Who? This self-professed “action rock band” — Steve Aiello (vocals, guitar), Justin Muir (drums), Ryan Muir (trumpet, vocals, guitar), Andrew Borstein (trombone, keys, vocals, synth keys), Mike Matarese (bass) — hail from Providence, RI, where they were originally called Monty Fan’s Club. After winning an online competition for Best Band and Best Song Composition and subsequently spending the past few summers melting faces on Warped Tour, the quintet are finally dropping their debut full-length, Wall of People.
What’s the Deal? Twiddling the knobs on Wall of People is Matt Squire — who’s also produced for Panic! at the Disco and the Receiving End of Sirens — so it’s no wonder the quintet’s debut boasts ruthless riffs, melodramatic bridges and breakdowns, and Aiello’s delightfully angsty vox as he meditates on everything from big city life to video games. “Castle Bound,” an urgent ode to fantasy game Legend of Zelda, appropriately opens with Nintendo-inspired keys, and it’s as much about modern love as it is about Link and Princess Zelda.
Fun Facts: Singer/multi-instrumentalist Ryan Muir and drummer Justin Muir are twin brothers, and, as of press time, all the members have their AOL screen names posted to their MySpace page. Leave them emoticons! JULIA SIMON
Now Hear This: Monty Are I – “In This Legacy” (Download MP3)
Talk: Are Monty Are I for you? COMMENT
On the Web: montyarei.com
