| So Many Dynamos | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Edwardsville, Illinois, US |
| Genres | indie rock |
| Years active | 2002 - present |
| Labels | Skrocki Records, Vagrant Records |
| Website | Myspace Profile |
| Members | |
| Aaron Stovall Clayton "Norm" Kunstel Griffin Kay Nathan Bernaix |
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| Past members | |
| Ryan Wasoba Ryan Ballew |
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So Many Dynamos is a rock band from St Louis, Missouri, USA. Their music is generally classified as indie rock, combining aspects of pop, dance-punk, and math rock. They take their name from a famous palindrome. The band signed a contract with Vagrant Records in late 2008.
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So Many Dynamos was formed in late 2002 when two St. Louis area groups broke up; bass guitarist/vocalist Aaron Stovall and guitarist Ryan Ballew were members of Children's Audio, while guitarist Ryan Wasoba and drummer Clayton "Norm" Kunstel were members of Saving Boy Wonder. The four had known each other since 2000, when the two bands began playing shows together. Saving Boy Wonder disbanded in August 2002, and a few months prior, Wasoba joined Children's Audio. On September 22, 2002, Children's Audio broke up. The same evening, Stovall, Ballew and Wasoba decided to start a new band.
Shortly afterwards, the group began practicing and writing, initially with drummer Corey Smale. Smale was soon replaced by Kunstel after a few practices. Aaron Stovall played bass guitar, but began using a Realistic synthesizer on most songs to play the basslines (to date, only three songs by So Many Dynamos have used bass guitar). The band's first performance was at Sally T's in Saint Peters, Missouri, on January 2, 2003.
The band's first recording, a five-song EP entitled Are We Not Drawn Onward to New Era?, was released by now-defunct St. Louis label Ambivalent Records. The album was recorded by John John on Pro Tools at Red Light Studios in St. Louis. Like the band's name, the name of the EP is also a palindrome.
Shortly after recording, So Many Dynamos bought a 1993 Chevy G-Van 20 and went on their first self-booked tour on the West Coast of the United States in June 2003. Griffin Kay, who later replaced Ballew in the band, came along on the tour to sell merchandise. In Seattle, Washington, the group met Robbie Skrocki, owner of Skrocki Records, who later released the band's first album. In July 2003, the group toured again, a week-long midwest trek with The Texas Chainsaw Mass Choir from Columbia, Missouri. Around this time, Stovall began using a second keyboard to play melodies in addition to basslines.
So Many Dynamos recorded their first full-length, When I Explode, in February 2004 at Semaphore Studios in Chicago. The album was written in Stinson's basement during a session called Camp Dynamo, where Stinson was the camp counselor. The album was recorded onto 2" tape by Jeremy Lemos and was mixed on 1/2" tape by former Dismemberment Plan member Jason Caddell at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia.
When I Explode was released by Skrocki Records in June 2004, and the band toured the U.S. for six weeks, playing most shows with Houston band Bring Back the Guns. In August, before a tour with HORSE the Band, guitarist Ryan Ballew quit the group. Stinson filled in for Ballew on the tour, and former merchandiser Griffin Kay became a permanent guitarist in the group on September 11, 2004.
In summer 2004, Kunstel, Kay and Ballew started a record label, Aim and Fire Records. They released music by Target Market, The Happening and Dancing Feet March to War. Around the same time, Kunstel and Wasoba began playing as an instrumental two-piece entitled Chunnel.
During a short tour with HORSE the Band in October 2004, Kay injured his knee in Columbus, Ohio. This developed into a near-fatal staphylococcus infection, and Nathan Bernaix of band Target Market replaced him for two shows in November.
In February 2005, the band recorded "It's Gonna Rain" for a split 7" single with Bring Back the Guns. The song was recorded and mixed on 1" tape by Chris Deckard at Radio Penny Studio in St. Louis. The record was planned for immediate release on Aim and Fire Records, but the release was delayed because of insufficient funds. The band spent most of 2005 touring, attempting to play all 48 continental states within the year, but ultimately only playing in 35.
In October 2005, the band toured as backing band for Emperor X, a solo project of Chad Matheny. This tour also included more dates with Bring Back the Guns, and Matheny released the "So Many Dynamos"/"Bring Back the Guns" split 7" on his Discos Mariscos label in December 2005.
So Many Dynamos began recording their second full-length album, Flashlights, with Chris Deckard at Radio Penny in March 2006. The band spent more time in the studio than with When I Explode, and consequently was able to experiment wildly with instrumentation; the record utilizes a horn section and a choir, and incorporates instruments such as thumb pianos and toy accordions. This resulted in a more intricate and "live" sounding record, expanding on the band's existing sound and showcasing new influences (Broken Social Scene, Steve Reich, Talking Heads).
In April and May 2006, the band (excluding Aaron Stovall) went on a second tour as backing band for Emperor X. The tour included a few dates with singer/songwriter John Vanderslice.
Flashlights was released on CD by Skrocki Records in June 2006, and Hello Sir Records released the vinyl in early 2007. Architecture Label released the CD in Australia and New Zealand in June 2007.
Around the initial release of Flashlights, the band was recruited by booking agent Skinny Touring, and as a result So Many Dynamos began an extensive tour schedule that put them on the road for over 100 shows between June and November. This included a Midwest and East Coast tour in September with Harvey Danger. On October 21, outside the Paradox, a Seattle venue, the band fell victim to a robbery; all of the group's guitars were stolen.[1] Fortunately, the band had become friends with Death Cab for Cutie member Christopher Walla, who lent them guitars to finish the tour.
In early 2007, the members of So Many Dynamos began playing in instrumental rock band Thor Axe along with guitarist Phil Ring and keyboard player Kyle Work. Shortly afterward, the band finished a tour with HORSE the Band, Heavy Heavy Low Low, The Number 12 Looks Like You and Light This City.
In July 2007, So Many Dynamos began recording the follow-up to Flashlights with Christopher Walla. Sessions took place at the Tiny Telephone Studio in San Francisco, Alberta Court in Portland, and the band's house in Edwardsville, Illinois. The record was mixed by Alex Newport at Metropolitan Sound, Brooklyn, New York, in December 2007. The band recorded another track for the album in February 2008 at Great Western Records Recording in Champaign, Illinois. This track was mixed by Alex Newport in May 2008. The album is set to be called The Loud Wars.[2]
In late July 2007, a tire blew on the band's van on the highway outside Lincoln, Nebraska. The van turned over on the highway and was totalled. No other cars were involved, and the band suffered only minor back injuries.
So Many Dynamos has performed at the 2007 CMJ conference in New York and 2008 South By Southwest conference in Austin, as well as performances at festivals such as San Francisco's Noise Pop, Pop Montreal, Athens Georgia's Popfest and The Over The Top Festival in Toronto.
So Many Dynamos released The Loud Wars on June 9, 2009.
On August 25, 2009, Ryan Wasoba announced that he was leaving the band. Nathan Bernaix of St. Louis band Target Market took his place as guitarist for the band.
Current
Former
| Name | Year | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Are We Not Drawn Onward to New Era? | 2003 | CD-EP | Ambivalent Records |
| When I Explode | 2004 | CD | Skrocki Records |
| So Many Dynamos/Bring Back the Guns split | 2005 | 7" | Discos Mariscos |
| Flashlights | 2006 | CD | Skrocki Records |
| The Loud Wars | 2009 | CD | Vagrant |
| New Bones (single) | 2009 | 7" | Vagrant |