Music For Headphones
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Music For Headphones

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | INDIE

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | INDIE
Band Rock Avant-garde

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"Two New Artists Added to the XD Records Roster!"


XD Records is very excited to announce the addition of two amazing artists to the XD roster… the kings of pure noise and chaotic atmosphere; Bloody Knives – http://www.facebook.com/pages/bloody-knives/289351420345 and the kraut-esque sounds of Music For Headphones http://www.facebook.com/musicf?orheadphones
- Bloody Knives Singles Remix EP will be out October 2011 and the Full Length Album due out January 2012.
- Music For Headphones debut release will be out early 2012. - XD Records


"When the Sun Hits: Interviews Music for Headphones' Jonathan Allen"

Music for Headphones is a Philadelphia-based group whose dark soundscapes weave 60’s rock, krautrock, post-punk, psychedelia, new-wave, and shoegaze into one cohesive aural trip. Vocalist and guitarist Jonathan Allen has been behind the vision for Music for Headphones since the very beginning, the band starting as a concept around 2000. In the past decade the band has gone through various line up changes and sabbaticals, as well as Allen's brief stint in The Upsidedowns, but all the while Allen has continued to hone MFH's sound into something truly unique. This has never been as evident as on the band's most recent release, the exemplary Life.in.Mono LP, which was released in January 2011. The band recently played a show with Spectrum, and the new LP has been getting plenty of well-deserved attention since it's release. If you haven't heard MFH yet, check out the band's bandcamp page and stream some of the mp3s there. You'll be an instant convert. When The Sun Hits hopes you enjoy the following interview with Music for Headphone's awesome frontman, Jonathan Allen.



How was Music for Headphones formed?

Headphones has been around off and on since 2000, but mostly active since 2006. The original line up started in Athens, GA at the demise of a previous band. I was playing bass back then and our guitar player quit in the middle of a recording project. The drummer and I looked at each other and decided we could make a record on our own. It was a crazy experience, highly conceptual. Nothing was written.We would record bass and drum tracks live and improvised then layer on guitars and synths. Finally, I'd get in front of the microphone and improvise the lyrics. Its a sprawling piece of space rock. You can easily tell I was only listening to three records while making it- The Cure's Pornography, Spacemen 3's Perfect Prescription and Pink Floyd's Meddle. When it was complete we decided to move to Portland, OR, but I quickly disbanded the project for a variety of reasons.

Next I found myself as one of the founding members of The Upsidedown, but again I left directly before the signed with Reverb Records. I think the only released thing I play on is a song called "Soul Diving" that I wrote with Jsun Atoms. My song "Pepper Spray" ended up on their debut. At this point I focused all of my energy into production, at least until I ended up in Philadelphia.

There have been close to 25 members in Music for Headphones over the years. I met the one constant member, my bassist Aaron Aleiner, in 2005 and recruited him and my younger brother, Patrick Richardson, to reform Headphones. Like I implied, there have been near constant line up changes over the years, but the band I have with me now has been together for the past two years.


Music for Headphones. Only Angry Lies.

Can you tell us what you've been working on and what you've got forthcoming in the near future (new releases, tour, etc)?

Well, we are desperately trying to get Life.in.Mono out on vinyl. The response to it in Europe has been overwhelming, and Philadelphia is finally starting to take notice. I'm not sure if anyone has attempted the shoegazey electro kraut we have been playing out for the past 5 shows. We played with Spectrum last Friday and the response was unreal. Even Sonic Boom gave us a glowing review and you can't really beat that - having one of your primary influences tell you how new and exciting your music sounds.

Beyond that, we are starting to write a new record as a band (a first for me, I've always written or written/performed everything). Life.in.Mono was an experiment in kraut rock. I wanted to see if I could do it. It wasn't intended to be a pivotal Headphones record, but it is drastically changing the way we are approaching and performing music. I'm not going to try and reproduce another Neu! 75/La Düsseldorf homage, but I expect the repetition and rhythm will permeate the next record. Life.in.Mono is sort of devoid of guitars, at least the way I play, so live it has become a very different beat with layers of shoegaze and noise mixed into the synths.

As for touring- we won't be doing anything extensive. Probably bounce around the North East a bit.

Taking the hint from the band name, do you consider your music best heard on a good pair of headphones?

The name is really more a reference to my production style but has definitely directly applied to certain records we've made. We are talking about shortening the name to MFH. Who knows.

Do you consider Music for Headphones’ music to be part of the current shoegaze/dream pop scene, or any scene? I consider MFH to be a sort of electronic psychedelia dream pop hybrid; defining one's sound by a genre can be tiresome, but do you feel that the band identifies closely with any genre? How do you feel about genres in music, in a general sense?

