So Many Dynamos

Infobox musical artist
Name = So Many Dynamos
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Edwardsville, Illinois, US
Genre = indie rock
Years_active = 2002 - present
Label = Skrocki Records
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/somanydynamos Myspace Profile]
Current_members = Aaron Stovall
Ryan Wasoba
Clayton "Norm" Kunstel
Griffin Kay
Past_members = Ryan Ballew

So Many Dynamos is a rock band from Edwardsville, Illinois, a city in the metro-east St. Louis area. 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 is currently unsigned.

History

So Many Dynamos was formed in late 2002 when two St. Louis area groups broke up; bassist/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 Norm after a few practices. Aaron Stovall played bass, but began using a Realistic synthesizer on most songs to play the basslines (to this date, only 3 songs by So Many Dynamos have used bass guitar). The band's first performance was at Sally T's in St. Peters, MO 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 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 in June 2003. Griffin Kay, who would later replace Ballew in the band, came along on the tour to sell merchandise.. In Seattle, WA, the group met Robbie Skrocki, owner of Skrocki Records, who would later release the band's first album. In July 2003, the group toured again, a week-long midwest trek with Columbia, MO's The Texas Chainsaw Mass Choir. Around this time, Stovall began using a second keyboard to play melodies in addition to basslines. So Many Dynamos recorded their first full-length, entitled "When I Explode", in February 2004 at Chicago's Semaphore Studios. The album was written in Greg Stinson's basement during a session called Camp Dynamo, where Greg 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, VA.

"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's Bring Back the Guns. In August, before a tour with HORSE the Band, guitarist Ryan Ballew quit the group. Greg Stinson filled in for Ballew on the tour, and former merch guy Griffin Kay became a permanent guitarist in the group on September 11, 2004.

In the summer of 2004, Norm, Griffin, and Ryan 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, Norm and Ryan began playing as an instrumental two-piece entitled Chunnel.

During a short tour with HORSE the Band in October 2004, Griffin Kay injured his knee in Columbus, Ohio. This developed into a near-fatal staph infection, and Nathan Bernaix of St. Louis band Target Market filled in for 2 shows in November.

In February 2005, the band recorded the song "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 due to insufficient funds. The band spent most of 2005 touring, attempting to play all 48 continental states within the year, but ultimately only playing 35.

In October 2005, the band went on tour as backing band for Emperor X, 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 record, "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 were 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 including 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 to Australia and New Zealand in June 2007.

Around the initial release of "Flashlights", the band was picked up by booking agent Skinny Touring, and as a result So Many Dynamos began an extensive tour schedule that would put the band 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 of the Paradox, a Seattle venue, the band fell victim to a robbery; all of the group's guitars were stolen, along with a cell phone and a wallet. [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/39301/So_Many_Dynamos_Gear_Nabbed#39301 So Many Dynamos' Gear Nabbed] - Pitchfork Media; accessed 14th February 2007] 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 triumphant instrumental rock band Thor Axe along with guitarist Phil Ring and keyboardist Kyle Work. Shortly afterwards, 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 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, NY in December 2007. The band recorded another track for the album in February 2008 at Great Western Records Recording in Champaign, IL. This track was mixed by Alex Newport in May 2008. The album is set to be called "The Loud Wars". [ [http://dynamosrecording.blogspot.com/2008/08/woah.html So Many Dynamos Recording Blog] , accessed 19 August 2008]

In late July 2007, a tire on the band's van blew on the highway outside of Lincoln, NE. The van flipped on the highway and was totalled. No other cars were involved, and the band only suffered 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.

Notable Bands Played With

2003

The Postal Service, Cex, Target Market, Minus the Bear, Maritime, HORSE the Band

2004

Junior Senior, Blue Velvet, Emperor X, Troubled Hubble, Norma Jean, Decibully, Fear Before the March of Flames, The Octopus Project, My Chemical Romance

2005

The City on Film, Thunderbirds are Now!, Murder by Death, DMBQ, Oxford Collapse, Piglet, Headphones, Secret Machines, Foundry Field Recordings, The Robot Ate Me, The Show is the Rainbow

2006

Harvey Danger, Cinemechanica, The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, Travis Morrison, Appleseed Cast, MC Chris, Supersystem, Chin Up Chin Up, Irving, The Cassettes, Now It's Overhead, Parts And Labor, Ra Ra Riot

2007

Jumbling Towers, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Maps And Atlases, HORSE the Band, Heavy Heavy Low Low, Light This City, Dixie Dies, Russian Circles, The Number 12 Looks Like You, Pattern is Movement, Asobi Seksu, VHS or BETA.

2008

The Mountain Goats, An Albatross, Tera Melos, Cursive, Mahjongg, HORSE the Band, Heavy Heavy Low Low, Death Cab for Cutie

Equipment

Aaron Stovall: Realistic MG-1 synth, Korg MicroKorg, Micro Moog, Ampeg SVT bass head, Ampeg 8x10 cabinet
past equipment: Moog Opus 3, Crate PA Head, Ampeg Sub-Blaster Octave Pedal, DOD Bass Overdrive Pedal, Fender J-Bass, SansAmp pedal
Ryan Wasoba: G&L Asat Tribute, Gibson SG-Z, Casio SK-5 sampling keyboard, Marshall JCM 800, Boss Octave Pedal, Electro Harmonix Big Muff (Russian), Digitech Bass Synth Wah, Digitech Whammy-Wah, Boss CS-3, Boss TU-2 tuner, Fender 4x12 Cabinet
past equipment: Squier Supersonic, Electro Harmonix Stereo Memory Man, Fender Ultimate Chorus, Marshall Mosfet Lead 100
Clayton Kunstel: 1960's Slingerland Drum Set, Zildjian Sweet Ride, 24" Paiste Giant Beat, Roto-Toms
past equipment: Tama drum set, lots of cracked-ass cymbals
Griffin Kay: Rickenbacker 330, Fender Telecaster, Sovtek Cudano, Maxon Analog Delay, Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff, Boss Super Shifter, Boss TU-2 tuner, Marshall 2x12
past equipment: Gibson SG, G&L Tribute ASAT Hollowbody, Danelectro French Toast octave distortion, Marshall 4x12

Members

Aaron Stovall - vocals, keyboards

Ryan Wasoba - guitar

Clayton Kunstel (commonly referred to as "Norm") - drums

Griffin Kay - guitar (September 2004-present)

Ryan Ballew - guitar (September 2002-August 2004)

Discography

Notes

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/somanydynamos Myspace Profile]