Band of the Week: Cry Monster Cry

 



Cry Monster Cry is a folk rock duo out of Dublin, Ireland. The band features the brothers' beautiful harmonies packed with emotion and lyrics full of shared experiences. Cry Monster Cry was formed by brothers Richie and Jamie Martin in late 2010.  The brothers have been involved in music together for many years before the band's formation, but it is now a central focus for them. In 2012 Cry Monster Cry recorded their first EP, "The Fallen." Upon the release of their debut EP, "The Fallen" went straight to #1 on the Irish iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart and was promptly followed by a sold out launch Upstairs in Whelan’s. The band's music was also recently featured in Tourism Ireland's Jump Into Ireland online. Since the success of the EP realease, Cry Monster Cry has been touring Ireland with their original material. Over the past few months of touring, the band has played gigs with artists such as Sea of Bees, Wallis Bird, Hudson Taylor and Jape.

In between touring, Cry Monster Cry has managed to begin work on their debut album. Jamie  commented on the upcoming album, "We're working with the same producer from the EP, Keith Lawless. We are trying to hone our skills and deliver something well thought out and mature. We were very pleased with the EP, the trick now is to do better this time round and to mature as song writers." The band should have show dates once the album completed and released.

 Below is a track from "The Fallen" EP. If you like what you hear, follow the link for a free download of the song. The full EP can be found on iTunes. If you're interested in following Cry Monster Cry, they can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and on Youtube.
 

Seeing Scars on 45 Live, Twice

Scars on 45 is hands down one of the best bands I've ever seen live, and trust me, I've seen A LOT of bands. Seeing them twice in one week, at two completely different venues, gave me huge respect for the band's music and the band's members.

The first time I became aware of Scars was when one of their songs was featured on Itunes this past April. I had honestly kind of forgotten about them until I saw that they were playing at the Bunbury Music Festival. They were the opening act for the outdoor music festival and there was a surprisingly small crowd. Scars on 45 is one of those bands that you can't help but be captivated by as soon as they take the stage. They had amazing sound, especially on the outdoor stage. Aimee's voice is unbelievable live. It makes you wonder how someone can have such a naturally pure voice. Their incredible sound, memorable lyrics, and wonderful personalities had me hooked. Before the show was over, I was already looking at their next tour locations, and it just so happened that they were playing at The Vinyl in Atlanta less than a week later.

Of course after seeing Scars on 45's show at Bunbury, I had to see them again. The Vinyl is a very small, bar style venue in downtown Atlanta. The band took the stage around 10:00 p.m. and had about an hour and 45 minute set. The small setting allowed the band to be much more interactive with the audience, which made the show even better than I had expected. The band members had conversations with the audience off and on throughout the show and, at a few points in the performance, they even came off the stage and mingled with the crowd during songs. With the smaller venue, the sound wasn't as good, but the band made up for that otherwise. It was yet another fantastic show from Scars on 45.

After both shows, the band did meet and greets with fans, talking and taking pictures with them, signing merchandise. All of the band members were genuinely excited to meet their fans and more than happy to sign merch. When bands truly appreciate their fans like Scars on 45 does, to me, it is priceless.

In conclusion, Scars on 45 is a band you should definitely see live if you ever get the chance! Believe me, you will be shocked at how good they are live. I know I was. And, as of now, I plan on seeing them again in the very near future.

My friends, my sister, and I at the Bunbury Fest. with Scars on 45

My friends and I at The Vinyl with Scars on 45's co-lead singer, Aimee Driver 

How Scars on 45 Came to Be

This is Scars on 45's official full biography by Melinda Newman:
How Scars on 45 Came to Be

And this is the song that set everything into motion (which I might add, I saw them perform this live and it was unbelievable in person):

"Friday, I'm In Love" Cover

(Includes the song and a band interview that goes along with the above article)

This band was obviously meant to be. Everything seemed to fall into the right place at the right time for them. It's incredible how things like that happen. Some of this may be a slight recap of my previous post, but I wanted give the full story and this is the best way to do it. Hope you find it interesting and enjoy the read!

One last thing! Here is the Scars on 45 Q&A with Billboard!!

Band of the Week: Scars on 45

There are so many wonderful things to say about Scars on 45 that I barely even know where to start. So, I will start with a short band bio and then have some posts about other  Scars on 45 things later this week...

Scars on 45 is a 5-person, indie/acoustic rock group from Leeds, England. After breaking his foot at the age of 21, co-founder Danny Bemrose's professional soccer career with England's Huddersfield Town F. C. came to and end. “I was in limbo, without knowing what to do with myself,” he said. Danny ended up turning to music, which in turn led to the formation of Scars on 45: Danny Bemrose (vocals/guitar), Stuart Nichols (bass), David “Nova” Nowakowski (keyboards), Aimee Driver (vocals), Chris Durling (drums). After their song "Beauty's Running Wild" was featured on an episode of CSI: New York, they were quickly picked up by Atlantic Records' Chop Shop Records label. 

In January of 2011, Scars on 45 released their first EP, Give Me Something. After the release of their successful debut EP, the EP Heart On Fire was released in October of 2011. They went on to release a self-titled full-length album in April of 2012. The album was ranked 7th out of 50 on Amazon.com's "Best Albums of 2012" list. 

Scars on 45 has had their songs featured on several television shows, including Grey's Anatomy, CSI: New York, and Pretty Little Liars, and have been at the top of several charts. The song "Breakdown" was featured on Itunes' "Single of the Week" download in April of 2012. 

Here are a couple of their better known songs. "Give Me Something" gives you a good feel for Scars on 45's overall style, while "Heart On Fire" really shows off both Aimee's and Danny's incredible vocal talents and how well each of their voices compliment the other's. Enjoy!


"Give Me Something"

"Heart On Fire"

I'm hoping to make my next Scars on 45 post about how the band was formed, which, I must say, is a very interesting story. Keep checking back for more! Thanks!

About "The Lesser Known"

I have been talking about creating a music blog for several years now. After attending a music festival in Ohio, I decided that the time was right. Over the past few years, I have discovered thousands of incredible bands with an unbelievably small fan base. Through The Lesser Known, I want to share these bands with the world and other music lovers. This blog will be a resource for readers to learn about and share bands, concerts, music sites, personal music experiences, and everything in between.  Music is master when it comes to The Lesser Known. 

Suggestions of any kind are always welcome and encouraged. I hope you like what you see and please share The Lesser Known with your friends! Thanks!