Taikonaut Falls

Taikonaut Falls got its start in the winter of 1998 when guitarist Chris Laws and drummer Andy Becker - both studying for their doctoral degrees in astronomy at the time - began rocking out in the 52nd Street apartment Andy shared with bass player Jon Briner. After writing and playing off and on together for several years, with many other musicians and under multiple names, Andy, Jon, and Chris formed up as a rock trio in 2005 and Taikonaut Falls was born. While maintaining their day jobs as astronomers and writers, they have been crafting music and performing live at various venues in Seattle, and in March 2007 self-published their first studio EP, "No Politics".

The name Taikonaut Falls is based on the adopted Chinese variant of "astronaut" and "cosmonaut" - a metal-encased pilot traveling through a hostile and dangerous space. It's also intended to evoke a feeling of place, like the downward turn of a stream in some fabled Wisconsin town. The Taikonaut Falls sound is frenetic and churning, punk waters bashing on well-worn rocks. The songs, all co-written, ride on the distorted engines of guitars and drums, but are driven by headstrong lyrics and desperate humor. This is the music you hear when your spaceship burns towards the ocean, something like Ween and Gang of Four reverberating off the bulkhead, louder and louder.