1. Wanting to create pure, dark pop songs in the vein of Plainsong and Cut Here by The Cure, Adam Dishart (previously of The Catholic Comb has started his solo project Books On Tape, releasing two EPs: The Memory / Crazy Nighttime People EP and the Memory / Carnival Lights 7". His music is a nod to the goth movement of the 80s as well as being something of its own. Memory has been featured in pro skateboarder Corey Duffel's Real Street part, as well as Crazy Nighttime People in Transworld's Hallelujah.
2. Raised on punk rock and related products, Todd Drootin got turned on to electronic music and hip-hop in the nineties. With Matt Dennebaum, he forms the duo Subverse, whose sole, self-released cassette Nobody Likes You (1998), although a fairly obscure item in itself, got them some well deserved kudos. Unfortunately, the band had
to split shortly afterwards as their members moved to opposite coasts: Matt went to New York City, and Todd made a home out of Los Angeles.
Fueled by this experience, Todd went solo under the name Books on Tape, a project in which he would craft his now instantly recognizable signature. Unlike many electronica producers (bedroom or otherwise), Todd is unafraid to do things you’re not supposed to do, like trying to recreate a guitar strumming effect in a sequencer, or laying his songs upon shockingly unorthodox rhythms. However, two important qualities can be found in equal measure in his entire oeuvre: energy and groove. In December 2002, the first widely available Books on Tape CD was released under the title Throw Down Your Laptops (Deathbomb Arc). As a companion release, No Type released a 10" EP featuring a different version of the song "Hey Typical!" plus unreleased material. Following that, a CD, titled Books on Tape Sings The Blues, was released in September 2003 by No Type and Greyday Productions. In October 2003, Books on Tape made its first New York City appearance at the esteemed CMJ festival, garnering rave reviews. This was followed up by an eastern Canadian tour and more New York dates in early 2004. Books on Tape has also appeared at Pop Montreal and the MACRoCk conference in Harrisonburg, VA. In late 2004 came the 40-minute EP The Business End (Greyday Productions), which hit Chart Attack!'s (Canadian college radio) electronic #1 slot for seven weeks and ended the year as the number two electronic record in Canada for 2004. In 2005, Books on Tape hit the road numerous times in preparation for his upcoming release on Alien8 Recordings (The Unicorns, Les Georges Leningrad) exposing new parts of the country to the unique, high-energy live efforts that have made a name for Books on Tape. Dinosaur Dinosaur (Alien8 Recordings) was released on October 18, 2005, and is widely being hailed as Books on Tape's finest release to date, and more closely representing Todd's punky live sound. Todd's sister, Stefanie Drootin, who plays bass with Bright Eyes and The Good Life, is a guest vocalist on the track "When Siblings Attack". In support of this album, Books on Tape toured the U.S. with The Show Is The Rainbow (who quite ironically has a song making fun of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst) in fall 2005 and with Captain Ahab in spring 2006, as well as eastern Canada in early 2006 with comedian Nick Flanagan.
3. In 2005, Portland-based Nic Jaeger and Lauren Alcantar met across the country in Washington, DC and also chose the name Books on Tape. This Books on Tape tells stories--pieces of Nic and Lauren's story, largely. Lyrically lulling, the songs provoke thought and affect the listener in a deep, though uniquely offtheshoulder sort of way that is comforting even as it haunts you. Many of the pieces sound like they are whispered and sung directly to you so that you can fall asleep. There is a beauty, an intimacy, and ethereality in the albums Paint By Numbers and Dot to Dot that render one speechless and temporarily out of time and space.
Occasionally other friends join this Books on Tape, such as Alex Ward on mandolin and Brittany Newell on violin, which in some cases turns Books on Tape into With Love, Us Three.
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL....
READ MORE
