ATOM STRANGE

Atom Strange's debut was released in July 2007. The juxtaposition of the odd but hook laden riffs with accessible melodies makes for what is now clearly the Atom Strange sound. The band went on to play shows all over the east coast in support of the debut. The following year the band settled in to write the songs for their next release entitled "Cosmic Disturbance". While writing the record, Atom Strange toured the east coast again playing everywhere that would let them. They were honored to open shows for the likes of KING's X, LA Guns, and Pitbull often out-drawing the headliners. By the end of 2009, all the songs for "Cosmic Disturbance" were finished and in March 2010, Atom Strange played NYC's famous Gramercy Theater to celebrate its release to a sold-out crowd. Shortly afterwards, personnel changed and in came Vinnie LaRocca on drums. They are now working hard on their third release, titled "The Lost Cosmonauts".

"We played the Gramercy Theater in our hometown of NYC for our COSMIC DISTURBANCE release show and that place was sold out! You can't beat that with a stick! We have also had some 26 or 27 songs of ours licensed by Sapce.com and NASA for various videos and documentaries that they put out. We are extremely proud of being part of such esteemed organizations."

popVLTR: You've been making moves in New York, how'd you get into music? AS: As native New Yorkers and Jerseyites, individually, we have been a part of the NYC music scene for longer than we care to admit. But with experience comes knowledge and wisdom. There isn't a venue in NYC we haven't played short of Madison Square Garden! I first started playing covers in high school with some neighborhood friends and quickly got the call to play originals with a Motorhead style band. We played everywhere they would let us and made friends with all the local bands, promoters and venues. The other guys in the band share similar stories playing all over the northeast and beyond.

popVLTR: Congrats on 'The Lost Cosmonauts', who are some of your influences? AS: Thanx ! We have been working hard on The Lost Cosmonauts for a while now. There have been personnel changes during the process but the final product will be well worth the wait. It's a concept album about an urban legend with some added sci-fi ideas. I was originally hoping to release the album at the same time as a graphic novel I am writing but as it is right now, the album will be out way before the graphic novel. The music is just as varied as COSMIC DISTURBANCE with the same focus on originality and production. There will be a couple of surprises on the album. Things we have never done before like using orchestras. but it will still be 100% ATOM STRANGE. Our influences are all over the place. Personally for me, I got into music as a little kid listening to my parents vinyl collection that included everything from the Beatles and the Stones to Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and even South American folk music. Rick has always been a bit of a chameleon and his influences are just as diverse from David Lee Roth era Van Halen to 80's and 90's hip hop and country. He was a DJ for a long time and got exposed to all sorts of stuff. Chris is a fan of just about everything under the sun. He had a Rage Against the Machine tribute band for a while but is just as comfortable playing more low key styles as well. He is a big fan of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Black Sabbath but then again, who isn't? Vinnie is very into Iron Maiden and the like and is also a big fan of the jazz greats. I think we all just love good/great music in general.


popVLTR: What are some of your proudest moments in music so far? AS: As a member of ATOM STRANGE I think our proudest moments would include opening for KING's X, who happen to be the nicest guys you can imagine besides being unbelievably talented and huge influences on us. Talk about writing great, heavy songs with incredible hooks! I don't think anyone does that better than KING's X. Maybe STP. We played the Gramercy Theater in our hometown of NYC for our COSMIC DISTURBANCE release show and that place was sold out! You can't beat that with a stick! We have also had some 26 or 27 songs of ours licensed by Sapce.com and NASA for various videos and documentaries that they put out. We are extremely proud of being part of such esteemed organizations. Now if JJ Abrams or Marvel Studios/Disney can get on board with us, then things would definitely be headed in a direction that we would just LOVE! Maybe we can do the soundtrack for the next Star Wars, Star Trek or Marvel superhero movie! LOL!

popVLTR: What cool stuff is on the horizon for Atom Strange? AS: Well we are certainly looking forward to releasing THE LOST COSMONAUTS as soon as possible. But we won't do it until it's good. Some one once said, "It's done when it's good, not goo - PopVulture Magazine

Here is what some prominent people in the music industry have said about ATOM STRANGE:

"It's you Morbius! ATOM STRANGE is all id from
the Forbidden Planet! Killer tunes and killer tones!"
- STEVE ROSENTHAL - PRODUCER, GRAMMY WINNER,
OWNER OF THE MAGIC SHOP RECORDING STUDIOS (NYC)

"Great vocals, ballsy & melodic - very solid band, great energy all around, the real deal - diggin' it!”
- RON “BUMBLEFOOT” THAL of GUNS N ROSES

