The Atma
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The Atma

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"THE ATMA @ SILVERLAKE LOUNGE (LA) 8/20/08"

So...I went to the Silverlake Lounge last week to see a band that I’ve seen before and really enjoy due to
their “differentness”. Yes, I know that’s not really a word but neither is “truthiness” and that managed to
find its way into our not‐so‐pristine vernacular. And you do know that it’s in the Oxford English Dictionary,
don’t you? Jesus, we are so going to hell.
<br><br>
Anyhoo, the band that I went to see was the Venus Illuminato who had what has got to be the weirdest
show in their 2 year career, but fortunately no blood was spilled and just about everyone laughed about it
afterwards in lieu of crying. I’ll chat you up about them in another conversation.
<br><br>
After the chuckles and consoling both of the Venus Illuminato guys, I walked away from the Silverlake
Lounge with my mind stretched a little wider than it already was. Why and by whom, you ask?
THE ATMA.
<br><br>
THE ATMA is a Los Angeles based, 3&#8208;piece body of one that occupied the stage earlier in the eve. The
word “ATMA” sounded familiar, like something out of Hindu tables but I couldn’t be sure, so I put
wondering about the name aside. Approximately 3 minutes into their set I was convinced that the word
meant something special because what I was hearing and feeling qualified as special. The band opened
with something that stretched into a 3&#8208;song medley with “Paint It Black” sandwiched in the middle (and
mind you, I knew none of their music prior) and can you say “bold”? That bit of musical jam could have
easily gotten lost on a crowd unfamiliar with them &#8208; could have easily gotten lost on me. But no. Actually,
hell no because the over 8 minutes of constant bass and groove heavy music, with and without the airy
vocals, held me. It made me furrow my brow, made me concentrate like hell so as not to miss where the
music would travel next or how the tempo would shift. Hot damn. This band is the shit! (Please excuse my
un&#8208;ladylike language but this is the gifted stuff)
<br><br>
THE ATMA’s music grazes the edges of things classic and new; shimmers with some reggae funk, yes, but
there’s so much more going on here. The more I listened, the more I grooved and caught myself totally
impressed and surprised by the fierce maturity of their sound. So much so that they left me wondering
about the age of their souls versus the age of their physical bodies because, looking at them, they
resemble your average college students. Proof positive that the body is but a mere shell for what lies
within.
<br><br>
Now I wondered what the hell “ATMA” meant even more.
<br><br>
In the meantime, THE ATMA kept it coming with versatile, soulful, psychadelica touched rock, eclectic
enough to be edgy and hook the young, hip crowd yet still sonically, rhythmically mature so that someone
like say, me, saw fit to reflect on the moments of classic rock&#8208;feel. And on the vocals &#8208; somewhat
Dylanesque but with better tone, thank Goddess. I think I started drifting back to the 70’s and, let me tell
you, that’s a damned good thing. Also a point in their favor, they present well on stage; with confidence
and like musicians meant to be on that stage.
<br><br>
Particular with my affections was the song “Murder” which was a lively and forward moving rocker,
during half of which I spent my time watching LoOkas, the drummer, work his bass drum and watching his
other appendages frame the noisy propulsion.
<br><br>
And still I wonder about the ages of their souls. Wouldn’t you if the lead singer called himself “The
Oblivious Driver”? Yeah.
<br><br>
So the moral of the story is this band is a go and I’ll be keeping my ear on them to see where they go next
because I want to be there to hear it. Seriously. Would I lie to you? Of course not. So now that you’re
done reading this, click yourself over to THE ATMA’s MySpace page and if nothing else, check out
“Pheremones” and “Murder”. And do the “friend” thing while you’re at it.
<br><br>
THE ATMA will share their latest musical offering, Machetes of Gold, with you sometime this 2008 so keep
an ear out.
<br><br>
*THE ATMAN or ATMA is a philosophical term used within Hinduism and Vedanta to identify the soul. It is
one's true self beyond identification with the phenomenal reality of worldly existence. Or in Latin, it
means “world soul”* - MISHMASH.COM


"THE ATMA (New Music Critique)"

