Wednesday, July 23, 2014

OUT TODAY: Monomyth's debut album, Saturnalia Regalia!, is out now on Mint Records and streaming in its entirety at Noisey!


Monomyth's debut album,
Saturnalia Regalia!, is out today on Mint Records and streaming in its entirety at Noisey!

Early love for Saturnalia Regalia!
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“…digging deeper rev east an impressive eclecticism–-from the melted guitar spasms of ‘Downer' to the spiraling, dual-guitar break on the lovely 'Pac Ambition,' from the doo-wop churn of ‘Patsy' to the classic-rock chorus of 'Something Else.’” RELIX
"From the harmonious swings of the Monkees to the synchronistic guitars of Television to the explosive fuzz of a variety of short-lived nineties bands, Monomyth has clearly mastered the art of experimentation, albeit within a confine of eight songs that are equally distinguishable as they are enjoyable.” CMJ
"The four-piece (hailing from Halifax, Canada) have some Guided By Voices vibes going on, at times sounding like a shoegazey version of The Monkees (which is all I could really ever want in a band).”NOISEY
“...Saturnalia Regalia! bleeds optimistism through each passing lick and riff, each build to a higher plateau as though Monomyth are physically climbing in order to gain a vantage point to the furthest horizon.” IMPOSE
"MONOMYTH here sounds similar to Charlie and the Moonhearts, Strange Boys, Ganglians, and Trance Farmers, and it’d be wise of you to snag their LP SATURNALIA REGALIA! out July 22 on Mint Records.” TINY MIX TAPES
“...slightly ethereal yet punchy retro pop.” STEREOGUM


And don't miss the seriously amazing music video for "Patsy" featuring a wedding, a cat with two different colored eyes, wine, slow dancing, a speech, a cat with two different colored eyes, and more!

Monomyth is a crown jewel in the court of the crimson and clover. The Halifax four-piece carries on the hallowed East Coast tradition of janglophile pop with a smirking sense of humour, stadium-sized hooks, and starry-eyed harmonies from the barbershop of broken dreams.
The Monomyth monarchy is made up of twin tone guitarists Josh Salter and Seamus Dalton, stately bassist Graeme Stewart, and soft touch drummer Matt Peters, with the frontline swapping songwriting duties and turns at the mic. In the tightly knit Halifax kingdom, their faces can also be seen in beloved local bands like Nap Eyes, Moon and Psychic Fair, plus previous projects including Bird World and Quivers. These dizzying rotations have resulted in an all-star sovereignty with a princely pop pedigree, ruling with a velvet glove and ready for the next realm.
Following a pair of self-released cassettes and a two-song quick hitter for tape label Craft Singles,Saturnalia Regalia! heralds their triumphant LP debut. Though there’s a clear sonic lineage with the holy Halifax trinity of Sloan, Thrush Hermit, and the Super Friendz (whose bassist Charles Austin assisted in this album’s production), Monomyth also invoke the amber-encased Americana of Big Star, pranksterish pop moves of The dB’s and The Soft Boys, Television’s tangled guitarmonies, MBV tremolo ’gaze, and the radiant ramble of Relatively Clean Rivers.
That may sound like a vast range of sonic touchpoints, but the band’s three-piece throne prefers to explore all corners of their catholic tastes. “All of the songs were written independent of each other, so it doesn’t have a theme running through it, intentionally anyway,” says Dalton. “It’s all guitar, bass and drums, but having three songwriters adds some ups and downs. The many moods of Monomyth…”
While it’s far from a prog-style concept album or Van Dyke Parkian song cycle, Saturnalia Regalia! is threaded with a through-line from the Monomyth universe, exploring the timeless terrain of The Prince and the Pauper. “Saturnalia is the pagan holiday that Christmas took over,” explains Salter. “It’s also the day where the slave and the king have a role reversal. I think of a slave in a king’s uniform, because regalia comes from the word regal. Our last album was called King, Does This Not Please You? (Behold The Power), so it’s a vague reference.”
Musically, these songs run the stylistic gamut from an airy, Monkees-inspired intro (“Theme from Monomyth”) to a stormy shoegazing centerpiece (“Downer”), with the band’s trademark vocal harmonies weaving through live staple “Pac Ambition” and the extended finale of “The Big Reveal.” Moments of prettiness and placid calm are broken up with jarring shards of feedback and off-kilter shredding, stirred on by a final spiritual inspiration, The Replacements. “I think it’s fun throw a wrench in the gears just to see what happens,” says Salter. “It’s important to make pop music that’s a little fucked up because otherwise it’s just pop music.”


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