The Burning of Rome - 'With Us' album press release
THE BURNING OF ROME
‘WITH US’
RELEASE DATE: 25th March 2013
LABEL: SURFDOG/MEMBRAN
FORMATS: 1CD & DOWNLOAD
Adam Traub: Vocals, Keyboards
Joe Aguilar: Guitar, Vocals
Aimee Jacobs: Keyboards, Vocals
Lee Williams: Drums
As the title suggests, you end up on their side” - Q magazine
“It’s eccentric, it’s eerie, it’s clever and it rocks, too.” – Rock Society magazine
“Gypsy punk rife with keys and rasping vocals.” - Paste Magazine.
The Burning of Rome music creator Adam Traub grew up in San Diego, CA and at age 15 he was already playing
guitar in the punk band Nobody's Hero, signed to Arista Records.
It all came to a halt, though, when he was diagnosed with a rare muscular disorder in both legs and was thrown into a world of medical chaos. Seven surgeries and six titanium bolts later, Traub was faced with a long, gruelling recovery, during which he would play an old upright piano and would hobble over to figure out Beatles songs.
The Beatles eventually turned to Chopin. Chopin eventually turned into Thelonious Monk. And Thelonious eventually turned into The Burning of Rome.
Truab said, “As a songwriter, music is a therapeutic way for me to cope with the world around me. Ever since I was a child I felt like an alien visiting Earth and had (and still have) difficulty understanding what makes people normal. I opted to rebel against the norm through music; it was the only thing that made sense to me. “
Due for release on 25th March on Surfdog/Membran, “With Us” was recorded in LA at EastWest studios and produced by Adam Traub and Grammy Award winner Tom Biller. The album was mixed by Dave Darling (Tom Waits, Jack Johnson, Brian Setzer), with additional remixes by Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers, Sublime, U2, Meat Puppets, Pepper).
The band ended up in the same room that „Pet Sounds” was tracked in 40 years prior, providing an intense energy
throughout the recording process. Periodically Flea, who was recording with Red Hot Chili Peppers in the other half of the studio, or Anthony Kiedis would check in for small talk. Even a nod from Rick Rubin by the coffee machine was a major inspiration. Challenged by the surrounding greatness “With Us” evolved.
The Burning of Rome follows no suit or trend. They attempt to do the opposite, challenging conventionalism. Prepare for something manic and theatrical when you see them live.
They have been lucky enough to open for acts they admire such as The Black Keys, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic
Zeros, Devo, MGMT, Skrillex, Suicidal Tendencies and Jimmy Eat World.
Accompanied by a Franck Deron directed video, the first single to be released from the album, „Cowboys & Cut
Cigars’, has already been enjoying airplay at XFM, Q Radio and Total Rock Radio, amongst others.
“The ultimate goal of The Burning of Rome” is to reach as many people as possible with our sound and offer musical asylum to those needing it. Bands used to carry the banner for their followers in a way that seems fleeting. There aren’t any Joe Strummers of this generation acting as a voice for those that can’t be heard. I want The Burning of Rome to carry a banner for its followers and give them refuge from monotony. I want to rally the masses and call out the corrupt. I want a revolution to spark from this band! – Adam Traub
For further information please contact Dave Clarke at:
Tel:+44 (0) 7966 557774 or E-Mail: dave@planetearthpublicity.com
www.planetearthpublicity.com
THE BURNING OF ROME: ‘WITH US’
Track-by-track synopsis
1. The Ballad of an Onion Sprout
“Two close acquaintances of mine were in a relationship that was destined for destruction. This song was a correlation between their affair and that of John Smith and Rebecca Rolfe (Pocahontas). The onion analogy is indicative of hope sprouting from a bitter scenario -- from the upset topsoil of sour circumstance something beautiful may blossom, as in the case of Smith and Rolfe.” (To watch the video for The Ballad of An onion Sprout click here: http://youtu.be/0pEz6GziaBU)
2. Little Piranhas
“An Amazon tribe is seeking out two treasonous members to feed them to a river teeming with baby piranhas. The indulgence of forbidden fruit (sex, literature, music, etc.) has the two outcasts on the run. Their tribe leader engages in a relentless pursuit throughout the song and eventually has the traitors captured and thrown into the piranha infested waters.”
