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pretendo
Indie / Japanese Classic Music / Post punk

"PRETENDO's second album entitled ][ out 3/4/08!"

New York, New York
United States

Profile Views:  19314




Last Login:  10/9/2008
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   pretendo: General Info
Member Since3/30/2005
Band Websitepretendo.tv
Band Membersdevon e. levins - guitar & vocals, john castro - bass & vocals, stephen calhoon - drums
Influencesthe damned, the clash, the cramps, the germs, the freeze, the slits, the lewd, the cars, the the, the misfits, the melvins, the dickies, the stooges, the ramones, the pixies, the jesus lizard, the insect surfers, hatebeak, caninus, the undertones, the dramatics, sly and the family stone, sam and dave, devo, buzzcocks, new york dolls, new order, lords of the new church, the church, velvet underground, iggy, slint, gang of four, mission of burma, joy division, television, helmet, dead boys, dead kennedys, dead beats, dead c, gg allin, gigi discorock, wire, circle, circle jerks, minutemen, descendents, battalion of saints, subterfuge, angry samoans, drive like jehu, meshuggah, masada, miles davis, john coltrane, john barry, john davidson, albert ayler, herbie hancock, nomeansno, yes, can, war, neu, faust, chuck jackson, milt jackson, michael jackson, joe jackson, joe castro, bastro, edwin starr, ringo starr, jackie starr, jackie mittoo, pitchfork, aminiature, heavy vegetable, lalo schifrin, ennio morricone, pierro piccioni, magma, de la soul, code of honor, a tribe called quest, zombies, kinks, kraftwerk, kiss, talking heads, bad brains, brainiac, trouble, trouble funk, eu, di, f8, l7, u2, mc5, big boys, big black, black flag, black sabbath, black francis, black market baby, the black page, al green, grant green, gang green, green river, james brown, chuck brown & the soul searchers, marion brown, clifford brown, rare essence, northeast groovers, root boy slim & the sex change band, danny gatton, danny ganz, switchblade, urban verbs, (the) razz, parliament, funkadelic, david bowie, adolescents, social distortion, social unrest, social spit, eddie kendricks, allen toussaint, fantomas, rob ruckus, fsp, mia, mdc, coc, doa, dri, gbh, rkl, jfa, soa, sod, fod, ssd, xtc, ac/dc, tsol, enon, au pairs, penetrators, creedle, necros, negative approach, america, alabama, boston, asia, japan, mars, gap band, heatwave, booker t, bar-kays, au pairs, stiff little fingers, sonic youth, ciccone youth, morricone youth, reagan youth, wasted youth, youth brigade (dc), minor threat, die kreuzen, fugazi, jerry goldsmith, jerry butler, jerry’s kids, government issue, the slickee boys, guitorganally yours, hall & oates and gumby stalin!
Sounds Like"the noise an armadillo would make if it was really happy" - Sean Koepenick (Earcandy)
Record Labelcountry club records
Type of LabelIndie



pretendo's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

Record Release Party with OBITs and Soiled Mattress & The Springs  (view more)

Mike Conley RIP  (view more)

Martin Bisi, B.C. Studio - Pretendo recording  (view more)

B.C. Studio with Martin Bisi  (view more)

East River Bar in Williamsburg 2/8 with Melorex Optimane  (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

   About pretendo

Here's what they said about the debut:

"Rather excellent" - Jack Rabid (The Big Takeover)

"Sounds like a noise an armadillo would make if it was really happy" - Sean Koepenick (Earcandy)

"You'll be floored" - Tyson Lynn (Splendid)

"Pretendo's greatest achievement is their ability to land the perfect vocal line." - Bishop (Hybrid Music)

Guitarist/singer Devon E. Levins and bassist/singer John Castro managed somehow to emerge from their time in the decidedly weird DaoSon For with their pop smarts intact, and thank heaven for that. Now playing as a trio with drummer Stephen Calhoon, Levins and Castro deal in sharp, tight guitar pop that jerks at times like Gang of Four and shudders at times like Mission of Burma, but always keeps its feet on the ground and its hooks in your head. Notice, for example, how the Andy Gill-style slash-and-kill guitar part at the beginning of "Samurai Sessions" gives way to a shout-along chorus before then giving way to Roger Miller-style tone clusters. Notice also how "Cherry Tomatoes" manages somehow to sound like both the early Cure and middle-period Wall of Voodoo. And how the bassline to "Scorpion" sounds like it was lifted directly from Joy Division, while the drum part sounds like it was lifted directly from a James Brown album. Yeah! Then there's the very last track, which is not listed on the program, but offers five minutes of pure (if twisted) pop pleasure. Country Club is a small label, but this album is well worth whatever effort it may take to find it. - Rick Anderson (All Music)

Devon e. Levins and John Castro were boyhood friends in Las Vegas. Their friendship, initially based on a mutual affection for carnation instant breakfast drink and KISS merchandise, would eventually take them to San Diego where they would learn the kinds of things you can only learn in a rock band...things like drink tickets are really important to some people and it’s never worth fighting with your friends over a smelly t-shirt. They learned that canned ostrich isn’t half bad if you just put a little wasabi paste on it. And they shared secrets. In fact, Devon was the only person in the world who knew precisely why it is that John is so deeply disturbed by green tomatoes- until one late night/early morning that is. Devon and John were enjoying an evening of programming paid for by the Psychic Friends Network. There was a caller, who had always sensed that something very wrong involving an iguana, a turntable and a naive showgirl had occurred one night backstage at a Tony Bennett show. That caller was Stephen Calhoon, a drummer from NYC, and Devon and John knew immediately that they had to meet him. Fatefully, John’s Aunt Eunice in Vegas knew Dionne Warwick’s pet ferret’s stylist and was able to arrange a meeting. The Gang of Three soon huddled together in a Queens basement and began making a neighbor rankling noise...

