The Seedy Seeds

Artist Information

Biography

The concept for the band was born of a casual conversation in late 2005, in which Mike and Margaret hypothesized performing as a group with the instruments they owned but hadn’t yet learned to play. The Seedy Seeds began writing, performing, and recording music shortly thereafter. Brian joined in 2008 following the release of "Count The Days," on which he contributed supplemental percussion.

The Seedy Seeds have been acclaimed through various medias via favorable reviews, radio airtime, and titles in three categories at a city-wide award show in two consecutive years. They’ve become instant favorites among regional audiences and fellow performers alike, and their happy beats have been carrying their music across state and national borders.

Paste Magazine named The Seedy Seeds the “Best of
What’s Next” in June 2010.

"The Seedy Seeds' blend of electronic beats with analog instrumentation creates a wonderfully unique sound that is sure to warm your eardrums whatever the weather may be like outside."
— Paste Magazine

• NPR selected “Earned Average Dance America” as
Song of the Day, pronouncing “For all the whirling bits
and pieces… the band generates a surprisingly cohesive
sound… It’s dizzying, perplexing and wonderfully fun.”

• Change States ranked #30 in WOXY’s Top 97 Albums of
2007, placing above many established artists such as
Tegan and Sara, Of Montreal, Iron and Wine, Interpol and
Rilo Kiley.

• The Seedy Seeds have been acclaimed through various
media via favorable reviews, radio spins and titles
in five categories at a city-wide award show in four
consecutive years.

• Touring in support of their releases, The Seedy Seeds
has shared stages with Mates of State, Tegan and Sara, We Are Scientists, Ringo Starr, The Hold Steady, MAN MAN,
Caribou, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Matt and Kim,
and Freezepop, and have played an afterparty for Peter
Bjorn and John.

• Festival appearances include Boomslang (2010), North by NorthEast Music Festival (2010 + 2011), CMJ Music Marathon (2009 + 2010), Gratis Fest (2007 + 2009), Midpoint Music Festival (2007 – 2011), UMS Festival (2010), Whispering Beard Folk Festival (2010), Forecastle Music Festival (2008), South by Southwest (2009-2011, scheduled to appear 2012), Spotted Cow Festival (2009 + 2010), and Crucial Fun Fest (2009).

“ It’s always a feat when a band decides to go beyond something that can be put into a simple genre. …Thankfully, we still have groups around like The Seedy Seeds”
— Colby Markwell, Fearless Radio (fearlessradio.com)

“ I assumed that a band using an iPod, accordion, kazoo, guitar and banjo had to be kitschy and, well, not too great. I was humbled. They tore it up.”
— Sean Cannon, BUZZGRINDER (buzzgrinder.com)

Instrumentation

Mike Ingram - Banjo, Vocals, Guitar, Kazoo
Margaret Darling - Vocals, Guitar, Kazoo, Accordion
Joe Frankl - Drums

Discography

Take Manhattan (2006)

Change States (2007)
-Radio Single: "The Little Patton"

Count The Days (2008)
-Radio Single: "Drive Me to the Center"

Roll Deep EP (2010)
-Radio Single: "Telephone the Constrictor"

Verb Noun (2011)
-Radio Single: "Verb Noun" (CMJ top 200 for 4 weeks)

Official Website

http://www.theseedyseeds.com

Links

• MySpace
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Last.fm

Audio

• Verb Noun
  Listen   Download
• Drive Me to the Center
  Listen   Download
• The Little Patton
  Listen   Download
• Earned Average Dance America
  Listen   Download
• 09 I Am the Conductor
  Listen   Download

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• The Seedy Seeds: Count the Days [+ Show ]
  

  On Count The Days, Cincinnati, Ohio’s The Seedy Seeds put forth a tight little disc of upbeat indie ...On Count The Days, Cincinnati, Ohio’s The Seedy Seeds put forth a tight little disc of upbeat indie pop with interchanging male/female vocals. Instead of wanting to drive to Cincinnati to hunt these fools down I find myself actually enjoying the band’s unique interpretation and varied approach towards indie pop. Loads of instrumental flourishes, like accordion, banjo and horns, give the band’s songs a nice depth. In particular, the banjo works wonderfully and adds some much needed weight to The Seedy Seeds’ songs. Some of the stuff reminds me of The Rosebuds and that’s a fairly high compliment. If I can make it through a full album of indie pop these days then that is as much of an endorsement as I can give. The fact that I actually want to keep listening…well, that’s a freaking miracle. Nicely done.
  Genre: Indie Pop
  RIYL: The Rosebuds, Heartwarmer, Rilo Kiley
  

