Science of Sound - Independent Record Label

CHARLEMAGNE

Carl Johns is Charlemagne. But he's been known as Carl Johns before like when he was born in Southern Indiana in the mid-'70s, and when he started playing the drums (his first instrument). He was also Carl Johns when he left the Hoosier State and relocated to Madison, Wisconsin in the late ‘90’s, learned to play guitar and ended up in the group Noahjohn (a sort of a psychedelic Americana project, depending on which album you're listening to), of which released four albums from 1999 to 2004, and toured all over the U.S. and U.K.

But today, Carl Johns is Charlemagne (translation: Carl the Great), and has taken his psychedelic-Americana songwriting style and put it through the Pop machine where out the other end came two albums, the first one self-titled, and the second called "Detour Allure" (SideCho). “Detour Allure” was recorded at Science of Sound with the assistance of his live band at the time; Curtis Whaley (keyboard and co-producer), Bill Borowski (bass), Alex Fulton (drums), Kaleen Enke (backup vocals and guitar) and Tenaya Darlington (vocals), and we’ve had the privilege of releasing it on (blue!) vinyl in July of 2006.

"Inspired by bands like Magnetic Fields, Fleetwood Mac and My Bloody Valentine, ‘Detour Allure’ finds Johns creating less of a singular, songwriter-esque release, instead opting to incorporate more of a full band aesthetic, even utilizing other musicians to assist in the album's creative process. Crammed with plenty of melodies, hooks, reverb, keys, beats and handclaps, ‘Detour Allure’ shows Charlemagne drafting a modern, psychedelic pop album, with plenty of conviction to boot." -SideCho

Official website: www.beholdcharlemagne.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/charlemagne

SOS Discography:
Detour Allure (full-length on vinyl)

CONTROL

HIS & HER VANITIES

Madison, Wisconsin-based His & Her Vanities developed when Ricky and Terrin Riemer began writing music together in their basement while their infant son was asleep at night. With Terrin playing around on bass and Ricky on drums, the couple worked up entire song arrangements, recorded them, and layered other instruments and vocals on top. After amassing a collection of slightly angular, post-punk/pop-rock songs this way, the couple decided to bring the songs to the stage with a full band. In 2001, drummer Sara Quigle joined the Riemers, and with Ricky moving to guitar they played several shows together before recording their self-titled debut, released in June 2002. With the addition of Matt Abplanalp on rhythm guitar (also a bandmate of Ricky's in spazzy math-rock band Transformer Lootbag), H&HV emerged as a four-piece for live shows.

While the debut album's extensive use of back-up vocals and synthesizer tracks at times gravitated toward sonic chaos, their sophomore effort, "A Thought Process" (2004), took a toned-down approach presenting the songs closer to the way they would sound live. Immediately following the disc's release, Ricky and Terrin's second son arrived, making it a little trickier to find creative time to work on new H&HV music. Concurrently, their self-run record label, Science of Sound, began growing as well. After existing solely to release their own bands’ music, the label's reach expanded to other Midwestern acts including the garage-folk punk of Sleeping in the Aviary and orchestral-pop outfit Pale Young Gentlemen. Between time spent promoting the label, more extensive recording work for others in their basement studio and raising two active young boys, it took awhile for H&HV's third release to emerge. But "The Mighty Lunge" makes it to the finish line in October 2009. Self-recorded, mixed and produced, with eight tracks and a running time just shy of 30 minutes, "The Mighty Lunge" combines many of the band's past sounds along with some fresh forms of experimentation.

Praise for H&HV’s debut album, “His & Her Vanities” (2002):
While the arty His & Her Vanities owes a great deal of its canon to post-punkers Devo, the spirited recklessness of the Pixies, and even the pre-punk innovators the Monks, it would be severely unfair to dub the group as a carbon copy of anything. An infectious, fun, and refreshing group that simultaneously stands far out from and somehow fits into the scene of the numerous punk and post-punk revivalist bands that dominated indie culture during the early 2000s.
– All Music Guide

Jagged vocal and instrumental lines drift in and out of phase in organic accidents, creating songs so thick that the listener has to experience the music rather than digest its parts. I believe H&HV prefers its songs to be lessons in audience concentration until ultimately forcing the audience to surrender to the chaos that swirls about. My advice: trust the band to take you on their ride.
– Too Much Rock