We certainly were in 2006-2008. we played a ton of shows with the Sky Drops, Thrushes, Alcian Blue and later Screen Vinyl Image (whom we still play with often). At some point I started to drift back toward neo-psychedelic music more like the Warlocks, but I've always had a massive pedal board and made crazy shoegazey sounds. I agree with your label - particularly the hybrid part. I am an avid record collector and everything I hear touches me. I don't try to stay in one place, I have more fun as a songwriter combining genres in new ways.

Can you talk a bit about your other projects?

I have two other projects going on. The first is called New Speedway. I just play guitar in the band and don't do any of the writing. Our first record just came out, Feel It, and is heavily influenced by Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and Dinosaur Jr. Rocco, the front man, already has two more records written that we are rehearsing and one is much more like Bardo Pond and the other like Spacemen 3, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Mudhoney. It's loud, noisy, heavy shit.

The other band is called 2060 Chiron. It's primarily my girlfriend, Nikki, and I writing songs in our apartment. We are in the process of recording an EP and I'd describe it as Mazzy Star meets Her Space Holiday.

Oh, and I dj fairly regularly at a bar in Philly called Teri's. Primarily post-punk, neo-psych and 80's brit pop.

What do you think of modern shoegaze/dream pop/psychedelia artists, any favorites?

That's sort of a tough one. I was pretty burnt out on it for a while, feeling like everything was to derivative, but the bands Dave (Allison) at Custom Made Music puts out never cease to impress me. I've been a LONG TIME fan of Screen Vinyl Image. They are easily one of the best live bands I have seen. I play them in almost every dj set as well. They are so good! I also dig Dead Leaf Echo a lot too. I've been friends with Tom Lugo from Stellarscope for over ten years and he never fails to impress. Speaking of, I downloaded the entire Rock Back for Japan series yesterday (we are on Volume 4) that he compiled and I am blown away by all the talent spread across these six discs. Amazing. Bliss.City.East and Calm Palm Vapor from Chicago are friends whose work I truly admire. I think Soundpool are awesome. I'm sure there are thousands more I am forgetting.


Music for Headphones. Open.

What is the most important piece of gear for your sound? Any particular guitars/pedals/amps that you prefer?

I change amps every couple of years. Right now I'm using an Orange Rocker 30 (it's white!) and I love it, but I have no clean tone. I used two Fender Deluxe Reverbs for a few years, but the output transformer on one blew out and the second one caught on fire during a recording session. I was pushing them WAY too hard. I have been primarily playing a Rickenbacker 370 since 1998. I love it. My main fuzz is a HBE UFO (this week) and I always have at least three delay pedals on my board at a time, one analog and two digital. Then there are a ton of other toys.


What artists (musicians or otherwise) have most influenced your work?

Phil Spector, Peter Kember, Jason Pierce, Anton Newcombe, Michael Rother, Klaus Dinger, Thurston Moore, Jonathan Donahue (in the 90's), Will Sergent, Neil Halstead, Adrian Utley, Dave Roback, Martin Hannet, Dave M. Allen, Robert Smith, Peter Holmstrom.... the list could go on...

How do you feel about the state of the music industry today? There is no doubt a massive change is underway; how do you see it and do you feel it’s positive at all?

It's in total flux. How to succeed is anyone's guess and and we are all grasping at new ideas and technologies to get our music heard. I think it's all about community. The shoegaze community has always been pretty tight between the bands, but we need to find a new way to engage, embrace, and include the fans. No one is going to get "rich" or "famous" anymore, so people need to remember that playing music should be about expressing yourself and hopefully having fun (I'm still working on the fun part). I think the change is necessary and will undoubtedly be positive. I hate to say it but "corporate rock still sucks."

Do you prefer vinyl, CD, cassette tape or mp3 format when listening to music? Do you have any strong feelings toward any of them?

I haven't bought a CD in a few years and don't even own a cassette player (though Headphones has appeared on a few cassette comps). Our listening time is spent equally between the turntable in the living room and the computer in the bedroom. I am back on big vinyl buying kick so we are spending more and more time staying up to dawn listening to warm, fuzzy music.

Can you tell us a little about what you are currently into (books, films, art, bands, etc)?

Music pretty much consumes my life right now. I am falling back in love with Mazzy Star, spending lots of time listening to the last Warlocks record, and still fascinated by kraut rock. Neu! 75, La Düsseldorf's Viva, and Can's Tago Mago, have been on the turntable a lot.

If you had to choose one Music for Headphones track that was the ultimate definition of your sound, which would it be and why?
I wish it were different, but "Doctor" from 2008's Preface/Alternate is the song people seem to grab on to. Looking at it another way, "Doctor" does have all the elements of the genre hybrid style I write in. Neo-psych intro, big washes of shoegazey guitars, droning organs and sparkling synths, and of course, post-punky baritone vocals.

Can you tell us a little about your song writing process?

It usually starts with sequencing organ parts and drum beats then building the live instruments around it. Words are usually the last thing I write. However, sometimes I wake up with words in my head, grab my acoustic, and write a song that way.

