Bogan Via

Who?

Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Bogan Via are a two piece indie rock outfit that display a certain affection for both folk music and electro-pop. The duo, founded in 2011, released a handful of tracks in early 2012 to relative success and finished off the year with their second EP, Wait Up.

How is it?

Sweet. Very sweet. From the old fashioned, vintage based image that the band portrays, to their quirky upbeat songs, pretty much everything about Bogan Via screams summer days and advertisement soundtracks. Opener “Wait Up” starts off procedures with an acoustic guitar, theatre-esque piano and entwined boy/girl vocals. The track is pleasant, if not the most exciting sounding song one will come across. “Manny”, with its electronic touches and flute, is more of an improvement. It’s undeniably catchy and has a fun feel to it. Both vocalists are quite skillful, but a recurring feeling throughout the EP is that the female vocals should be given a little more focus than they are. Although the male vocals are distinct, her voice is extremely pretty and works perfectly with the band’s dainty, poppy feel. When she’s given the chance to take the reigns, such as in stand out track “TES”, it’s wonderful, however the band don’t utilize the tools they’re naturally blessed with enough.

Although tracks such as “TES” are very unique, overall the EP is missing something. The band has two modes; “sweet and quirky” or “disconnected and cold”, but Bogan Via are neither The Mouldy Peaches nor Kraftwerk. Their music is a little too clinical and comes across like they’re trying a bit too hard to be an electronica tinged version of Mumford & Sons. If you’re looking for something to take up your attention for a little while, or for an EP that soundtracks a brief, idyllic moment, Bogan Via are your band. However, if they don’t develop a sense of character or personality, these guys are going to be lost in the wave of folk-pop bands that’s getting bigger every day. - Absolute Punk

Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller aka Bogan Via a pop duo from Phoenix, Arizona has been receiving quite some buzz with their track “Kanye.” In this new exclusive premiere to Prefix, their new track “TES” just might keep that buzz going. The new song this time around has the duo slowing it down and ballad-ing their way into your heart. Madeleine Miller’s vocals are quite comforting as she sings with powerful confidence over the percussion, beats and synths. At times her vocals are quite similar to Zooey Deschanel’s charming Midwestern twang. And when Bret Bender joins in, the harmonious circle is complete in an almost (500) Days of Summer way when Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character is fully in love with Deschanel’s. What a lovely and perfect song to have your heart beat skip to your new crush this coming winter.

So if this new number is a sign of things to come, then there’s a bright light in front of this duo among an ocean of duos. Listen to the sweetly sung song below: - Prefix

Producer and songwriter Glass Theory drops in some four-on-the-floor, while interweaving the steadfast hooks of “Manny” on this new remix for indie folk-pop duo on the rise, Bogan Via. Glass Theory is the alias of L.A. based multi-instrumental and Swedish-pop enthusiast Jack Duff. Here Duff teleports “Manny” back to the future with his unique 80s nu disco spin on a record that is sure to fit nicely on your next playlist opening between the likes of Big Black Delta, Diamond Rings, Gold Fields and any other New Order friendly appreciation pop. - BlahBlahBlahScience

Last month, Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller, better known as Phoenix indie-pop duo Bogan Via released a remix EP featuring reworkings of songs from their Wait Up EP and a new song titled “Gatsby”. The EP includes contributions such artists as Miniature Tigers, Glass Theory, Geographer, among others. We have the latter’s remix of “Kanye” from the release. The San Francisco synth-pop trio take the original and smooth it out with some glitchy electronic grooves. You can download it below and grab the full Remix EP at their Bandcamp. - My Old Kentucky Blog

It’s hard to pull off the whole cutsey indie-pop duo thing when you sound as shadowy and weathered as Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender of Bogan Via. Yet as we saw from tracks like the endlessly replayable “Cut and Paste,” the self-titled debut EP from these Phoenix, AZ natives proved to be in no shortage of charm. Bogan Via have wasted no time at all after that release, and are already back with a brand new track entitled “Kanye,” which you can download below.