Praise for H&HV’s sophomore album, “A Thought Process” (2004):
“…A Thought Process, marks a new His and Her Vanities; a less experimental, more comfortable song-writing entity, one that’s begun to place the raw power of guitar, bass, and drums at the foreground, and glitchy electronics at the back. Every arrangement is so creative, every song a work of surprising ingenuity…”
– Emmie Magazine

This 10-song disc marks a confident step forward for HHV, as the band's driving, danceable rhythms and angular, Devo-esque melodies are brought into even sharper focus. In particular, Ricky's guitar leads chime, clang and roar like a symphony of metal-stamping tools, while the whole band infuse the catchy "Notapartablurb" with an extra steroid boost. And for a welcome twist, splashes of early-Pink Floyd psychedelia color the soft-toned "Field Fire". More so than on their debut, there's a discernible sense of warmth coursing through this album. It's a subtle, largely indefinable quality, but one that strongly suggests the Vanities have come into their own.
– The Isthmus

His & Her Vanities - Myspace
His & Her Vanities - Facebook

SOS Discography: His & Her Vanities (full-length on CD), A Thought Process (full-length on CD), The Mighty Lunge (full-length on CD)

THE HUSSY

Two-piece piss and vinegar rock and roll out of Madison, WI. Formed during the sweltering summer of 2008. They're not smarter than you, and they won't pretend they are. Influences include: guns, Black Time, Jay Reatard, The Stooges, Cheap Time, Electric Eels, Puppy Bowl, The Mystery Girls, Matt Joyce, ant collecting, Culver's tuna melt basket, theremins, Mtn. Dew, The Pons, Mediterranean Cafe, Smith Westerns, basement shows and the like.

The Hussy's new split 7-inch with Sleeping in the Aviary on Science of Sound, released March 27, 2009, sports scenic sounds and child-like minimalist tunes. You need to own this piece of American history.

"The Hussy produce good time rock ‘n’ roll, as if the sixties never happened, and it’s enjoyable stuff... Male and female vocalists alternate, and sometimes combine, to great effect. The guitars, meanwhile, sound jagged, fun and like the real thing, so far removed from much of today’s clean cut guitar sound." Skankin D, Punk Or Nothing

"If anyone's qualified to help Madison audiences bash away a few brain cells, it's Heather Sawyer and Robert Wegner...Their new band, The Hussy, collides Wegner's garage-rock riffage, Sawyer's considerable drum-pummeling skills, and playfully obnoxious vocals from both." - The Onion, 2008

"A two piece from Madison calling themselves “the Hussy” made themselves known at the Frequency and man, it didn’t take long to have the beats beating a pulp of real raw rawkkkkk! Armed with a vexing guitar and a banger of earthshaking booms on drums, the Hussy brought back the short catchy hard hitting feeling I first remember when trying out heavy sounding underground sounds. I felt like I was back at CBGB’s getting a taste of what the others have been trying to make happen." - Mister G, Green Arrow Radio, June 2008

MySpace: www.myspace.com/thehussyknowsall

SOS Discography:
The Hussy / Sleeping in the Aviary Split 7-inch

ICARUS HIMSELF

Icarus Himself's sophomore full-length Career Culture is a sonic cinema in electro-psych-folk, drenched in the influences of artists like Kurt Vile, Deerhunter, The Who, and David Bowie.

The story begins with frontman Nick Whetro living in Indiana, working third shift in a window manufacturing plant. "Wake Up / It's time to do it all over again" (the opening track) evokes images of the film Metropolis. After his shift at the factory in this sepia-shaded scene, "Mornings At The Bar" sets the mood for the sunrise as workers trek to the bar at six in the morning. "There was nothing else to do in town. It's about people who have nothing to look forward to but getting their paycheck and spending it at the bar. It seemed like they never wanted to leave," illustrates Whetro.

"WI via IN" marks the shift in Career Culture. As the montage of the fictitious soundtrack, the looped bass line with added organs and synth give the song a Planet of the Apes/The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly vibe. This is where he makes a break for it. Whetro leaves the depressing factory life to start over in Madison, Wisconsin.

No epic journey would be complete without the love story, and Career Culture is no different. "On Your Side," is replete with love-soaked euphoria. Written about the girl our protagonist would marry, the song is about "trusting someone that's close to you." Built on a loop of a drum machine hi-hat and a fuzzed-out Casio synth. "I found it hard / to think of past times / I've stopped trying now / because you're on my side."

