The Information

WEEKLY DIG
The Information (is Shocking)
by Luke O’Neil
28 January 2004

The Information began as a home recording project for the band's front man and Florida transplant Max Fresen. But in all the precision of the software, there was something missing: a proper band, an organic realization of the ideas in his head. As the songwriting evolved, the sound he was looking for - The Buzzcocks meet Joy Division is as good a description as any - came to fruition. "Unlike the My Bloody Valentine-esque music I had been working on previously, I knew these songs could be performed live just as they'd been envisioned."

As these things usually go, a series of fortuitous meetings and rekindled friendships brought together the six pieces that would form the band, including Zack Wells (guitar), Heath Fradkoff (bass), Deb Grant (guitar), drummer Brad Kayal and later addition, keyboardist Ashley Moody. "We had our first practice in September of 2002," says Fresen. "I had sent out mp3s prior to the meeting, and, within an hour, we had torn through all three songs with amazing results."

The Information's sound, and its exciting live show in particular, is made up of thrashing dance beats and decidedly anglo-keyboards and bass lines. Fresen's vocal approach is energetic and melds well as an instrument of the band. I told the singer that one of the things that struck me about the band is the way that people in "the Boston rock scene" (that rag-tag group of has-beens, would-be's and hangers-on who claw at one another with hopeless abandon) seem to have actually accepted them in a short time period. Of course, peer acceptance pales in comparison to the cultivation of a larger fan base of regular folks, but with significant recent exposure on the newly rejuvenated WFNX and plenty of gigging in NYC, that shouldn't be far off. For all of this, they've grasped that next rung on the ladder as well, jealousy disguised as dismissal. It's one of the most tried and true paradoxes of rock & roll, and if nothing else, it means the band is doing something right. If you are disliked as well as you are liked, then success is imminent.

There are various reasons for this, Fresen says, "depending on how you value all the various aspects of being in a band. There's the music, the image, the personalities, the promotion and the audience's perceived longevity of a band to consider. People don't always break it down like that when we're watching someone perform on stage, but I think most audiences take all those factors into account when we determine whether we'll attend the next concert. My personal opinion is that The Information was successful right away because we have the personalities necessary to make something like this work. Everyone in this band is savvy and confident of their place in the band, and that rubs off on an audience."

"Our strength, from day one, has always been that we become greater than the sum of our parts when we work together, and that allows us to spread the workload around. For example, there are three print/web designers, two long-time amateur sound engineers, a dedicated songwriter, six crushingly brutal music critics, a guitar virtuoso, a gearhead, a professional in the public relations world, six veteran musicians with excellent taste, and an enormous and varied record collection. I think that any band with that sort of make up would fare equally as well as ours. Having so many talented people who focus their energies in so many directions allows us to fill whatever roles best suit our individual strengths and weaknesses, and that means that the songwriters can write, the networkers can network and the designers can design. When everyone is involved, the band has a certain confidence in themselves that, I think, inspires the audience to have confidence in them as well."

As well thought out an answer as any, and a refreshingly honest one at that. There are other concerns, at times, besides simply rocking out and hoping people will hear about you out of nowhere. Of course it's completely possible, Fresen jokes, that any modest success they've achieved so far is because their first EP had really cool packaging and because they have two girls on stage.

Because the way that music fans relate to the aesthetics of a band is subconscious (beyond the natural sexual urges toward confident men and women in a seeming position of power), the dynamic is often overlooked. But with thousand of bands clamoring for your attention, things like design are invaluable. "Bands walk a fine line in this respect," Fresen says. "A band has the burden of being an accessory for its fans, whether we like it or not. I know I wouldn't champion a band I was ashamed to be associated with, because, lame or not, I am a social creature, just like everyone else. Sure, irony allows for certain exceptions, but by and large, a band needs to uphold its end of the bargain: We will entertain you with our music, our performances and o - Weekly Dig

SOUNDCHECK
The Information: The Scene that Celebrates Itself
By Mike Baldino
November 2003