Despite its name, it’s hard to discern any real connection between the track and a certain Chi-town MC, although it is driven by a stark, vaguely hip-hop backing beat (think perhaps 808′s and Heartbreaks rather than My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy). Sounding like Tennis on a bunch of downers, Miller and Bender share vocal duties as pulsing synths slowly bleed out around them. They sing, “Give your heart to everything, you’ve got to move when the move seems right”. It’s a bleary-eyed ode to someone contemplating the consequences of packing up and leaving their life behind. - Consequence of Sound

Lo-fi indie pop bands probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind when you picture Arizona State University. Nevertheless, when ASU students Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender met each other late last year, they quickly formed Bogan Via after bonding over their mutual love of vintage synthesizers and 1980′s synth pop. Below you can hear “Copy and Paste,” a cut off the duo’s eponymous debut EP.

The pulsating and ominous electronics paired with Miller’s ghostlike soprano give the track an almost otherworldly feel. When Bender takes over vocal duties just before the two-minute mark, the track enters full on Gary Numan-style hypnotic pop territory. Thankfully, this is one that you probably won’t mind being mesmerized by for extended periods of time. - Consequence of Sound

One of the most common complaints you'll hear when trying to share an album with someone is that "All the songs sound the same." My kneejerk response has always been, "Well no shit. It's the same band members with the same instruments in the same studio. The difference is subtle, you mongoloid. Jeez." But that doesn't usually help my case.

That's not a problem with Bogan Via, the North Phoenix couple-slash-dream-pop-duo, that recently released their debut EP Wait Up on Common Wall Media. Mixed and recorded by Bob Hoag (also known for his work with Gospel Claws, The Ataris, and Black Carl), Bogan Via has the buoyant, cutesy indie polish down pat, but the ambiguous lyrics on tracks like "Copy and Paste" and the members' shyness to explain the meaning behind them suggest there's more to it.

For a six-song record, Wait Up shows surprising diversity, but most of all, it shows balance. The album goes in an on-off pattern, one song focused on acoustic guitar, the next track focused on synth. Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller also swap vocal duties; so on songs like "TES" or the titular opener, there's a mature equilibrium that keeps things from growing stale. It's that fine line between being sickly sweet and conceited and Bogan Via ride that groove perfectly, providing an album that is perfect for repeat listening. -- Troy Farah - The Phoenix New Times

Bogan Via is the Arizona couplet of Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender, two musicians who managed to find each other, find love, and find success, all of which centered around their recently-formed, but continually growing, indie-pop project. Although they've released an EP and various singles in the nine months since their formation, Wait Up serves as their true debut. The sounds of Bogan Via harken back to the earliest days of indie-pop with a true DIY, bedroom atmosphere. It also reminds one of the indie-pop explosion circa 2005, a cutesy boy-girl band mindset backed up with upgraded electronics.

The charming, eloquent tunes of Wait Up are reminiscent of recent Fiest and Florence and the Machine, but enhanced by Bender's accompaniment, the vocals reaching down into darker baritones than most of Bogan Via's indie-pop peers. It's true we haven't had a band this charming around in some time, the popularity of baroque indie pop losing some of its steam in the face of more electronic based dance rock. There are electronic elements to Wait Up, but the beats and production are so formidably arranged, they only lend themselves to the candy-coated vocals. In this way Wait Up pushes past what could be conceived as just another indie-pop album. All the pieces of this album seem so planned, so calculated, there is no doubt artistry at work here.

We've already showed our appreciation for "TES", and the band has garnered some acclaim for the single, "Copy and Paste." In fact, although Bogan Via is still very young as a band, they are quickly spreading themselves through the internet, attracting what could now be called a cult following, but in a few years could lead to a genuine success story. Backed by catchy-tunes and a self-starter know-how, it seems more likely than not.

