The Pennies

THE PENNIES..'THIS WORLD UNKNOWN'

(Independent release) Reviewed 26th July 2007

This mini cd by The Pennies has taken me totally by storm. The story goes like this. I received a friends request on our myspace from an unknown band (to me anyway) called The Pennies. I accept, go to their page at http://www.myspace.com/thepennies and listen to what they have on offer. I promptly order this cd. 5 tracks and nearly 30 mins of music. Penny (pictured right) sounds a little like Dido to my ears, particularly on 'Shine Within Sadness'. And that is not a bad thing. In-fact Penny has one hell of a voice. I like the whole of this cd. It's rock, laid back but not too laid back. I reckon given the right exposure, The Pennies would go down well here in the UK. Listening to the cd, I can imagine myself at a rain soaked Glastonbury, with The Pennies on stage. The independent music scene has some awesome artists if you look. PLEASE support this band. 9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

http://www.ravenheartmusic.euro-site.co.uk/index.asp - Dave Smith

Matt Jones – Morning show DJ for 99X radio station
Website review: www.99x.com
*Under ‘Unplugged in the Park’ 2006 series (excerpt from article).
Surely the biggest turnout this year was the Blue October show on Oct. 9. Because of Ryan Adams show last month, we (the station) realized we better be prepared this time for Blue October. Crowd estimates were over 10,000 people strong!~ Local band; The Pennies opened. The band totally blew it out hard! We’d love for ‘The Pennies’ to open all of our shows! Their energy and music rocked the crowd so hard, they were the perfect primer for Blue October.

- Matt Jones - 99X radio station website

Creative Loafing, Atlanta GA – Writer - Heather Kuldrell
Reviewed on Friday, Sept. 26, 2006

On Friday night, I was out and about in good ol’ Buckhead (what’s left of it!) when I stumbled into CJ’s Landing to check out local band; ‘The Pennies’. I had heard many good things about this band in the past, but every time I try to see them I’m always doing something else (like reviewing some other band probably!). Well, I finally got to catch one of their live shows and I was very pleasantly surprised. Finally, there is a band in Atlanta that doesn’t sound like every other band around town. I mean, come on guys, how many British rock wannabe bands do we really need? These guys rock and oh yeah, they have a female singer (Penny, get it?) that is truly amazing! It’s been a while since I’ve been over to CJ’s. Surprise, surprise the place is exactly same. While not exactly known for its wine and cheese crowd, it’s still one of the best places in town to see local rock bands. Hard to believe John Mayer played this club! People who visit this place are here for one reason, to see live music. Yep, this place stinks of stale beer and cigarettes and that’s part of the charm. Anyway, the band was supposed to go on at 10 pm but for whatever the reasons, they didn’t start until after 11 pm. This was perhaps a trick on their part or maybe because they didn’t have an opener? I could tell something was up when the place started filling up with fog and lights almost thick enough to drown out the cigarettes (not really). In a haze, lead singer Penny Marie came out with a pink, sparkling guitar, high heel boots and a short cropped mini-skirt. Ok, she’s really cute but can she sing? Definitely yes! Her voice is very unique, I kept trying to compare her to someone but really nobody comes to mind. The music sounds a bit like Evanescence, Dido & Birthday Massacre but not her voice. The band rocked really hard, lots of energy got the crowd going and kept them on their feet for almost the entire show, except when they did a slow, stark version of a Jeff Buckley cut ‘Grace’. That song really highlighted Penny’s voice. I could almost see the lighters swaying in a large arena someday! Catch The Pennies next month at Park Tavern on October 9 when they open up for Blue October. www.myspace.com/thepennies
- Heather Kuldrell

The Pennies Up and Coming Atlanta Band Ready to Take it to the Top
Atlanta band tours the east coast following the release of their debut album.

Atlanta, GA 6/18/2008 02:54 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)



The Atlanta based band, The Pennies, named after the lead singer Pennie Marie, describes themselves as an ambient, alternative rock band with dark overtones. They have been together since 2004; their first gig was at Smiths Old Bar in Atlanta, Georgia.



Penny Marie met the band’s bassist, Jeff Amodio, four years ago. Penny was a singer songwriter working in Nashville. Starting with a folk-like sound, the band’s music slowly evolved into something darker with the addition of new members. They attribute their sound to the various influences contributed by the band members. While describing their music, many terms were mentioned, from metal to trance to goth industrial. In the end, there was no one term. There’s a little bit of everything that makes their music.



When it comes to writing music, Penny is the lyricist. She often works with Amodio to develop the direction of the piece which is finished in collaboration with the band. Rehearsals run on an unofficial schedule, usually every Wednesday or Thursday, or more accurately, whenever everybody isn’t working.



The biggest challenge for the band so far has been finding the right members. They had no set criteria for potential new band members, commenting that they just knew when someone was right for the band. Whether it was the person’s musical influences or just from talking to them, they just knew.



The Pennies recently released their first album, This World Unknown, May 20. The project took two years to complete but the group is proud of their work and are already working on their next. The second album is expected to release within a year, although no release date has been set. Previously, three of the band’s songs were featured on the feature film The Caretaker which released February 14, 2008.



The band has high hopes for the future, saying they’re ready to “take it to the top.” Working with various agents and continually submitting their work to sites like Taxi and SonicBids.com, they are continually pursuing more exposure while touring throughout the east coast this year. They are currently unsigned but will consider signing with a record label if the terms were right.



The Pennies recently played at Sportstime Bar and Grill in Duluth, GA Saturday, June 14 with local band Seven and Alabama based band AZ. They will play next in Orange Park, FL at The Liquid July 3.



The band would like to thank Bruce Bennet for his genius mind and dedication to the group and the production of This World Unknown.



befound@finditt.com
music.yourfindit.com
- Rebecca Firth- TransWorldNews