What is the most exciting thing that happened for MFH in 2010, and what are your goals for 2011?

The only really exciting thing that happened was the release of Secret History of the World (though I don't think anyone's heard it). It was a very painful record to make and took two years. I had back surgery during the process and ended a long term relationship. 2009 was really rough. The goals for 2011? Make the best album yet and get to Berlin to play some kraut rock for Germans, my way.

What is your philosophy (on life), if any, that you live by?

I just try to make through each day. My life feels a lot like Neil Young's "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere" most of the time (except I've got the girl right here). - When the Sun Hits


"Music for Headphones Life.in.Mono"

It’s not often you totally miss a record that you ended up really enjoying, but this certainly happened with me and Music For Headphones full length space rock LP ‘Life.In.Mono’. Inspired equally by Neu!, Wooden Shjips and Stereolab, it’s a delightful slice of motorik driven space rock. Proto synths and piercing drawbar organs layer over that ever familiar and ever welcome Dingerbeat. Occasionally the songs are interspersed with reverb-laden vocals which shout phrases and statements with such lyrical dexterity as ‘1,2,3, Go!’ or ‘Drive Motorik’, tellingly also those songs titles.

Despite being so heavily influenced by other people and not adding a whole lot more to the mix, this is still a really enjoyable listen. The band and the production are exceedingly tight and crisp, meaning songs like ‘Drunken Fireflight’ really do punch a long nicely, with snares cracking, hats ticking and bass drums punching, whilst smooth, rumbling bass lines noodle a long lost in the groove. The taut rhythmic beds allow the band to become more and more expansive during the drawn out sections. Heavily delayed guitar parts and washed out synths fill the spaces without overdoing it and sounding egotistical. The focus on replicating the sound of movement, of ‘lying down and zooming towards the horizon’ as Michael Rother so wonderfully put it always remains the focus. Big, spacious synth chords open up taut rocker ‘Superbored SLMFK!!!’ before crashing cymbals announce a change of chord that doubles up as a chorus, seeing as it’s instrumental, before repeating the cycle and closing out at a brisk two and a half minutes.
So despite relying heavily on previous influences, Music For Headphones have crafted a bristling, fresh krautrock album. It jabs and punches in all the right places, mellows and grooves in all the others. Despite certainly slipping under my radar, and probably countless others, the quality of craftsmanship and the respect shown towards this well-trodden path make it a worthwhile listen. - Shot by Both Sides


"Music for Headphones Life.in.Mono"

Music for Headphones, as it turns out that the next traveler out there is something right?!? Quite right, lysergic psychedelic climate, the best cyclic style kraut, layer and layer of synthesizers camouflaging the guitars mostly clear and travelers, the theme is to elevate the listener to somewhere uncharted, increase the power of the mind through repetition and loops give an amazing feeling that gradually we are literally inside the album, alias did not mention the name yet, is called Life in Mono is the second of the guys, dated this year 2011, one of the first great works of this year promises and much indeed. If you like shoegaze, post punk, kraut, psychedelic, mantras, Flying Saucer Attack and the like, literally fall of mind and soul in this Life in Mono and prepares to complete abudção. - The Blog That Celebrates Itself


"Music for Headphones Life.in.Mono"

Krautrock is the magic word. This group of Philapdelphia (lovely city, but that aside) In addition to krautrock, psychedelic '60s rock (the organ!), Post-punk, new wave and shoegaze influences as, assert that they own at least. It seems a colorful mix and it is surprisingly successful and she is good too. Singer Jonathan Allen floats through with his singing and can be seen as the glue between all, not even glue that is used everywhere. His voice is sometimes just as a tool and we occasionally hear back on this album that consists mostly of instrumentals. Actually, they only drive motorik best to hear.This can be a plus for many because the song might be a stumbling block can be. You know that song just makes sure you do not keep this whole album to listen, because this is essentially the groove.

The thing is that organ, I mentioned it before, that this album atmosphere. An atmosphere that pleases me greatly.
Drive motorik was my acquaintance and was initially quite nice but not spectacular. Now I hear within the whole brand, I realize that it just works incredibly well.

Life in Mono acts as a sucking vortex. The Doors meet The Stone Roses, take you by the arm and spin you around until you get dizzy. A fine dizziness is what you deliver, the best champagne bubbles have the same effect.
Skipping from cold, distant, to hot and fiery. It causes me a very energetic, happy feeling, like on The Early Years album in 2006 that they did, because with this album I feel some similarities though I Head Music for Headphones anything happen to find more organic (Saturn at 85).