Track List:
1.Wait Up
2.Copy and Paste
3.Manny
4.TES
5.Afternoon Wonderland
6.Kanye - In Your Speakers

Tomorrow, Arizona’s electro pop duo Bogan Via will put out their Remix EP, featuring reworks of songs from their six-track EP Wait Up, which they put out back in October. Folks like Miniature Tigers, Geographer and Glass Theory take a stab at the originals, but there’s also another surprise on this new release: a previously unheard tune called “Gatsby”. Slinky, glittery and with just the right amount of polished bounce, it’s quite the added bonus and The Music Ninja is beyond excited to share it with you. Check it out below! - The Music Ninja

The musical pairing of Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender might have been a match made on, well, Facebook, but the results prove it must have been preordained by the cosmos. Just listen to their EP Wait Up if you doubt us. This is actually the group's second EP. Their first EP was a home-recording made shortly after Madeleine and Bret combined forces. They gained attention early and were quickly signed to Common Wall Media, home to two of Paste Magazine's "10 Arizona Bands You Should Listen to Now". Bogan Via then recorded the aforementioned Wait Up with Bob Hoag at Flying Blanket. Then, to wrap up a busy first year on the scene, the band released a remix album which included a new track "Gatsby". Bogan Via was ready for live performances so early in their life as a band that the early fans (YabYum staff included) could watch the duo develop their own sound and push it forward. Some bands take years to move through such progressions. For our Dynamic Duo, a busy year is all Bogan Via needed to go from really good to stellar. - Yab Yum Music and Arts

If you are reading this after December 12, 2012, then congratulations on surviving yet another overrated doomsday prediction. In fact, you deserve a purple heart for getting through 2012 alone. But now get ready for that festivus time of year where the spirit of family and friends sets upon us all while we hope that Santa or someone brings us a copy of Trash Talk's 400+ pictures strong Book 2 from Dovecote that will make a great addition to grandma's coffee table art book collection. So here is our gift wish list for you to dream on in no particular order.
Phoenix, Arizona pop duo Bogan Via dropped their Remix EP this week off their Bandcamp and brought a taste of the big swell high life with their new single, "Gatsby." The F. Scott Fitzgerald character of the song's namesake brings to mind what the soundtrack of an era displaced film reboot of The Great Gatsby would feature if left in the hands of Sofia Coppola. The bold gold plated keys blink in unbreakable formations, imagining 1922 rich moguls living like fancy first class flying one percenters from 2022. We think that Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller have an icon fixation, as they titled their previous single, "Kanye". Bogan Via's Remix EP offers up remixes from Geographer, Glass Theory, Miniature Tigers, and more reworking Bogan Via's debut Wait Up EP from Common Wall Media. - Impose Magazine

The outstanding twelve tracks of the month from London Burning Web Radio's playlists.


London Burning's December's TOP 12 is exclusively featuring Madeleine Miller & Bret Bender, from the Arizona folk/indie band Bogan Via, as radio hosts. They take us through the current TOP 12's countdown, reviewing every track and springing us a surprise at the end of this stunning edition. Just like the previous edition, there's a PODCAST version available to download on our website SOON. Just click over the art cover and go for it. Don't forget to like it and send us your thoughts and comments. Thank You! - London Burning

Here’s a free download of Bogan Via’s TES remixed by Miniature Tiger. The original is available now on Bogan Via’s latest EP Wait Up. The remix was part of a 7? vinyl release. - Deftune

It is splendidly perplexing to try to place Bogan Via into a single category. With just six songs on their new EP Wait Up, they manage to cover everything from pop, to folk, to electronic. It is so delightfully simplistic on the surface and concurrently astutely aware.

Bogan Via is a duo from Phoenix, Arizona. Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender (both with a pleasantly alliterative quality to their names) self-recorded and self-released five songs early this year via bandcamp. Their talent is undeniable, garnering popularity on the internet and particularly in their hometown.

The first song on Wait Up is aptly named ‘Wait Up.’ It begins with slow guitar strumming, building into the enormous nature that will carry throughout the entire EP. Bender begins singing and when Miller chimes in there is a sense of connection and strength. Their voices are both unique and together they create something so expressive and compelling. ‘Wait Up’ urges listeners to “take a second to decide what you’re about.”
‘Copy and Paste’ propels the album forward; this time with Miller beginning. Bender provides back-up vocals, but it is Miller’s voice that is most prominent in the beginning of the song. Halfway through, they switch roles. It is when their voices combine that creates the most intense listening experience. ‘Manny’ is easily the best song on the album. It is catchy and upbeat superficially, but the song slowly reveals an eerily sardonic, blindly submissive tone: “stick to the plan…stay dumb and you’ll see its working.”

