ZZZZZZ

Warm synths revolve around organic beats in this new track from San Francisco duo Seatraffic. With one foot in the '80s and one in the future, these two balance melody and drone perfectly. Interlocking textures suspend a dreamy glow as the song courses along its patient build.

"Crimes" will see a limited release on 7" vinyl come August 1, but until then, you can stream and download the single for free.
- Prefix Magazine

Warm synths revolve around organic beats in this new track from San Francisco duo Seatraffic. With one foot in the '80s and one in the future, these two balance melody and drone perfectly. Interlocking textures suspend a dreamy glow as the song courses along its patient build.

"Crimes" will see a limited release on 7" vinyl come August 1, but until then, you can stream and download the single for free.
- Prefix Magazine

Robert Smith, Morrissey, and Bono would all be so proud (or more likely they’d be looking for royalty checks) if they could hear Seatraffic‘s “Crimes”. There’s something distinctly British and distinctly 80s about this song, from the heavy drumbeats to the slow crescendo to Mark Zannad’s epic croon. Czech it out: - I Guess I'm Floating

On the new seven-inch, Crimes, the persistent flow of Seatraffic feels like it's washing over you like warm bath water. The San Francisco electronic pop duo takes a page out of the 1980s synth playbook, and executes it with a shiny modern gleam, incorporating dreamy reverb, and heavy, shoe-gazing beats.

If you climb over some sandy rocks at Corona Del Mar State Beach down in Southern California, you can jet down to Little Corona, a more secluded plot of warm sand and water with craggy little caves surrounding it. And if you should ever visit, I suggest playing Seatraffic's Crimes on your portable record player, and bringing along edibles.

This is because vocalist Mark Zannad and drummer Brandon Harrison created cavernous atmospheres pressed on small white vinyl, just the right speed for a languid dip. It's Seatraffic's first physical release, and limited to 300 copies.

The band will perform live from the new release at a DJ-studded Project One gathering this week. - San Francisco Bay Guardian

Seatraffic, an alternative-dreampop duo hailing from San Fran, exudes an abundance of energy on the track “Crimes”.

It commands with a pounding foundation of a bass drum/floor tom combo and layered with synthesized moans and tones. Heavy on the vocal reverb and waning synth licks, this track leaves you borderline hypnotized within 30 seconds of the track that clocks in just over five minutes.

Mark Zannad, on synth and vocals, has a chilling reverberated voice, while drummer Brandon Harrison’s monotonous beats ring through from their first released single “Speed Limits” to the newest track in question.

This doesn’t and shouldn’t come as a big surprise to us considering the pair have only been at it together for two years, perfecting what they do well rather than trying to experiment with their sound just yet. They are a bit reminiscent of the classic ‘80s pop geniuses Genesis, giving them the melodic equation for success. - Inyourspeakers

Seatraffic, an alternative-dreampop duo hailing from San Fran, exudes an abundance of energy on the track “Crimes”.

It commands with a pounding foundation of a bass drum/floor tom combo and layered with synthesized moans and tones. Heavy on the vocal reverb and waning synth licks, this track leaves you borderline hypnotized within 30 seconds of the track that clocks in just over five minutes.

Mark Zannad, on synth and vocals, has a chilling reverberated voice, while drummer Brandon Harrison’s monotonous beats ring through from their first released single “Speed Limits” to the newest track in question.

This doesn’t and shouldn’t come as a big surprise to us considering the pair have only been at it together for two years, perfecting what they do well rather than trying to experiment with their sound just yet. They are a bit reminiscent of the classic ‘80s pop geniuses Genesis, giving them the melodic equation for success. - Inyourspeakers

Since forming in 2010, SF-based synthpop duo Seatraffic has slowly built their catalog, releasing a single for their track “Speed Limits” last August, followed by their eponymous debut EP in November. Comprised of Mark Zannad (vocals, synths) and Brandon Harrison (drums), the band steps outside of the usual synthpop parameters, delving into a shoegazy, spaced-out sound that they, at least in part, attribute to looking to the City’s “richness and dynamic culture as a muse.”
Up next for Zannad and Harrison is their forthcoming two-song Crimes 7?, set for release on August 1st. The title track is a dreamy number, paced by a heavy drumbeat and saturated in synths reminiscent of Alphaville and capable of transporting the listener to another time and place. Check it out below, premiering exclusively here on The Bay Bridged: - The Bay Bridged

San Fransisco based band Seatraffic's new song, "Crimes", explores emotional grandiosity through dreamy washes of drums and synthesizers played by Brandon Harrison and Mark Zannad, respectively. "Crimes" shows the duo's passion for cavernous melodrama, while also displaying their wonders as synth-pop purveyors.