Three shows later they conspired with sonic wizard Wharton Tiers to record, mix, and master their self-titled CD in three days at his Fun City Studios...The result is an album that sounds like the band at it's live shows stripped down and yet full of angst and humor at the same time.

PRETENDO, an NYC trio of ex-/present members of Enon, Skeleton Key, Creedle, Rugburns and Morricone Youth, resembles a compilation of its counterparts. PRETENDO's second album simply entitled "][" was engineered in 2007 by the legendary Martin Bisi with artwork and lyrics contributed by genius subversive artist Ron English. ][ is scheduled for release on March 4, 2008 with distribution by Redeye. ..
SongDownloadPrice
Samurai Sessions$.99
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   pretendo's Friend Space (Top 40)
pretendo has 1608 friends.
 ENON 


 CREEDLE 


 Morricone Youth 


 steinway 


 Martin Bisi 


 Skeleton Key 


 aMiniature 


 Mono Puff 


 Hot Snakes 


 Obits 


 Minmae 


 BRANDY*VINYL 


 Hunters, Run! 


 Chaka Kong Booking 


 MirrorAmerica 


 Hells Hills 


 Daria Grace 


 Bear Claw 


 CIRCLE 


 el ten eleven 


 Lycaon Pictus 


 Hairy Apes BMX 


 MANDRAKE 


 Steve Poltz 


 CAKE SHOP CAKE SHOP CAKE SHOP CAPE SHOK 


 Union Hall 


 Casbah 


 Morex Optimo 


 Shellshag 


 Mbeanis 


 David:McHank 

Is Online
 Doug De Nada 


 Wires In The Walls 


 The Roman Games 


 mjc 


 Up The Empire 


 Free*Stars 


 RS 


 US Funk Team 


 A Tribute to Mitch Hedberg 





pretendo's Friends Comments
Displaying 50 of 144 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Rhys Chatham





Sep 3 2008 8:20 PM

Thanks for playing in Crimson!

We'll do it next summer, hopefullly with no rain. ;-)

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Best
from Rhys
Robert Poss





Aug 17 2008 10:54 PM


Thanks from Robert Poss

Robert Poss gear
Robert Poss 1995

Band Of Susans





Aug 17 2008 11:33 PM


Thanks from BAND OF SUSANS

bratislava 400 pixels wide
Band Of Susans - Love Agenda

Global Zero Records





Aug 10 2008 1:20 PM


8.11.08 / at THE TINDER BOX / in BRATTLEBORO, VT
8.13.08 / at GOODBYE BLUE MONDAY / in BROOKLYN, NY
8.14.08 / at LO-FI SOCIAL CLUB / in BALTIMORE, MD
8.15.08 / at PIANOS NYC / in NEW YORK, NY
8.16.08 / at DANGER DANGER GALLERY / in PHILADELPHIA, PA
8.20.08 / at PROJECT VENUE / in WAKEFIELD, RI
8.23.08 / at VALENTINE’S / in ALBANY, NY

www. myspace. com/sciencebunnies
SERVICES





Aug 6 2008 1:30 AM



SERVICES - EAT PREY LOVE
New EP out now!



click picture for more info
Problem With Dragons





Jun 17 2008 4:41 PM

Global Zero Records





Jun 9 2008 7:39 PM

HYENA Records





May 14 2008 8:03 PM

LIVE! in NEW YORK

JOHN ELLIS & DOUBLE-WIDE

WED.
MAY 14th

(2 Shows - 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM)

THE JAZZ STANDARD
116 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016
tel: (212) 576-2232

hyenarecords[dot]com/johnellis
johnaxsonellis[dot]com
myspace[dot]com/johnellisband

THE Mitch Hedberg Tribute





May 7 2008 3:19 AM

Show Your Support For Mitch Hedberg!

"We hope you thoroughly enjoy THE tribute to, Mitch!" - BByrd™ & Amber

Join TMHT GROUP!
Scotty Rew





May 4 2008 5:50 AM

Hey John and Devon - that was awesome that you guys came all the way across the country to attend the MIA shows. And how about those shows? I've still got goosebumps.... hope to cross paths with you guys again someday.....
Seven





Apr 24 2008 11:08 PM

Thanks for being a friend, very nice songs!

Greetings from Perú.
Jake Swi





Apr 17 2008 5:46 AM

hey babes.. ive really enjoyed the album you gave me at the cakeshop, and ive been preachin' you guys to all my friends. but as far as the new haven gig... we are kinda at a stand still. :o( we might be broken up. but somethings bound to come out of the works... so once we get our shit together, we'll fuck some ears in CT.
much love- jake
MANDRAKE





Mar 24 2008 9:01 PM

MANDRAKE <3'S PRETENDO


can't wait to play with you guys again!
Ursa





Mar 15 2008 5:29 PM

Gherkin Raucous





Feb 29 2008 2:12 PM

thanks for the add and happy rear of the rat.
David:McHank


Is Online


Feb 28 2008 9:17 PM

I wish I could make it...I think it's a bit of a drive. Devon did give me that album and I love it. I'd love to see Obits... see how they stack up against the Night Marchers!
REV. ROB RUCKUS





Feb 27 2008 8:28 AM

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Elissa Ninjabread