Totally unexpected: a great album that I have observed very excited to be going in the future and in that case you will still be hearing more from me to underline this. I will not and can not fail.
Life in Mono of Music for Headphones allowed me to be quite large. It will undoubtedly different responses to calls and I'm curious about, especially since my own initial reaction to this company was quite lukewarm. Maybe even just a temporary rebound, and the album has dropped off quickly into the background .... In that case nobody will hear about me here any longer - Music Meter


"Music for Headphones Life.in.Mono"

Retrokraut. But how, even in some krautrock sauce? Yeah, but it is true that not every day you have groups that can propose it as an influence at high levels of quality (Horrors, Detachments), it is also true that the formula of Music for Headphones from Philadelphia is not to be thrown away. The first hearing is, therefore, inevitably, quite suspicious, but it often takes very little to change their minds and be surprised in a positive even if only a little '. Life.in.Mono is among the earliest records of 2011, temporally speaking. Well, easy today, basically it was just to make it available as a free download from January 3 for a limited time, along with EPA Lies Only Angry released just a week before. The layer on which rest of these songs recall the concept of kraut Life.in.Mono who Stereolab Transient Random-Noise time of Bursts With Announcements and Mars Audiac Quintet, adding to it an intriguing spirit of '60s pop, a little 'toy to tell the truth ("Drive Motorik"). "Superbored SLMFK!" takes too little for the idea will be further developed, and if the cause was the lack of imagination, or is not given a clear choice know. Fascinating "Saturn at 85", whose extreme simplicity may well make the happiness of this genre, that listening can not help but be dazed for a moment to think of something. The rest of the work ends "Drunken Fireflight" and now, yes, we, she is the best thing Life.in.Mono and has the power to invoke the imagery of the retro cover.Music headphones? That's right or just a game that wants to emphasize how to use it at the beginning of 2011 are popular (portable music players, laptops, less hi-fi at home), turns out to be a better experience Life.in.Mono of what lay ahead. By definition, an album may not be able to get to the top of the charts in eleven months, but it is very pleasant to listen to, and sometimes this is enough. - Panoticon Magazine


"Music for Headphones Life.in.Mono"

The cover pays homage Autobahn and is already a signal. The group's name and title of the disc they know so much about high fidelity. It happens to almost all fans of Krautrock I know are hard-core audiophiles. Then open the box and we find the expected gift, a music that has a production so smooth to play as a disturbing vision of a morgue. So listen to the pieces one by one and you wonder if this is not the case for the outtake of Neu? Or maybe a disc that Michael Rother published in disguise in order to respect the memory of Klaus Dinger.

So you do shoot a second time and say no, I'm too "roccke" to be the Neu. Of course, "Drunken Fireflight" a little bit reminiscent "Fur Immer", at least in structure. And yet "123GO!" accidents. No, no, there is something that does not come back. In fact, in part to vary the ingredients reaches "Motorik Drive", which is a nice dark version of krautrock, dark and deep voice with a lot of existential on display. Now in its fifth track I went to listen to the albums of Harmonia (I swear), but as I reminded them there is no piece called "Saturn Acts 85". Then he gasped for nearly three minutes of vertigo space of "The Blood" and you convince yourself: if machissenefrega resemble Tom or Dick.

But heck, these are not copyists, are real mystifying. They play with so much audacity to imply that they, and those of their inspiration, is the only music can. And if they are right?Besides, nowadays there is something better than this krautrock hyperbaric chamber?So melodic and polished that you could even the couch potatoes to feed the big brother.Oh well, on these linear structures and a little repetitive 'Chrome to rot, or even to Oneida, there would have been fine, but for now, and it is not so much so soon. The drawings made with carbon paper have their own charm, and then are never identical to the original as well. - Onda Rock


"Music For Headphones ‘Drunken Fireflight'"

Driving on highways, exploring the mesmerising motor sound, the elegance of the carnage and enjoying the spectacle of the bodywork crumpled. From the free album Life in Mono which explores the fascination of Jonathan Allen for Krautrock. - Eargasm Lodge


"Music for Headphones Life.in.Mono"

Music For Headphones could just as easily, "Musik für Kopfhörer be called. The obsession of frontman Jonathan Allen on Krautrock is therefore enormous. Yet this interest in Krautrock not quite natural for a band Philadeplhia. Allen's obsession is quite evident in Life.In.Mono, the new mini-album by the band. Despite the futuristic sound reaches back to the album is essentially a very cool piece of European music. Open opener even sounds like Kraftwerk. Moreover, there are also a lot more than just Krautrock album. The new wave vocals which tend to drive motorik Ian Curtis, the elongated riffs reminiscent of shoegaze and so on. Life.In.Mono is basically a psychedelic experiment too good to keep an experiment. The result is strange, inaccessible and very good music great. - hadrianestou-ii.blogspot.com


"Music for Headphones Life.in.Mono"

