Team Tomato
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Team Tomato

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"Ripe For Picking: Team Tomato blossoms on its third CD"

Oct 12, 2005- It's difficult to find a band today whose image isn't calculated. Sure, the ones slathered in eyeliner, hair dye and dress shirts are obviously going for a punkish, Green Day-cum-My Chemical Romance look. But even many non-image bands -- you know, the ones with carefully mussed hair and nondescript jeans and T-shirts -- are cultivating a non-look as their "look."
It's rather refreshing, then, to hang out with Team Tomato, a St. Louis-born-and-bred band that fits in with neither of these stereotypes. In fact, the quartet is so down-to-earth, they might as well be earthworms. Sitting at Blueberry Hill chatting over a pitcher of beer and some dinner grub, the quartet talks about their day jobs -- quiet bassist Jordan Ross, for instance, is a newly minted MBA degree-holder, and jovial, long-haired drummer Luis Actis teaches seventh-grade math -- and jokes about the bands they formed during and after they all attended Parkway North High School.

First there was the Sparkles, a rock band featuring facial hair-sporting guitarist Eric Clay and singer/guitarist Brian Wiegert. Actis joined the duo and formed another outfit, Pandelo (Clay terms it a "fusion-rock funk band"). The Knights Who Say Ni (a Monty Python reference, natch) and Bipolar (a punk group) followed; Wiegert currently has a rap group with Ross and a bluegrass band with Clay on his plate.

And what does Team Tomato sound like? Well, nothing like any of those bands: Take the grungy garage rock of Guided by Voices, then throw in the twisted pop melodies and burnt-sugar twang of 1980s R.E.M. and some ragged bar-band bluster.

It was such no-frills tunes on their sophomore CD, Words and Skin and Bone, that helped Team Tomato win the 2005 "DIY Album of the Year" at February's DIY Music Convention in Los Angeles. The band entered the contest on a lark, via a posting on garageband.com, and forgot about it -- until they received an invitation to play a showcase in LA.

"I never really thought anything else of it until I got a call about it, like, two weeks before the show was supposed to be," Actis says. "I got a call, and some guy's like, 'Hey, you guys won this [DIY] thing.' And I was like, 'What are you talking about? I don't even know what you're talking about.' Finally, he told me the whole situation."

Despite the short notice, the group flew to LA to claim the honor. And although the bandmates had their fair share of celebrity spottings while out west (Cypress Hill, Judd Nelson), one of the actual performances wasn't quite as glamorous.

"It's what looks to be like a barn, [or] this small little old Mexican dance parlor underneath the Echo Lounge," Clay says. "It's called the Echoplex. It was weird: You had to go through the Echo Lounge, out the back door, around the back, into the alleyway, down underneath it. There's no lights; there's no signs."

Plus, all of the band's gear was stolen from its vehicle in the midst of the convention (pictorial evidence of this exists, of Actis peering into the broken car window with a bemused expression on his face). But if things went smoothly for Team Tomato, they wouldn't know what to do. Heck, the mastering was almost botched on their third and newest album, Lie Down with Dogs -- which meant they nearly didn't receive the finished copies in time for this weekend's CD-release show.

These hardships haven't affected Dog's sound, though. Like Bone, the disc's chorus hooks are gnarled and memorable. But ask Wiegert about his songwriting, and it's clear that there's nothing painstaking about his process.

"It's mostly just whatever phonetically goes," he says. "I'll just start, 'Blah blah blah, hm hm huh huh.' It ends up taking shape after you do it enough times. [At] one of our last shows at Off Broadway, I tried to go into the parking lot and write some lyrics real fast or just get them down, 'cause I didn't know what the hell I was going to say, but it didn't work.

"Eventually they'll get finished, but I feel like I have to cram for a test; I still have homework to do. It's such an ordeal."

