“I Am Spartacus”?!?
A Clever Con (ACC) must be back -- and they are with the follow-up to their 2009 debut, The Robot EP and a brand new music video too. There have been a few twists and turns, but the snarky, witty and fun foursome is ready with a high voltage batch of songs that are musically more mature than anything they’ve done before. Of course, ACC saw half of the six tracks from their debut land in full rotation on AOL Radio, which helped them to secure spots on The Warped Tour ’09 & ‘10. It’s just that they have been naturally progressing.“At the core, we set out to make a great sounding record,” said guitarist and founding member Ryan Marsa. “We didn’t want to cut corners and skimp on tracking time, use bad gear, or rush any aspect of the production process. Our goal was to up the stakes with Mannequin Love: Part 1. We wanted to play better, write better, produce better and sound better.”
And sound better it does, with walls of guitars courtesy of Marsa, infectious melodies by lead singer/founding member, Mike Dietz; and with the thunder and lightning rhythm section of bassist Tommie Riccio and former drummer TJ Horner. Not skipping a beat, ACC recently recruited their new drummer, Ceante, who plans to bring the band to, “biblical proportions.” “He’s already adding an insane new energy and style to our performances and writing process.” said Marsa.
A Clever Con worked hard to fund the new release—by playing ACC shows, cover gigs, and by asking fans to support them via Pledgemusic.com. But resources were still limited, so the band was meticulous in its preparation—allowing them to carefully plan the songs and the recording process over the course of several months. ACC tracked at Architekt Music in Butler, New Jersey—a combination studio/music school/live venue. That allowed them to feel at home, as the studio is run by fellow musicians from the New Jersey scene and with Marsa taking on the role of producer.
But all of that planning aside, A Clever Con decided that they were going to relax and have some fun. And with songs that have titles such as “Katy Perry Sex Tape” (music video below), “Twentysomething Blues,” and “Skydivers and Tongue Biters,” how can it not be?
“Well… we originally wrote these songs about our Mercedes-Benzes, cell phones, and how much we love the combination of Patron and Shorties. You know - really important topics. But, Ryan brought the wrong lyrics to the studio, so I ending up singing about war, politics and other boring stuff.” said Dietz.
Marsa adds, “This has been one of the most enjoyable, stressful, if not overly-caffeinated experiences of my life. But I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve done - this record rocks.”
Dietz agrees, “We took our time, and it really shows. We are all perfectionists with our music, but I kind of look at it like an adventure now. I can honestly say that I am just looking to have fun; life is too short. We plan to tour, release more music and play the hell out of our instruments for our fans. They’re our fuel; without them I wouldn't find as much joy in playing.”
For more information, please visit: facebook.com/aclevercon
Streaming Audio:
“Katy Perry Sex Tape”: http://soundcloud.com/aclevercon/katy-perry-sex-tape
“I Am Spartacus”: http://soundcloud.com/aclevercon/i-am-spartacus
“Katy Perry Sex Tape” Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0oIfB1UW2Y
And for a behind-the-scenes look at the recording process of Mannequin Love: Part 1, please visit: youtube.com/aclevercon
To listen to A Clever Con on Hot Sauce podcast, click here.
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