elephone

Elephone's music has been bubbling in the trenches of rock parables, playing prominent spots at Austin's SXSW, San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival, CMJ, The Download festival, The local stage at Lollopalooza and the The Black and White Ball, the Live 105 studios, and sharing the stage with the likes of Rogue Wave, The Dandy Warhols, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Film School, Earlimart, The Stills, The Kills, and The Posies. Sonically, their collective, multi-vocal pop lands somewhere between The Talking Heads and The Arcade Fire. They bring a veteran air of ease and honesty to the stage that would have more established bands jealous.

Elephone's third release The Camera Behind the Camera Behind the Camera charted number 17 on CMJ charts and received local and national critical acclaim. Their fourth release, Canister, provides the listener with more hooks than ever before. While singer Ryan Lambert controlled vocal duties on previous records, the new album features the addition of keyboard player and vocalist Sierra Frost.

Lambert got his start in film and television, and cinema continues to influence the band's approach. The band was started when Ryan and Elephone guitarist, Terry Ashkinos, moved from LA to San Francisco in 2003. They started writing songs together and quickly found out that a hybrid of Terry's brand of arty indie rock and Ryan's obsession with Neil Diamond could break new ground in the SF scene. The additon of Dan Settle on bass brought a level of expertise that would help elephone realize it's vision.

Canister was recorded on analog equipment. "The band wanted the album to reflect something honest and real, says bassist Dan Settle, The aesthetic is that you hear an album that the band actually played live in the studio. A recording is meant to capture a moment in time." Canister does just that.

Elephone has seen the world from the inside of old touring vans and they've seen the flicker of too many beers in their audience's eyes. Canister reached 14 on the CMJ charts and received regular play on stations like BAGeL Radio and SomaFM. As one writer for The Deli Magazine declared, "If this band doesn't continue to increase in popularity, I may lose my faith in the system."