midatlantic (formerly the bleedin bleedins)

With so many bands wandering off in the digital wilderness these past couple of years, subsisting solely on a steady diet of looped beats and software-songwriting slouching, it sounds downright retro at this stage to play simple rock and roll. In the case of gloomy new-wave Boston punters Midatlanic, that approach — reaching all the way back to, like, five years ago, when the Killers weren't playing cowboy dress-up — comes as a welcome, if brief, respite from the tyranny of the synth.
Except, oops, they play synths here, too. But, you know, in a rock-and-roll way.
This quickie EP release proves that some bands are still reaching for the sweeping grandeur of stadiums past. "The New Frontier" picks up where their previous effort, the romantic and stylish The Longest Silence, left off, careering through giant, delay-darkened riffs and hammering disco-fied beats that prove just as useful for dance-floor spinning as they do for bedsit breast beating. It's the standout here; the slow-burning "Beautiful Lie" seems sluggish in comparison.
"Waiting For" and "Disaster" prove that Midatlantic fare best when they're edging toward the farthest reaches of the anthemic speed limit. It's not easy keeping up with the rise of the machines, but the resistance has at least one hearty soldier. - Boston Phoenix

Bands like The Bleedin Bleedins will spell the death knell for the bloated emo/screamo scene. With their debut CD, “Life Without Computers,” The Bleedin’ Bleedins demonstrate that fast-paced alt-pop needn’t rely on wailing adolescent vocals nor hackneyed overdriven chord progressions in order to set pulses racing. Instead, the Boston-based trio call upon the ghosts of indie rock past to construct an array of textural and dynamic compositions that demonstrate an understated confidence and maturity. This does not mean, however, that “Life Without Computers” is your dad’s adult contemporary fare. It means that The Bleedin’ Bleedins deliver rock songs purposefully, directly and with authority.

FULL REVIEW HERE: http://www.wirenh.com/music/cd_reviews/the_bleedin%27_bleedins_200602011058.html - The Wire/Feb 1 2006

"Their name makes them sound like a band that might punch you, but they won’t. Fans of super-hooky pop in the vein of the Killers will go ballistic for these boys—not to mention their new CD, Life Without Computers." - The Weekly Dig/Boston

Very danceable, fun and moody, "The Longest Silence" develops a style that is unique. Taking the past sounds of dance music and altering it with just enough modern experimentalism, Midatlantic is easy on the ears while still intriguing. Much like their contemporaries, such as the Killers who are moving music forward, Midatlantic breathe fresh life into a genre that many might have thought played out all the clever nuances years ago. Midatlantic prove they have a lot to offer and probably quite a few more tricks up their sleeve for the future of fun, emotional, interesting music. - Metro Spirit - Atlanta GA

http://www.midatlantictheband.com/midatlantic_press.html - Midatlantic

The Bleedin Bleedins' curious, jocular name conjures an image of a fun pop-punk outfit. And ''Life Without Computers" is certainly an amped-up, energetic affair, with an overall good-time vibe. However, this Boston trio's self-released debut is seriously packed with anthemic power rock. These kings of the catchy chorus mix power pop with alt-rock, without hiding other influences as varied as U2 and the Strokes. The propulsive, melodic stand-out ''Tonight" launches the CD and is powered as much by the yearning in Michael Coen's moody, urgent voice as it is by drummer and multi-instrumentalist David Franz's tight, driving rhythms. ''The Lights Are Out" is a weighty grungy rocker, highlighted by Irish guitarist Barry Kelly's cascading, twinkling chords -- a sound that recalls U2's The Edge, and one that crops up throughout the disc. The warm and pulsing ''One More Minute" has a hooky chorus and a seductive lilt reminiscent of early Strokes. Affable, danceable, and emotional, and with tunes that stick around, ''Life Without Computers" has plenty of heart. A bleedin' one, of course.

CHECK OUT MORE PRESS AT
http://www.thebleedinbleedins.com/press.php - Linda Laban - Boston Globe/Jan 27, 2006

The Bleedin Bleedins bring rock back to when it was ‘raw and melodic’
When you say a band is influenced by the Cure and ’80s-era U2, that’s usually code for “pretentious wankers.” But the Boston trio the Bleedin Bleedins totally throw off our calculations. Everything you expect from a contemporary rock band is here — the jerky disco rhythms, the bass leads, the affected vocals and the delay turned up to 5 million, but it somehow comes off as — dare I say it — sincere.

CONTINUES>>READ FULL HERE: http://www.thebleedinbleedins.com/images/metro012706.jpg - Boston Metro/Jan 27, 2006

The phrase “starts off with a bang” implies some sort of initial explosion followed by a letdown. There’s not much of a letdown here. Formerly known as The Bleedin’ Bleedins, Midatlantic doesn’t come up for air until the third track “Love (Will Rule Your Heart Again),” which pulses with a different, quieter and more radio-friendly sound. The group shows a more human side, dispensing with the panache of first track “We Won’t Stand Alone,” and second track “You Just Don’t Understand,” for a more personal, string-laden message.