• (NPR) An 'Average Dance' That's Perplexingly Fun [+ Show ]
  

  SONG OF THE DAY 30 OCTOBER 2007 The Seedy Seeds' members don't know you, but they already like yo...SONG OF THE DAY 30 OCTOBER 2007
  
  The Seedy Seeds' members don't know you, but they already like you — or so the band's Web site says. It's hard not to like them back, this happily off-kilter duo of Mike Ingram and Margaret Weiner...
  
  For all the whirling bits and pieces — cyclic banjo and accordion lines, ping-ponging toy synthesizer, overlapping vocals, a repeating bass line that moves in its own lumbering rotation — the band generates a surprisingly cohesive sound...
  
  It's dizzying, perplexing and wonderfully fun.
  
  link to full article : http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15769846

• The Seedy Seeds @ Skull Alley (Live Review) [+ Show ]
  

  We got a chance to catch The Seedy Seeds show at Skull Alley on Friday night and loved every second ...We got a chance to catch The Seedy Seeds show at Skull Alley on Friday night and loved every second of it. We saw them last summer at the Forecastle Fest and as soon as we heard that they were coming back down from Cincy, we had the show on our calendar. My favorite song of the evening just so happened to be the one we took video of, “The Little Patton.” If you watch until the end, you can see a short cover of Journey’s “Lights.” Now that is what I call a good combo. Every time I see them, I like them even better. You can kinda get an idea from the pictures, but they put off such a positive vibe during the show, that you leave feeling more energized than when you arrived. Word is they will be making another trip to Louisville this year, so we will keep our ear to the ground and let you know.

• The Seedy Seeds: Change States [+ Show ]
  

  (#7) The Seedy Seeds seethe joy and exuberance, like a happy, yappy puppy dog. No one hates puppy d...(#7)
  The Seedy Seeds seethe joy and exuberance, like a happy, yappy puppy dog. No one hates puppy dogs and I doubt anyone who heard them would dislike the Seedy Seeds. They’re Death Cab For Cutie with banjo, accordion, thumping Electro backing and acoustic guitar. Only better. Change States, their debut, is fantastic--on record, you can make the banjo and guitar a lot better than in the live setting, which is dominated by vocals and the backing tracks. There is an innocence and sweetness to the band's sound--not that they are overly "cutesy," but the dancefloor-ready rhythmic pulsations, creative harmonies, inescapable melodies and wide-eyed, uplifting enthusiasm and optimism on Change States will not only make you dance, they'll make you dance with a huge grin on your face.

• The Seedy Seeds @ Forecastle Festival (Live Review) [+ Show ]
  

  So, continuing my pleasant Forecastle Fest suprises that hailed from the 'Nati, The Seedy Seeds abso...So, continuing my pleasant Forecastle Fest suprises that hailed from the 'Nati, The Seedy Seeds absolutely blew my gourd. Their sound has been somewhat hilariously labelled as "Appalachitronica" (via). Basically combine up-tempo folk/banjo-driven music with electronic elements...I KNOW!! RIGHT?! Sounds awesome to me.
  
  Listen, being from Kentucky, but really nowhere near the Appalchian Mountains in all honestly, the roots of this sound are just in the blood...unavoidable attraction I think...and thus, they must be appreciated. Combining it with electronic music, well, that's just fresh.
  
  No suprise, as they are always up on what's great in their home city, WOXY named The Seedy Seeds' Change States the 30th best album of 2007. But just to give credit where it is due, The Rich Girls Are Weeping were touting this band years ago!
  
  
  

• Quirky Pop Precision [+ Show ]
  

  Too often bands are quick to filter their music through a series of predictable clichés, thus disall...Too often bands are quick to filter their music through a series of predictable clichés, thus disallowing any fresh oddity or peculiarity from squirming its way into the trite formula that is so often associated with songwriting…The goal of The Seedy Seeds is to scrap the lackluster paint-by-numbers song structure and integrate a seemingly endless palette of color teeming with bright, electric shades. The Cincinnati duo allows its songs to be commandeered by an onslaught of instruments and playful intricacies. Margaret Weiner and Mike Ingram work in cohesive unison, as either might at any time wield a banjo, bass, accordion, guitar, kazoo or slide whistle.