Life.in.Mono is a solid piece of Spacerock. Floating, romantic, kosmisch. The cover artwork may remember you on Kraftwerk's Autobahn and this is just one reference. The album sounds like a melange of eighties/nineties Spacerock and Neo Krautrock like. Inspired by music that was inspired by Krautrock and Kosmische Musik. Anubian Lights, Chrome/Helios Creed..., Melting Euphoria, Trans Am, Kreidler, Junip and so on. Naive melodies, typical sequencer sounds, echoes, driving drums and space organs. Well done! - Dying for Bad Music


"The Deli's Featured Artist of the Month- Music for Headphones"

We had a chance to throw our get-to-know-you questions at Jonathan Allen, founder/songwriter of Music for Headphones. They recently won our bi-monthly fans/readers poll, and just released their latest Neu!/La Düsseldorf/Faust/Can inspired album Life.in.Mono. Will someone please release their record in Europe already!?! Here’s some info below in case you wanted to learn more about Music for Headphones.

The Deli: How did the band start?

Jonathan Allen: The band first started in 2000 in Athens, GA at the end of a previous band. Our guitar player was leaving in the middle of a recording project, and the drummer and I decided to make a record on our own. It was called Dreaming through this Coma Life, self-released via the internet in 2000. Shortly there after, we moved to Portland, OR, and the project never materialized as a live band. I ended up being a founding member of Portland's The Upsidedown, but left before their debut record, Trust Electricity, came out on Reverb Records. At that point I switched my focus from performing to production. However, in 2005, I found myself in Philadelphia furiously writing spacey, droney, shoegazey songs reminiscent of Dreaming through this Coma Life so I brought back the Headphones name, and put a band together. Here we are six years later.

TD: Where did the band name Music for Headphones come from?

JA: During early mixing sessions for Dreaming through this Coma Life, someone in the mixing room mentioned the songs sounded like "music for headphones". As the project was yet to be named, we went with that.

TD: What are your biggest musical influences?

JA: Growing up in the early 90's it was all about Sonic Youth, the Flaming Lips, and Mercury Rev. In 1997, I saw the Dandy Warhols for the first time that led me in the world of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3, and Spiritualized. My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain came after that. I am a huge record collector, and it all influences me. That's a big part of why our sound is constantly evolving. If you have heard our latest record, Life.in.Mono, it's clear I find Neu!, La Düsseldorf, Faust, and Can huge influences.

TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

JA: I am constantly listening to Neil Young, Luna/Galaxie 500, and the Ronettes. I love Screen Vinyl Image and Asteroid No. 4, so they both get a lot of play at home as do the Warlocks. I've been on a buying spree of early Factory Records releases, so I am getting into things like Swamp Children, and rediscovering how much I love A Certain Ratio.

TD: What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

JA: The first concert I remember seeing was Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Who knows if that was the first, my parents were always taking us to concerts. The first tape I ever purchased was Guns 'n Roses’ Appetite for Destruction in 1988, the first CD was in 1991, INXS’ Live Baby Live.

TD: What do you love about Philly?

JA: I love the walk-ability of the city. It’s nice not having to drive on a daily basis. Clearly I love all the friends I've made here. There are some really great people in my life.

TD: What do you hate about Philly?

JA: The PPA. They actually stole my car. I got it back from outside of a chop shop.

TD: What are your plans for 2011?

JA: The third Sunday of every month we host an event called Fuzz Factory at Teri's DinerBar (1126 S. 9th) that focuses on shoegaze, garage, ambient, experimental, and noise musicians. We just had our fifth event and looking forward to that continuing throughout the year. We should be heading out towards Chicago in late May and down to the DC area as well. We are trying to figure out how to get over to Berlin in the fall to support Life.in.Mono which is doing really well in Europe. Finally, we are going to start recording the next record within the next 6 weeks. Hope to have something new out by November.

TD: What was your most memorable live show?

JA: Probably opening for Spectrum at Johnny Brenda's in 2007. We debuted a two drummer lineup and began the ultimate descent into kraut rock. Sonic Boom said we sounded like "a Stereolab mindfuck" and stole our sushi.

TD: What's your favorite thing to get at the deli?

JA: Ha! Italian hoagie. Or the weekend preview.

- The Deli Staff - The Deli


"Music For Headphones Album Release at M Room June 19"

Pull out your old Bauhaus records and ripped black jeans in preparation for Music For Headphones’ album release tonight with Folklore at the M Room. With dark and winding psychedelic guitar strums, and walls of power chords reminiscent of Sonic Youth noise rock, the Headphones whip out the defibrillator for the dying genre of new wave and goth rock, adding their own experimental twists along the way. Jonathan Allen’s stark vocals echo the heyday of Ian Curtis’ sweaty underground performances, and with the right accompaniment you may experience déjà vu. M Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 9pm, $8, 21+ (Photo by Maria Watson Meredith) - Katie Bennett - The Deli


"Undiscovered Band Of The Month: Music For Headphones"

We can't get enough of our new Band of the Month! Filter is proud to announce the discovery of Music for Headphones. The droning psychedelic soundscapes reminiscent of Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, The Secret Machines and The Velvet Underground. The electronic-based sound and distorted guitar juxtaposed against grating vocals makes this a band best enjoyed at maximum volume or, for lack of a better term, through headphones.

