The Gorilla Press

Artist Information

Biography

The Gorilla Press is a Chicago, IL indie / experimental / post-rock outfit that has been compared to such artists as Radiohead, Mogwai, and early Foo Fighters. The multi-instrumentalist five-piece typically features Reid Erickson on drums, Brian Pavloff on keyboards, Marc Stranger-Najjar on bass, Kirill Orlov on guitars, and Chris Kang on lead vocals & guitars. Its members can regularly be found switching instruments and contributing to layered vocal harmonies, picking up a melodica or mandolin, or hammering on guitars with a tambourine through layers of delay.

The group came together a piece at a time in Chicago, beginning when new roommates Kang and Stranger-Najjar found common ground in post- and progressive-rock. After cycling in and out several prospective bandmates, the addition of longtime collaborators Erickson and Orlov, as well as the classically-trained but Zappa-inspired keyboardist Pavloff, completed the lineup over the next two years.

Owing much influence to their classical training, yet holding closely to the swerving and clanging ethos of brooding, angular guitar rock and songwriting, the group quickly assembled enough material for their first album. The eponymous record was tracked and engineered by Shiraz Dada of Maps and Atlases and released independently. This first offering contains an honest and expressive imprint of the band’s sound, engineered meticulously but devoid of excessive production.

The Gorilla Press has gone on to play several of Chicago’s staple venues including appearances at Bottom Lounge, Martyrs', and Elbo Room. The group have earned a reputation for an incendiary live show, where each member's obvious confidence and command of the stage guide the audience through the set. No corner of the stage is off limits and frontman Kang's hands will often leave his guitar to gesture wildly along to the lyrics of the songs as the other members jump, shake, spin, and bang each song through to completion.

"A Natural Thing (Unnatural To Me)", the band's second full-length, will be released in November of 2011.

Instrumentation

Chris - Vocals, Guitar.
Marc - Vocals, Bass, Piano
Reid - Vocals, Drums
Kirill - Guitar
Brian - Vocals, Bass, Piano

Discography

"The Gorilla Press", self-titled first LP, available for streaming play at http://gorillapressmusic.com/ or d/l at http://thegorillapress.bandcamp.com

"A Natural Thing (Unnatural To Me)", second LP, with a motto of pay what you want. http://thegorillapress.bandcamp.com

Official Website

http://www.thegorillapress.net

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Last.fm
• Bandcamp Albums

Audio

• When I Care
  Listen  
• Everything That Can Be Done
  Listen  
• On Fire
  Listen  
• The Catalyst
  Listen  

Video

Anger in the Drains

On Fire

Photo Gallery

Press

• A Natural Thing(Unnatural To Me) Review [+ Show ]
  

  Not only has the band matured musically, but they have never sounded as confident as they do on A Na...Not only has the band matured musically, but they have never sounded as confident as they do on A Natural Thing. The result is a record that finds The Gorilla Press at their most comfortable while still not afraid of coloring outside the lines.

• A Natural Thing(Unnatural To Me) Review [+ Show ]
  

  The Gorilla Press‘s careful attention to the details of rocking results in A Natural Thing (Unnatura...The Gorilla Press‘s careful attention to the details of rocking results in A Natural Thing (Unnatural to Me) delivering the goods. With Chicago missing The Felix Culpa, a lot of bands are going to have to step up to the rocking plate; The Gorilla Press is a good first step toward coping with a Felix-less world. Fans of any variety of rock should take note.

• The Gorilla Press get animated in new video [+ Show ]
  

  The Gorilla Press, one of our 10 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2010, have released a brand new video for...The Gorilla Press, one of our 10 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2010, have released a brand new video for the fuzzy-bass groover “Anger in the Drains” from their self-titled debut. The video was directed by Ichiro Hino, who also directed the group’s last video for “Abuse Your Sight,” and features some really sweet animation sequences along with the band getting all intense. We’re working on a really cool feature story around the creation of this clip, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the full clip below.
  

