Johnny Butler- Saxophone (on So Embarrassing) Matthew Nelson- Saxophone (on So Embarrassing) Ryan Snow- Trombone (on So Embarrassing) Andy Hunter- Trombone (on So Embarrassing) Jeffrey Young- Violin (on So Embarrassing) Jessica Pavone- Viola (on So Embarrassing) Caleigh Drane- Cello (on So Embarrassing) Zachary Crystal- Percussion (on So Embarrassing) Stephan Alessi- Guitar (Sept. 2004-Jun. 2005) Curt Howard- Drums (Jan.-Jun. 2005) Matt Davis- Bass, Trombone (Winter 2007 Tour) Paul Laughrige- Keyboards (Summer 2005 Tour) Jeff Cristiani- Drums (on Fragments) Kevin Alexander- Drums, Keyboards, Percussion (on Fragments)
Influences
Mercedes Sosa, Shudder To Think, Edgard Varese, Kate Bush, Gilberto Gil, Converge, XTC, Don Cherry, Cursive, Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino, Deerhoof, Os Novos Baianos, Harry Partch, Del Shannon, Olivier Messiaen, Weezer, Sun Ra, Curtis Mayfield, Jorge Ben, The Ronettes
Sounds Like
"So Embarrassing" - CD Painstaking detail and deeply personal subject matter collide on So Embarrassing, Capillary Action's most accomplished set of songs to date. Austere structures develop from seemingly chaotic forms, melodies burst out from each nook and cranny, morphing into dense walls of sound and back again. (2008, Natural Selection)
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"Cannibal Impulses" - CD EP
Constructed entirely from samples and outsourced material, then stripped, reconfigured, and grafted onto completely new circuits, Cannibal Impulses is something that falls in the cracks between the sadistic soundscapes of Japanese noise artists, the satisfying crunch of chiptunes music, and modern classical composition. DVD coming soon! (2006, Natural Selection)
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"Veins Charcoal Shirt" (100% cotton shirt, available in S, M, and L)
Capillary Action songs never sit still and do what you expect; they bend, stretch, fall apart and come back together, only to fall apart again. Since 2004, composer/guitarist Jonathan Pfeffer has drawn upon a wide range of influences to create dense, catchy, and deeply personal compositions that mesmerize as much as they challenge.
The New York-based band -- now an all-acoustic quintet -- tours relentlessly, having played hundreds of shows across the U.S., Canada, and Europe alongside Beirut, Dirty Projectors, Shudder To Think, Rhys Chatham, Joe Lally (Fugazi), 31knots, and Dos (Mike Watt and Kira Roessler), among many others. Capillary Action have also been featured in Pitchfork Media, Exclaim, Guitar World, Modern Drummer, the Wire, the Onion, the Stranger, and Time Out New York.
On May 1st, 2009, Capillary Action's second full-length, "So Embarrassing," will be given a proper European release by Germany's Discorporate Records.
Selected Press:
"Imagine Prokofiev re-arranging Red Krayola...Capillary Action offered the spectacle of virtuosity, with technical mastery of their instruments and a sophisticated understanding of melody and harmony."- The Wire
"So Embarrassing is a bold change in direction for Capillary Action, but one that pays off."- Pitchfork Media
"Capillary Action harness the power of the best of Zappa’s more rocking efforts, combining excellent jazz chops with punk energy, making complicated arrangements sound natural...and then there are the [highly personal] lyrics, when intelligible, give greater gravitas to the flow." - Exclaim
"Walks the line between good songwriting and good noise" - Tiny Mix Tapes
"A kick upside the head is probably less jarring than So Embarrassing." - The Onion AV Club
"A bastion of avant-rock futurism." - The Stranger
"Noisy but whimsical, jittery and brassy but rooted in punk...there is forboding behind [Pfeffer's] cool delivery, and that is what makes for the best of Capillary Action." - Foxy Digitalis" - Foxy Digitalis
"So Embarrassing is so confusing, so chaotic, and so lovely. Different parts stick out with each repeat listen, so its definitely something worth hearing again and again. Either your head will explode or your heart will swell, but this album demands that something be destroyed. How about just “convention”?" - Absolutepunk
"Call it “experimental rock” if you must, but So Embarrassing is way past the experimentation stage. Capillary Action knows exactly what it’s doing." - Prefix Mag
"No matter how many times So Embarrassing is played you will never hear it the same way. It’s certainly dense and chaotic, the only thing holding it together is the not the thought of what direction the band will turn to next but what map to use." - Delusions of Adequacy
"'So Embarrassing' is an album that will continue to reveal secrets long after the rest of your record collection has blown its load." - Sound As Language
"Thrilling maximalism that has me rubbing my hands with glee straight away. A whole album's worth of perversely complex, er, pop... that has chunks of different genres popping up unexpectedly like the good bits in a stew made of gourmet leftovers." - Organ Magazine UK Album of the Week
"The music is some of the oddest, yet somehow strangely accessible, tunes I’ve heard for some time. I’ve listened to this pretty solidly since I’ve got it and I’ll be fucked if I can explain it properly." - NoiseNoiseNoise (Australia)
"If you like music that confronts you head on, with a terrific blend of aggression, humor and diversity, and most importantly, with no borders, then Capillary Action will be more than happy to provide the perfect soundtrack for you." - Sea of Tranquility
you guys were amazing the other night!! really enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone. good luck with the touring! Hope to see you again. keep in touch. chris RD
Thanks for accepting my add. You guys really kicked ass when you open for Claypool here in Calgary. Check out some of my tracks and give me some of your thoughts, good or bad.
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