“Their most recent release, title tracked ‘Cosmic Disturbance’
appears to be reminiscent of the glory days of album rock where it was more than just music but a whole package. This release includes eleven well produced, solidly performed and ass kicking tracks that define the
mastery of their craft.”
- BANDCHI! PRODUCTIONS

“ATOM STRANGE is a rare breed. An artist that leaves you no choice
but to bow down to the true power and glory of RIFFS, while simultaneously
seducing you with addictive melodies. There’s more than one track on
their Cosmic Disturbance CD that leaves me with one thought “Epic”.
Listening to ATOM STRANGE takes me to the center of a once sprawling
metropolis. Every structure around me has been leveled and left in ruins
by their sheer power. In the distance, a solitary female form. Our eyes meet.
We nod our heads and say, in unison, “Fuck yeah”.”
- RAY GARCIA SR. VP OF BUSINESS & LEGAL AFFAIRS ROADRUNNER RECORDS

“Atom Strange is the new supernova in the firmament of rock bands.
Like its ethereal name, the band unleashes unearthly musical pyrotechnics
on the listener with its thunderous, oscillating and pulsating rhythms,
vocals and melodies. Like a primordial soup, they fuse together
ever-so-tightly to form a musical concoction so powerful, so enveloping,
so defying as to orbit the listener into celestial ecstasy.”
- HARVEY RACHLIN, AUTHOR OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS
(ASCAP-DEEMS TAYLOR AWARD WINNER) AND THE SONGWRITER’S HANDBOOK. - Hi-Fi Sci-Fi Music!

ATOM STRANGE—
New York, NY
A couple of years ago when my band
Smoke Star was auditioning singers, I met
a really talented singer named Rick
“Rickeroo”Dunn that I wanted in the band,
but due to circumstances out of my
control, it didn’t happen.Now in 2007,
Rick has found a home with his new band
Atom Strange.I’ve stayed in touch with
Rick through phone tag and e-mails.So
when I got an e-mail about his new band
playing out I was extremely curious
to hear what they sounded like.Thank
you, MySpace! After logging on to
myspace.com/atomstrangeband, I have
to admit that I was more than impressed!
Rick has found himself a really good band
that he fits right in with.His vocals are
perfect for this band.The first song “Hollow”
must’ve been something he’s had for a
while because I recognized the melody
right away as something he tried singing
to our music.“Hollow”was a great track,
but it was only followed up by another
strong track called “More Or Less.”The
next song “Burn Spacewalk”had a really
catchy and tasty guitar riff.It had a lot of
cool parts too. I mean, like the split
personality of songs constantly changing
moods.The last track that I heard was a
song called “She Said,”which was very
catchy and radio friendly.Not to take
anything away from the band, but Rick’s
voice stands out in these songs.Don’t get
me wrong, the music totally complements
what’s going on vocally.I like it!
Atom Strange is a band based out of NYC. Their songs seem to cover
everything from relationships to space
and time travel? Okay, now that’s a little
weird! After two years of writing and
recording tons of music, gigging around
NYC, and making many personnel
changes, Atom Strange are about to
release their first CD.The self-titled disc
will only be six songs long, but will be a
heavy and delicate masterpiece with a
light shade of everything in between.The
members of Atom Strange are no
strangers to the NYC scene either.In fact,
guitarist Alex Rude has played in local
NYC bands like Lick, Jesse Taylor Is Dead
and Monolith (which I believe was the
original name of Atom Strange).He’s also opened for heavy hitters like John Entwhistle,and Pantera amongst others. Atom
Strange are made up of singer Ricky Dunn, guitarist Alex Rude,
bassist John Reed, guitarist Tom Denman and drummer Tony Baptist.


