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WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Its the nerdiness of Pavement, the dreamy abstraction of the Flaming Lips and the angst of Sebadoh all muddled into one. --magnet magazine

First of all, what makes Brando so special, and the cream of the crop (in my opinion) at Smokeylung Recordings, is that they have a knack for interweaving interesting and melodic song foundations with the catchy and irresistible vocals and harmonies. Like some of the E6 bands, they have a definite connection to obvious influences from yesteryear, but they do it with a sense of individuality that doesn't scream 'we worship the Beatles.' - Jim Carter of 'Delusions of Adequacy' - 2000(?)

Brando plays a style that manages to aptly reference most of the best Indie styles of recent times while adding a dose of 70s rock dreaming. Derek Richeys vivid, personal songwriting makes this already cool music meaningful. - Nick Bensen of FreeCity Media - 2004

Critics nationwide who have been more receptive to Brandos music than their local counterparts have created dozens of theories about the Brando sound. At various times in the bands existence, theyve been compared to Guided By Voices, the Beatles, Pavement, David Bowie, Blur, Built To Spill, Galaxie 500 and late-period John Lennon. Just about the only things all those artists have in common is a devotion to unraveling the Gordian knots of truth and an equal devotion to the structure of classic pop music. - Steve Hammer of The Nuvo - 2004

"I've said before that Brando's albums really take a lot of listens to fully appreciate, unlike some of the more purely pop work of other like-minded bands. That's because Richey's voice takes a little getting used to, and the lo-fi sound hides impressive production work that really shines on repeated - and loud - listens with headphones. Like the best pop and psychedelic bands of old, this is a headphone album from start to finish." - Jeff Marsh of 'Delusions of Adequacy' - 2004

BRANDO HISTORY

The band originally formed in Bloomington, Indiana circa 1991. Throughout the early years a few band name changes were made and band members came and left. In 1993 the core of band began to solidify; consisting of Derek Richey (vocals and guitar), Nathan Bryant (guitar) and Dan Solero (percussion) along with a number of different bassists.

The band experienced some growing pains and the live shows were inconsistent; however, the music continued to evolve and improve. Derek Richey began collaborating and writing new songs with more and more musicians. Josh Seib settled in as the band's first long-time bassist and eventually the bands guitarist. The ability of the band to capture an instinctual sound on a 4-track continued to improve as well. In Richeys hands, the 4 track became a viable recording machine.

The band continued to perform live until 1997 with an assortment of musicians, friends, draftees and guests including Pat Spurgeon (former drummer of Steve Kowalski; now with Sub Pop), Chris Kupersmith (Uvula), Kester Clarke, Aaron Smith and Jeb Banner (producer of many Secretly Canadian releases including June Panic). In 1997 Derek got a full time job, as did Dan Solero. Nathan Bryant was soon going to be whisked away by marriage, a baby, a job and a move to Brazil (the country). While the live act ceased to be, Richey continued to record and collaborate with Bryant whenever he was back in town. Solero eventually moved to Chicago but he also returned for regular recording sessions.

The recording relationship between Seib and Richey blossomed and accounted for a good portion of the recordings presented on what came to be the 2000 compilation release, The Adder on the Smokeylung recording label. The Adder represents a 3 year span of recording that resulted in approximately 200 songs; 14 of which were chosen for the album. Many of the other songs were included on self-released tapes that Richey made and passed out to friends, including the infamous Textiles on Labor which set the tone for future official releases.

The gang continued to record together, compiling music for another album called Peacocks on Linen which was released on Smokeylung in mid-2000. Peacocks marked the arrival of a clearer sound for Brando and the recordings themselves foretold a more powerful and richer recording style for the future. The Headless Horseman is a Preacher, which was released in 2001, changed everything for the band. This release garnered them more radio play and the kind of attention that turns heads. After spending years apart, it was time to put the live band back together. This time around the live act saw the additions of Jorma Whittaker (Marmoset), Kenny Childers (Mysteries of Life) and Daniel Touw on drums. Later, Whittaker would be replaced by Josh Bennett and Tony Whitlock would fill in for the departing Josh Seib; who moved to Chicago to restart his own band, Satelitte 66.

The next album, Single Crown Postcard, was released in 2002 on Recordhead /Mr. Whiggs Records. It was a softer, mild-mannered release with lots of cloudy orchestration. Postcards was perfect for those lonely, whiskey-drinking nights and would have been perfect for a movie-soundtrack.

For the release of 943 Recluse in 2004, the band dusted off the guitars and put the orchestra back in the closet. With more rock and grit than its predecessor, 943 Recluse features Richey collaborating with Kenny Childers, Tony Whitlock and Daniel Touw on a number of songs; a sign of more collaboration with the live band to come and a warning that the next Brando album (if things continue in the same direction) could be even a bigger rock.

PAST BAND MEMBERS

Nathan Bryant, Josh Seib, Finn Swingley, Jorma Whittaker, Pat Spurgeon, Jeremy Brantlinger, Chris Kupersmith, Kester Clarke, Aaron Smith (satan), Bill Ewing. If we have forgotten anyone, please let us know!

CURRENT RECCORD LABELS

Recordhead/Mr. Whiggs (US Full Lengths)

Smokeylung (EPs)

Talitres (EURO)

LISTEN TO MORE BRANDO MUSIC

If you like the Brando songs you've heard on Myspace, use the link below to visit Musical Family Tree (MFT); a website set up by Brando's friend, Jeb Banner. To listen to some Brando Mp3s on MFT, just click on the band's name on the left side panel. If you're really wily, you'll take some time to listen to the other awesome bands whose music is showcased on the MFT website as well. Feel free to post comments or questions on the MFT message board and please, enjoy!

Musical Family Tree

INFO ABOUT BRANDO CDs?

If you want to read some reviews of Brando CDs or you want some info on how to get a hold of the CDs for yourself, take a look at our Myspace Blog section.