ism

Artist Information

Biography

Hometown: New York, NY
Label: STM Records
Distribution: RED Distribution
Website: www.myspace.com/ism

Emerging from Manhattan’s deep well of alt-talent, rock quartet ism is gearing up for the release of their second CD, and much-anticipated follow up to
Monkey Underneath, their impressive debut.

The noteworthy strides ism made in 2007, in addition to what the band’s inner circle calls “incredible new material and a powerful, evolving synchronicity”, adds to an already sharp sense of optimism.

On the just-completed CD Urgency, charismatic lead singer Andre Mistier’s rich intellectual sensibility comes alive amidst a carefully crafted full-frontal rock experience. Urgency offers an industrial, hypnotic rumble that wraps itself into a swirl of ultra melodic washes.

This rock music is textural, smart and at times, stark.

Legendary A&R guru, Michael Caplan, is an early and ardent supporter of the band. In his role as patriarch of the project, Caplan’s enthusiasm led him to assemble an impressive creative team that shaped, recorded, and completed the new CD.


Radio:
Monkey Underneath [LP] - #3 Most Added – CMJ Radio 200 ; #31 CMJ Radio 200 (04-03/06)
Breathe [single] – November 2005 release – Commercial ADDS: 52+ (12/12/05) ; #56 CMJ Radio 200 Add
Goodbye [single] – April 2006 release – Commercial ADDS: 53+ (08/14/06)
Current Single: Beside the Sun – Commercial ADDS: 83+ (06/13/06) BILLBOARD:MOD: #38 CHARTBOUND

Tour- Festival highlights:
June 21, 2005: European Music Day – Athens, Greece - HEADLINER/ 5000+
June 30, 2006: Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI – opener for BLUE OCTOBER / 4500+
July 16, 2006: Comstock Rock Festival - Comstock, NE – Main Stage / 10,000+
July 8, 2006: DFest – KMYZ FM MAIN STAGE - Tulsa, OK – HEADLINER / 4000+
September 16, 2006: Lark Fest – Albany, NY – headliner / 15,000+
July 7, 2007 – Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI – direct opener for Papa Roach/ 7000+

Instrumentation

Andre Mistier: vocals, guitars
Gerard Toriello: guitars, backing vocals
Leigh Battle: bass guitar
Greg Evans: percussion, drums

Discography

RELEASES:
Urgency [LP] - August 5, 2008
Sacred Cows [single] - June 10, 2008
Beside the Sun [single] - May 9, 2006
Goodbye [single] - Apr 4, 2006 release
Monkey Underneath [LP] - Feb 21, 2006 release
Breathe [single] - Nov 21, 2005 release

RADIO PLAY:
"Monkey Underneath"
- #3 Most Added CMJ Radio 200
- #31 CMJ Radio 200 (Issue 955 - 4/3/06)

"Breathe"
- #3 debut on Most Added CMJ Radio 200
- #1 debut Most Added on Top 40 Main Chart (NMW)
- #5 on Top 40 Main Chart (NMW, 12/23/05)

Audio

• Sacred Cows [edit]
  Listen  
• Urgency
  Listen  
• Give it Back
  Listen  
• Fly
  Listen  
• Postlude
  Listen  
• Animadversion
  Listen  
• Resistance Lullaby
  Listen  
• Breathe
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Breathe
• No More

Video

Breathe

Photo Gallery

Press

• Industry Quotes [+ Show ]
  

  "Every time I play ism's 'Beside The Sun' on my specialty show, I inevitably get a dozen e-mails an..."Every time I play ism's 'Beside The Sun' on my specialty show, I inevitably get a dozen e-mails
  and phone calls asking about the band. No other band has gotten that kind of reaction!"
  Dominic Nardella, Program Director
  WXRK, Cleveland, OH
  
  "There is no reason why this shouldn't be an absolute smash. I haven't enjoyed a song this much on the very first listen in a long time."
  Capone, APD/MD of WHRL
  Albany, NY
  
  "You know those bands who can actually play live? This is one of them! We had a great time with them in the studio for an acoustic set. ‘Beside the Sun’ is still getting top phones too! WE LOVE USM SOME ISM!!!”
  Ray Miller, Program Director KERX
  Fort Smith, AR
  
  "...this is hardly your older sister's late-'90s trip-hop. Whereas the Portishead contingent flits in the low-middle register, ISM gets a charge from deep industrial sludge and tenor shriekage worthy of a hair rocker. "
  CNET Editor's Review
  Feb. 2006
  
  "...ism's debut album, 'Monkey Underneath,' a complex and often beautiful fusion of rock, pop and electronica crafted around Mistier's alternating spoken and soaring vocals."
  The Record
  Feb. 2006
  
  "The alternative and electronica-based album is the fruitful combination of synthesized sounds and traditional guitar-driven music. The combination is a mature tool for emotionally driving the listener."
  The Clarion
  Feb. 2006
  
  "Remarkably accomplished for their age, they are the kind of band that makes every song sound like a single."
  City Beat
  Sept. 2005
  
  "Their performance at Kotzia Square during the European Music Day divulged the nerve and passion of good rock n' roll (Mike's drums impressed many) combined with the sound of novelty which has been breaking up a storm with bands such as The Strokes and The Killers...in other words, ism has got it."
  Soundpark (Greece)
  July 2005
  

• Faces of Gibson [+ Show ]
  

  The News Faces of Gibson 03/10/2006 ism Building a buzz with their newly released Monkey ...The News
  Faces of Gibson
  03/10/2006
  
  
  ism
  
  Building a buzz with their newly released Monkey Underneath, New York’s ism are out on the road building up a rapidly growing fan base. Blending elements of rock, electronica, trip-hop, and industrial, the band delivers their swirling, atmospheric songs with an energy level reminiscent of U2 and the Manchester, England bands of the early 90s.
  
