The Closet Monsters
Portland, Oregon, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Almost three months after Japan was hit with a “perfect storm” of natural and man-made disasters, Hawaii is continuing to raise money for relief efforts. Pimpbot members Eric Lagrimas and Fernando “The Love Machine” Pacheco are the producers of this 20-song compilation, and they’ve not only enlisted some of their “A List” peers from the local underground community — Go Jimmy Go, Black Square and Upstanding Youth — but groups from other parts of the country as well. An impressive range of music is represented — punk and reggae, as well as ska.
The Debonaires blend ska and reggae with a hint of dub with “See You Again.” The aptly named Dub Robot takes the somnambulant genre several steps further with “Dubrobot VS. A.V. and the Aiders.”
Punk is well represented by the Closet Monsters’ contribution, “Drink! Drink! Drink!” The group’s tale of stress, running late and not being appreciated are experiences that working people of all ages and professions have in common.
Black Square issues a call for “u-n-i-t-y and freedom” with “We Believe.”
Upstanding Youth takes political awareness a big step forward with “Warning Call” — its call for action that is particularly relevant this year because of the so-called Arab Spring.
Australia is represented by the Resignators, a group with a strong horn section and a winning credo: “Beer is made for drinking!”
L.A.-based La Banda Skalavera adds yet another dimension to the project with “Como Jodes,” a Spanish-language selection that provides a glimpse of what’s happening outside the English-language rock/punk/ska scene.
Chris Murray closes the album with “Shades of the Same Color,” a smooth anthem with the ever-topical message that all people are “shades of the same color.”
Lagrimas and Pacheco add the essential final touch to the album by including contact information for all 20 acts. Like what you hear? More information is only a click away. Download the album at passoutrecords.com. - Honolulu Pulse
Discography
Closet Monsters EP (2008)
Stop Trying (2010)
Photos
Bio
The Closet Monsters are a four-piece rock band from Portland, OR, heavily influenced by ska, punk, and hip-hop. Their hip-hop rhythms coupled with ska and punk guitar riffs set them apart from other local ska bands.
The band released it's first full-length album "Stop Trying" in February of 2010.
The Closet Monsters started as a 3-piece, went through a few line-up changes, and recently added another member. The Closet Monsters includes James Colhoff on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Gabe Colhoff on vocals and lead guitar, Katie Lesseg on bass and back-up vocals, and Jon Corona on the drums.
They have played numerous shows in Portland, OR, and have also played in Bend, OR, Seattle, WA, Waikiki, HI, Kailua, HI, Honolulu, HI, Browning, MT, and Hayes, MT. The Closet Monsters were featured on Skankers Delight Radio in the UK in early 2008 as the best new band of the week, and were one of the top three contenders for Best New Band PDX 2009. Their song “You Know. I Know.” was featured on Pacific Sunwear’s (PacSun) website in late 2009 as part of their online holiday promotions. They have shared the stage with Bad Manners, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Knockout, Left Alone, Pimpbot, and Black Square, among many others.
Not wishing to fit into a cookie-cutter mold, The Closet Monsters strive to make new and interesting music by mixing different pieces of different genres into a new sound. They want to make the crowd move. The band also wishes to give back to the community by bringing music to areas where bands often pass by.
Brothers James and Gabe are enrolled Northern Cheyenne and have Blackfeet family as well. With strong ties to their Native background, themes of social justice (or injustice) and societal issues often come out in their songs. The Closet Monsters also find themselves influenced by several bands, including Voodoo Glow Skulls, Rancid, Smashmouth, Suicide Machines, Ska-P, Rx Bandits, The Skadaddyz, The Specials, Tupac, (+44), and Matisyahu.
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