Dizzy Balloon
Oakland, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"Owners of Live 105's 1 most requested local track of 2008 -the super infectious RAISE A GLASS- Dizzy Balloon victoriously were crowned champs of the NSSN 2008 local band competition... opening for KILLERS, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, FRANZ FERDINAND and BLOC PARTY.
Catch them in action this Friday as they headline Slim's.
(yes, how many other new local bands can do that I ask?)"
-Aaron Axelsen, Music Director @ KITS 'Live 105' (105.3 FM)
"Young outfits such as this San Francisco quintet can launch careers at SXSW, and Dizzy Balloon just might have, considering the label honchos that stopped by their rooftop set... Fun-fun-fun songs about girls-girls-girls, all done smartly. The Beatles on Wellbutrin... Play, bounce, repeat."
-Kevin Bronson, buzzbands.la
"By its senior year, the band was mingling with the upper class of the local indie rock scene, landing gigs at venues such as Cafe du Nord and Slim's, and becoming recognized as one of the Bay Area's hottest up-and-coming bands." -East Bay Express
“Why settle for something average and run-of-the-mill when you can sit back and listen to these guys? With well-crafted guitar parts and cutting synth tracks, there’s just simply no reason not to give this band your full attention. Not to mention, their reputation of being a phenomenal live act."
-Noisepop.com
"After stealing the show, the night was still young to celebrate their successful set. "You guys ready to party?" I ask lead singer/guitarist Petros Anastos-Prastacos. "No," he quickly replies, "We gotta go home and finish our history projects." -The Owl Mag
- Random
Anyone who's seen Bay Area favorites Dizzy Balloon (formerly Panda) play a live show will know exactly what to expect from their first full-length: sugary, energetic and amazingly well-crafted pop songs. Anyone who hasn't, however, would probably be surprised to find these clever and danceable tunes coming from a handful of fresh-from-high-school songsters. Every track on the group's self-titled debut will have listeners out of their seats and clapping along, from the upbeat opener "Raindrop Residence" to the tender and aptly named "Young Love" - which is almost certainly what the band's new fans will be feeling. While the subject matter most often touches on high school trials and tribulations�love notes and the like�the music and the feel is anything but. "It's Just Me" could be an early Lennon-McCartney offering, and mid-album standouts "Crazy Jane" and "Chinatown" are radio-ready pop rock perfection.
- Lauren Mulcahy
http://www.theowlmag.com/cdreviews.asp?id=739 - theowlmag.com
During its first four years of existence, Panda progressed from a rambling garage band to a focused act with professional aspirations and a reasonable shot at success. By its senior year, the band was mingling with the upper class of the local indie rock scene, landing gigs at venues such as Cafe du Nord and Slim's, and becoming recognized as one of the Bay Area's hottest up-and-coming bands. Twice it placed in the top five among hundreds of local groups vying for slots at massive concerts sponsored by San Francisco radio station Live 105 ... [Their] sound was something else. "They start into their first songs, and I was just blown away," he says. "I was working with lots of people twice their age, and they had nothing on Panda. It floored me. I was like, 'Oh my god, these guys are amazing.'" After the show, he told them as much: "You're the best band I've seen since I started working here." Panda shared some of their pizza, and a friendship was born.
