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Grammar Debate!
Indie / Rock / Pop

		"Fly Like a Cheetah With A Helicopter in It's Mouth" PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA United States Profile Views: 32602 Last Login: 5/17/2008
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MySpace URL:

http://www.myspace.com/grammardebate

Grammar Debate!: General Info

Member Since	5/10/2005
Band Website	in the works
Band Members	JOSEPH LEKKAS- Vocals, Guitar// JAMES ALF BECKER- Guitar, Vocals// CAROLYNNE McNEEL- Keyboards, Violin, Guitar, Vocals// ALEXANDER YAKER- Bass Guitar, Vocals// GRANT WHITTAKER- Drums// JOHN SAKOIAN- Trumpet, Percussion. We get by with a little help from our friends: Catherine Cavella - cello. Walt Epting- drums. Pete Girgenti- drums. Joe Boyle- drums. Brian Wilkinson- bass. and David McGarry- guitar.
Influences	Rock n Roll, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, Libraries, Cocteau, Rembrandt, History, Intellectuals, Eccentrics, Aging Spinsters, Love (unrequited and otherwise), Dastardly deeds, Fallen heroes, Church bells, Autumn, Long Walks on the Beach, Narcissism, Humanities, Lustful gazes, Bloodthirsty longing, Chanson...
Sounds Like	The sound your mother made when she made YOU!
Record Label	Surreal Soundworks
Type of Label	Indie

Upcoming Shows

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May 9 2008

8:00P

the Khyber with the Swimmers and XYZ Affair

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jul 19 2008

2:00A

Hop Bottom Music Festival

Hop Bottom, Pennsylvania

Grammar Debate!'s Latest Blog Entry [Subscribe to this Blog]

Press for About A Girl and Very Nice Words From The Northeast Times (view more)

Cheetah Vs. Helicopter Reviews! (view more)

Spring Tour '07 and Cheetah Vs. Helicopter! (view more)

Stephanie Says (view more)

GD! and Jai-Alai Savant, the Khyber 10-30-06 photos!!! (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

About Grammar Debate!

You can preview 'Cheetah Vs. Helicopter' here:

And buy it from iTunes by clicking this link:

..

"An endearing mish-mash of some of the best bits of indie pop over the eighties and nineties, GRAMMAR DEBATE! are proud to wear their hearts and influences on their sleeves and then carry on down their trouser legs, such is their love of what has inspired them. From the times when Richard Butler knocked out great three and a half minute pop classics for Psychedelic Furs, a la “Believe It Away” here to their obvious esteem in which they hold the grand old David Lowery, especially with tracks like “Seventh and Girard”, one of the best songs that Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven never wrote. They sail through their record collection. This debut is a hearty collection of hooks and riffs, of harmonies and tinkling, of guitars soaring then stopping, sometimes starting again. This is catchiness personified with a band just, plainly, having fun and to hell with what anybody thinks. A bit of Cheap Trick bombast here, a nod to Uncle Tupelo there, the band unashamedly want to stick in your head but not drive you insane." -Losing Today

"...But after a few listens I finally realized what Grammar Debate! are up to. With complex vocal harmonies, whimsical guitar melodies and bouncy, upbeat tempos—GD! have crafted an album catchy enough to lure unsuspecting local indie music fans to the fun of grammar." - Philadelphia Weekly.

Grammar Debate! formed in the summer of 2005 and is a product of the concerted efforts of Joseph Lekkas (vocals and guitar), Grant Whittaker (drums), James Alf Becker (guitar and vocals), Carolynne McNeel (guitar, keyboards, violin and vocals), John Sakoian (trumpet, percussion) and Alexander Yaker (bass and vocals). Grammar Debate!'s sound is found somewhere between the saccharine-sweet indie-pop of Death Cab for Cutie and Stars, the quick-draw energy of bands like The New Pornographers and Guided By Voices and the warm Americana of Son Volt and Early Wilco.

Joseph spent 5 years leading Hilliard, a punk-infused, rock n roll band considered by Magnet Magazine to be "Your jeans and t-shirt defense against fashionable music trends". J.A. Becker is the guitarist of one of Philadelphia's hardest working rock n roll bands, Taggart. A band who, among many other things, has hosted the amazing Guided By Voices live karaoke nights throughout the city. Grant Whittaker has played in many of Philadelphia and New Orleans' best rock n roll and jazz fusion bands. John Sakoian has played the trumpet for most of his life, in addition to leading the Alt-Country rock project, The JRB. Carolynne McNeel comes to us straight from the Rarebirds, a band the Philadelphia Weekly says "Writes smoky, twinkling tunes well above standard singer/songwriter fare. Fans of Tsunami and the Spinanes would be wise to take note." Last but certainly not least, from Birmingham, Alabama by way of Eastern Europe is Alexander Yaker. He comes to us from The John P. Strohm Band (a founding member of the legendary Blake Babies and Antenna), the now defunct brit-poppy the Northern Hues, and Roomtone, his own 8-piece indie-bossa project you've most likely seen performing around the city. Grammar Debate! played their very first show in public on the legendary Jon Solomon show on WPRB radio and will most likely continue to do equally as crazy things for the duration of their career.