  Guitarist Gerald Torriello—who accents the songs with the catchy, memorable guitar lines he wrenches out of his Les Paul Customs—is quick to point out that songwriting is a group effort for the band.
  
  “The core of the music is created by the four of us collectively,” he says. “I think that’s the most important thing for a band to have. We’re all together and not separate and we all end up molding the nucleus of the song.”
  
  For more information on ism, check out www.ismmusic.com
  

• ism - Monkey Underneath [+ Show ]
  

  CMJ New Music Report Hot Air March 2006 ism Monkey Underneath (STM) Taking cues from later-...CMJ New Music Report
  Hot Air
  March 2006
  
  ism
  Monkey Underneath (STM)
  
  Taking cues from later-day Nine Inch Nails and Placebo, the debut long player from NYC's ism scoots up Radio 200 (102-42) with its epics riffs and moody atmopherics. Top 10s at WBWC (Berea), KWWC (Columbia), WLCA (Godfrey), WMHW (Mt. Pleasant), WUSR (Scarnton), WSOE (Elon), WVBU (Lewisburg), KUMM (Morris), KFKX (Hastings), WXAC (Redding), WZMB (Greenville), KSDB (Manhattan), and more.
  

• Monkey Underneath shows drive, emotion [+ Show ]
  

  By: Bart Gottula, The Clarion New York based band ISM has finally composed its talent into a debu...By: Bart Gottula, The Clarion
  
  New York based band ISM has finally composed its talent into a debut album released this month, titled Monkey Underneath.
  
  The alternative and electronica-based album is the fruitful combination of synthesized sounds and traditional guitar-driven music. The combination is a mature tool for emotionally driving the listener.
  
  "Beside the Sun" opens the album with a grungy guitar introduction and melody of electronic loops. The emotion found in the lyrics and the variety of instruments placed throughout the song start the album on a positive note.
  
  The following track, "Wake Up, Write It Down" presents the unique sound of an electronic drum kit. The drums create a song that brings mainstream guitar riffs to the underground scene of electronica and computer-created rock.
  
  It is the album's single, "Breathe" that truly defines the album. The song combines every shred of emotion and musical talent to create a masterpiece worth mainstream attention.
  
  The opening of the song includes a respectful guitar melody that fades into a calm piano accompaniment. Singer Andre Mistier's lyrics enter the session "…so breathe. Breathe in with me."
  
  The lyrics then lead the song into a climax of increased instrument use and heavy emotion. The combination provides for a very uplifting single and high level of emotional release. Fans of bands such as Coldplay may find the song attractive with its complex blending of guitar and piano.
  
  However, listeners are bound to find talent in other tracks following the single.
  
  "No More" is a song with a trance-like beat of drums and bass guitar that breaks into an edgy chorus of insightfulness.
  
  Certain melodies seem to accompany different sections of the lyrics. The singer shouts the lyrics "No more! No more! I want to rise up!" while the beat is at its highest. The lyrics describe the frustrations of life and the need to break free from them.
  
  In addition, the title cut "Monkey Underneath" is probably the album's most electronically-driven song. The song is very slow and quiet and yet holds the singer's same drive and emotion found in the more upbeat tracks.
  
  The album's final track "Crazy Dream" is an acoustic session that mixes smooth lyrics and some calm guitar effects. ISM seems to defy logic by adding an acoustic guitar to various computer-based sounds.
  
  Regardless, the song is a very tasteful piece of art. As stated by the lyrics of the song, "…such a crazy dream. I hope it can be real," the album is a pleasant dream of musical talent.
  
  ISM's Monkey Underneath is bound to be caught by the mainstream radar and is highly recommended to listeners of any rock subgenre. The maturity and effective use of computer-based music along with traditional rock instruments, clearly, drive the listener to a high state of emotion.

• ism - band review [+ Show ]
  

  Cut the ism's we gettin' to the chase! The what I hear from this band the more convinced I am that t...Cut the ism's we gettin' to the chase! The what I hear from this band the more convinced I am that the world is missing out on something special. The radio is definitely ready for these cats! Pop appeal with 4 good looking cats what more could the people ask for from a band. It's pop with an edge a la Trip-Hop Rock these dudes really hit the set with some serious vibes. I can't believe this is the first time I'm hearing of them. New York must be sleeping or sumpin'. Check it out and listen carefully because we can assure you that Catsask will not be the last place you hear about these dudes. With excellent musical programming accompanied by some tightly played instrumentation and haunting lyrical deliveries, ISM is one band that has found a way to encompass a sound that should transcend most musical barriers. From the Trip Hoppers to the Pop Rockers straight to the New Wave cats ISM is bound to get the clubs and radio heads bumpin'!

