Fake Band Name

If someone held a gun to my head and commanded me to stay mum about the band that I saw on Tuesday night at Pianos, then I would have to reply, in a loud and unwavering tenor, "Then you'll have no choice but to shoot, sir!" for so strong is my conviction that Apes & Androids is the best damn band I've seen in months. These guys, for one thing, are clearly wizards of music production, in the tradition of Sly Stone, Prince, and Quincy Jones – masters of the well-placed beep, strike of the hi-hat, or handclap that seems to inexplicably unleash a song and set it in motion. All of these things and more are rendered in the highest fidelity when they perform – a show bereft of even one unnecessary sound, wherein each moment passes unnoticed, so much is it consumed with edification and enjoyment. And unlike so many young men of our generation, Apes & Androids know their instruments, particularly their criminally tight, Nigel Tufnel-esque drummer. To my endless delight, they spangle their mercurial songs with quasi-comic and inventive – nay, virtuosic! – vocal harmonies, the likes of which have scarcely been seen nor heard since Queen dominated the airwaves. - The Deli Magazine

"Apes and Androids are a new band. In fact, they only have a few shows under their belts so far as we can tell. However, we have rarely seen someone come out of nowhere and gather so much attention in such a quick time. They've already earned a coveted Oh My Rockness recommendation star for both of their upcoming shows. As the name suggests, they blend a precise electronic sound with pure animal emotion. Rather than rattle off a decade and genre spanning list of bands they seem to be influenced by, we'd recommend simply heading over to their myspace and listening for yourself. It is like nothing else coming out of this scene right now." -Jeff Baum, gothamist.com - gothamist.com

"Think David Bowie meets "Bohemian Rhapsody" meets Godspell meets Tron, and you're left with Apes and Androids. We caught these guys recently and thought we stepped straight into a rock opera. This young fearsome fivesome peppers their electro-inspired songs with four-part harmonies/chants (that's where the "Bohemian Rhapsody" comes into play) that surely sounds light-years ahead of 2006.

This must be the new shit, because I've never heard anything like it before. They are a band designed to dance to, and sure enough, most people were. But they aren't all antics. Make no mistake, Apes and Androids are tight. They all rocked as one unit, led by the powerful Bowie-esque pipes of their sassy singer. I definitely want to check them out again, and highly suggest you do too." -Patrick McNamara, ohmyrockness.com - OhMyRockness.com

"I’m fairly sure these guys could incite riots at will. But not those violent, punk-infused brawls of our past; the sheer joyfulness of Apes and Androids’ massive danceable madness would likely result in something different. Maybe a cross between Saturday Night Fever and a Sex Pistols gig. This thought didn’t occur to me until their last song Saturday night at Sin-è, “Creepy Girls.” The bandmates that had a free fist thrust it upwards during some particularly visceral a capella stabs. Many in the audience immediately joined in; most everyone else whooped and hollered enthusiastically at the impressive vocal feats. The atmosphere was a welcome change to the hands-at-the-sides protocol of many recent shows I’ve been to, and I’m confident that had Apes and Androids continued another 30 minutes, I would have had the dance riot I dreamed of.

The band has this great combination of deadly serious musicianship and whimsical style that doesn’t fail to entertain. The balloons, confetti, and bubbles that kicked off the gig made sure that no one took the night too seriously, while the tight arranging and commitment to furthering the art of rocking your ass were clear signs of the earnestness of their motives. Plus, the sheer numbers of instruments onstage were enough to instill a sense of respect. Each of the guitarists had a keyboard or synth in front of them as well, while the keyboardist had three, stacked like a rock tower of Babel. Add to that their collective voices (and extensive ear-training each possesses), and the simple amount of sound created was sufficient to boil the blood. But Apes and Androids aren’t noise rockers; the Queen comparisons they’ve drawn in the past are accurate. The glam get-up and hair certainly do nothing to discourage that, and neither does their propensity to make you severely and sincerely enjoy yourself.

And if they seem very polished for their age, it’s because they’ve been around longer than you realize. Most of their lineup has been carried over from Call Florence Pow, their original project that released a debut album in 2000. That song you were just raising your fist to, “Creepy Girls”? That’s technically a cover from Call Florence Pow’s 2002 EP, The Strange Situation. Make no mistake, they’re not noobs, and they definitely deserve the praise they’ve got coming. So go on, see them live! And you might want to wear some sweats; you’ll be participating." Jeff Shreve, Stylus Magazine - Stylus Magazine

"Apes and Androids are one of the most unique bands out there right now, blending their Bowie/Queen/glam influences with electro elements creating a sound that could be described as a post-apocalyptic rock musical. I even heard some Kraftwerk synths worked into the track "Sweetest Secret." This five-piece is certainly ahead of the curve." -Justin, crackersunited.com - Crackers United