New Monsters Collective
Springfield, Missouri, United States | SELF
Music
Press
New Monsters Collective are a band from Springfield, Missouri. This is the same hometown as the always great Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. This isn’t where the ties to SSLYBY end for The New Monsters Collective.
Roni Dickey, of the bands two singers, is the sister of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s Phil Dicky. Someone Still Loves You’s guitarist Will Will Knauer also plays bass for them. SSLYBY’s bassist Jonathan James even recorded their EP.
However, these guys aren’t just another SSLYBY. New Monsters Collective have created a distinctive sound that can be found on their debut EP, Buddy System. The EP consists of 6 songs that play as an introduction to what the band’s all about.
Many songs dark melodies intertwined with pop rock sensibilities. With two female signers often switching the lead, there is never a moment where one song sounds a like.
It’s quite the opposite actually. Every song has it’s own identity, giving you a detailed look at what each member brings to the table. One minute your dancing to the undeniably catchy “The Break Up”, next your trying to figure out more experimental “Life After College” & “Spaceland”.
This EP is a warm introduction to a band that has plenty of reason to break out. - Will Oliver - We All Want Someone to Shout For
...With a little duct tape for a broken bow New Monsters Collective revved the Ballroom engine as the crowd started to fill the room. The differences in instrumentation (moving cello and classical piano riffs) are refreshing. It’s always a high energy show with emotion oozing from Melissa the group’s “singing guitar monster”. - TAG
Today we've returned to Springfield to catch a different type of beast, The New Monsters Collective.
As previously mentioned, this five-piece are from Springfield, Missouri, USA. A sort of supergroup of local bands, The New Monsters Collective create the sort of music you would associate with a band made up of varied musical tastes, only it's completely cohesive. Much like when the power rangers touch rings, The New Monsters Collective are certainly a powerful bunch when the pieces of the puzzle are connected. Musically it's a beautifully uplifting collision of folk, pop, blue grass - 4O5
Discography
Buddy System EP (August 2010)
-First single “Breakup” was the song of the day on Radio
Nacional de Espana
-Recorded and produced by Jonathan James (Winter's
Bone soundtrack)
Spaceland (September 2011)
-Recorded and produced by Jonathan James
-Funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign
-First single "Fun" was ranked #3 on Boston's Unregular
Radio weekly charts
New Monsters Collective can be regularly heard on:
-Unregular Radio - Boston, MA
-Q102 Springfield's Rock Station
-99.1 KSMU Studio Live
-KBFL 99.9 (1060 AM) SPF Local Live
Photos
Bio
Singer and pianist Roni Dickey was already known for her collaborations with her brother's band, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, when she formed New Monsters Collective in 2009. She recruited SSLYBY's Will Knauer to play bass and Missouri State University Symphony cellist Erin Alden, and Robert Bailey on drums. Since then, the Springfield, Missouri quartet has released an EP, an LP, and headlined a national tour. NMC's music drifts between the genres of classical piano, indie rock, anti-folk, and new wave pop.
NMC's music has received glowing reviews from the blogosphere. Will Oliver of We All Need Someone to Shout For praised the diversity of the band's debut EP. "There is never a moment where one song sounds alike. It’s quite the opposite actually. Every song has it’s own identity, giving you a detailed look at what each member brings to the table.” Oliver Primus of London's The 405 noted the group's chemistry. “Much like when the Power Rangers touch rings, The New Monsters Collective are certainly a powerful bunch when the pieces of the puzzle are connected.”
NMC has played with national acts such as Motion City Soundtrack, Me Talk Pretty, Breathe Owl Breathe, Cowboy Indian Bear, Quiet Corral, and mr. Gnome.
"New Monsters Collective is the bravest live band I've ever seen. I'm not sure when and how it will happen, but I know we are going to be opening for them someday."
-Philip Dickey, SSLYBY
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