Clay is quick to note, however, that Wiegert's method doesn't produce half-assed words. "There's something to 'em," he says of Team Tomato's lyrics. "You can read 'em, and even if they are just thrown together, there's some type of form that you can find out of them. Being a poetry major, it's nice seeing that. I really trust Brian's lyrics most of the time. They're very nostalgic-sounding lyrics, too. The songs are very...they speak for themselves, being this nostalgic rock sound that draws from a lot of places."

The word "nostalgic," in many instances, is just a euphemism for "rehash." But in Team Tomato's case, the word is synonymous with "timeless." Wiegert cops to being a fan of both R.E.M. and the Grateful Dead, two groups whose catalogs remain relevant owing to their focus on the emotional whole rather than individual, tangible statements -- something Team Tomato also - The Riverfront Times- Annie Zaleski


"Team Tomato“Lie Down With Dogs”St. Louis band rocks, gets robbed, records"

March 2006- Why and how do bands pick their names? “It seemed funny at the time.” “It’s an inside joke.” “It was the beer talking.” Well, the moniker “Team Tomato” suggests something other than the dense rock the band delivers. So you’ll have to get past the name. I had to, anyway.

Started in 2003 as a one-man project, St. Louis’ Team Tomato experienced quick spasms of growth. That one-man project – “Teamwork Helps Us All” – was written and performed entirely by guitarist/vocalist Brian Wiegert. Wanting to perform that same material live, Wiegert enlisted musician friends Eric Clay on guitar, Luis Actis on drums and Greg Larico on bass. One personnel change later – exit Larico; enter Jordan Ross – and a band is born. In 2004 Team Tomato recorded “Words and Skin and Bone” and stumbled into some national acclaim by being named the 2005 DIY Album of the Year and winning a VH1 “Song of the Year” competition. Whoa.

Begin meteoric rise.

Well, not quite. Not yet. The band members were flown to Los Angeles for big shindigs and much rocking. They capped their experience by having all their gear stolen (true story) and returned home to record “Lie Down With Dogs.”

When listening to “Lie Down With Dogs,” another Missouri band comes to mind – Independence’s Supernauts, which I reviewed in March 2005. Like Supernauts, Team Tomato channels classic rock through a modern filter. Its sound is akin to a lessbrooding Stone Temple Pilots or Alice In Chains. In fact, Wiegert’s voice is not unlike Alice In Chains’ guitarist/vocalist/principal writer Jerry Cantrell’s. And the music on “Lie Down With Dogs” could be compared to the organic crunch of Cantrell’s solo work, though with less chugging metal.

“Lie Down With Dogs” will appeal to fans of rock old and new. Wiegert is a great singer, and the band combines the aforementioned modern stomp with the melodic smarts and rich vocals of a KSHE 95 classic band like Badfinger. Check out tunes such as “Diary” and “June the Loon” as examples.

It must be said that “Lie Down With Dogs” is a fine package, too, with great cover art and a simple paper case by Kadie Foppiano of www.stl-style.com. I’ve mentioned packaging in other reviews, and my jaded self continues to be surprised by what an impression it makes. Musicians – in these days of downloadable tracks and Sharpied CD-Rs – shouldn’t forget about great design.

If you’re looking for some straight-up rock that feels genuine and devoid of calculated trend-minding –there’s no mascara or interesting hair here – pick up Team Tomato’s “Lie Down With Dogs.” You will be rewarded. And the band is playing around town; learn more at www.teamtomato.com.
- BY PAT MALECEK sauce magazine www.saucemagazine.com


"Team Tomato's Wiegert Discusses New Album"

Local power pop quartet Team Tomato will release its third official album as a band, titled “Into the Air Despite the Buckle” tomorrow (Saturday June 30) at the Off Broadway. The album is a blend of Guided by Voices guitar fuzz, some R.E.M. folky stuff and Neil Young-quality vocals on the slower tracks. The band members have known each other since their high school days in West County and started playing together in 2003 after moving back from college and living elsewhere.I caught up with lead singer Brian Wiegert to talk about the band’s new album, future plans and Busch Beer drinkers.

