Music
Press
This L.A.-based threesome make light, tender and airy music that belies their morbid moniker. On the songs we listened to ( Brutus, She s Not Tangible, and Bus Stop ) the band's acoustic guitars provide a straightforward bed for Gino Steffe's sweet vocal tones. Material is intelligent and literate, with a nod to Simon & Garfunkel and, at times, Stephen Stills. The result is remarkable for not sounding like most other bands. - Music Connection
Last Wednesday night I went out to Genghis Cohen, a kosher chinese restaurant (go figure) to see Serenading the Dead perform their first show. Wow. Go to the site and listen to the four or five tracks there. Addictive? Hell yes. Catchy? Fuckin' a right. Those guys are freakin' great. I seriously can't think of another new band that I've heard in recent memory that was this good. They put on an awesome show as a three piece (guitar, bass, vocals), with a surprisingly full sound, and the recorded versions of their songs have a nice mixture of economy and layering. Kind of XTC meets acoustic Zep meets the Beach Boys acoustic jangle pop. Or musical crack, as my roomate and I have dubbed it. Highly recommended. - Xanga.com
"Kinda reminds me of a Zeppelin or Blind Faith classic, lots of cool directions on that song. We'll be playing more of them to come."
Charles Stepczyk of Insomnia Radio: SoCal
"She's Not Tangible" on The SoCal Sessions (7/15/2007) - http://insomniaradio.net/2007/07/15/ir-the-socal-sessions-14-well-slap-my-ass-and-call-me-catorce/
"Unsigned music, that's what we do around here... hundreds of unsigned artists send us their music each week. We have towers and towers of packages around here, it's astronomical... I rip it all open and listen to absolutely everything ...[this artist's] music is worth hearing, I think they've got something going on here, and I would like for you to get in on it as well."
Josiah Lambert of XM Radio
"Brutus" on The Radar Report (9.13.2007) - http://www.radiounsigned.com/main.php?archive=90
"Serenading the Dead; weird name, right? I don't know why they have that name, but it's pretty fun, poppy music, and I don't really think the dead would like to listen to it"
"Well, I don't think the dead would really care..."
DJs bantering about "Brutus" on WELH College Radio Show "Godzilla's Laundry" (10/3/2007)
- http://www.bsrlive.com/archives/playlist.php?p=7108
Discography
Serenading the Dead (C) 2007. Available for purchase at itunes.com, amazon.com & cdbaby.com
Photos
Bio
Serenading the Dead is a dynamic acoustic trio hailing from Los Angeles, CA. The founding members, comprised of Gino Steffe (vocals/percussion), Ara Nalbandian (guitars/vocals/drums) and Justin Evans (bass) met while attending the University of Southern California, and have spent the past decade writing music together. After various musical projects, the three decided to get back to basics and focus on songwriting by crafting a bohemian take on pop music that has yielded comparisons to bands like Simon & Garfunkel, Wilco, The Beatles, and Elliott Smith.
Released in April of 2007, the band's self-titled debut is a musical odyssey that draws the listener in with its unique melodies and passionate lyrics.
Besides selling albums at shows, Serenading the Dead promote and distribute their product through various mainstream outlets such as Amazon.com, iTunes, and CDBaby. Most recently, "Brutus" and "She's Not Tangible" have been featured on several local and international podcasts, national college radio, and in the month of September, "Brutus" was featured on XM Satellite Radio's Radar Report, a weekly program that highlights new up and coming bands.
With a new record set to be released in the Summer of 2008, Serenading the Dead is currently submitting media kits to dozens of festivals, competitions, and top college radio stations, while seeking representation to bring their sound and message to the widest possible audience. In the meantime, you can still catch them hard at work touring their self-titled record at a host of shows in and around California.
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