland's legendary noise-rock outfit XBXRX on the Gold Standard Labs (GSL) label.

After mechanically anihiliating several tourvans, clicking thousands of miles and perspiring through hundreds of dates supporting WATLV, the band found itself immersed in the depths of a Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY commune where they labored over the 27 minute/18 track mini-epic prog-saga aptly entitled "Blessphemy of the Peace-Beast Feastgiver and the Bearwarp Kumite". Upon it's June 2006 release, it was hailed by critics as an exhaustive effort encapsulating the strife of band and commune life incorporating classic thrash, free-jazz and a heavy handed influence of 70's progressive-psychedelia.

With an unparalleled spirit, the Blessphemy-era line-up band set forth on an unbelievably rigorous tour schedule, crisscrossing the U.S. multiple times and making five transatlantic pilgrimages that amassed a staggering total of 800+ total performances. Some noteworthy dates included a slot on the July '04 French Eurockeennes Festival, a March '05 BBC session - initiated by the late John Peel, support slots for psychedelic-rock legends, Blue Cheer, Japan's Melt Banana & DMBQ, New York City's Brazilian Girls, and Providence's noise rock legends, Lightning Bolt.

During the hundreds of dates spanning 16 countries supporting "Blessphemy", the consistently rotating line-up shifted into the current incarnation. Currently, the "family" includes percussionista Steven Vaiani, writhing, psychedel-evangelist vocalist Eddie B. Gieda III, rhythmic contortionista bassist Jay Hudak, Farfisa/Hammond-master, Phillip Reynolds Price and newest family member: thundergod guitarist Daniel Schlett.

After relocating their facilities to spaces in both Wilkes-Barre, PA and South Amboy, NJ, in early 2008 the group began orchestrating their most robust and progressive work yet: "The An Albatross Family Album". Purportedly inspired from a group ritual during their early 2007 pilgrimage to the US southwestern desert, "Family Album" clocked in over 500 hours of studio time in New Jersey's Hypersnakes Studios and Matt Boynton's "Vacation Island Recordings" (Lemonheads, Butthole Surfers, Bat For Lashes, Moon & Moon). Showcasing it's meticulously crafted layers of traditional An Albatross instrumentation combined with cellos, violins, brass sections, woodwind and sampling, the album is markedly more "heavy" and strikingly "orchestral" in it's arrangements.

2008 and 2009 will undoubtedly see An Albatross maintaining their legendary live performance reputation through slews of slated tours. Aimed at surpassing the traditional concert schema by facilitating a complete fusion of band and audience, the band will continue to magnetize and mobilize the freedom people under the banner of future-primitive/psychedelic entities like the Silver Pilgrim, Lazer Viking and The Electric Coyote.

Agent

michelle

Avails

spring/summer/winter/fall 2010
Situation: looking to support/package this summer/fall/winter 2010

Promo

Label: Eyeball http://www.eyeballrecords.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/analbatross23

Downloads

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Tourdates

09.15.10 WedPawtucket, Rhode Island. Machines With Magnets
w/ AIDS Wolf, Gila Monster, Holy Sheet, Red Mass
09.16.10 ThuManhattan, New York. Cake Shop
w/ AIDS Wolf, Child Abuse, forbes/young/walter
09.17.10 FriBrooklyn, New York. Death By Audio
w/ AIDS Wolf
09.18.10 SatBaltimore, Maryland. Golden West
w/ AIDS Wolf
09.19.10 SunRichmond, Virginia. Plaza Bowl
w/ Aids Wolf

mp3s

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Video

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