Full Article: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/sounds_like_teen_spirit/Content?oid=678880 - East Bay Express
Young outfits such as this San Francisco quintet can launch careers at SXSW, and Dizzy Balloon just might have, considering the label honchos that stopped by their rooftop set... Fun-fun-fun songs about girls-girls-girls, all done smartly. The Beatles on Wellbutrin... Play, bounce, repeat. - buzzbands.la
“It’s not lazy, or boring, or melancholic. It’s a new generation of energetic, optimistic, well-crafted pop rock.” This self-statement by the band is simply the best way they can be described. Why settle for something average and run-of-the-mill when you can sit back and listen to these guys? With well-crafted guitar parts and cutting synth tracks, there’s just simply no reason not to give this band your full attention. Not to mention, their reputation of being a phenomenal live act. - OurStage.com
Discography
Dizzy Balloon S/T (2008)
1. Raindrop Residence
2. Raise A Glass (#1 Most Requested Local Track of 2008 on Live 105's 105.3 FM "Soundcheck" program)
3. What Can I Do
4. Chinatown
5. I'm Just Me
6. Crazy Jane
7. Carry On
8. Let It Out
9. A Little Note
10. Jasmine
11. Young Love
Dizzy Balloon EP
1. Crazy Jane
2. I'm Just Me
3. Chinatown
Panda EP (former name)
1. Carry On
2. Fake Tattoos
3. Alan Li
Photos
Bio
Short Version:
“A phenomenal live act” (Noisepop.com) with “infectious pop sensibility” (SF Weekly), Dizzy Balloon from Oakland, CA has been steadily on the rise since opening for The Killers and Death Cab For Cutie at Live 105’s (KITS 105.3 FM) annual “Not So Silent Night” arena show. Owners of Live 105's #1 most requested local track of 2008, Dizzy Balloon completed a very successful tour out to Austin, Texas last March to play showcases at the South By Southwest Music & Film Festival, in which Buzzbands.net said, “some bands can launch their careers at SXSW, and Dizzy Balloon just might have, considering the label honchos that stopped by their rooftop set...” After another round of California shows last Spring with two Berkeley based hip-hop/pop groups, The Cataracs and The Pack (in which Dizzy Balloon would back the groups during their set), Dizzy Balloon capped off the tour with a sold-out headlining show at Slim’s in San Francisco. This past summer, Dizzy Balloon played Live 105’s annual summer BFD concert at the Shoreline Amphitheater, which featured headliners such as, The Offspring, 311, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more. They most recently were honored to play The Matches’ (Epitaph) last two shows ever as a band before The Matches went on hiatus; playing main support to sold-out crowds at the Troubadour in Hollywood and Fillmore in San Francisco.
Long Version:
Dizzy Balloon is five childhood friends, bound by a passion for songwriting. The band's vision-quest to write the perfect pop song – one that makes you drop everything and go "whoa" – brought the group attention and distinction at a young age. As high school juniors—then performing under the group name "Panda"—the band regularly sold out Bottom Of The Hill, a legendary breeding ground for San Francisco Bay Area talent. The quintet brought a new energy to classic pop, a vibe audiences still can't get enough of.
"All our parents raised us on the Beatles, we all have that in our genes," says Jonny Flannes, Dizzy Balloon's guitarist. "The Beatles and Queen are our two biggest influences."
It's tough to argue with that. In fact, arguing is the last thing you think to do after hearing Dizzy Balloon. Listening to DB's music is immediately positive.
A testament to that immediacy came quickly, when the group's three-song demo—recorded in a single day—garnered steady airplay on KITS (Live105), KSAN (The Bone), and KALX (Berkeley). The media attention pushed the band onto larger stages (at Slim's and Great American Music Hall, to name a few). Live 105 music director Aaron Axelson affectionately called the band "the pride of Piedmont," name-checking the band's small northern California hometown. Not bad for a bunch of kids would could barely drive themselves to their own shows.
The buzz made one thing clear: it was time for an album, something that could bottle up the maturation of the band and the hysterics of its fans. A year-and-a-half in the making, that album would define—and redefine—all that Dizzy Balloon achieved.
The band has always been catchy, loud, and surprisingly honest, but with the album, Dizzy Balloon shows that they have started to mature. The 11-track record is buoyed by the smart lyrics and confident voice of Petros A.P., Flannes is joined by Raphael Peterson on bass, Joey Orton on keys and Louie Diller on drums. Everyone in the band sings, and the live show is like experiencing the energy of The Artic Monkeys with the harmonies of The Beach Boys.
"We try to make our live show as memorable and exciting as possible," Flannes adds. "We're not the type of band that plays our songs and stands around. We try to get the crowd moving and loving it. We have a ton of fun on stage. That's where we belong."
Now college-aged and armed with a new album of smart, buzzing pop, the five-piece is ready to pull you into their quest. You will turn. You will listen. You will drop everything and make a mess. It won't matter, because you'll only be thinking one thing: Whoa.
Links
