User:Bretnavarro/Motel Beds (band)

Motel Beds are a rock band from Dayton, Ohio.

History
The Motel Beds is an American garage rock/indie rock band formed in Dayton, Ohio in 2002. The band is often compared to fellow Dayton artists Guided By Voices for their energetic live shows and prolific songwriting. In 2011, the band announced that they had signed with No More Fake Labels, to release their album Tango Boys. The label, based in Chapel Hill, NC is about to release "Sing For Your Meat," a tribute to Guided By Voices featuring The Flaming Lips, Superdrag, Lou Barlow and more.

The band was started by the songwriting duo of PJ Paslosky and Tommy Cooper, along with drummer Ian Kaplan (formerly of Lab Partners) and bassist/vocalist John Lakes. They recorded their first EP "Hasta Mañana" in 2003 which found the song "Laugh Until You Die" selected by David Poe to be included on the compilation, "Artist’s Den Volume 1" (a new music series that has featured acts like Heartless Bastards and The Secret Machines).

After recording an album’s worth of material with producer/guitarist Patrick Himes (Ryan Adams, Zelazowa) in 2005, the band dissolved. Cooper played guitar with original Guided By Voices guitar player, Mitch Mitchell and later joined long-time friends in Captain Of Industry. PJ collaborated with several local musicians including veteran producer/guitarist, Darryl Robbins. In 2009 the band reemerged, recruiting aforementioned Darryl Robbins who quickly went to work sorting, re-recording and producing the band’s large and unreleased back catalog along with a growing batch of new material.

Robbins’ new role as engineer has led to flurry of new releases including the "Go For A Dive" EP in 2009, named as one of one of the best local CD's of 2009 and "Moondazed," over an hour of low to mid to hi-fi gems stitched together from years of home recordings and studio demos, in early 2010, which rock critic Phil Ramone from The Huffington Post called the album "raw and electric-filled."

The band then spent the following months holed up in their rehearsal space recording and producing their first full-length studio album, "Feelings," a dynamic collection of songs showcasing the band's collective and diverse influences. While waiting for the production of the album to complete the band started working on their follow up, "Sunfried Dreams," which was released in February 2011. "Sunfried Dreams" found the band fully giving in their love of 60's rock and roll and offering up 11 upbeat garage pop songs recalling the sounds of early Beatles, Buddy Holly, and The Who.

In 2011, the band has reemerged with a greater sense of urgency and creative prowess and are finally delivering on their prolific nature. In addition to the nonstop writing and recording the band keeps busy by a number of projects including Robbins’ recent gig in Robert Pollard’s project, "Milko Waif & The Bug-Eyed Mums."

In 2011 the band released their second full length of the year in "Tango Boys." Of the album, The Agit Reader says "Motel Beds swim in the Beach Boys’ endless summer harmonies, wrestle with The Kinks with a scrappy vigor, strut like the Stones, swoon like the Everly Brothers.." The album also featured a duet by fellow Daytonian and member of The Breeders, Kelley Deal in the song "Tropics of the Sand". The track was hand-picked to appear on the 2011 CMJ Freeplay mixtape for the band's well recieved appearance at CMJ. Tango Boys went on to chart as high as #122 on the CMJ radio in the band's first radio promotion while having 13 stations place the album in their Top 30s.

In 2012 the band made their first appearance in Austin Texas as part of the No More Fake Labels Showcase at the South by Southwest festival.

Members

 * Current members
 * Paul John Paslosky-vocals
 * Tommy Cooper-guitar
 * Ian Kaplan-drums
 * Darryl Robbins-guitar
 * Tod Weidner-bass,vocals


 * Former members
 * John Lakes-bass
 * Nithin Kalvakota-bass
 * Kevin Passmore-bass,keys,vocals
 * Patrick Himes-guitar
 * Matt Brown-bass

Studio albums

 * Moondazed (Fictionband Mechanics, 2010)
 * Feelings (Fictionband Mechanics, 2010)
 * Sunfried Dreams (Fictionband Mechanics, 2011)
 * Tango Boys (No More Fake Labels, 2011)

Singles/EPs

 * Hasta Mañana EP (Team Evil, 2003)
 * Go For A Dive EP (Fictionband Mechanics, 2009)
 * Western Son/Surfjerk UK 7" (Turntable Kitchen, 2011)
 * Low Noise EP (Gas Daddy Go, 2012)

Compilations

 * Cactus Kiss (Local Losers: WWSU 106.9 Summer Sampler, CD Comp., 2004)
 * Laugh Until You Die (Artists Den Vol. 1, CD Comp., 2008, Artists Den Records)
 * Tropics Of The Sand (CMJ Freeplay Mixtape, Comp., 2011)

Reviews

 * The Fire Note Review of Tango Boys
 * Musical Pairings:Sunfried Dreams
 * The Huffington Post Review of Moondazed