Who are your influences?

The mainstays of rock and roll — the Who, Stones, Beatles — are inescapable. I’m also a really big fan of Ween – they seem to keep themselves amused, don’t take themselves too seriously and have a great sense of humor while having solid musicianship.

How does the new album differ from past efforts?

It’s a lot different, we have a lot of other people playing on it, many friends sitting in. We included some cello, fiddle, piano and other singers as well. We recorded in Jordan’s (Ross) home studio and had a lot of fun because there was no time crunch. We had a lot of freedom to experiment.

Tell me about the 2005 DIY Music Festival.

Our drummer (Luis Actis) entered our first album (”Words and Skin and Bone”) into a few contests and we were surprised to find out that it won the “DIY Album of the Year.” We flew to L.A. and played at the conference at the Roosevelt Hotel. Actually Doug Gillard of Guided by Voices opened for us — I realize I sound like a jackass saying that – we know he’s bigger than we are!What are the band’s Future plans?

We’d like to release a single this summer, as we are keenly aware of how drastically the recording business is changing.

When I asked how they might market the single, Wiegert came upon a notion:

A kind of Midwestern Radiohead for people who drink Busch Beer

That’ll work.

Lineup

Brian Wiegert: vocals, guitar Jordan Ross: bass, vocals Eric Clay: guitar, vocals Luis Actis: drums

Upcoming shows

June 30, Off Broadway, 8 pm; July 5, Mangia Italiano w/ Bravo Company, 10 pm; July 7, Apop Records on Cherokee St., 4 pm; July 20, Vintage Vinyl, 7 pm; Jul 27, The Tap Room, 8 pm

Discography

2003: “Teamwork Helps Us All” (A solo effort written and performed entirely by Brian Wiegert, with production and engineering help from Jordan Ross.); 2004: “Words and Skin and Bone”; 2005: “Lie Down With Dogs”; 2007: “Into the Air Despite the Buckle” - St. Louis Post Dispatch Rock Blog


"Team Tomato Audio Homespun Bonus"

Team Tomato Homespun: Audio Bonus
Wed Jun 27, 2007 at 04:00:46 PM

In this week's Homespun column, Christian Schaeffer reviews Team Tomato's new self-titled CD, which the quartet will be releasing with a show at 9 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Off Broadway. (The Monads and Bravo Company open.) He had this to say:

Team Tomato sounds as if it’s having a personality crisis on its new self-titled record. Musically there’s almost an even split between Americana and big-guitar modern rock – making the quartet perhaps one of the only bands to tread the ground between the Jayhawks and Alice in Chains. But the main problem with Team Tomato is that there’s little crossover between these two styles; either the precise power-pop band or the acoustic, open-strumming folk band shows up.

But lest you think that Schaeffer's completely ripping the band's music apart, read on: He's not.

Every now and then, the group takes something ordinary and makes it shine. “Last Lesson” moves from generic alt-rock into something cosmic and wonderful, aided by synthesized strings and a chorus of “oohs” that could happily go on forever. The next track, “Quietly,” continues the trend with a bit of Foo Fighters-esque stomp and strut...

Size constraints prevent us from sharing "Last Lesson," but after the jump, listen to "Quietly" and the Bowie ca. Hunky Dory piano-glam torch song "Is It True?" -- and judge the quality of TT's music for yourself. - Riverfront Times


"vh1 song of the year competition"

"[Team Tomato's] lyrics are very creative and show excellent writing and work usage skills. The music is powerful and creative with a fresh, bold feel and excellent melodies. The title is a real eye grabber! [Team Tomato's] vocals are fresh and the harmonies are smooth. The music is wonderfully composed and played with lively, infectious melodies and perfect organization and structure."
-Senior Editor
VH1 Song of the Year Competition
- vh1.com


"Playback STL best local release of 2004"

"Team Tomato's songs are skillfully-crafted and densely layered; infused with catchy hooks, haunting melodies and impressive jams which demonstrate a maturity level that reaches well beyond the bandmembers' years."
-Michelle Ulsohn
Playback STL - Playback STL


"Emergenza Finals"

"Emergenza is one of the biggest international battles of the bands around. It also makes bands sell tickets personally, a practice I'm not to fond of. Check out Parade with the 12 oz. Prophets on Friday, or check out the twelve-band Emergenza finals at Pop's. Or do both.