Grammar Debate! have self-booked and promoted four successful national tours, spanning 30 states with over 200 local and national shows, self-produced and recorded a full-length record and are currently working on their second. Grammar Debate! have performed nationally and locally with such great bands as Midlake, Longwave, the Ike Reilly Assasination, The Modern Skirts, Dirty on Purpose, The Plastic Constellations, John P. Strohm (ex-Blake Babies, Lemonheads), Hopewell (ex-Mercury Rev), The High Dials, Measles Mumps Rubella, Dressy Bessy, John Ralston, Jai Alai Savant and Tommy Keene.

Grammar Debate!'s Friend Space (Top 16)

Grammar Debate! has 3640 friends.

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pete

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Grammar Debate!'s Friends Comments

Displaying 50 of 394 comments ( View All | Add Comment )

Jenny	May 11 2008 3:25 PM Great show the other night at the Khyber! It was nice to see you guys again. Thank you all for a marvelous show :)
lauree	Mar 3 2008 6:17 PM March 4th is National Grammar Day: http://nationalgrammarday. com/ maybe it should also be National Grammar Debate Day!
Girl About Town	Jan 10 2008 8:48 PM See what Grammar Debate is up to in '08 on GIRL ABOUT TOWN!
Matthew	Dec 23 2007 2:29 PM Merry XXX-mas. May all your stockings be stuffed and your nights be filled with joy.
Jabloo	Dec 23 2007 9:53 AM Thanks for being our friend, Grammar Debate! Sham wants to play trombone for you!
Elastic Medium	Dec 12 2007 10:24 AM
Girl About Town	Dec 8 2007 6:28 PM
Philly Music Network Bands	Dec 3 2007 8:59 PM YOU'RE FEATURED! Your upcoming show is featured on Philly Music Network's calendar. Have a great show and keep the music coming. P.S. Check our page for new pictures of Stillicide, Grindcity and New Liberty at Grape Steet.
Jen-O!	Nov 13 2007 6:13 PM hey joe!! i just had to stop on and say i actually heard you guys mentioned on WMMR on friday by Pierre...i cant remember where he said you guys were playing, but i heard it...Cool, one of these days i will get out to see you!!
Girl About Town	Nov 10 2007 8:54 PM Check out the review of Grammar Debate on GIRL ABOUT TOWN!
carolynne	Nov 10 2007 2:19 PM hey i wanna see the video of me climbing the tower of unbelievable extreme fun time fantasy at gipper's (the happiest place on earth) :) .... or do i...??
Matthew	Oct 30 2007 5:47 AM Hey. I saw you guys in Baltimore a little while ago. You were great. How can I get your cd?
the successful failures	Oct 23 2007 8:09 PM I just sent Becker home safe with Mike. hehe, -rob
Bellman Barker	Oct 23 2007 10:58 AM hi joe and the GD---- ---BB at the Khyber tonight. Hope to see some of y'all out. -aaron
carly ♥ modern soul	Oct 22 2007 6:06 PM Thanks for the fun in Baltimore Grammar Debate! You played an amazing show:D Next time, I expect to see you in full silver space suits like the openers!
the Swimmers	Oct 18 2007 8:14 AM its not competing shows on the 27th, its more like a frankford & girard festivalxplosion!
About A Girl	Oct 12 2007 7:53 AM Grammar Debate! covers The Velvet Underground's "Stephanie Says" (CD to be released on 10/23)! Preorder the 21-song About a Girl CD today from Kool Kat Musik and receive the 6-song limited edition About a Girl bonus CD. This is a limited offer and available exclusively through Kool Kat. Order here - http://www.koolkatmusik.com/showproduct.aspx?productid=4268
Dirty Boots	Oct 4 2007 8:24 AM Loves Yous
Jenny	Sep 29 2007 12:47 PM Great set the other night at the Khyber! Thanks for a wonderful show :) Btw, like I've said before - C vs H is an excellent album.
sean t	Sep 29 2007 12:29 PM great show last night! in other news, we received 12,000 hits today over at DownwithFederer.com.
Doreen	Sep 28 2007 9:01 PM AWESOME show! You ROCKED the Khyber!
lauree	Sep 28 2007 12:12 PM happy cd release... sorry I missed you in DC...work and life is crazy right now... xo
weekday warrior	Sep 28 2007 9:01 AM wow, you guys kind of kicked ass last night. and i don't usually say things like "kicked ass"
: matt :	Sep 28 2007 8:57 AM Beautiful show last night!!!! I - again - forgot to grab a t-shirt... damn.
Bellman Barker	Sep 27 2007 8:48 AM very nice work--did you make it to the diner on time?
.	Sep 21 2007 4:43 AM Tonight... See ya there!
carolynne	Aug 29 2007 12:35 PM
new motels	Aug 15 2007 4:55 PM hey!
AMP Events	Aug 13 2007 8:10 PM
beat radio	Aug 13 2007 4:47 PM awesome set guys, and great to meet you. hope to see you guys again soon. best, brian
The Bloodsugars	Aug 13 2007 7:22 AM Hey Guys! So great to meet you! I look forward to hanging again soon w/ handlebars all around! Cheers!
: matt :	Jul 31 2007 2:08 PM sweet pool-side set ! (and weight lifting competition, too)
.	Jul 27 2007 1:24 PM Party!!!
AMP Events	Jul 19 2007 12:47 PM BOB BARKER!!!
Surefire Broadcast	Jul 18 2007 9:29 PM Yay!!!!!
AMP Events	Jul 18 2007 12:34 PM Watch out for the AIDS Button!
The Rob Berry Disorder	Jun 27 2007 7:18 PM Thanks for playing in Nashville. I love the album. Keep making good music! See you next time
lauree