I owe these guys an apology. I originally planned for this to be up during the middle of November, well here we are in December. The good news is that there are still a few dates left on their tour, so if you can go see them…..
December 3 – Nashville, TN @ Fond Object
December 4 – Memphis @ TBA
December 5 – New Orleans, LA @ Saturn Bar
MAMA is a whole lot of rock n roll fun, just have a look at the names of Bands people say they sound like and you will start to get the picture. My advise is to listen to them today and if you have the opportunity go see them live, here are some more words from the press kit of MAMA….
Straight from the backstreets of Chicago, MAMA combines high-energy power pop, punk rock, and r&b
with art-damaged attitude and story-telling lyrics to create a new kind of rock and roll monster.
Combining wailing guitars, classic songwriting, and unrelenting rhythms, MAMA spits in the face of any
trend and breaks all the rules – then puts it all back together with a kiss.
With two EPs under their belt, including the acclaimed Speed Trap EP, MAMA is excited to release a new
double 7-inch EP this winter, Night Shoot, on Automatic Recordings. Designed to blow your stereo to
smithereens, Night Shoot blends the darkness of a late-night back alley scuffle with the blinding light of
raw freedom. There is no other record that sounds like this EP, and there is no other band quite like
MAMA.
“…Chicago’s MAMA, however, bring to mind a facet of the genre that was a lot more radio-friendly in
the late 1970s—stuff made by bands like the Knack and Thin Lizzy. On Speed Trap, they don’t hold back
on the cowbell. Their drummer is showy and unrelenting, their guitar sound is huge, and their vocals
have this confident breathiness. In five short songs, they make an EP that’s ready to be blasted on the
highway.”
– Evan Minsker, Shake Appeal for Pitchfork.com
MEET THE BAND…..
Hi our name is…. MAMA
People say we sound like….. Cheap Trick, The Replacements, The Ramones, The Shivvers, Warm Soda, Motley Crue, Big Star, Shoes, MC5, Thin Lizzy, and Phil Seymour
We are…
Chris DeArcangelis – guitar, vocals
Ross Howard – drums, vocals
Dylan Klopfenstein – bass
Paul Parts – guitar
We are originally from….. Chicago IL
Who are some that have an influence on your sound??
We love gritty punk rock and scuzzy noise and wailing guitars and pure pop so we try to steamroll it all into one. Late 70s power pop is a huge influence, as is the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as is late 60’s LA pop, as is British and US punk rock.
The first time we all decided to get together and make some music…
There was a massive and powerful blizzard one day and the next day we got together and jammed and wrote a song that ripped off middle era Husker Du. Then 2 years later when we really all came together in this band, we got pretty buzzed and knew something clicked.
Books we recommend …
White Line Fever – Lemmy Kilmeister
To Be Loved – Berry Gordy
Bill Graham Presents: My Life Inside Rock and Out – Bill Graham
Poison Heart – Dee Dee Ramone
Fug You – Ed Sanders
Heroin Diaries – Nikki Sixx
Can you tell us about the process you use, from writing the songs all the way through getting the album ready?
Chris writes each songs main parts and skeletal arrangements. He’ll bring them to practice where the whole band will help flesh out the thing into a whole song. Then Chris will add vocals and nail down the lyrics. We play out a lot so we use those opportunities to tighten up each song so that we can play it perfectly live. Then we record as a band and overdub lead guitars and vocals.
Our craziest gig ever was….
Probably the last time we played Wally World. Its a rough ‘n ready late night extravaganza of debauchery at every show there, but this show, maybe because we played at 3 in the morning, was extra insane. We were moshing with the crowd as we played, while beer cans were flying and exploding all around us. The dude from Gnar Wave Rangers was on a speaker stack with his shirt off waving it around over his head and howling. There’s a sort of port-hole in the back wall, and someone was crowdsurfing and then got passed through it like it was a black hole. It was like playing a show in the middle of a party battlefield. It was great!
If you could pick any time to travel back to for music, where would you go and what year would it be….
I guess 1978 to see the Ramones at their peak, right before Tommy Ramone stopped drumming.
Growing up ,at home we listened to…..
I think most of the stuff we listen to now but more punk rock and heavy metal and “rap.”
What tunes are on heavy rotation for you…
We’ve been jamming the new Mack Blackout Band album on Pelican Pow Wow. It will melt your skull and stab your brain. Nancy’s new single on Eat The Life. Phil Seymour’s first album will also make you want to quit writing music. Hollow Mountain’s new 7″ is scorching! THING’s demos are the only thing (ha!) in my CD player. Timmy’s Organism and Clone Defects all day. The Thon’s new single smoked me good. Sheer Mag’s new 7″ has been getting me all sorts of revved up! And for obvious reasons we can’t stop listening to Motorhead’s Overkill album. We still jam Jeff The Brotherhood’s album We Are The Champions regularly. White Mystery’s Telepathic album is still ridiculously smokin’. And any time we get really ripped we put on the Ramones Live at The Rainbow 1977 NYE video.
If you could open for any Band right now who would that be and why?
Jeff The Brotherhood. They are one of few bands right now that just straight up rock the fuck out with zero regard for any bull shit.
If you could give any advise to the kids who are just picking up their 1st guitars or drum sets and want to be in a rock n roll band , what’s your advise?
Never stop playing, never think you’re better than anyone else at anything, and never think you have listened to anything enough or practiced enough. Also don’t let people’s negativity about you playing all the time get you down.
When you are touring and have some time off , where could we find you..,.,
Hanging down at Dino’s Bar and Grill.
The one thing we want you to remember while your listening to us
You are listening to the sound of our insane and awesome lives turned into music. We live life under the gun and at full throttle — we make music to match.
listen to some excellent tunes…..
and you can keep up and follow MAMA…..