Icarus Himself was started by Nick Whetro in 2008 as a solo project and has developed into a trio to include drummer Brad Kolberg and multi-instrumentalist Karl Christenson. Career Culture is the third in a series of auto-biographical recordings, beginning with Coffins, released by Science of Sound in May of 2009, followed by the EP Mexico, released almost exactly one year later. This new album was recorded at Science of Sound's studio, engineered by Ricky Riemer and mixed with the band with the help of Riemer. Guest players include Michael Gallope on keys (Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang, Starring, Skeletons), Jonathan Lang on keys and clarinet, Jacqueline Kursel on cello, and Rob Ferrett on tenor sax.

"If you want to get Coffins in a single sound bite, try 'lost Bowie demo tape overdubbed with acid confessions." - CokeMachineGlow

"Where many have compared the guy to Beirut and Neutral Milk Hotel (I’ll give you the lite-psych of “This Means Nothing”), to these ears it’s more Spoon-noir shuffling." - World of Wumme

"The solo outlet of National Beekeepers Society's Nick Whetro. Icarus Himself emphasizes what lurks under NBS's reassuring guitar fuzz...he accompanies his death 'n' degradation tales with lonely echoes, double-tracked vocals, and the occasional drum machine." - The Onion, Madison A/V Club

"Confused characters traipse through a cold, ill-fated world, in which everything and everyone are imperfect and death rattles the bones of both the living and the dead." - The Isthmus

"...Whetro makes great use of macabre lyrics over music that is oftentimes soft, or at the very least unassuming." - Delusions of Adequacy

“Icarus Himself is the solo venture of National Beekeepers Society's Nick Whetro. With this project Whetro takes the refined distortion of the National Beekeepers and combines it with his wry and quirky vocals to make what I can only categorize as basement tape beauty... It is the minimal nature of Icarus Himself that makes them so appealing; with a few guitars, a drum machine, and a whole lot of dissonance, Whetro has masterfully done with a couple albums what many agonize to accomplish with endless releases -- which is to create something uniquely his own” - Dane101.com

Icarus Himself on MySpace
Icarus Himself on Facebook
Icarus Himself on Bandcamp

SOS Discography:
Coffins (full-length on CD), Mexico (EP on CD), Career Culture (full-length on CD and vinyl)

PALE YOUNG GENTLEMEN

Pale Young Gentlemen formed in a large, unused bedroom in Madison, WI in August of 2004. Brothers Michael & Matt Reisenauer and friend Brett Randall started out as a three-piece (piano, drums, guitar), but soon added Milwaukee-based musician Andrew Brawner on bass and cellist Elizabeth Weamer. Drawing upon the folk-classical movements of Brahms, the evocative storytelling of Randy Newman, and the pop orchestration and sensibilities of Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney, this group fashioned a unique and compelling sound.

PYG's self-titled debut (self-released in 2006) was a demonstration of musical imaginativeness. The songs ranged from dark tales of pulsing theatricality expressed through bouncy piano and old dance hall beats, to delicate and powerful narratives with soft vocals and quivering cello in the foreground. After the album was finished, PYG's music continued to evolve, and so did their lineup. Currently, the band consists of original members Brett Randall (bass), Matt Reisenauer (percussion) and Michael Reisenauer (vocals, guitar, piano), accompanied by Beth Morgan (cello, backing vocals) and Gwen Miller (viola, bell kit).

In October 2008, PYG finished the creation of their sophomore album, Black Forest (tra la la). Musically and emotionally expansive, Black Forest twists and flows and weaves like scenery on an uncertain path. The tracks tie together by shared musical and narrative threads, with each building upon the next for an astounding, cinematic effect. The album is rich and diverse, ranging from the frantic guitar-and-drum-driven “Coal/Ivory”, to the languid lyrical meanderings of “Kettle Drum (I Left a Note)”.

As with their debut, Black Forest was recorded and mixed at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin and produced by Beau Sorenson (Death Cab For Cutie, Sparklehorse). This is Pale Young Gentlemen’s first release with Science of Sound.