• Best Combination of Accordion and Banjo: [+ Show ]
  

  Staff Pick from CityBeat's "Best of Cincinnati 2008" edition: A cute nerdy girl and a guy with a ...Staff Pick from CityBeat's "Best of Cincinnati 2008" edition:
  
  A cute nerdy girl and a guy with a funny beard walk into a bar. The bartender asks, “What are you freaks doing with that accordion and banjo?” The Seedy Seeds respond, “We’re playing music that’s totally sweet. Heck yes!” Last year was good to Mike Ingram and Margaret Weiner of The Seedy Seeds, who found positive responses to their catchy Indie-Pop-meets-dancy-keyboard sound from Northside Tavern to National Public Radio. The band started as a means for Ingram and Weiner to practice a bunch of instruments they didn’t really know how to play, and the result is a mix of Postal Service-esque keyboard beats with amazingly-fitting banjo leads and accordion-fueled choruses. Their back-and-forth vocals are as charming as they are lovely. Last fall The Seedy Seeds won Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for Best New Artist and Best Experimental/Electronic Band and also the heart of CityBeat Copy Editor Danny Cross, who doesn’t usually like the way music makes him feel.

• The Seedy Seeds | D.I.Y. [+ Show ]
  

  I love everything about the Seedy Seeds. Their kick-ass attitudes shine bright through upbeat techno...I love everything about the Seedy Seeds. Their kick-ass attitudes shine bright through upbeat techno pop. One of the coolest things about this demo is it not only includes accordion, banjo, bass, cello, synth, guitar, kazoo, but also slide whistle! And truthfully, who couldn’t use a little more slide whistle in their day?
  
  I love the use of unlikely instruments, it really gives them a unique sound that’s hard to come by. This whole album is one great big groove fest. I had to take repeated breaks throughout writing this review just to get my groove on, no joke! We really commend them on trying new things and being so awesome at it.
  
  It seems like no matter how gloomy you feel, the Seedy Seeds Demo can lighten your mood in a flash. And you don’t have to love techno to dig this album, it the perfect blend of folk/pop beats and quirky rhythms mixed in with Mike and Margaret’s personalities.
  
  We totally dig the Seedy Seeds and you should too!

• The Seedy Seeds don't know you, but they already like you. [+ Show ]
  

  The pickiest indie connoisseur will find much to love in their quirky production and clever writing,...The pickiest indie connoisseur will find much to love in their quirky production and clever writing, but what separates The Seedy Seeds' from their contemporaries is the pop sensibility they maintain despite their indie appeal. Highly danceable and full of fun instrumentation (banjo, accordion, kazoo...) this is not difficult music to like. One listen should be enough to convince you, as it did wonderfulabsurdity, who wrote in a REC for Earned Average Dance America: "It's like all your favorite indie bands got together for an afternoon of popping wheelies and drinking lemonade."
  
  Truly, The Seedy Seeds are one hip young actor/director patron away from being heavily featured in the soundtrack of a sleeper-hit coming-of-age comedic drama...
  
  Back in May, Sean Cannon from BUZZGRINDER had this to say: "I saw The Seedy Seeds, from Cincinnati, a few days ago. I assumed that a band using an iPod, accordion, kazoo, guitar and banjo had to be kitschy and, well, not too great. I was humbled. They tore it up."

• Review of The Seedy Seeds single Earned Average Dance America [+ Show ]
  

  Ok, DO NOT come crying to me, indie kids, when this is your new favorite band, but Pitchfork hates t...Ok, DO NOT come crying to me, indie kids, when this is your new favorite band, but Pitchfork hates them. Just remember, on that sad day, that we thought they were fun and great first. And so, this song contains the following: hollered boy/girl vocals, a disco laser, a really dorky drum-n-cowbell loop, a banjo, and an accordion, a hot melodic bassline, and, according to the vamp at the end, a slide whistle. Without being annoying about it. Really, this song is kind of like the apocalypse on wheels—from Cincinnati!

Setlist

Sets generally run 45 minutes with an average of 9 songs.

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

The Seedy Seeds Tech Requirements Spring 2012

Calendar