According to RADIO 1’S BOBBY FRICTION, “The Wolfmen have got pedigree, a full-on pedigree. I’ve been playing them on Radio 1 but – you know what? – f*** pedigree, they’re an amazing band and they’re going to take you somewhere else musically...”
Marco Pirroni and Chris Constantinou formed The Wolfmen in 2005. Marco (guitars) enjoyed extraordinary success with ADAM & THE ANTS and later worked with Sinead O’Connor. Chris (bass, lead vocals) previously led JACKIE ONASSID and worked with Adam Ant and Annabella Lwin.
The Wolfmen’s first project was a soundtrack to Bravo’s acclaimed January 2006 series I PREDICT A RIOT, fronted by Loaded founder James Brown. They then recorded original soundtracks for two hitherto-silent, early 1900s fetish films for the ICA/MoMI’s inaugural FASHION IN FILM Festival.
Damaged Goods released the debut Wolfmen EP – a limited edition 10” vinyl in August 2006 – which received support from JONATHAN ROSS (BBC Radio 2), MARK LAMARR (BBC Radio 2) and PHIL JUPITUS (BBC 6Music). The BBC’s music website asked “Is (Marco & Chris') music as necessary in 2006 as it was nearly 30 years ago? In a word, yes. In more words, too f***ing right it is.”
Second single Kama Sutra was released in October 2006 and MOJO said “Marco and Chris do growing old disgracefully moves with style. With thumping Suicide-alike beatbox and glam-rockabilly guitars, the A-side is exuberant filth…”
At the start of 2007 The Wolfmen collaborated with DALER MEHNDI (the biggest selling artist Indian in music history) and PRIMAL SCREAM for a cover of Screaming Jay Hawkins’ I Put A Spell On You. The Primal collab was used for an ALEXANDER MCQUEEN catwalk show while the first track with Daler - Two Eyes (Do Naina) – went straight into the top ten on the BBC Asian Network chart and spent four weeks at NUMBER ONE. DJ Bobby Friction calls the track “The greatest crossover song to have come out of India” and THE GUARDIAN said ““This fierce bhangra-rock crossover rules. Fire up!” Another collaboration –a co-write with LOU REED – backed the band’s third single, Cecilie, which was released November 2007.
The Wolfmen released their debut album MODERNITY KILLED EVERY NIGHT on September 01 2008, produced by ALAN MOULDER (The Killers, U2, Arctic Monkeys). Fifth single Needle In The Camel’s Eye – a Brian Eno cover – was released in May and generated a double-page spread in WORD magazine and reached NUMBER ONE in MOJO’s Playlist chart.
MODERNITY... is described by UNCUT as “Dense stuff… Extraordinarily overstated…
an unholy mix…” and by MOJO as “Steeped in the space-age glam boogie of Bowie and T Rex with abit of Iggy-in-Berlin thrown in… infernally catchy…” BIG CHEESE magazine awards a full five starsand Losing Today hails "A turntable terrorising beast impeccably turned with riffs and licks so infectious that jabs are the order of the day."
Other reviews are more succinct. For RECORD COLLECTOR, Modernity Killed Every Night is "Proof positive that it's both possible to both nod at your influences while keeping the creative spark alive."
For CLASSIC ROCK, "Marco Pirroni is one of the finest guitarists to come out of the UK punk scene.
Fact."
Radio increasingly picks up on Modernity Killed Every Night: Spot plays from GIDEON COE on BBC
6Music and A-List placement for Jackie Says on NME Radio. NME RADIO picks up on the band in a
big way: A-Listing Cecilie for four weeks in a row, achieving heavy rotation on CLAIRE STURGESS, Skins
(E4 tie-in show) and NEIL COLE (who also interviews the band on 05.02.09).
The band's collaboration with NAMGYAL LLHAMO - Chang Yare (Paradise Lost) - appears at the second'Asian Hot Shots Berlin' festival of film and video art.