Featured on Black Forest (tra la la): Mike Reisenauer - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano Matt Reisenauer - Percussion Brett Randall - Bass Guitar Liz Weamer - Cello Beth Morgan - Backing Vocals, Bell Kit Gwendolyn Miller - Viola Derek Powell - Violin Leelanee Sterrett - French Horn Margaret Mackenzie - Harp Matt Peters - Xylophone Jacqueline Reisenauer - Flute

Current lineup for live shows: Mike Reisenauer - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano Matt Reisenauer - Percussion Brett Randall - Bass Guitar Beth Morgan - Cello, Backing Vocals Gwendolyn Miller - Viola, Bell Kit

Praise for Black Forest (tra la la):

"Black Forest (tra la la) is an understated gem full of warm but striking chamber pop." - Skyscraper Magazine

"Within the relatively tight confines of twelve mid-paced, carefully orchestrated tunes, there's a surprising amount of variety, depth and genuine feeling. Pale, and most definitely interesting." - Music OMH

"In terms of indie-rock music based chiefly around orchestral string instruments, there’s absolutely nothing in the same class as Pale Young Gentlemen in 2008." - No Ripcord

"An excellent and surprising followup to their first full-length, and one that should certainly be heard by a few more ears." - PunkNews.org

"Progressive yet embracing the past, full of fit and flourish without ever sounding fanciful, Black Forest (Tra La La) is one of the most unique and glorious albums of the year." - Pop Matters

"It’s a soundtrack to a masterpiece film that hasn’t been shot yet, an album that gets stronger as it progresses and with repeated listens; it’s damn well near flawless and scoffs at the shadow of its predecessor." - Ear Farm

"It’s an album that goes about reluctantly wedding past and present influences, impressively, and refreshingly favoring the former." - Cokemachine Glow

"It’s a soundtrack to a fairytale, telling a dream — like fable of a man looking back on his life and searching for answers." - Venus Zine

"Once again, Pale Young Gentlemen have crafted a singularly noteworthy record unlike anything else." - Delusions of Adequacy

"If their first record was year-end worthy and critically acclaimed, Black Forest (tra La La) advances them past those well-earned accolades into an entirely different level of success." - Muzzle of Bees

"They can write string parts as off-kilter as Danny Elfman and as energetic as Ra Ra Riot, and back it all up with a solid melody that makes you want to come back. I still feel as I did a year ago- this is one of the best indie bands around, and one that definitely deserves more attention…" - The Yellow Stereo

"Pale Young Gentlemen use cellos, violins, and pianos, among other things, to create their distinct sound. And they do what they do as good as, if not better than, anyone." - Tastes Like Chicken

"This isn't "Wail on the electric guitar and scream bloody murder" swagger or "Dig my blues riff and my street cred" swagger or even "Be awed by my laptop skills" swagger--it's "We know exactly what we're doing and don't really sound like anyone else" swagger. The best kind, in other words." - Fingertips

Though still vocally arranged in deliberately disorganized harmony, as in the band's self-titled debut, this album is presented with more melody, more emotion, and, in general, more depth. - Amplifier Magazine

"A cerebral rock and roll orchestra whose arrangements are as smart as their lyrics." - HearYa

"Pale Young Gentlemen have returned with a lovely vengeance...making one of the most impressive bids for fame of recent memory."
- CMJ New Music Report, October 6, 2008

Official website: www.paleyounggentlemen.com/
Pale Young Gentlemen - MySpace
Pale Young Gentlemen - Facebook

SOS Discography:
Black Forest (Tra La La) (full-length on CD)

SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL/ SHE IS SO BLONDE

She is So Beautiful/She is So Blonde is the work of one individual’s home recording odyssey. Elliott Kozel (Sleeping in the Aviary) recorded the 11 tracks on SISB/SISB's debut album in his bedroom between the years of 2003-2007, and the stylistic range gives an insight into his varying musical experiments. With sounds ranging from the sparse acoustic side of Smog to the spacey soundscapes of Califone and The Microphones, Kozel has created a darkly engaging record that rewards repeated listens. Elliott has been involved in a veritable mountain of musical projects between his former residence of Madison, WI, and his current one in Minneapolis, MN, but his main focus is his pop/folk/garage/punk band Sleeping in the Aviary (in which he is the guitarist, vocalist and main songwriter). SitA released their debut album “Oh, This Old Thing?” in February of 2007, "Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel" in October of 2008, and spend a few months each year touring around the country. SiSB/SiSB on the other hand, is solely a recorded effort with no plans to play the material out live, but is a creative outlet for Kozel’s ideas that don’t quite fit into the realm of SitA.