(Me? I'm rooting for Team Tomato.)"
-Jordan Harper
- Riverfront Times


"2005 DIY Festival Album of the Year"

"Local quartet Team Tomato has just returned triumphant from the DIY Convention, where its offbeat pop record Words and Skins and Bone was awarded Album of the Year. This was a trip filled with the high of playing with Guided by Voices guitarist Doug Gillard and the low of having all their gear stolen. Seeing as how Brian Wiegert (vocals/guitar), Jordan Ross (bass/ vocals), Eric Clay (guitar/vocals) and Luis Actis (drums) are so self-reliant, I decided to let them interview themselves about their trip.

Us: Ok, dudes, we're here interviewing ourselves.

Ourselves: Rad.

So, how was LA and shit?

Pretty good. We did a lot of things ourselves, like drive around and pay for food and gas and flights and lodging, and we went to a strip club and were all like, "Heyyyy," but she was all, "Uh-uh, do it yourself."

Sounds pretty sweet -- so what mega-celebs did you party with?

Only Judd Nelson, but he parties weird, so we split.

Didn't you play with Doug Gillard [of Guided by Voices] on Thursday?

That we did! Then he came to check us out again on Saturday and couldn't have been nicer. His new CD rules. It didn't win 2005 DIY Album of the Year like ours did, but it still rules.

So were you all scared like little girls to go out to LA and play for industry types and jaded musical assholes?

Shit no! We didn't even lose our cool when our equipment got stolen -- we just went out and played three kick-ass rock shows -- and we weren't even drunk for two of them!

Yeah, we didn't like our equipment anyway!

Yeah!

So, real quick: four best and worst things about LA and DIY.

Best: doing it ourselves, rocking out, sushi mac, Francine Dancer. Worst: having to share a bed with another dude, stuck in LA traffic, Eric's farts, thieves.

OK, well, that's about all -- what's next for ourselves?

Other people doing shit for us, hopefully!"

-- Jordan Harper
- Riverfront Times


"St. Louis Emergenza Showcase"

"Friday night brought one of the best songwriting bands in the area to the stage. TEAM TOMATO has one several awards already for their last album in St. Louis and other parts of the country but are looking to add more acclamations to their resume. Great melodies and harmonies are the back bone of this group. They are all solid musicians but write their songs based on the lyrics and melodies and use instrumentation to support the songs not the other way around, where so many bands make their mistake."
-Darryl Zero - Emergenza Webmagazine


Discography

Teamwork Helps Us All LP1
Words and Skin and Bone LP2
Lie Down With Dogs LP3
Team Tomato (or, Into the Air Despite the Buckle) LP4
Infernet-only EP Coming Spring 2008!

Photos

Bio

Team Tomato recently plucked their third (official) full-length album record from their ever fertile mine and consigned it to an obsolete media form, the Compact Disc. They are in the midst of producing a brand new short batch of songs, to be played only in the Digital Ephemera, thereby signalling their hipness to our rapidly changing times. They come from St. Louis, and stubbornly will not move to Brooklyn for some reason, and it's not out of local sports loyalty or anything. They write and play and record songs - and work, and have girlfriends, and go to the store, and have Netflix movies that sit on their coffee tables for weeks before being watched sometimes. They see their families over the holidays and talk about their new albums and assure everyone that the music is "going well, we're having fun, and staying busy" because after all that's all that matters, right? Team Tomato enjoys putting on tribute shows for bands they love like the Who, and long walks on the beach. Team Tomato can just cuddle, we don't have to do anything else.