Caxton
Coachella, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Caxton's barn
Coachella indie rockers Caxton are playing the Red Barn in Palm Desert April 24. There's something about them that reminds me of Amanda Palmer meets Queen meets Iggy and the Stooges.
Go to www.myspace.com/caxtonmusic to check out the songs "Bite Down" and "The Charge." 10 p.m. April 24, Red Barn, 73290 Highway 111, Palm Desert.
Reach Vanessa Franko at 951-368-9575, vfranko@PE.com, www.myspace.com/Audio_File or PE.com/blogs/music
- Press Enterprise
Caxton's barn
Coachella indie rockers Caxton are playing the Red Barn in Palm Desert April 24. There's something about them that reminds me of Amanda Palmer meets Queen meets Iggy and the Stooges.
Go to www.myspace.com/caxtonmusic to check out the songs "Bite Down" and "The Charge." 10 p.m. April 24, Red Barn, 73290 Highway 111, Palm Desert.
Reach Vanessa Franko at 951-368-9575, vfranko@PE.com, www.myspace.com/Audio_File or PE.com/blogs/music
- Press Enterprise
Our first write up - Desert Entertainer
Where's the local music scene in the Valley? Right here!...Palm Desert based Caxton (www.caxtonmusic.com) joins Noelle and Jeremy in-studio and pump out a couple of tunes live! Listen now!!
Podcast link of show at the bottom. Songs performed live, "Broken Summer", and "Damaged Goods". - KNEWS
Ask a couple questions about Palm Desert-based Caxton’s name and musical origins, and you may find yourself receiving well-explained yet seemingly non-committal responses.
On the band moniker, drummer Brian Pelletier tells us it “really has no meaning, we wanted a name that you can’t put the music to any certain kind of label or scene. It’s left to the listener to decide that.”
And on listening, what about the band’s unique fusion of styles, which seems to span decades, pulling from ’70s pop rock, ’80s New Wave and ’90s alternative cuts?
“There is not a conscious decision to emulate anything specific,” guitarist Adam Surdin responds. “One goal for the band is not to be attached to the initial idea.”
That’s the thing: Caxton might maneuver around the pigeonhole whenever possible, but they are committed and focused folks, especially when it comes to playing music. Pelletier adds that the band’s all about putting 110 percent in their songwriting.
And those same hook-laden songs are fronted by the signature vocals of Christina Reyes, who helped start the band after moving from Hollywood, trying to escape the big city insanity.
“I have a totally obscure and endless list of vocal inspirations, both male and female,” says Reyes, citing artists such as Fiona Apple, Chaka Khan, Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Lennox, Queen’s Freddie Mercury and Missing Persons’ Dale Bozzio amongst the obscurity and perpetuity. Pick up the band’s latest effort, Plotting a Murder, and you’ll hear this aforementioned melodic puree in the foreground, with tight, competent musicianship from the supporting crew.
Speaking of support, Reyes notes Caxton’s target demographic is the minority in their hometown. “That being said, I feel as though the love for music is no less than anywhere else,” she adds.
With a live show described by Pelletier “like a tiger drinking Charlie Sheen blood,” Caxton’s played some memorable dates, including a bar gig featuring, well, a bar.
“Nobody was there except the bartender and the taco guy outside. There was a strip[per] pole right in front of my drum set,” he says with a laugh. “Good stuff.” Now that’s commitment. (Waleed Rashidi)
- Inland Empire Weekly
Ask a couple questions about Palm Desert-based Caxton’s name and musical origins, and you may find yourself receiving well-explained yet seemingly non-committal responses.
On the band moniker, drummer Brian Pelletier tells us it “really has no meaning, we wanted a name that you can’t put the music to any certain kind of label or scene. It’s left to the listener to decide that.”
And on listening, what about the band’s unique fusion of styles, which seems to span decades, pulling from ’70s pop rock, ’80s New Wave and ’90s alternative cuts?
“There is not a conscious decision to emulate anything specific,” guitarist Adam Surdin responds. “One goal for the band is not to be attached to the initial idea.”
That’s the thing: Caxton might maneuver around the pigeonhole whenever possible, but they are committed and focused folks, especially when it comes to playing music. Pelletier adds that the band’s all about putting 110 percent in their songwriting.
And those same hook-laden songs are fronted by the signature vocals of Christina Reyes, who helped start the band after moving from Hollywood, trying to escape the big city insanity.
“I have a totally obscure and endless list of vocal inspirations, both male and female,” says Reyes, citing artists such as Fiona Apple, Chaka Khan, Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Lennox, Queen’s Freddie Mercury and Missing Persons’ Dale Bozzio amongst the obscurity and perpetuity. Pick up the band’s latest effort, Plotting a Murder, and you’ll hear this aforementioned melodic puree in the foreground, with tight, competent musicianship from the supporting crew.
Speaking of support, Reyes notes Caxton’s target demographic is the minority in their hometown. “That being said, I feel as though the love for music is no less than anywhere else,” she adds.
With a live show described by Pelletier “like a tiger drinking Charlie Sheen blood,” Caxton’s played some memorable dates, including a bar gig featuring, well, a bar.
“Nobody was there except the bartender and the taco guy outside. There was a strip[per] pole right in front of my drum set,” he says with a laugh. “Good stuff.” Now that’s commitment. (Waleed Rashidi)
- Inland Empire Weekly
Discography
Plotting A Murder- 2011
Caxton- S/T- 2009
Photos
Bio
Caxton is a modern alternative rock band inspired musically by The Beatles, Blondie, and vocally by Björk and Queen.
The band includes founding members and childhood friends Adam Surdin (guitar) and Brett McLaughlin (bass/vocals); Christina Reyes (vocals/piano), who grew up in Orange County; and Brian Pelletier (drums), also a desert native.
Adam, Brett and Brian began playing together in Palm Desert during middle school and continued through college. While studying guitar at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Adam met Christina, who was studying vocal music. Upon returning to the Coachella Valley, Adam reunited with Brett and Brian. Christina soon joined, keyboard in tow.
The four formed a cover band while learning about each other’s playing style, they began penning their own songs and officially christened themselves Caxton. During the last two years, Caxton has released a self-titled debut 10-track album (available on iTunes); played and competed at numerous venues across the Southland; they have just completed their sophomore album, "Plotting A Murder." 2011
Links