"The Elliott Kozel of Sleeping in the Aviary and Elliott Kozel the solo artist are very different animals. With the former, Kozel careens through inspired pop tunes that are by turns ramshackle, anarchic and sweet. As a solo artist, he paints in far more muted colors... Lo-fi alt-country-folk lopes easily toward the hazy horizon, atmospheric sonic experiments envelope Kozel's quavering voice as a few piano chords or an echoic sonic filigree blur the line between aural collage and deliberate composition. On his own, playing all the instruments and singing all the vocal parts, he's more surrealist than ash-can pop-punk." - Tom Laskin, The Isthmus

MySpace: www.myspace.com/sheissobeautifulsheissoblonde

SOS Discography:
She Is So Beautiful / She Is So Blonde (full-length on CD)

SLEEPING IN THE AVIARY

"It's got a fuzzed-out doo-wop feeling, and all the songs are about girls!" says Sleeping in the Aviary's Elliott Kozel. "It's like Dion and the Belmonts with a hangover trying to figure out how to use a Big Muff pedal, or the Everly Brothers beating up some kid in the bathroom of a high-school gymnasium and then feeling bad about it later." He's describing the band's fourth full-length album, You and Me, Ghost, set for release by Science of Sound Records on September 6, 2011. In the ever-expanding musical universe that is Sleeping in the Aviary, asking what they're up to now will often reward the questioner with an unexpected response – and be accompanied by some great music, genre boundaries be damned.

Originating as a trio based in Madison, Wis., Sleeping in the Aviary has evolved into a Minneapolis, Minn., quintet including Kozel (vocals, guitar), Phil Mahlstadt (bass), Michael Sienkowski (drums, backing vocals), Celeste Heule (accordion, keyboards, musical saw), and Kyle Sobczak (guitar). All the members have roots in southeastern Wisconsin, and have been playing music for a decade and more in a near-countless number of bands and one-off projects. Those varied experiences and experiments have resulted in the bouillabaisse of sounds offered in their discography – from the power chord-fueled pop-punk of Oh, This Old Thing? (2007), to the mostly acoustic indie-folk of Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel (2008), to the soul-influenced pop of Great Vacation (2010). For You and Me, Ghost the band's sound takes on the influence of an earlier era but still sounds undeniably like Sleeping in the Aviary.

"The 'golden oldies' from the '50s and '60s had a major conceptual influence on this particular album," says Kozel. "The simple romantic themes and short and straightforward song structures were elements we attempted to steal from it." And it wasn't difficult to focus on themes that dwell on affairs of the heart since the songwriting followed the end of a long-term relationship for Kozel, who says, "It's the old tried and true 'break-up album.'"

You and Me, Ghost was recorded in Science of Sound's studio over five days on a short break during several months of touring in the first half of 2011. For the most part, reversing the very layered and complex production style used for Great Vacation, here the band keeps the arrangements simple, limits superfluous or textural tracks and keeps the reverb to a minimum. Kozel and Sobczak produced the record (with assistance from all), aided by the engineering skills of Ricky Riemer.

Sleeping in the Aviary has shared stages with Califone, Ra Ra Riot, The Thermals, The Von Bondies, Elf Power and many others; they will be heading back out on the road in September with their newest release. In the meantime, they'll be releasing new tracks and video teasers for the new album.

"Alternately somber, poignant, lively or even a bit waltzy, 'Expensive Vomit in A Cheap Hotel' will leave you neither nauseous nor drowsy." - CMJ New Music Report 10/20/08

"...engaging, dank and irreverent energy..." - Alternative Press

"...Sleeping in the Aviary possesses the same snotty charm as the aforementioned Femmes (circa their early era), especially in the vocal stylings of singer/guitarist Elliott Kozel, which can be heard clearly on the album opening 'Write On.' Elsewhere, you'll also find a Pixies-esque ditty ('Gas Mask Blues') and a haunting album closing ditty ('Windshield')." - All Music Guide

"In a departure from the band's debut, 'Oh, This Old Thing?', Sleeping in the Aviary bounds down the road littered with folk rock heroes of the past. 'Gas Mask Blues' is a Siamese twin to Bob Dylan's 'Maggie's Farm,' while 'Write On' opens the affair with a burst of love sick rage." - Illinois Entertainer

"Their debut full-length...was a controlled chaos of warbled vocals, fast riffing, and sentiments of abjection. This year's 'Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel' comes up with a similar thesis - but this time around, it's been filtered down to a level somewhere between post-psychotic folk music and a pre-apocalyptic drug addiction. For my money, this is a pure coclear joy." - PRICK Magazine

"Expensive Vomit begins like Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes leading an unplugged Arcade Fire, but it swiftly blasts into an unbridled rock rave-up worthy of the Pixies back when Black Francis was delivering demon-exercising howls." - The Charlotte Observer