Started by Jonathan Allen as a recording project in Athens, Georgia in the summer of 2000, the band has made a home-base of at least 3 cities. To this day, there's not much in the way of a permanent lineup as members come and go from time to time creating a fluctuation of style spread amongst the bands recordings. Sound and style has ranged from Rugby space rock to London shoegaze, ("go.see.girls.rock" 2006), from delay-drenched Creation sounds ("Kosmonaut" 2006) to a more aggressive, American-psych inspired sound ("Frequency of Oscillation" 2007). music.for.headphones' most recent EP, Preface/Alternate, was released January 30th, 2008 and starts bringing all of the it together. You can check out their music on two different MySpace pages.
Recommended tracks include:
"Hard To Love Me" - www.myspace.com/jonathanmono
"Doctor" - www.myspace.com/musicforheadphones

Who are your main influences?

The sound has jumped all over the place, but my song writing influence have always stayed consistent. I learned so much about simplicity and soul from Spacemen 3. Spacemen and Spiritualized are probably the overriding influences in everything I do. The Ronnettes and the Crystals inspire me to feel. Bands like the Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Jesus and Marychain give me style. My Bloody Valentine for texture. Sonic Youth and early Mercury Rev for manipulation of noise. The band as a whole is also greatly influenced by the rhythms of Neu!, late Boredoms, and Stereolab.

How did you meet?

Aaron and I met while working in a guitar store in 2005. It was a summer job for him before he went back to New Orleans for school. Sometime after Katrina had sent him back to Philadelphia, we ran into each other in West Philly and he joined my infant project. My younger brother, Patrick, signed on playing drums. We have had a seemingly endless list of fourth members as guitarists, vocalists, drummers, and organists having all come to us through friends or internet ads. Our most recent member, Phil, was brought in by one of our past drummers last fall.

What is your biggest achievement as a band to date?

Last August we debuted a two drummer line up playing with Sonic Boom and Spectrum, which was a dream come true. Sonic has been such a huge influence on me and his review of our performance was fantastic ("You sounded like a Stereolab mind-fuck!"). Patrick caught him stealing our sushi.

Where did the band name originate?

In 2000 I was living outside of Athens, GA in a house we had converted into a make shift studio. I was mixing a record with an old band of mine when someone remarked that my mixes sounded like "music for headphones." I immediately started calling everything I recorded "music for headphones," releasing a record that fall called "Dreaming through this Coma Life." I didn't assemble a live band at that point, but six year later I found myself mixing similar, textural music. When I began putting the band together, it seemed like a logical choice.

Favorite Bands?

Well most of my favorites are listed above, but my current favorite band is probably Secret Machines. I have been following Brandon Curtis' music since his days in UFOFU, seeing him play at the Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma when I was in high school, through Captain Audio, and onto Secret Machines. His musical growth has nearly mirrored my changes in taste over the past ten years.

I am also in love with some friends of mine, The December Sound out of Boston. They are doing more for American Psychedelic music than anyone else, bringing back black leather and sunglasses back to the North East. They inspire me to be a better musician.

Plans to Tour?

If all things go as planned, I would like to do an East Coast tour in the fall, but nothing is concrete yet. For now we are just playing in Philadelphia and continuing to recording.

Plans for next release?

A few things planned, first will be a full length album, "Secret History of the World," which focuses pretty heavily on west coast psychedelia. We are also talking to some people about doing a film titled "EXIT (or still in the light)." That's not gotten a green light as of yet, but we would like to use a visual medium to compliment our more atmospheric recordings. - Filter Magazine


"Indie Music Blog"

1 July 2008—By chance, I stumbled upon ‘Music For headphones” a psychedelic/ shoegaze/ experimental band out of Philadelphia, PA. This is a very creative and unique sounding band for people who want innovative and modern music.

Doctor– There is a mix of major/minor key tonality, and the ambient vibe is achieved through the melodic phrasing, instrumentation and effects used. The stream of consciousness lyrics are very trancelike. It reminds me of the music that you heard throughout the “Garden State” movie.

Twisted times—Has a very relaxing quality about it.

She kissed me—The narrative lyrics grab my attention and hold on to it. Stylistically, I am impressed by the combination of the instruments and the effects- including the electric organ. This is the music you put on to block out the world.

Rev—The pop-punk intro is a throw back to a very pop version of Green Day, and then the transition back to the ambient/experimental is nicely done. It oscillates back and forth between guitar playing and ambient effects making for a refreshingly unique song. It also has major key tonality. It’s your classic sounding guitar playing with modern, experimental effects.