Filled with a contradictory nature, the rest of the songs on Wait Up continue playfully hinting at deeper meanings without retreating into a dark place. It comes full circle with the last song on the album ‘Kanye.’ They sing “chose what your purpose ought to be.” Bogan Via make their presence felt and this is an EP worthy of the repeat button…9.1/10 - Violent Success

Tempe, AZ synthpop duo Bogan Via know how hype works. Output has to be constant, unavoidable, and, most importantly, consistent. Bogan Via, also known as Arizona State students Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller, check all three of those boxes.

Off the back of their January 2012 EP Copy and Paste and its well-liked single “Kanye,” Bogan Via have signed with Common Wall Media, and will be releasing another EP, Wait Up, on October 29th. To tide us over until then, they’ve just dropped “TES,” an exciting look at things to come.

Bogan Via started as a dorm-room project, and it really showed on Copy and Paste. The production was minimal, the songs were immediate, and it showed great potential. They already had a grasp on what they wanted to do, but let’s face it, it’s hard to reach the apex of one’s sound three months after forming. “TES,” on the other hand, benefits greatly from a summer’s worth of tinkering. It’s perhaps even simpler than anything off the last EP, with a simple melody recurring on either xylophone or synthesizer, set against an even simpler vocal line, all over a bouncing down-tempo (synth-)bass line.

There’s really not a lot going on here, and it absolutely works. The subtle changes happening throughout the song are incredibly tasteful, as if each little element is given space to expand and make its mark on the song. Miller’s powerful vocal performance is a highlight, as is the way her vocals are isolated when the backing instrumental is minimal, versus the harmonies she either sings with herself or with Bender as the song builds. The atmosphere is uneasy, communicated mainly through melody and the way the beat really pounds at times, and though there’s a fair bit of reverb to be had, it never dominates anything, which gets brownie points by itself.

At its heart, “TES” really just works. It’s catchy without being annoyingly so, its almost-four minutes have been shorn of any fat, and again, every sound just belongs there. Keep it coming, guys.
- In Your Speakers

Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller aka Bogan Via a pop duo from Phoenix, Arizona has been receiving quite some buzz with their track “Kanye.” In this new exclusive premiere to Prefix, their new track “TES” just might keep that buzz going. The new song this time around has the duo slowing it down and ballad-ing their way into your heart. Madeleine Miller’s vocals are quite comforting as she sings with powerful confidence over the percussion, beats and synths. At times her vocals are quite similar to Zooey Deschanel’s charming Midwestern twang. And when Bret Bender joins in, the harmonious circle is complete in an almost (500) Days of Summer way when Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character is fully in love with Deschanel’s. What a lovely and perfect song to have your heart beat skip to your new crush this coming winter.

So if this new number is a sign of things to come, then there’s a bright light in front of this duo among an ocean of duos. Listen to the sweetly sung song below: - Prefix Magazine

Featured on BIRP!'s February 2012 Playlist - BIRP!

Hailing from the dusty surrounds of Phoenix, Arizona and comprising Madeleine Miller and Bret 'must-be-relieved-to-not-inhabit-provincial-town-with-a-surname-like' Bender are boy/girl duo Bogan Via. Pertaining to all the traditional hallmarks of such band/gender composition, the pairing trade in a quietly monumental lo-fi over which luscious dual harmonies may be drooled. Afternoon Wonderland borders on baroque, a kind of autumnal waltz to smack on whilst auburn leaves swivel soilwards although it's the muggy, deadbeat disco of Copy and Paste that etches Bogan Via into memory and indeed onto this very page. Miller's apathetic vocal delivery assuredly struts atop an infectious bass trim, '80s synths, synthetic flutes and unruly arpeggiation, and streams below. - Dots & Dashes

Unfortunately, aside from sharing a name, Bogan Via’s new track “Kanye” doesn’t seem to directly relate to Mr. West. Phoenix-based duo, Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender, instead sing about struggling to decide which path to take in life. The sly beat and relentless staccato synths deviously chug along, letting the narrator know time will not wait. The vocals on this track are incredibly charming and, when combined with everything else, give off a modern Supertramp vibe. “Kanye” may not wow you after giving it one listen, but it will eventually consume your mind. Trust us. - Popstache

