Buy Changing Modes' new Release Down and Out In Shangri-La
:: What People are Saying About the Record ::
"New York band Changing Modes delivers their third album with a bang! Volcanic, energetic, and sometimes full throttle. This is one band that can thrash a stadium crowd or seduce a small club. One thing remains clear
though; they have brought New York edginess back to rock music."--Feminist Review, May 2008
"A discerning mix of Dresden Dolls drama, Todd Rundgren
complexity and something that leans towards a
more traditional neo-prog sound... Changing Modes is
clearly an ambitious band, they have some delightful slices of genuinely chewy progressive
awkwardness in there with their very listenable blend of shifting sometimes demanding earfood."--Organ Magazine, March 2008
"They built a sound that is rather organic, it's funky,it's laden with keyboards and also lots of intricate poly-rhythmic changes, and that's their hallmark. Nobody does sounds quite like they do."-- Dan Herman, Radio Crystal Blue, Feb. 2008
Changing Modes :: The Unabridged Biography
Described as the "experimental band of experimental bands" by The New York Press, Changing Modes is one of the most innovative and difficult-to-categorize bands currently on the NYC scene. Inspired by bands from the '70s and 80s such as Sparks, Stranglers, and Blondie, Changing Modes explores a variety of musical styles including progressive-pop, punk-rock, funk, and psychedelic. This idiosyncratic approach, combined with the band's unique and organic sound, makes Changing Modes an exciting band to follow.
Seasoned with some Brooklyn bravado, the band's live performances showcase their stylistic melting pot served piping hot. Perhaps this is why many consider CM's live shows a better representation of their high energy sound than their studio recordings. Never performing the same set of songs more than once, they are never predictable and highly entertaining.
Changing Modes began quietly in the mid-90’s when classically trained musician Wendy Griffiths (keyboards, vocals) started creating her “bedroom tapes." Griffiths had no intention of making these sonic ideas public until she met Yuzuru Sadashige (guitar, bass). Sadashige, who had recently received his masters in composition from the Manhattan School of Music, was interested in collaborating. After they attended some amazing rock shows at CBGBs, Sadashige helped Griffiths decide to change modes.
Her new pieces “were like art songs with very unusual rock beats,” Sadashige recalls. “She programmed complex layers of accompaniment into her Yamaha SY77, then used a $30 Sears tape recorder for overdubbing-- very LoFi, you would hear house noise and car horns in the background, but they were very interesting and unique....”
Griffiths and Sadashige began playing out with the Music Under Construction concert series under the name The Wednesdays. They added guitarist Chris Woltmann and drummer Jay Mack to produce the first Changing Modes EPs. Eventually they recruited drummer Jonathan Mele and singer Heather Laurel and began performing at local colleges and clubs.
Changing Modes released their first full length album, "A Perfect Day," in August 2003. Mixed and engineered by Ted Spencer (David Bowie, Shawn Colvin), the album was well received. WomenRock.com immediately named CM "a great addition to the infamous Anti-Folk scene in NY."
In 2004, David Oromaner (drums, vocals) replaced Mele on drums. Oromaner had recorded and toured as a sideman with a variety of singer-songwriters on the East Coast, and was eager to resume writing and collaborating. When Mele moved to Ireland, he recommended Oromaner as his replacement. "The Modes were angular, energetic, and musically challenging-- how could I say no?" the drummer recalls.
Shortly after Oromaner joined the band, Changing Modes began working on their second record. "Aeroplane" (summer 2005) was more diverse and orchestrated than their previous album. To achieve a layered sound, they used over fifty recording tracks on the song Arnold. The song was inspired by the documentary film Capturing the Friedmans. "It was one of those pieces that kept growing. I got to play a lot of the fun stuff, like prepared piano and strange sounds," Sadashige recalls.
In 2006, Camille Atkinson (lead vocals) heard that Changing Modes was looking for a new singer. Upon listening to "Aeroplane," Atkinson recalls, "I thought the music was exciting and original. [It was] something I wanted to be part of."
A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Ithaca College's acting programs, Atkinson had moved to New York City in 1997 to pursue her career. She produced and performed in cabaret acts at Pieces Bar, co-produced and hosted the legendary Xena Night at Meow Mix, and sang wherever she could, from karaoke nights to lead vocal duties for the NYC band The Push. Atkinson's acrobatic voice and theatrical stage presence were the perfect match for the musicianship of Griffiths, Sadashige, and Oromaner.
With the new lineup, Changing Modes decided to head back to Ted Spencer’s recording studio. “Down and Out in Shangri-la” (May 2008) fused diverse musical influences to create something complex, angular, edgy and strangely accessible.
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