This track is kind of an off-speed pitch, like seeing one of your best friends engaged in a tender moment with a sweetheart.

Carrying on with the idea of the album as the linear progression of something, the subsequent tracks sound a little more mature than the previous ones, as if the band is growing through the course of the record. Ever-present is Midatlantic’s penchant for sounding rhythmically together. The arrangement and production on The Longest Silence are top-notch, as in it’s almost difficult to imagine the band being local independent artists and not larger-than-life MTV personalities, 20 years away from being VH1 personalities.

The band’s musical poise is unyielding, but there are still moments where you can see behind the curtain every so often, such as in the guitar intro of “Never Said Forever” or the structurally-sound acoustic chords in “Damaged Goods.” The result is a band that seems preternaturally good at expressing itself. - C.D DiGuardia - Nov, 2008

When you’re a four-piece Boston rock band in part imported from Dublin and called the Bleedin Bleedins, you’re pretty much telling potential show attendees, “Your face will be punched.” Since their jaggier and more punkified days, however, the Bleedins have done a bit of ironing and straightening up, and they’ve changed their name to Midatlantic. Think Brooklyn meets Brixton — or is it Brighton meets Brighton? Either way, this formula — a “Midatlantic” meeting of black-shirted, tightly panted postpunk — has always done well in Boston. Check out “Shine”: smart guitars, ample knuckle, a beat that knows you’ve been drinking, and sweetly harmonized title kickers. It’s one of a gang of charmers on their new The Longest Silence, which you can get at their Great Scott show this Saturday, December 6 (where they join Tigercity, Taxpayer, and the Information). You can also catch them opening for Letters to Cleo on December 8 at the Paradise. In the meantime, grab “Shine” above.

-- Michael Brodeur - Michael Brodeur

Technically, Barry Kelly, guitarist and songwriter, is the only member of the Bleedin Bleedins who was actually born in Ireland. But the Boston three and a half piece — including singer Mike Coen, Dave Franz and an Apple Powerbook G4, nicknamed R2D2 — does a pretty good job of marrying early U2 with dance beats and straight up rock.

Q: So how much time do you spend in Ireland?

We usually go back about four or five times a year. There’s been a big resurgence of live music in Ireland. We can go there and play five venues back to back, whereas in Boston we only play a couple times a month — we don’t want to over-saturate the market. Both things feed off each other. It’s exciting for me, personally, to go home and see how much has changed. People are excited about live music again. You can now go to these little obscure towns and people come out to see shows.

Q: In place of a bass player, you have R2D2. I’ve heard he’s a little temperamental.

We’re musical purists. We play all the bass and keyboard parts live and record them, then run them through Pro Tools onstage. The three of us write so well together, we’re a little nervous about bringing someone else in. Sometimes people will come up to us after shows and ask, “Where is the bass player?” But usually, they don’t notice. Right before South by Southwest, we left R2D2 in a bar. We got him back, thanks to some kind folks. Of course, there’s always the possibility of it crapping out in the middle. It adds suspense. We’ve become a very good a cappella group.

Q: And yet your record is called “Life Without Computers.” How does that work?

It’s a little ironic, because we embrace technology. You can’t really be in a band without the Internet, without MySpace, we record with Pro Tools. A lot of times, I’ll just record some drum and bass tracks, say, and send mp3 files to the lads.

Q: For some reason, several of your reviews talk about your “arena ready” sound. Do you have any idea what they are talking about?

We’ve never played in an arena. But we definitely focus on a big sound. There’s a little dance beat in our music. I’m just looking for a bigger backstage area.

Q: Do people actually dance at your shows?

People dance a lot more at shows. Sometimes I want to get down and dance myself. I have always liked bands that combine rock music with a dance element — like the Happy Mondays. Of course, there’s always the stray wedding band scenario — some guy shows up straight from work, wearing a suit and starts swinging a girl around.

Amy Benfer

• Catch the Bleedin Bleedins at 7:30, onight, at the Delancey, 168 Delancey. Tickets cost $7. For more info, call 212-254-9920 or go to www.thedelancey.com. - NY Metro - Amy Benfer

Midatlantic start The Longest Silence sounding like the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" before hitting an arrangement that is as bright, anthemic and post-punk one could want, especially with the guitars and singing. It's not quite the Chameleons but there's a definite sense of that brand of power at work throughout The Longest Silence, not to mention the more recent bands in that vein -- if Interpol and Bloc Party cast a shadow here, it's almost because their successful revival of those sounds has become that inescapable, and songs like "Too Little Too Late" are more demonstrations of the form rather than some radical reinvention of it. But Midatlantic have good touches amid the recombinations at work, whether it's the crisp, near glitch punch underpinning "You Just Don't Understand" or the Depeche Mode circa Songs of Faith and Devotion electrorock clatter of "On & On." Perhaps their most distinct asset is Mike Coen's voice, which while laden with the bravura one might expect given the material has a controlled edge to his vocal soaring that suggests 90s Swedish indie-pop more than another disciple of Bono - All Music Guide