• An Ism of its own: North Jersey band on the rise [+ Show ]
  

  Monday, September 26, 2005 By CATHERINE HOLAHAN STAFF WRITER Ask New Jersey rock fans what "i...Monday, September 26, 2005
  
  By CATHERINE HOLAHAN
  STAFF WRITER
  
  Ask New Jersey rock fans what "ism" is, and they'll likely provide examples: criticism, racism, sexism, alcoholism.
  
  But ask rock fans in Greece the same question, and you might get a much cooler answer: It's the name of a band that rocked thousands at the Athens European Music Day this summer.
  
  This is the almost-famous state of ism - the four-man rock group whose members primarily hail from Bergen County. The band is almost famous, because it's not yet famous here.
  
  The band has played to sold-out crowds in European cities where American music is loved and up-and-coming U.S. bands are treated like rock royalty.
  
  Now, fresh off a European tour, ism is ready to gain greater acclaim at home.
  
  The band - frontman Andre Mistier, guitarist Gerard Toriello, bassist Leigh Battle and drummer Mike Higgins - returned to the area last month. Since then, the group has resumed a relentless schedule of recording, rehearsing, national touring and performing at area clubs.
  
  "We spend so much time together," said Battle, 25, from Westwood, as he laughed, joked and drank in the studio with his band mates on a recent evening. "More time than is, strictly speaking, healthy."
  
  Their first album, "Monkey Underneath," is a mix of melodic vocals and beautiful pop-rock guitar riffs that remind of Coldplay, Radiohead or U2. It is scheduled for release next February on New-York-based indie STM Records and will be available at record stores nationwide. "Breathe," the first single, is due out in November and will be available at the band's Web site, ismmusic.com.
  
  Most days, band members enter the studio at noon and record until 8 p.m. Then they rehearse until midnight, said Mistier, the 27-year-old singer/songwriter and only band member not originally from New Jersey. (He's from New York.)
  
  When they're not in the studio, the band is playing area clubs such as Hoboken's Whiskey Bar and New York rock venues Sin-E and Arlene's Grocery.
  
  "What the hell is rest?" Battle said.
  
  "When other people carry our gear, that's when we'll rest," Mistier added.
  
  There were days when that happened.
  
  In Greece, stagehands carted the band's amps on stage, and technicians set up their equipment. As part of the promotion for the concert, thousands of music fans heard "Breathe" on Greek radio and saw the accompanying music video on TV.
  
  At the show, the crowd sang along with their songs and nearly broke down barricades to get the guys to sign arms, legs, shirts, fliers and other merchandise. One guy leapt over the barricade to catch a drumstick thrown by Higgins, the band's 26-year-old drummer who is originally from Woodcliff Lake.
  
  "I was thinking, 'Oh yeah - this happens in movies,'Ÿ" Mistier recalled.
  
  Toriello described playing in front of thousands of screaming fans as "like being on the moon." The 26-year-old Woodcliff Lake native, who now lives in Manhattan, was so excited that, when asked on European TV what he thought of the crowd, he accidentally used an expletive before the word "rock."
  
  Though the crowds at New York shows are much smaller - about 50 on a recent night - the band still rocks.
  
  Recently, at Sin-E, where the band has a standing Tuesday night spot through the end of the month, ism showed the kind of energy that drives crowds wild.
  
  Battle's blond and black hair shook in waves as he wailed on the bass. Toriello jammed with his guitar as Mistier crooned to the crowd.
  
  Perhaps most exciting to watch, however, was Higgins. The wild, crazy id to Mistier's comparatively reserved stage ego, Higgins mouthed lyrics, played the kick drum while standing, and pointed to the audience with drum sticks after cymbal crashes.
  
  During the show, Mistier thanked the crowd and introduced the band's name. "We are ism," he said.
  
  With their constant performing, touring and recording, Mistier may soon drop that introduction from the set. American music fans will just know.
  
  

• ...ism is the new trend [+ Show ]
  

  NYC industr-alterna-rock "ism" just got back from an exciting experience in the old continent, where...NYC industr-alterna-rock "ism" just got back from an exciting experience in the old continent, where they were one of the headline bands performing at the European Music Day in Athens, Greece. By the way, the old continent is not any older than this one, i swear!
  ism performed in front of some 5,000 attendees who swarmed Kotzia Square (area that's like a mix
  of NYC's Union Square and Washington Square, with luminous signs in strange fonts the ism entourage didn't really understand). Apparently the audience nearly knocked over the barracades as they rocked to ism's music for over an hour... We should have some more of these Greeks in NYC, knocking over barricades!!!

Setlist

Set list varies by show. Please contact artist for more information.

All orginal songs.
Performance set: 30 minutes to 2 hours

Basic Requirements

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