Jerry's Top Albums:
AC/DC - Ballbreaker (1995)
AC/DC - Razor's Edge (1990)
Dieselboy - Dungeonmaster's Guide (2004)
Fiend - There's One in Every Family (1998)
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
Phantom 45 - Think Twice (1995)
Pish Posh - Indoor Storm (2001)
Tim's Top Albums:
At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command (2000)
Deftones - White Pony (2000)
Jet - Get Born (2003)
The Living End - The Living End (1998)
Nine Inch Nails - And All That Could Have Been (2002)
Powerman 5000 - Tonight the Stars Revolt! (1999)
RZA - RZA as Bobby Digital (1998)
Nate's Top Albums:
Chevelle - Wonder What's Next (2002)
Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)
Idlewild - The Remote Part (2002)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969)
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute (2005)
Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (1992)
Tool - Lateralus (2001)
Pete's Top Albums:
The Clash - London Calling (1979)
Cursive - Domestica (2000)
Frank Black - Teenager of the Year (1994)
Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (1995)
Muse - Showbiz (1999)
Nirvana - In Utero (1993)
Radiohead - The Bends (1995)
CMT has also been influenced a great deal by Smashing Pumpkins, Chemlab, Hilary Duff (pre-Dead Executives, duh), KMFDM, PIG, Machines of Loving Grace, Placebo and Weezer.
Sounds Like
Listeners have compared CMT's evolving sound at times to:
The Blood Brothers, Bright Eyes, Chameleon, Elliot Smith, fIREHOSE, Garrison, Jets to Brazil, Jet, Kill Hannah, The Killers, King Crimson, Local H, the Melvins, Mudhoney, Nirvana, The Pixies, Tim Skold (Marilyn Manson, KMFDM, Skold, Shotgun Messiah), Smashing Pumpkins, The Violent Femmes, Virgin Prunes, The White Stripes...
CMT does not confirm or deny any of these similarities.
Fanmail!
"the nirvana wanna b attempt failed, and u guys come off way to emo/alternative for me, sry guys but u picked the wrong dude to invite...nothing on my page hints i dig emo/alternative sounds, infact its the devil, and u ppl are spreading evil. rock is ruined metal is gay. one day it will rise again and crush the bs ppl out there draggin our name through the dirt."
"the vocals need to improve before I care about the lyrics. thanks"
"you're the worst band I've ever seen at this bar...the worst band I've ever seen at this bar!"
Children's Masterpiece Theatre is an alternative rock band from Chicago. Their eponymous debut was released on September 18th, 2007. A record release show sponsored by Q101 & Miller Light took place on Thursday, September 27th at the Abbey Pub. A local band wrestled WWF legend the Iron Sheik.
Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun Times & Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions called CMT "a combination of vintage '90s symphonic Smashing Pumpkins with Tool or Nine Inch Nails electro-industrial thrash," praising the band's "ambitious self-titled album" and newer demos which showcase "the promise of a band struggling to find a unique path forward from its obvious influences."
History: In the summer of 2005, in the midst of earning his master's in religion and medieval literature at Yale, frontman Timothy O'Connell decided that he preferred being a lowlife curmudgeon in a band to a lowlife curmudgeon and professional academic, so he began Tyranny Belle Records and vowed to return to Chicago full-time in '06 to record a proper debut for his band CMT, which had been producing full-length DIY demo albums as a three-piece since 2001 and passing them out to close friends.
In '06, the band promptly recorded what would be the album's first single, "Lorelei," and, frequently emerging from the studio to book shows at any bar they could, began to forge their ballistic live show in the hateful, disinterested glare of townies and scenesters of the lower and mid-level bar scene.
By September, they nevertheless gained the attention of Q101's Fook, who featured CMT on his Alternate Universe program, saying, "I'm actually shocked I haven't heard of them before, because they're really good...I think they're fantastic." Click here to hear "Lorelei" on Q101.
Winter was added as a live keyboardist just prior to the release of the album in '07 and his contributions can already be appreciated on new tracks like "the Mustang" from CMT's new b-sides & remixes CD Drift or Die Trying. The band's ongoing live recordings and drunken outtakes are documented by free TBSS downloads from Tyranny Belle and various label compilations around the holidays.
Children's Masterpiece Theatre is currently taking a vacation to sit down and read the Oxford English Dictionary cover-to-cover. And to bring change to Washington.
They have performed at the Abbey Pub, Beat Kitchen, Elbo Room, the Mutiny, Reggie's Rock Club, Ronnie's, Subterranean, Underground Lounge, and dozens of other venues around Chicagoland. A complete archive of previous shows can be found at the band's website by clicking here.
Tyranny Belle Subscription Service!
Booking:
For booking questions, please contact Timothy O'Connell: toconnell@tyrannybelle.com or "wirelesstimmy" on AIM.
Merch:
Eponymous (2007) - $10. Also available on iTunes.
(Or you're more than welcome to steal it.)
Purchase the original CMT t-shirt at a show, while supplies last.
Major Releases:
Children's Masterpiece Theatre - Released September 2007
Sheep - Released August 2005
The Diseases of Venus - Released August 2003
Nitetime All the Time - Released August 2002
Front row, left to right: P Walsh, K Hines, T O'Connell, the Iron Sheik, Nate Winter, G Good; Back row: A Bamford
Children’s Masterpiece Theatre's Friend Space (Top 12)
WOW. It's been like...a year since I listened to you guys? What a horrible tragedy. I totally had no idea what I was missing. But I'm still heaps in love with your music. [:
![Man and Machines[Working on new material]](http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/4/s_bfdec1da3c374f319672ad127920ecbb.jpg)
Online Now!
