Pistolita
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pistolita | |
|---|---|
 Pistolita (from left to right): Alex Kuhse, Justin Shannon, Conor Meads, Cory Stier |
|
| Origin | San Diego, California |
| Country | United States |
| Years active | 2004-present |
| Genres | Indie rock Ambient Indie |
| Labels | Montalban Hotel |
| Members | Conor Meads - piano/vocals Justin Shannon - guitar/vocals Cory Stier - drums Alex Kuhse - bass |
| Website(s) | http://www.pistolita.com |
Pistolita is an indie rock band from San Diego, California. They have previously toured as an opening act for bands such as Brand New and Saves the Day, and were featured on the Volcom Stage at Warped Tour 2006.[1] In addition, the band was also included on the compilation CD Pick Your Battles, Volume 1 (Royal Crest Records).
Pistolita was a nominee for Best Alternative Album at San Diego Music Awards.[2] The ceremony was held on September 18, 2006.
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[edit] History
Conor Meads wasted no time getting out of his parents house. At age 18, he moved out of his San Diego home, took a day job writing TV jingles for a music house in downtown San Diego, and moved into the attic of a recording studio. It was there that he penned the songs that would make up Pistolita's debut album, Oliver Under The Moon.
Meads (piano, vocals) and Cory Stier (drums) were childhood friends and next door neighbors. Although Meads was three years older, the two were inseparable. When Stier was 13, Meads took advantage of Stier's impressionable nature and convinced him to buy a drum set. Justin Shannon (guitar) and Alex Kuhse (bass) knew Meads and Stier from high school, and in the wake of their graduation, the four friends decided to put their musical talents together and start a band.
Now at age 22, Meads is the front man for the group whose name was derived from a lyric in one of the band's songs, "Bang Bang." As a self-taught pianist and guitarist, Meads is a prolific songwriter whose inherent talent helped him learn these instruments all on his own. He was the guitarist in other bands, but chose to take Pistolita in a different direction. "I wanted to play piano in a band but do it aggressively," he says. "I wanted to avoid all the piano rock cliches and all the power ballads."
Pistolita has been primarily influenced by Fugazi, At The Drive-In, Hot Water Music and Hot Snakes. Their piano-driven rock style draws inevitable comparisons to Cursive, but also appeals to fans of The Get Up Kids and Thursday. Stier, Shannon, and Kuhse build a perfect multi-faceted foundation for Mead's haunting melodies on Oliver Under The Moon, which began as a concept album, but the band feared it would be too pretentious.
Pistolita is the first signing on Montalban Hotel Records, the imprint run by self-made booking agent Andrew Ellis. "He came out to see us and didn't like us," Meads explains. "But then we got a last-minute chance to play Bamboozle, and that night he said he wanted to sign us to his label. We knew we wanted to work with him. We wanted to be a part of something new,and his label sounded really exciting." SPRING BREAK!
[edit] Discography
- Gliss Note (EP) (2005)
- Oliver Under The Moon (Album) 2006, Montalban Hotel
[edit] Collaborations
- Pick Your Battles, Volume 1 along with Denver Harbor, Underoath, Noise Ratchet, The Juliana Theory and Anberlin.