3. Cowboys & Cut Cigars
“"Cowboys & Cut Cigars" depicts a group of renegades drunk on power that scour the Earth wreaking carnage and havoc in conquest for glory. It metaphors the schismatic nature of modern American politics and global imperialism. No one is spared from having the modern cowboy ride into their village and pillage their sanctity.” (To watch the video for Cowboys & Cut Cigars click here: http://youtu.be/y3ka6tIe2ds)
4. Norman Bates (due for release as a single, also on March 18th 2013)
“Quite literally, this song portraits the schizophrenic meltdown of Hitchcockian character Norman Bates. He consciously sees motel guest Marian Crane as a damsel in distress, however internal rants he hears from his deceased mother are brewing darker plots for the mislaid maiden.” (To watch the video for Norman Bates click here: http://youtu.be/6TUMMue3YgI)
5. Wake Up Edamame
“John Lennon intentionally opted to write "I Am The Walrus" with blurred purpose. His foresight was people trying to decipher the lyrics could extrapolate multiple meanings from the song. In a similar regard "Wake Up Edamame" was intentionally written with an abstract message to allow each listener to hear something different. References to hallucinogenic, telepathy, surrealism and sorcery are laid throughout the track, but it is ultimately up to the individual listening to the song to interpret the meaning for herself.”
6. Island
“Aldous Huxley's utopian novel Island sets the stage for this track. The storyline takes place on the same shipwrecked isle that Will Farnaby lands himself on in the book, however in this rendition Farnaby finds love on the lost island. He's willing to sacrifice anything to court the object of his desire, even his own life. Characters from the book make a cameo in the song but it ultimately has its own storyline, just adapted from Huxley's setting in the novel.”
7. Why Can't I Stop Killing My Friends?
“Seldom do I write about personal experiences--this song is an exception. I used to view my life as a book, and once a chapter was closed I'd sever ties with the characters left behind in that scene. In the process of letting relationships go, I opted to repent via music. This song is penance for those wronged and left in a wake of forgetfulness.”
8. Audrey II
“Seymour Krelboyne names his man-eating plant "Audrey II" after his sweetheart (Audrey) in Roger Corman's Little Shop Of Horrors. This song shares the plant's name as a tribute to Corman for creating such a freaky fantasy concept of terror and hilarity. The whimsical balance of tongue-in-cheek humour with foreboding undertones is a juxtaposing style that the Burning of Rome strives to achieve in our sound. It only seemed proper to give this film accolade on the record.”
9. Opus For Sleepwalking
“I dreamt of a recurring demon that froze my body and took over my soul every night. I later heard a dream analyst mention that as the body goes into REM it experiences paralysis to keep it from flailing in deep sleep. It is documented in many different cultures that many dream of being frozen and possessed by evil spirits while they sleep. This is actually a result of sleep paralysis. For many, when they wake up they still remain paralyzed until the body reconnects with the mind and recognizes that it is no longer asleep. "Opus For Sleepwalking" is a song about the demon I saw, and the recognition of my body fighting my mind in trying to escape him.”
10. The Universe Is Made Of Nonsense
“Embracing Chaos Theory through conjugated plots of things like "undulated babies and kittens with rabies," this anthem totes finding courage in chaos. By accepting the utter lack of control we have over own lives we can enjoy the fruits of our existence without worry. The universe is, in fact, made of nonsense--random energy transferring into more random energy. That is all we are--random energy. We might as well embrace the chaos and not fret the small shit.”
Adam Traub, December 2012