- Aquarian

Atom Strange at Arlene's Grocery
By Meijin Bruttomesso
A wide selection of musical produce shared the aisles at Arlene’s Grocery on May 22, 2009. During each hour of the evening audiences sampled a different act: God Tiny(NYC, NY), Musiciens Sans Frontieres (NYC,NY), Cancel Winter (Toronto, Ontario), Measure (Brooklyn, NY), Atom Strange (NYC, NY), Fighter/Lover (Toronto, Ontario), and Ever Since (Thornwood, NY). Sound shoppers seemed to take a shine to Atom Strange whose heavier rock sway stood out among the lighter fare.
While extensive sound checks commonly occur at Arlene's, the benefits of extra time and care were revealed in Atom Strange’s atomically loud but well-balanced sound. Their show highlighted each member’s contributions from Rick Dunn’s (vocals), Alex Rude (guitar/vocals), Tony Baptist (drums), John Reed (bass), and Tom Denman (guitar/vocals). Blasting through a 40-minute set, Dunn’s higher register and virtuoso vocals broke through Rude and Denman’s intertwining solos and strums, and Reed’s intricate and booming bass lines, while Baptist mesmerized onlookers with a string of “stick tricks,” adding flair to his thunderous and speedy precision. The Memorial Day weekend material drew from an album in the works and included a flowing “The Voice,” which showcased Dunn’s vibrato, and the quartet’s newest single, “Cosmic Disturbance,” available in hard-copy at shows. A fervent “Breathe” was followed by “The Hero Dies Alone” that highlighted Atom Strange’s psychedelic underpinnings, and “Terminal” that exemplified the band’s heavy metal roots, Dunn’s lung capacity, and his ability to lengthy wails. Undulating melodies and power chords of “On My Mind” segued into guitar-bending “Visor Burn” and spacey “Mine.” Closing with a vehement version of The Beatles’ “Come Together,” Atom Strange did not estrange their fans though their rendition seemed to make some diehard Beatles-followers uneasy at the start. In the end, Atom Strange’s stage presence and relentlessly pounding beats mesmerized these strangers into fandom.
Travel to www.atomstrange.com and myspace.com/atomstrangeband (Include the word “band,” otherwise a rapper who “tried to steal [Atom Strange’s] name” will pop up.) for photos, upcoming tour dates, and track previews. Atom Strange's self-titled album is available on iTunes, and new material is currently being processed. Meanwhile, pick up a demo when Atom Strange hit New York on July 17, at Le Poisson Rouge or when they land in a venue near you. - www.ALLACCESSMAGAZINE.com

Ah, it’s finally time to get around to reviewing a band that I was extremely excited about, they impressed me when they played our second RockEyez show featuring CRUNCH, in July 2007.

ATOM STRANGE released their debut CD a few months ago and since our show there has been a few personal changes Steve Logan (Bass) and Iliya Hamovic (Drums) has departed and the band is currently looking for replacements.

Both members were on the self-financed eight-track debut release. The opening track “She Said” is the song that blew me away right from the start. It has a melodic side yet hard hitting with a smooth chorus, the vocals by Rick Dunn are powerful and a glimpse of future greatness that is evident all over this track. I loved the short mystical guitar work by Alex Rude at the end of the song.

“Hollow” is a slow melodic ballad and I am not sure if Rude is playing a twelve string but the guitar work enhanced the track. The track is reminiscent of ALICE IN CHAINS. “More Or Less” is atmospheric and shows the versatility in Dunn’s vocal style. The track will turn heads with the masterful ability going from sentimental to driving the nail down.

A bit of change of pace “Ashes” is a little heavier tune that holds an edge as Dunn let’s lose with a deeper harsher meaning. Still at times showing the true frontman he is (This boy can sing).

Now we have it the killer of killer songs “Unapologetic” if this song doesn’t do it for you go back to your padded cell. Just a phenomenal song that will bring the masses out of the woodwork and that little scream ”yeah” in the first few minutes show how much the band is looking to pump up the listener. Kinda like a James Bond movie theme. Do yourself a favor, lay your money down and pick this gem up!
- http://www.rockeyez.com/reviews/cd/atom-strange/rev-atomstrange.html

Ah, it’s finally time to get around to reviewing a band that I was extremely excited about, they impressed me when they played our second RockEyez show featuring CRUNCH, in July 2007.

ATOM STRANGE released their debut CD a few months ago and since our show there has been a few personal changes Steve Logan (Bass) and Iliya Hamovic (Drums) has departed and the band is currently looking for replacements.

Both members were on the self-financed eight-track debut release. The opening track “She Said” is the song that blew me away right from the start. It has a melodic side yet hard hitting with a smooth chorus, the vocals by Rick Dunn are powerful and a glimpse of future greatness that is evident all over this track. I loved the short mystical guitar work by Alex Rude at the end of the song.

“Hollow” is a slow melodic ballad and I am not sure if Rude is playing a twelve string but the guitar work enhanced the track. The track is reminiscent of ALICE IN CHAINS. “More Or Less” is atmospheric and shows the versatility in Dunn’s vocal style. The track will turn heads with the masterful ability going from sentimental to driving the nail down.

A bit of change of pace “Ashes” is a little heavier tune that holds an edge as Dunn let’s lose with a deeper harsher meaning. Still at times showing the true frontman he is (This boy can sing).

Now we have it the killer of killer songs “Unapologetic” if this song doesn’t do it for you go back to your padded cell. Just a phenomenal song that will bring the masses out of the woodwork and that little scream ”yeah” in the first few minutes show how much the band is looking to pump up the listener. Kinda like a James Bond movie theme. Do yourself a favor, lay your money down and pick this gem up!
- http://www.rockeyez.com/reviews/cd/atom-strange/rev-atomstrange.html