NEW YORK –Bogan Via (Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender) have signed a recording contract with local Arizona indie label Common Wall Media and have made plans to head into the studio with producer Bob Hoag (The Format, Dear and the Headlights, Joel Plaskett) at Flying Blanket Recording in Mesa, AZ. Bogan Via have quickly become darlings of the Phoenix music scene and have garnered some national blog attention with their standout track, “Copy and Paste”. In fact, Chuckie Duff, owner of Common Wall Media, offered Miller and Bender a record deal the day after he first heard the song online. Bogan Via join fellow Arizonans Snake! Snake! Snakes! and Gospel Claws on the Common Wall Media roster.

When they hit the studio next month, Miller and Bender will be recording some new songs, but they also plan rerecord a few of the tracks from the current EP, which they self-released earlier this year via Bandcamp. The self-produced GarageBand home-recordings that make up the current EP have not hindered Bogan Via in any way thus far; if anything, the minimalist production value accentuates the duo’s strong songwriting. Nonetheless, Miller and Bender are excited to have the opportunity to explore some of these songs again in a “real” studio and increase the warmth and depth of their recordings. The bevy of vintage instruments and analog gear in the Flying Blanket arsenal along with Hoag’s old-school production techniques are sure to complement Bogan Via’s already great songs.

Common Wall Media is planning a fall release for the new six song EP (including a limited edition vinyl pressing). Prior to that, a split 7” single of one of the tracks (with a remixed version from local producer, Yus as the B-side) will be released as one of the debut offerings from Phoenix promoter Jeremiah Gratza’s forthcoming President Gator 7”-only record label. - Pop Times Magazine

To kick off the grand New Year of 2012, Bogan Via from Arizona released a breezy Self-titled EP that is sure to enchant indie pop fans well beyond their often sweltering state. (Visit in the summer and see exactly what I mean.)

Comprised of Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender, Bogan Via’s musical output is both refreshing and inspiring. Meeting in college, Bender majored in English literature while Ms. Miller pursued theater arts. Combining their talents, Bogan Via is a meeting of the minds that will dazzle the eardrums of all who venture out to give a listen. Here is a recent interview we conducted with the pair of Bogan Vias to find out more about their delightful compositions. Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Bogan Via, and how long the band has been together.
We’re Madeleine and Bret. We met last September and started playing music shortly thereafter. Both of us write songs individually and we’re able to collaborate on a few tracks from the EP. Madeleine rocks the keys/percussion most of the time and I play guitar and the keys at times.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We are based out of Phoenix, AZ. The local music scene here has been dominated by metal and traditional heavy rock, but the indie movement in recent years has been gaining momentum. Some bands that we enjoy are B.O.T.S., What Laura Says, Courtney Marie Andrews and Tobie Milford.

How did the both of you meet and what do you think makes the musical partnership work so well together?
I saw Madeleine post videos on youtube of her singing with an acoustic guitar and was intrigued by her voice. I contacted her and a few days later went to go see her sketch comedy troupe perform. Our musical partnership seems to work well because we’re a lot alike and appreciate a similar aesthetic.

Select any two Bogan Via songs and what inspired the lyrics.
We don’t spend a whole lot of time writing lyrics, its more of a ‘first thought best thought’ process, very fast. We’ve found that this can often produce songs with more poignant messages or cohesive ideas. ‘Copy and Paste‘ was one such song. Listening to it now I would say it has a lot to do with the housing bubble craziness, greed, and the like. ‘Being Light’ is more of a love song. It was inspired by trying to capture that feeling of carefree youth.

What is a live Bogan Via show like for those of us who have yet to see you play?
It’s a nice laid back vibe, very chill. We try to let the music speak for itself without a whole lot of spectacle.
How close are you to recording a new collection of songs for an EP or album?
We are recording new tracks all the time, and once we get a handful that we’re really proud of we’ll share them.

If you could open for any band either current or who has ever existed, which band would that be and why?
We would love to have opened for the Zombies. We both love their entire catalog and feel that our sound might fit well with theirs.