"The raw and immediate approach that garnered the band comparisons to The Thermals is still around. It's toned down a tad, though, as SITA tackles a broader base of influences, drawing on everything from late-'90s indie pop to that sort of singer/songwriter folk that's been around forever without changing one bit. Just take it as a whiskey and speed party at the folk festival and leave it there." - Aversion

"...a raggedy sort of rock of roll, one that dips its toe into folk and the blues before galloping back into the world of clanging guitars." - Aiding & Abetting

"Touchy, creave, sappy, eclectic, and fiercely energetic all at the same time; Sleeping in the Aviary bring together an array of sound most bands can only dream of accomplishing."- Metro Spirit

"Sleeping in the Aviary has moved beyond the headlong punk abandon of their debut, crafting an impressive set of refined pop songs -- replete with 'la, la, la's,' and 'oooh-wee's!' -- even if they're still dressing them with indie noise trappings." - Elmore Magazine

"A truly graduated effort, like a fine wine, this album is a beautiful example of a band able to mature with time." - Three Imaginary Girls

Official website: www.sleepingintheaviary.com
Sleeping in the Aviary on Myspace
Sleeping in the Aviary on Facebook

SOS Discography:
Oh, This Old Thing? (full-length on CD and vinyl)
Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel (full-length on CD and vinyl)
Great Vacation! (full-length on CD and vinyl)
You And Me, Ghost (full-length on CD and vinyl)
The Hussy / Sleeping in the Aviary Split 7-inch

TRANSFORMER LOOTBAG

WHATFOR

WHATFOR is more than just pop.

The man behind the moniker, Michael Sienkowski, has the mentality of the classics, a knack for sharp songwriting and a handsome set of pipes. This ensures that Whatfor's debut album is pointedly smart and crafty without compromising its levelheaded measure - the finest Midwestern gallantry tempered by the strong hands of wry humor and verse. With songs masking self-mockery in '60s-style pop, Sooner Late Than Never channels the sardonic joy of The Kinks, joined by Beatles harmonies and a vocal style reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright. Despite the oft-biting lyrical subject matter, the album sounds upbeat and manages to escape the trap of redundancy that can plague pop rock. Each track takes its own personality, from touches of baroque, finger-plucked rag to tongue-in-cheek misogyny that will put your hips in a twist.

Sienkowski is no stranger to the Madison, Wisconsin music scene. He's the drummer for spastic-pop trio Sleeping in the Aviary and was a founding member of the late, lamented Eyebeams. Whatfor finds him taking full advantage of his musical neighbors. SITA bandmates Elliott Kozel (guitar) and Phil Mahlstadt (bass) help flesh out Sienkowski's own work on piano, vocals and drums. Beth Morgan of Madison's Pale Young Gentlemen acts as cellist laureate, while UW music majors Erin Heinke (harpsichord) and Jamie Kember (trombone) add extra flavor to the mix. Cribshitter's Christine Christenson even busts out her tuba for a track. Overall, the crew conveys a sense of musical modesty, lending the album skillfully minimalist performances which Sienkowski has layered into an irrepressibly catchy whole.

Sooner Late than Never, recorded by Ricky Riemer at Science of Sound in Madison, was released May 20, 2008 on the Science of Sound label.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/thisiswhatfor

”What he’s (Michael Sienkowski’s) doing is playing music you recognize, and he’s kicking no small amount of ass at it.” - Eric Sams, CokeMachineGlow

”The songs on Whatfor’s debut, Sooner Late Than Never, were written to work in a basic rock-trio format, driven mostly by Sienkowski’s vocal melodies, which are meandering and catchy at once. At times he also slips in bits of strings, horns, and harpsichord, not to mention harmonies that teeter and swoon like a drunken barbershop quartet.” - Scott Gordon, The Onion A.V. Club

”One of Sooner Late Than Never’s strengths is Sienkowski’s willingness to deviate from the classic bass/drums/guitar format. Perhaps it’s because he’s a drummer by trade, but some of the best songs here feel like they weren’t written by a guy with a battered up acoustic guitar, which is a breath of fresh air. There are flashes of cello, trombone, even harpsichord, and some of the compositions that rely most heavily on these instruments are the eventual standouts; Fast Asleep, with its longing vocal and jaunty cello riff for example, is a classic spin on the baroque-pop style. I’m Not Fooling Around probably was composed on guitar, but it deserves special mention for its beautiful harmonies and tinkling xylophone flourishes. It’s probably my favourite thing here and on a debut this strong that’s really saying something.” - David Coleman, No Ripcord

SOS Discography:
Sooner Late Than Never (full-length on CD)