Monument To No One

New Exploding in Sound Compilation featuring MTNO!

mtnoatx — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:11:21 +0000

Hey kids! Our friends at Exploding in Sound have released a new compilation featuring “Planetary”. It is called Circulatory System, and is available for FREE!! Get it here along with some info: http://www.explodinginsound.com/2009/11/exploding-in-sound-presents-circulatory.html

A couple more (mostly) glowing reviews of the debut

mtnoatx — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:46:33 +0000

From Austin Sound…
Across the album, on songs like the opener “Planetary” and “Blasting Sound”, a wall of swirling guitars move from shoegazing crescendos into pumping alt-rock anthems. Slate and his bandmates create something between Sparta (the post-At The Drive In band that actually wrote songs!) and Dischord alumni such as Jawbox — the tunes chug along, definitely driven by those guitars, with Slate alternating between ferocious yelping and seemingly introspective singing.

From willowz music…
On their self titled debut, the quartet show their penchant for endlessly walloping guitar feedback and distortion, sharp precision snare work, and hypnotic warping grooves. The guitars shimmer off each other through lengthy compositions, proving Monument To No One’s flair for mind expanding psychedelic exploration that sets them apart from the pack. Their music is raw and corrosive, with treacherous riffs and battering drum fills that drift into another dimension.

Rocked out New Year’s Eve-Eve

mtnoatx — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:41:11 +0000

Red Eyed Fly, 11 pm, Wednesday Dec. 30.

11pm Monument To No One
10pm Tex Offenders
9pm The Infinite sky Foundation
8pm Knock On Wood

Check it out at Do512.com.

Band meeting

mtnoatx — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:22:12 +0000

We are having a band meeting. This isn’t as dire as it might sound. Basically it beer, pickles and a massage chair. Rock and roll.

Monumental

mtnoatx — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:18:48 +0000

From the awesome pages of Echo Zine

If members of Hum and Gish-/Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins had ever collaborated and traded off instruments at random during the production of an album, the end result would have sounded a lot like Monument to No One’s self-titled debut. Although taking the Austin band more than a year to finish, this 9-track effort was definitely worth the wait.

While the band may be a monument to no one in particular, it is certainly a monument to the highly influential sounds of the ’90s midwest indie rock scene. Even the song titles, straightforward and uncomplicated by unnecessary creativity, read like the debut album of any ’90s giant.

Definitely rhythm-oriented, MTNO’s brilliance shifts between layers of evenly-fuzzed and super clean guitar, passing between shadow and light on any given track. The end result is not just a richly dynamic song, but an overall dynamic listening experience from ‘Planetary’ to the unapologetically Hum-inspired ‘Day of Reckoning’ (I had to check my iTunes library to ensure I hadn’t shuffled to another album).

Front man Eli Slate’s vocals, like the drifting guitars, switch from a melancholic monotone to a laconic angst as he displays a controlled tonal range, capturing perfectly the mood and ambience of each song. Slate and lead guitarist Steve Anderson show exceptional synchronization with one another, sometimes blending their two guitars into one huge distorted power chord, or accenting uncommon chord progressions with charged solos, and bassist Mike McKinnon does a superb job of alternating the allegiance of his distinguished hooks between Dan Skarbek’s masterful drumming and the powerful chorus of guitars.

Despite the album’s long production stages, the songs work well to further accentuate MTNO’s charismatic appeal. They reveal less of a largely incongruous collection of tracks and more of an exemplary dynamism: music that advances and retreats, curving adventurously outward and inward like the bold lines of the of the enigmatic statues depicted on their album cover.

Halloween Show in San Antonio, TX

mtnoatx — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:33:16 +0000

With Honey Thief and The Espera = Two awesome San Antonio bands.

Not Just Another Debut

mtnoatx — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:55:53 +0000

“MTNO’s debut LP captures the brazen guitar riffs and honed psychedelic leanings that have made the band popular at venues around the Lone Star State. Much of the album functions as most debuts do, collecting the better moments of live performances into a studio-shined souvenir (completed with a few jokes, i.e. track 6, Don’t Tase Me, Bro), but there are pockets of real accomplishment and promise for the band. A good portion of the album is a wash of goes-to-11 guitars, but when the band do slow it down, their impeccable knack for crafting perfect textures with nice crunchy guitar tones and a snare drum that would make Jim O’Rourke cry, not to mention tight playing of well-written arrangements – you know, good music stuff – all have the chance to show through what could easily have turned into just another debut.”

- John Michael Cassetta – September 27, 2009 – Side One Track One

Headhunter’s Tiki Lounge

mtnoatx — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:04:13 +0000

Mountaineer – CD Release Show – Extended Version

mtnoatx — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:12:34 +0000

Mountaineer – CD Release Show – Trailer Space Records – 9/26/09

Pick Your Poison

mtnoatx — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:45:12 +0000

iTunes – http://www.itunes.com/monumenttonoone

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com

LaLa – http://www.lala.com

Bandcamp – http://monumenttonoone.bandcamp.com/