"Crimes" starts with buzzing synths before a pounding drum summons a power the size of an ocean. Immmediately after, massive synths permeate above, before falling into Zannad's washed out vocals. Little of his lyrics can be made out, but when he bellows, "When you think its not a crime…" during the surging chorus, there's an added intensity stirred into to the deep mix of synths and drums. The track continually builds out of repetition and subtlety finally errupting into its immersive, breath-taking finale.

"Crimes" will be self-released on 7-inch this August. You can listen to "Crimes" below and download it as well. - IMPOSE Magazine

The San Francisco-based duo comprised of Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison lead off their new self-titled EP with this big-horned number - not as in trumpet, but as in bull. It’s big and punchy and sharp and you might want to tie a pair on to the front of your truck. Sure, this is synthy dreampop, but it’s not shy. More of a meaty and muscular variety. - YVYNYL

Why yes I’ll take some dreamy synth pop-py goodness courtesy of the San Fran duo of Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison. These two gents have a stellar eargasm fest single up on Bandcamp! The b-side to Speed Limits, Beach Life is so damn wonderful I really don’t know what to do with myself! Think like Houses or Tanlines with a Beach House feel and Ezra Koenig Vampire Weekend-y vocals. If you are smitten too you can dowload the Speed Limits single for free over at Bandcamp! - Dance Yrself Clean

Why yes I’ll take some dreamy synth pop-py goodness courtesy of the San Fran duo of Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison. These two gents have a stellar eargasm fest single up on Bandcamp! The b-side to Speed Limits, Beach Life is so damn wonderful I really don’t know what to do with myself! Think like Houses or Tanlines with a Beach House feel and Ezra Koenig Vampire Weekend-y vocals. If you are smitten too you can dowload the Speed Limits single for free over at Bandcamp! - Dance Yrself Clean

Seatraffic’s “Leave It Alone” is one of the biggest sounding dream-pop songs I’ve ever heard.

I could spend all day breaking down the importance of a song like this in the genre. I could also break down how the duo out of San Francisco put in the time before creating as Seatraffic studying music as a passion rather than treating it as a form of academia. This song is far larger than either of those avenues would do justice for.

This is a stand alone song of implemented greatness. Each note and every word sung is precise and fitting, honestly from the second I pressed play I could not help but ask myself “Why hasn’t this been done before.” This song is important.

For someone to hear “Leave It Alone” and not find a personal attachment to the song, to without warning catch themselves invested without conscious effort just seems unrealistic. This is the kind of song you hear while sitting in a local coffeehouse or crate digging at a mom-and-pop vinyl shop and the first thing you notice is that your foot and thumbs are tapping the rhythm out. Then you are dropping whatever you’re doing and turning your ear to the speaker to catch what’s being said a little closer, and now your heads swaying with the beat, “I’ve got to have this album” is the only thought besides “wow” in your head. You don’t quite want to move and you’re looking around to see if anyone notices you just standing there trying to control yourself from dancing only then do you realize that everyone else in the store is doing exactly what you are. It’s a “High Fidelity” moment and you are living it.

The dangerous thing is that this isn’t the only song on their self titled EP to have this epic of an effect. Stream it for yourself over at their bandcamp page and make sure to either pre-order it now or pick it up on November 29 when it becomes official.
- ListenB4youbuy

There are many paths to launching a career as an indie band. Maybe your favorite musicians honed their chops playing tiny basement shows, or upped their indie cred working at your local record store. But Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison of the San Francisco band Seatraffic had a different path. They started out as music bloggers.

“Being a music blogger, I learned that there are more music blogs in the world than you could count,” Mark says, “and even more bands. Homemade, self-released music needs the Internet.” As with blogging, Mark and Brandon soon learned that the key to success is making yourself standout in the crowd.

A self-described ‘chillwave’ band, Seatraffic says they are influenced deeply by their city. “Life in the Bay is unlike life anywhere else,” Mark says. Some of his favorite Bay Area bands are garage rockers like Thee Oh Sees, Shannon and the Clams, and Ty Segall. “So much of the city ends up in our music, for better or for worse.”