• The Making Of…The Gorilla Press - “Anger in the Drains” video [+ Show ]
  

  We had a smashing idea here at Loud Loop Press labs. How about bring our readers some behind the sce...We had a smashing idea here at Loud Loop Press labs. How about bring our readers some behind the scenes footage of a local band shooting a video from the concept to the filming to the finished product and more? Well, today we bring you the first installment, The Making Of…The Gorilla Press - “Anger in the Drains” which was premiered just last week. The Ichiro Hino-directed video features some killer stop motion animation interlaced with dramatic storytelling and band performance shots. So sit back, relax and enjoy a behind the scenes look at the “Anger in the Drains” video from the Gorilla Press.

• New Music videos: The Gorilla Press and Ornery Little Darlings [+ Show ]
  

  February seems to be the month of rockin' new videos from Windy City bands. First King Sparrow relea...February seems to be the month of rockin' new videos from Windy City bands. First King Sparrow released the excellent "Forest", and now two other locally-based acts - The Gorilla Press and the recently-formed Ornery Little Darlings - have come out with very cool clips.

• 10 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  3. THE GORILLA PRESS Chicago’s experimental post-rockers, The Gorilla Press, continue to make great...3. THE GORILLA PRESS
  Chicago’s experimental post-rockers, The Gorilla Press, continue to make great impressions all around the city. Since the release of their first self-titled album, The Gorilla Press has been continuously playing bigger shows, writing for a second album and working on music videos with director Ichiro Hino. Only months after releasing the video for “Abuse Your Sight”, Hino was off and running again with “Anger In The Drains” expected to be out in February. The band has decided to hunker down for the winter and work on recording their second album expected out this coming year. The Gorilla Press has grown in leaps and bounds and is absolutely a Chicago band to keep and eye on this coming year. The Gorilla Press is out now on their website.
  Must hear: Abuse Your Sight

• The Gorilla Press debut new Ichiro Hino-directed music video [+ Show ]
  

  Chicago indie rock outfit The Gorilla Press have released a new music video for the track “Abuse You...Chicago indie rock outfit The Gorilla Press have released a new music video for the track “Abuse Your Sight” from their 2008 self-titled debut album.
  
  The video was directed by Ichiro Hino, who is best known for his videography work with Chicago Japanese punk band Plastic Soy Sauce.
  
  You can catch The Gorilla Press on October 4 at the Elbo Room, but in the mean time, enjoy their rad new video, which features some pretty sweet shadow interplay:
  

• The Gorilla Press - Elbo Room - October 4, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  A veritable diamond in the rough among the many musical acts featured at the Elbo Room, Chicago’s ow...A veritable diamond in the rough among the many musical acts featured at the Elbo Room, Chicago’s own The Gorilla Press brought it loud and proud on Sunday, Oct. 4.
  
  The Gorilla Press’ hour-long set included the hard-charging songs “Possibilities” and “Everything That Can Be Done,” both featured on the band’s MySpace page. The Gorilla Press’ material has many layers, harkening back to the good days of 90s alternative (think Radiohead, Failure, Foo Fighters) coupled with all the trappings of prog rock.
  
  This local quintet features vocalist and guitarist Chris Kang, bassist Marc Najjar, keyboardist Brian Pavloff, guitarist Kirill Orlov and drummer Josh Rockel; however, the band members are not tied to these roles as Kang, Pavloff and Najjar engaged in a game of musical chairs with their instruments on stage.
  
  The Gorilla Press exudes the confidence and command of stage often found with more seasoned bands. Kang is a highly emotive frontman; so into the music, his hands often leave the guitar to gesticulate wildly.
  
  In a sea of unknown local groups, The Gorilla Press stands out for bringing back an era of rock ushered out too quickly by nu-metal and bubblegum Disney pop. The Gorilla Press is one Chicago band worthy of your undivided attention.
  
  -Audrey Leon

Setlist

A typical set:
To The Hills
A Whale In The Sea
The Night You Walked With Me
When I Care
Kneejerk Reaction
On Fire
Everything That Can Be Done
Blunted Blades
The Catalyst
Abuse Your Sight
Anger In The Drains
Sad Song Burn Out
Uppers/Downers

(our current set spans our first two LPs as well as new songs)

We have about 25-30 originals in our set, ranging from a little under 3 minutes to a little over 6.

Basic Requirements

Calendar