The information sprang seemingly out of nowhere earlier this year, graduating from a sold-out Monday night debut gig at Charlies Kitchen in March to a Saturday night bill at the Middle East upstairs in October, which is no mean feat in a city as fiercely competitive as Boston. Zach Wells, Heath Fradkoff, Deb Grant, Max Fresen, Brad Kayal, and Ashley Moody have an alluringly detached stage presence and immediately appealing sound that comine shoegaze swirling guitars with New Wave-inspired pop hooks and a healthy does of post-hardcore aggression that sounds not unlike Hot Snakes covering Interpol. They’ve self-released an EP and contributed songs to compilations by The Pill and the Traktor7 label, and are currently at work recording a full-length album.
- Soundcheck Magazine

STEVE MORSE:: BOSTON GLOBE
Now this, ladies and gentleman, is a rock band. The guys and girls of The Information, led by lead singer Max, who in sound and appearance is akin to a bizarro Diego, plays loud, brash, straight up party music with just a little bit of the good ol' new wave pop thrown in there to keep kids honest and happy.
- The Boston Globe

Coming all the way down from Boston to play the opening slot of the January VICIOUS, they brought both the goods and a formidable crowd, and made quite a few believers out of the local NYC usual suspects.

The best way to describe their sound is that if a solid object it'd be a stealth bomber - heavy but fast and dark and with way of sneaking up on you and dropping some sonic boom shit on your unsuspecting ass. I have to admit that when I first heard their album and even saw them live, I hadn't quite fully absorbed all that they had to offer as a band, hence the sneaking up part - through no fault of their own mind you, Maker's tends to make me a little slow on the uptake. Irregardless, they completely blew me and the VICIOUS audience away this night - and for sure will be doing the same all up and down the East Coast in the coming months.
- Jennyk dot com

The Information
A microcosm of the city itself, members of the Information have to Boston from all over the US, combining a blend of synth-driven rock n' roll that's causing waves in the local circuit. With a litany of introspective pop songs with sneering attitude, The Information is a six-member shotgun blast of no-wave debauchery.
for more information go to - Earlash e-zine

One of the newest bands to turn heads is a combo called the Information, who have a definite New York leaning in what can best described as new wave pop riddled with a dark undercurrent. Interpol would be the closest fererence point on the rock & roll family tree, but while the two I-bands may be some common ground, each stakes out its own turf as well. They haven’t been around long and already attract a crowd at every show they play. Perhaps they’ve causght lightning in a bottle, but I have a distinct feeling that their self-released four song EP will soon be a collector’s item. Perfect timing, youthful exuberance and infectious hooks are propelling the Infromation from local hot lists to national ones.

- David Virr - Filter Preview

THE INFORMATION [I Love Trouble]
JOEL SIMCHES – THE NOISE
The dark wall of guitar with icy synths and ten foot tall drums never rocked this hard. The Information combines elements of some great 80’s bands like The Fall, Siouxie & The Banshees, The Church, the Cure, and the Cult, with the pure rock cruch of Foo Fighters Bob Mould and the Pixies. Produced at Galaxy Park by power house knobmeister Richard Marr, I Love Trouble is jam packed with infectious melodies and some great hooks. Bonus points should be generously awarded for the packaging for this disc. I won’t describe it here. Pick up the Information’s new CD and see for yourself.
- The Noise Magazine

by Clay N. Ferno

I Don’t Care – I’ll call it “Boston’s Retro” – and I love it! Part1 Love will tear us apart again. Not only are these guys doing it live but also they do a fine job on this record. I can’t wait for a full length. In my opinion, New Order has nothing on these guys. I can seriously rock out to their spooky keys and singer Fax Fresen’s creepy vocals. This is pop in an 80’s way and the Information puts a lot into their songwriting and originality. On stage they are dressed in black and there are not only on but two slammin’ chicks in this band.

My heart melts seeing a girl in a dress playing guitar, and this time she’s good. Check these guys out, download some mp3s. They have a solid sense of what it means to play rock, in their own way, even if it sounds like their influences, it doesn’t matter. The Information is a great band.
- CfbC e-Zine