With Madeline being interested in theater, what plays has she performed in and would you ever want to incorporate any sort of theater into your live shows?
One Toe in the Grave, Food: A Play With Music, The Anatomy of Grey, Lysistrata (and many more), a bunch of musicals, and a lot of sketch comedy and improv work. I (Madeleine) really view music as more of self expression whereas acting is being someone else or taking on another character. I enjoy keeping both creative outlets separate as I feel they are distinctly different.

What’s is Bret’s favorite book in English literature and why? Does he like Charles Dickens or Jane Austin?
I’d have to say 1984. I really enjoy books that make you think about and challenge the world we live in. With that said I’m definitely more of a Dickens fan.

When can we expect to see Bogan Via playing here in the Los Angeles area? And have you ever performed here in the past?
We’ve yet to play in L.A. but would love to soon. Our tentative plan is actually to move to Los Angeles at the end of the summer so Madeleine can pursue acting and we can continue rocking with Bogan Via.

If Bogan Via’s music was a donut, what kind would it be and why?
Haha, we could be any donut I guess. Maybe a glazed donut with sprinkles, lots of old fashioned goodness with a little new pizazz on top.

What would you like a listener to remember after hearing Bogan Via’s music for the first time?
We’d love for them to find something that affects them or that they can relate to, and maybe that our music stands out as having a unique quality.

Any final words of wisdom?
Keep your eye out L.A. we’ll be there soon. Thank you for any and all support. xoxo

(Interview by Kenneth Morton) - Highwire Daze

Artist: Bogan Via
Hail From: Phoenix
Song: 'Copy and Paste'
Album: 'Bogan Via' EP [Bandcamp]
Sounds Like: Twin Sister, Lower Dens

In Their Words: "'Copy and Paste' is one of our faves. We wanted to come up with something that would feature Madeleine's haunting voice overtop an upbeat dance track. This was our second attempt at songwriting together and we immediately knew that we wanted to put it on our EP." -- Guitarist Bret Bender
- Spinner

A high school acquaintance of mine relays the following story about meeting Kanye West. I suspect many people have a similar version with personal specifics. On the night his second LP, Late Registration dropped, West shuffled past my former high school classmate at the release party. After exchanging pleasantries, West said, "Have you heard my new record?" Before allowing time for a response, he answered his own question, "It's fucking incredible." This moment, and thousands of others like it, lodged Kanye firmly in the consciousness of the modern music fan, a brand of excellence and arrogance of the type that yields single-name soccer players and single-name musicians. Kanye. Or consider Bono, who once leaked his own music by listening to it at volume with the windows of his French villa conspicuously open. It resounds with arrogance bordering on the sublime. After all the anxiety, relativism and pragmatic thinking, it is a relief to hear confidence in art. Brooklyn-by-way-of-Phoenix band Bogan Via have released a single, "Kanye" that reflects this cultural evolution. But instead of brashness, they hollow out the center, replacing it with minor key synthesizer progression and lyrical urgings like, "Give your heart to everything, you gotta move when the move seems right." The vocal duet and somber mood evokes something caught between Mates of State and Beach House's records before you knew about Beach House. This is a diet of sadness, the knowledge that so many have put hope in your arrogance, alone in a tower of your own making, sentenced to a lifetime of the same conversation and your same trope answers. Here, this is beautiful, but they already know that. - 32ft/second

Bogan Via is a duo out of Phoenix that makes my heart go aflutter. Madeleine Miller’s sweet falsetto is gently contrasted with Bret Bender’s raspy baritone. The songs heavily rely on the duo’s vocals, but the angelic instrumentation also makes me swoon.

Also, these words from Bender make it that much sweeter:

"About four months ago I saw a video of Madeleine singing an original song, emailed her to see if she’d like to meet up for a little jam out, and things have been gangbusters ever since."

Gotta love the creep-o internet.

Bogan Via recently released a five-song self-titled EP, which can be picked up on Bandcamp. - Knox Road

I know there's a name for the keyboard sound that sounds like a cross between a dude belching and scat singing, but I can't figure it out.

No matter, I guess. The sound effect's hardly the most notable thing about "Kanye," the web-only exclusive MP3 advancing Phoenix duo Bogan Via's upcoming Common Wall Media debut. No, that would be the vocals, the tight interplay between Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller's dueling harmonies. Over a dancey boom-bap beat, the two sound something like Beach House might if they stepped out of the haze and into the sunshine. (And despite that title, there appears to be no connection between 'Ye and the lyrical content.)