[To Contact]

http://www.myspace.com/musicforheadphones

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-leigh silbernagel - Princeton Record Exchange


"Minmae, Music For Headphones, Aunt Dracula + Chamomile"

Portland, Ore.’s Minmae are best when topping their hooky pop with weird whiffs of psych, garage and jazz. A survivor of the ’90s lo-fi scene, Sean Brooks leads his troops down those divergent roads with charming nonchalance. As Minmae roll into town, they’ll find solid support in a trio of locals, from Aunt Dracula’s opaque psych-folk to the tangled noise-rock of Chamomile, recalling Nirvana in little ways. Chamomile’s Curt Howard lends guest vocals to Music for Headphones (MFH), as does Voodoo Economics’ Alison Conard. Most MFH songs fit their name to a T, drifting drowsily along, but “Rev� is a fuzzy garage ripper that should find a fan in Brooks. (Doug Wallen) - Philadelphia Weekly


"Music For Headphones"

Sonic overtones, charged male vocals and audio-ramblings trip into meandering compositions of soft aural experimentation. Recent recordings featuring the likes of Alison Conard (vocalist for local electro-band Voodoo Economics) and Curt Howard (of Chamolmile). - HeyDay Entertainment


"New Jersey Hipster Approved: Music For Headphones"

When listening to Philadelphia-based Music For Headphones, you realize their band name is completely appropriate...They make the kind of music that you don't just listen and rock out to. Instead, you bask in the warmth of the distorted guitar and groove on the looped beats of their song "Doctor" as if you were in your own world.

Stylistically, MFH draws parallels to bands such as Joy Division and Spacemen 3 in the sense that they have a full electronic-based sound paired with bleak and sometimes grating vocals. It sounds like the kind of music that comes from dealing with mania, which is actually the case for lead singer Jonathan Allen. Their music is at its best when in full gear for songs like "REV," but other times you wish the vocals took a softer, more dynamic turn to pair with their melody-driven songs.

Music For Headphones has the ability to create the kind of sound that you listen to in your room, hunched over your desk, with your headphones turned up. But sometimes the songs turn muddy and the vocals and guitar fuzz cause the groove to get lost in distortion and electronic beeps.

This is definitely a band worth checking out! Music For Headphones dates:

* April 10th at The Mill Creek Tavern, Philadelphia, 8 PM
* April 11th at The Fire, Philadelphia, 8 PM - NewJerseyHipster.com


"Spill! Music For Headphones"

Talking to Jonathan Allen about his experimental rock group, Music For Headphones is like talking to him about his family history. The places that he's moved, and the people that he's met over the years tend to feature quite a bit in the continuous project that he began so many years ago and has slowly evolved into the project that it is now. With the release of their recent EP Preface/Alternate and the coming release of their new album Secret History of the World, the band is ready to look forward in 2008. You can catch Music For Headphones who will be playing tonight (!) at The Khyber in Philadelphia.

Girl About Town: You have gone through a lot of lineup changes over the years... what is the lineup right now?

Jonathan Allen: It is true we have had a lot of line up changes, though three of us have been at the core over the last two years. Aaron Aleiner and Patrick Richardson have been integral members all along as bassist and drummer, respectively, though each of them has taken a break or two from shows. Off and on we have had a fourth member and now we are up to five having added a second drummer, Chris Fredrick, and Phil Watson, organ. At this point; I am singing and playing guitar on stage.

Do you feel as though you work better as a primary songwriter vs. collaborating with the entire band?

I don't know if "better" is the right word for it, but I certainly work "faster" on my own. In reality they are two completely separate ways of writing for me. The new EP is the perfect example: ten months ago, the future of music|for|headphones was completely uncertain. We had lost our female lead singer and Patrick was entering grad school, so headphones was starting to slow down to a crawl. I started recording a new project and was going to start another band called "Secret History of the World". I recorded the majority of something like 17 songs in six weeks, intending to find a band to play the songs. As it turned out, it was best for Patrick to take a temporary break, so we found Chris and another guitarist. Suddenly I found myself with a new band and a new batch of songs. The name change didn't work out so well, so back to headphones it was, as Patrick rejoined the line up. Seven of the songs from those "History" sessions became the new mini-LP "Preface/Alternate". I played all of the instruments on these particular recordings. On the other hand, Patrick and Aaron have influenced me greatly, and contribute to the shape and feel of every song we play live. They have also been invaluable on past recordings. The current line-up sounds better than any other has and is working really well together, writing arrangements around my newest songs. I intend to record our a full-length in the spring with the entire live band. It will have a different feel to it, but the band is totally getting what I'm after.

Do you have any other side projects on the go?

That's the thing about Headphones--it is designed, in concept, to allow me to write, record, and perform anything I want. Like with "Secret History," any side-project I conceptualize may be a Headphones set next month. If it were an option, I would love to have another project I just play in. Perhaps some day I'll have the time.

