From the muddy banks of the mighty Mississippi comes the sheer energy and wild acoustic abandon that is the Monads. By combining elements of Americana, bluegrass, outlaw country and rockabilly with the aggressive delivery of punk, the Monads craft a unique style of music that has been dubbed “Black and Bluegrass.” Roy Kasten (88.1 KDHX FM, Riverfront Times) describes their sound as nothing less than a “stomp all over that infinitesimally thin line between deconstruction and dementia, using banjo, fiddle, acoustic guitar and doghouse bass the way rabid hounds might use a burrow full of bunnies.”
The Monads are known for their wildly energetic stage work in which they all but attack their instruments as well as their eclectic lyrics that tell stories covering the gamut from the apocalypse to evil farm animals. Riverfront Times music editor Annie Zaleski referred to the group’s live show as “mesmerizing and completely punk rock.”
The group has performed nationwide, branching out from the River City since 2004. Highlights include winning the 2005-2006 St. Louis Music Award for “Best Country Band,” several nominations for other local awards, contributions to numerous compilations, as well as performances with alt-country icons Split Lip Rayfield at St. Louis’ landmark Blueberry Hill. The band has performed at a variety of festivals, theaters and other venues across the nation, traveling to such diverse locales as Lansing, Michigan, Denton, Texas and New York City.
The Monads’ influences are as varied as the music they perform. The group admires those artists who push the creative envelope and pull their music to places it may never have been before. Having all shared the common experience of playing in punk bands previous to their current work, each member has made a unique and seamless addition to the total sound of the group.
© 2012 Big Muddy Records