Music
Press
Anyway, I drove to Cambridge, MA for the show and might I take this moment to say that of all the turnpikes in my life, I think the Mass Turnpike is the prettiest. It was a lovely (if long) drive, but I finally found my way to the Middle East. And I know you're dying to think of a witticism incorporating the club name, so insert one here. The place was awesome and I ended up stopping at a cute little shop across the street and bought some sassy vintage postcards.
Around 8:30, hometown favorites Laminated Cat took to the stage and for a quasi-local act, those kids were great. They weren't even of drinking age and yet they managed to play some great material. I've seen some crap local bands, so trust me. They're still young yet as a band, but I think the kids have potential. Their lead singer was adorable--he had the full lips and beautiful cheekbones of a male model--and he had a Schneider-like voice, which was pretty awesome. During the set, I actually got to stand next to Rob Schneider, leader of the Apples, and that's him you can see ducking by my camera in the clip montage (below). May I also add that Laminated Cat's keyboard player was on stage in wool socks--my kind of guy! I thought these guys were so cute--perhaps they should be called Laminated Kitten. Oh, bad joke...
- www.Tabloidmags.blogspot.com , Tabloid Mags, Collegiate Blogger
"Laminated Cat proudly live up to their name, though not in any disturbing way, but by being imaginative and trippy. Their vibe is of the early 70's, when psych- and folk-rock began to touch upon the ambitions of prog rock, but they manage to keep on the sane side of overindulgence. Their songs do have a tendency to stretch their arms a bit, fully exploring the musical possibilities without completely devolving into aimless jam. Laminated Cat has a certain relaxed grandeur, ascending into outer space from the comfort of a beer-stained sofa. Listen to "Sweet Sixteen" and you might have an idea of what I mean. Also, I should say that to the band's credit, they were omnipresent at POPFEST, enthusiastically checking out all the bands--they were Athens fans, psyched to be present and playing." - Jeff Kuykendall Of Optical Atlas Blogging Fame, @ www.electricsailor.blogspot.com
LAMINATED CAT
A band from Maine! This quartet from the Augusta area changed their name from Interobang to Laminated Cat and moved to Boston, where they've recently opened for Apples In Stereo. They even played 2007's Athens PopFest in Georgia, with the likes of Ted Leo & The Pharmacists and Daniel Johnston. Laminated Cat has a knack for warped melodies and obscure chord changes, but at the end of the day, their love for the Beatles, Wilco, and Elliott Smith come through the strongest of all.
Cool Songs: "Sweet 16," "Follow Me Around," "Death To Mobile" - University Of Southern Maine Free Press Monthly
Discography
Laminated Cat:Laminated Cat
Laminated Cat: Umbrella Weather (soon to be released via Garden Gate records)
Build Your Army With Potatoes: and compilation LamyKat is on along with The Instruments, Ideal Free Distribution, Von Hemmling, The Great Lakes, and other wunderkind masterkraft awesome bands.
Photos
Bio
Laminated Cat began it's days as the brainchild recording project of Tanner Smith (now 20 yrs old) and fellow Beatle devotee and flap jack enthusiast, AJ Griffin(now also 20 yrs old).
After the two had filled their stomaches with the delicious tastes of Abbey Road, Sgt.Pepper, Revolver,On Avery Island, Her Wallpaper Reverie, Song Cycle, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and their other favorite dishes, Tanner and AJ had only one goal: to record an album as tasty & brilliant as their collaborations could possibly produce; after loyally& inexhaustibly tying every aspect of their lives to this end, the pair continue to create records and hope that they will one day create a record which Pitchfork Media will give a mostly terrible review(says it has some redeeming qualities,then admit a decade later that it was in fact"...oops...uh...pretty cool"). Onwards!b
Enlisting the Z-ray superpowers of Tanner's brothers, fellow Beatlites and life-long musical partners, Cooper&Camden (now 18 yr. old twins who play Bass and Drums, respectively), Laminated Cat was born.
In it's infancy, the band restlessly attempted to conquer the world and/or a state-wide high-school battle of the bands; since then the band has not only shared their enthusiastic love of geology with the world but also played many shows nation-wide. notabley: Performing with the Apples in Stereo at the Middle East (par request of the Apples), Performing at Athens Popfest '07 par request of Robert of the Apples in Stereo to open for his act Marbles, along with fellow E6ers of Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't(the super tall Peter Erchicks, Formerly of the Olivia Tremor Control)and the face-melting mellowz of the Instruments,yay!
Laminated Cat was part of a short-lived romance with the young Elizabeth Taylor.
Laminated Cat has also shared the bill with some other wonderful and well known artists, like:
Daniel Johnston,Ted Leo,The Circulatory System & many other wonderfully talented acts of both humble and moderate fame. The ruggedly handsome,strapping young men of Laminated Cat also hope to one day share the stage with the Rightfully Honored Constable of Hotness, Lindsay Lohan. Oh, Lindsay! One day you'll come around!
The chaps are also awaiting the release of their stellar psychedelic-pop-experimental record Umbrella Weather" with Garden Gate Records (Marci Schneider & Craig Morris Of the band Ideal Free Distribution, HHBTM Records). Laminated Cat likes Candy, The Beatles, The Beatles and little else. Yay!
Links