The band's scheduled to go into Flying Blanket Studios in Mesa to start work on a six-song EP for Common Wall, which counts Snake! Snake! Snakes!, Gospel Claws, and The Through and Through Gospel Review on its roster. Due in the fall, the EP will feature new material, as well as recuts of some of the songs from the band's debut Bandcamp recordings.

The band's also at work on a single for local promoter Jeremiah Gratza's new vinyl imprint, President Gator Records. The label (in conjunction with Common Wall) will be issuing the single in the coming months (featuring a B-side remix by Yus, one of our 10 Phoenix Bands You Need to Hear This Summer).

Bogan Via is scheduled to perform with The Technicolors tonight at Crescent Ballroom.
- Phoenix New Times

Very occasionally, I find myself at a show with the express purpose of seeing one band and end up so blown away by an opening act I can’t even remember who I was actually there to see by the time I get home that night. To be exact it has happened three times during my three years with YabYum. With Tobie Milford, Monophonic Hillside, and, most recently, Bogan Via.

At their live performance I was taken aback by their sound, a merging place of chilling innocence and quirky charm. My mind set to work crafting elaborate Wes Anderson-style narratives of musical partnership forged in early childhood that I would later have to dispel during our interview… although both were drinking orange juice at half past five in the afternoon which I initially took for confirmation of all my ridiculous theories.

The duo that comprises Bogan Via is Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller. Same initials, I know, but they are not characters, they are actual people. I was confused too. Rather than spending their early years locked in a broom closet composing songs, Bender and Miller only joined forces nine short months ago. In that time they have recorded an EP and are working on their second, made their way around the Valley venue circuit, and signed to the label Common Wall Media. After spending time with their first EP and seeing them perform live, I’m not surprised in the least at the speed with which Bogan Via has ascended the rungs of the local music ladder.

Bogan Via’s recorded music and live performances offer differing aspects of their overall sound. Live, they seem wistful, sort of a sleepy indie pop pairing of sweet and serious that called to mind early Belle and Sebastian, in tone if not delivery. A stripped down simplicity pervades their songs, even when the occasional beat is added to their two person set-up. Their contrasting voices combined are all the texture that is needed.

On the five-track EP I left the show with, I found the music of Bogan Via a bit more baroque with the embellishments available in this electronic age. Their folksy live style gains a synthpop charge. From the opening track “Purple Catacomb” there is something ever-so-slightly funky about their music. The rich, orchestral layers of voice and instrumentation create an album of resounding beauty and fierce style.

“Being Light” might be my favorite track from the EP, not to be contrary to the die-hards who insist “Copy and Paste” is where it’s at. Madeleine’s voice achieves a certain luminosity at moments while Bret keeps her grounded. Once again, the sweet and the serious. “Afternoon Wonderland” provides the best example of their two voices in a totally fluid contradiction, the perfect complement to one another. - Yab Yum Music and Arts

Click here to find out more!
Check Out: Bogan Via – “Kanye” (CoS Premiere)

By Bryant Kitching on June 1st, 2012 in CoS Premieres, New Music, News

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It’s hard to pull off the whole cutsey indie-pop duo thing when you sound as shadowy and weathered as Madeleine Miller and Bret Bender of Bogan Via. Yet as we saw from tracks like the endlessly replayable “Cut and Paste,” the self-titled debut EP from these Phoenix, AZ natives proved to be in no shortage of charm. Bogan Via have wasted no time at all after that release, and are already back with a brand new track entitled “Kanye,” which you can download below.

Despite its name, it’s hard to discern any real connection between the track and a certain Chi-town MC, although it is driven by a stark, vaguely hip-hop backing beat (think perhaps 808's and Heartbreaks rather than My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy). Sounding like Tennis on a bunch of downers, Miller and Bender share vocal duties as pulsing synths slowly bleed out around them. They sing, “Give your heart to everything, you’ve got to move when the move seems right”. It’s a bleary-eyed ode to someone contemplating the consequences of packing up and leaving their life behind. - Consequence of Sound