Online activity ramps up with a new blog (thewolfmen.blogspot.com), Facebook group and regular
video diary postings on YouTube from the band as they work on their second album.
Daler Mehndi's Wolfmen-produced album, Thieves & Liars is scheduled for release and BBC Asian Network's BOBBY FRICTION visits the band to hear an update on his most hotly anticipated album of 2009. This follows our single collab which Music Week profiled in their playlist section, declaring
"This soundclash between Mehndi and former Ants Marco Pirroni and Chris Constantinou shoudln't work, but this collision of guitars and Bhangra threatens threatens to become the most infectious Asian crossover since Punjabi MC's Beware of the Boys."
Chris and Marco take time out to co- write and record with SINEAD O'CONNOR for her forthcoming album. As Sinead writes on her MySpace: "I have been doing some writing and demoing with Marco Pironni and Chris Constantinou who plays bass. I have known Marco for years, he played on various songs in the past, including Mandinka and Jump in the River, and I feel very comfortable working with him and Chris. I have also come up with some songs of my own and now I have to work on getting my voice really into shape so I can make the record I want to make."
The first Wolfmen single of the year is a mesmerising AA-side, coupling their biggest, fastest, dirtiest live number, WAK THIS BASS, with their slowest, lowest, deep and darkest ballad, Cecilie. Time Out calls Cecilie a “psychedelic electro-rock excursion” and it's already been A-listed on NME Radio two
weeks in a row and picked up by NEMONE on BBC 6 Music. Losing Today describes it best: “Simply put - it’s the dog's bollocks and boy are they big bollocks. Essential.” The band describe Cecilie as an attempt to fuse Hendrix's Crosstown Traffic with the Stone Roses' Fool's Gold. And Wak This Bass is the full-on grand-finale from the band's recent live gigs. Featuring Daniel Strittmatter (Otis Grand, Ian McNabb) on drums, Preston Heyman (Massive Attack, Kate Bush) on percussion and mixed by Alan Moulder (U2, Moby, NIN, The Killers), it has a live harp solo as lead singer Chris Constantinou channels 70s instrumental, Groovin' With Mr. Bloe.
Needle In The Camel's Eye is licensed to a brand new album from E-Street Band member-turned-DJ LITTLE STEVEN, on Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents... The Coolest Songs in the World Volume 6. It's also licensed to a Roxy Music covers project compiled by Burning Sky Records. TakeRefuge In Pleasure: The Songs of Roxy Music Revisited will be available as an 'edition of two'. A fifteen track one-disc release or 3-disc Special “Deluxe & Delightful” Limited Edition box set.
The Wolfmen's second album – MARRIED TO THE EIFFEL TOWER– is taking shape rapidly. Set for release towards the end of 2009, it's produced by STEVE MUSTERS(Tom Vek, PJ Harvey) and mixed and remixed by COURTNEY TAYLOR, frontman & songwriter of The Dandy Warhols and JACOB PORTRAIT (Queens Of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters). Photographer Mark B attends the Sinead/Wolfmen sessions – the results of which
are previewed on this page...
Married... is also set to feature a duet with SINEAD O'CONNOR, and will be released on the band's own Howl label (distributed via Cargo). Between now and then the band will appear on the soundtrack – and in a cameo – for the new Vertigo Films release, DOGGING A LOVING STORY, and begin promoting Daler Mehndi's afore-mentioned come-back, Theives & Liars.
28 May 2009 08:14 Many thanks for the friendship. I'm Paul and I'm Andy's (A.M.P. Japan) brother, he pointed me in your direction. Looking forward to seeing The Wolfmen in Manchester at some point in the future! Take care. Paul. P.S. This is some of my work if ya fancy a look, this is with Jayne County & I'm the one on guitar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSd6QjCDY9
"Modernity killed every night" has been chosen as album of the month in "Le Gros Virus" the alternative webradio show of www.lagrosseradio.com ! I love your fantastic sound ! Deep, sensual and rock !
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