Your sound has a brooding and multi-layered atmospheric and almost industrial feel to it, and in certain ways, it touches down on the likes of acts such as Spiritualized, Spaceman3, and My Bloody Valentine. When you are envisioning a new track; what are some of the deciding factors that complete a song for you; and how do you stay focused without layering too much into the mix?

By "industrial" I hope you mean in a machine-like, Neu!/Kraftwerk/Stereolab kind of way, or maybe "industrial" like the MC5 or the Stooges! I would be a liar to not acknowledge how much Jason and Sonic have influenced me. The Spacemen, Spiritualized, and Spectrum have long been my favorites. "Three chords good, two chords better, one chord best." About sums it up. The Valentines' are another huge influence. Loveless is certainly something anyone really into production should strive for, and live I think we have owed more than a little to the "You Made Me Realize" era of MBV. However that's not all for me, but amongst the top of what all of us dig.

I think you could argue I do layer too much in the mix quite easily! Everything I strive for in a mix is in "Be My Baby," "Baby, I Love You," and "Then He Kissed me." That what I hear in "Pure Phase," or "Ladies and Gentleman." That's what I hear on "Loveless." I guess I decide to stop when the sound hits me like a train. Wall of sound, right? I come to a point when there is nothing left to do. You have to work really hard to write quality parts that are unnecessary. If its supposed to be in there, I'm going to find a place for it. If it sounds muddy, it's not because I'm trying to do too much musically, its just a shitty mix.

The song "Sys" has an almost progressive rock feel to it. Do you feel as though your band attempts a lot of genre-bending?

"Sys" was actually on a promotional EP called Frequency of Light we gave out last summer. You can still download it though. I can see why you may hear that as progressive. Aaron brought the chord changes, some lyrics, and the concept for that song in. Its influenced by a modal Coltrane piece I think. Starting from that perspective, it was very progressive. To me, on the other hand, it reminds me of being in high school and wanting to be Sonic Youth, making shit loads of noise. Being 17 and learning about tritones and atonality. I do think we bounce over genre lines, and I wouldn't want it to be different. We are certainly capable of picking a "sound," but I want to make records that are mine. Know what I mean?

Where did the recording for your forthcoming album "Secret History of the World" take place, and who mixed and mastered it?

All of our Philadelphia EPs (Go|See|Girls|Rock, Kosmonaut, Frequency of Light, Preface/Alternate) were recorded in Rm. 6 @ Incting HQ on Delware. I have mixed and mastered all four, though I am going to hand the mastering over to some one else for the next one.

What is the most exciting thing that happens for you on stage while playing live shows in Music for Headphones?

The moments I forget anyone is watching us perform and the times when the feedback is so loud, I start hallucinating. Good times.

What is your favorite thing about Philadelphia?

The Philadelphia Parking Authority and the Philadelphia Traffic Court. - PhillyGirlAboutTown.com


Discography

Dreaming through this Coma Life, 2000
GOSEEGIRLSROCK, EP 2006
Kosmonaut, EP 2006
Frequency of Oscillation, EP 2007
Preface/Alternate, LP 2008
Fresh Cuts: Volume One ("Doctor"), 2008
Gospel of Wonderland OST, ("Jenny"), 2008
Filter Magazine: Urban Outfitters ("Doctor"), 2009
RunHundred.com: Workout Songs ("Doctor"), 2010
Secret History of the World, LP 2010
Only Angry Lies, EP 2011
Life.in.Mono, LP 2011

Photos

Bio

More than just a band, Music for Headphones is a trajectory through the past of post-punk, electronic and psychedelic music, through shoegaze and spacerock into some kind of future unknown. Categories and boundaries are permeable and constantly moving as MFH carves out its own place in music, riding familiar arches and charting unfamiliar territory, rendering the word genre almost meaningless.

Based in Philadelphia, Music for Headphones is a four-piece dark psychedelic band inspired by 60’ s rock, Krautrock, post-punk, new-wave, shoegaze, and neo-psych. Driven by stark vocals and lyrics, garage rock grooves and sudden descents into orchestrated noise, Headphones defies easy categorization. What ultimately sets the band apart is vocalist/guitarist Jonathan Allen’ s focus on an overall vision. He incorporates the precision and lush production qualities of Phil Spector, Spiritualized, My Bloody Valentine and the Cure to create overarching soundscapes. While the songs themselves are self-contained units, they also hang together to create musical and narrative movements.

As a concept, Music for Headphones began in 2000, went through various permutations and brief sabbaticals including Allen’s involvement with the Portland band The Upsidedown. Music for Headphone’s current lineup includes Jonathan Allen (guitar, vocals), Phil Watson (organ, piano, synth), Greg Kinter (guitar, synth) and Justin Gibbon (drums).

Music for Headphones signed with XD Records in July of 2011.