Although Mark admits he and Brandon don’t spend as much time at the beach as they’d like to, their track “Beach Life” is inspired by “that 50/50 feeling you get at the beach: hot facing the sun, and cool facing the sea.” As huge Beach House fans, Mark and Brandon were hoping to achieve “a great simplicity” like the kind Beach House has mastered.

Mark says that the indie blogosphere and social networking have been the driving force behind the band’s success. “When you combine blogging and social networking, as in the case of Tumblr, things can spread like wildfire,” Mark says. “Rather than sit around and complain how the Internet is taking over, we are using it to our advantage.” They were inspired to take control of their music publishing with Songtrust after making a submission to RCRDLBL.com and learning about the service.

Seatraffic is currently wrapping up their debut EP, which will be available on Bandcamp in October, and booking of shows to promote it. Their debut full-length is slated for late 2012. Check out Seatraffic online here, and be sure to check out their debut single, “Speed Limits,” on Bandcamp. - Song Trust

There are many paths to launching a career as an indie band. Maybe your favorite musicians honed their chops playing tiny basement shows, or upped their indie cred working at your local record store. But Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison of the San Francisco band Seatraffic had a different path. They started out as music bloggers.

“Being a music blogger, I learned that there are more music blogs in the world than you could count,” Mark says, “and even more bands. Homemade, self-released music needs the Internet.” As with blogging, Mark and Brandon soon learned that the key to success is making yourself standout in the crowd.

A self-described ‘chillwave’ band, Seatraffic says they are influenced deeply by their city. “Life in the Bay is unlike life anywhere else,” Mark says. Some of his favorite Bay Area bands are garage rockers like Thee Oh Sees, Shannon and the Clams, and Ty Segall. “So much of the city ends up in our music, for better or for worse.”

Although Mark admits he and Brandon don’t spend as much time at the beach as they’d like to, their track “Beach Life” is inspired by “that 50/50 feeling you get at the beach: hot facing the sun, and cool facing the sea.” As huge Beach House fans, Mark and Brandon were hoping to achieve “a great simplicity” like the kind Beach House has mastered.

Mark says that the indie blogosphere and social networking have been the driving force behind the band’s success. “When you combine blogging and social networking, as in the case of Tumblr, things can spread like wildfire,” Mark says. “Rather than sit around and complain how the Internet is taking over, we are using it to our advantage.” They were inspired to take control of their music publishing with Songtrust after making a submission to RCRDLBL.com and learning about the service.

Seatraffic is currently wrapping up their debut EP, which will be available on Bandcamp in October, and booking of shows to promote it. Their debut full-length is slated for late 2012. Check out Seatraffic online here, and be sure to check out their debut single, “Speed Limits,” on Bandcamp. - Song Trust

I have a nautical theme going on right now. My sheets, clothes, posters, all the stuff I’ve picked up for college, is very bleach-white sailboat-ish. Seatraffic has also worked itself into this stylistic equation. They sound like a mix of Washed Out and Vampire Weekend, and that alone should be enough to make any college age kid check them out. - Earmilk.com

I have a nautical theme going on right now. My sheets, clothes, posters, all the stuff I’ve picked up for college, is very bleach-white sailboat-ish. Seatraffic has also worked itself into this stylistic equation. They sound like a mix of Washed Out and Vampire Weekend, and that alone should be enough to make any college age kid check them out. - Earmilk.com

It’s my pleasure to bring you the world’s first listen of a brand new band from San Francisco comprised of Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison - two guys who were music blogging under the banner LoFiDisguise but decided to give it up in favor of making music themselves. Considering the slow and sultry goodness of this first single from their upcoming debut self-titled album coming out next month, I’d say the decision was worth it. It’s hot like a latenight campfire, burned to embers and the warm red glow. - YVYNYL

Not until a while ago Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison from San Francisco were still blogging under the name LoFi Disguise, but decided it’s better they make music instead and formed a duo. Very good decision I tell ya. I don’t mind standing in any traffic with “Speed Limits” and looking forward to their self titled debut next month. - Listen Before You Buy

Not until a while ago Mark Zannad and Brandon Harrison from San Francisco were still blogging under the name LoFi Disguise, but decided it’s better they make music instead and formed a duo. Very good decision I tell ya. I don’t mind standing in any traffic with “Speed Limits” and looking forward to their self titled debut next month. - Listen Before You Buy