Los Angeles triad The ATMA serve up psyche-fueled alt-rock fronted by singer The Oblivious Driver, whose scratchy vocal presence is so right for this band's garage-y tone and 'tude. "THE MAHARISHI" as an interesting mix of time signatures. "MURDER" is a staight 4/4 rocker with a catchy ascending/descending guitar hook. "MACHETES OF GOLD" is an infectious drunken singalong with the whole group bellowing away. All the tunes here sound different, yet of a piece. This cool, young band should attract viable indie labels. - MUSIC CONNECTION 9/2008


"Review of "On My Artichoke" CD by CDreviews.com"

Part jam band, part funk, part indie rock, The Atma offers deep insights with a SoCal vibe. [4.6.07]

Taking a page from fellow California group Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Atma create an album of sweet funk music. The Atma is a fairly new band hailing from sunny Los Angeles. The trio’s debut full-length, On My Artichoke, exudes all of the cheeriness and bizarreness of their city along with some deeper messages.

The Atma’s sound lingers somewhere between funk and indie rock. The band impressively blends these two genres to fashion their laidback and slightly wacky style. Some tracks such as "Pheremones" and "Vampires" have a more noticeable funk vibe. Others place the funk sound in the background and instead feature softer melodic rock reminiscent of Pavement. The chilled-out funk sound is always present, but the group is able to incorporate a diverse range of other musical styles. The result is sweetly melodic and slightly funky rock music.

Along with their sunny style, The Atma distinguishes themselves with their unique attitude. The title alone, On My Artichoke, confirms that The Atma is not willing to conform to any label or stereotype. Song titles like "Sexually Transmitted Dinosaurs," "God’s Trampoline," and "To Samba on the Nipples of the Hurricane" add to the bizarreness that envelopes The Atma. Despite the offbeat titles and trippy cover art, the music is relatively normal. The lyrics, while occasionally odd, convey deeper themes than a title such as "Sexually Transmitted Dinosaurs" might suggest. The Atma’s music carries themes of feeling disillusioned with the modern world, searching for happiness, and reflecting on death. Such profundity does not always come across in the songs, but upon examining the lyrics, one can see the poeticism and maturity they contain.

On My Artichoke is an unconventional and advanced debut from this Los Angeles trio. The music, which is pleasantly sunny and relaxing, evokes the feeling of lazing in the shade during a SoCal summer day. On top of this upbeat music The Atma adds seemingly ridiculous and abstract lyrics which, surprisingly enough, contain many reflective insights. While The Atma is not the biggest band in LA, they are still able to produce more meaningful music than many of the artists which clog the airwaves. They are a new band which means they still have work to do but if they can produce another release like On My Artichoke, The Atma should start experiencing some success amongst the indie crowd. - Libby Wait


Discography

MACHETES OF GOLD (2008) (forthcoming)
Live @ the Merry Japster's Ball (2007) online only
On My Artichoke (2006)
Even the Sun E.P. (2005)

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Bio

THE ATMA

The Atma is a three-piece band from Los Angeles that plays a new breed of independent psychedelic rock and roll music. With a stylistic palette ranging from ominous driving blues riffs, to galloping tribal mantras, to jangly Dylan-esque anthems, the band’s unique and signature sound seems to blend the elements of all the best roots music into surprising new forms.

The current line-up has been together about four years and in that time has had two independent releases Even the Sun E.P. and On My ArtIchoke. The group is presently on the brink of releasing their second full length album Machetes of Gold, which was produced and recorded at the famous Blackbird studios by Niko Bolas. The record itself features a wide range of style and attitude, taking listeners for a Sgt. Pepper style ride through many hills and valleys. Thus far it has garnered prospective interest from a number of media and music industry personnel.

Presently, The Atma is gearing up for their record release, actively seeking opportunities to deliver their songs to live audiences and share the new recordings with the public. The band’s live act is fresh and energetic, invoking all the raw magic and vigor that is reminiscent of the best rock music from the early seventies and the nineties.
To learn more about The Atma, contact:

Sean Alan: (818) 274 8062
the_atma@hotmail.com
www.hotmail.com/theatma

Lucas Ventura: 782-9412
Lookas.ventura@gmail.com

Manager Dan Nash of Just Great Management
(310)-701-6071
dan@justgreatmanagement.com