Llama Tsunami

Llama Tsunami want to dance with you. If their music doesn’t make you want to stand up and jam with all nine members of this Connecticut ska band, it may be that either A. you take yourself too seriously, or B. you’re intimidated by vocalist Nick Perry’s dance skills, a staple to any show they play. If the answer happens to be A., Llama Tsunami’s album Get Serious is aimed specifically at you. Get Serious isn’t about pretense or obscurity, it’s about keeping it upbeat and fun and Llama Tsunami’s twelve-song album reaches a level of fun that’s on-par with The Aquabats-- maybe it comes with their shared affinity for writing pirate songs. That said, sea bandits aren’t even the most peculiar song subjects on the album. Ernest may be the first song about a gay shark ever to be recorded, and more power to the band for filling that niche.

The lighthearted attitude found in most of their song lyrics pairs well with their catchy riffs and impressive four-piece horn section (two trumpets, a trombone, and a baritone sax), giving the album an all-around happy-go-lucky vibe. The album also keeps a good-natured, sassy sense of humor as it pokes fun at man thongs, emo kids, and themselves, like in the title track lyric: “And our biggest fans are our biggest fans because your mom can’t hate your band.”

Get Serious does have a few changes of pace, though, as in Unraveling, When It’s Over, Swing, and Bite My Thumb, all of which demonstrate more reflective songwriting and moods. - The Deli Magazine

With bluegrass, ska, a Stevie Wonder cover and Senegalese lyrics, it's fair to say that the Battle of the Bands final at UVM on Jan. 21 was something to see.
Student bands One Over Zero, Llama Tsunami, Sloe Loris, Yo Tengo Soy and The Walk were chosen out of 12 bands to compete for the coveted Springfest opening act slot.
"All the bands that entered were really great. I wish all of them could have been in the finals," said Alex McVarnish, University Program Board Music Committee member.
The finalists, competing to be the opening act for Springfest, performed in the Grand Maple Ballroom on the fourth floor of the Davis Center.
The room was set up with a large stage at the back and a multicolored light show that highlighted the students and family members in the audience.
Each band played three to five songs, not all of which were originals. All five bands had their own distinct sound.
One Over Zero, a reggae/hip-hop/funk infusion band, began the night with a Beasty Boy-esque sound.
Graduate student Modou Ndione sang in French and Senegalese while vocalist Matt Murphy rapped. The band's drummer, sophomore Jake Mayers, said he found the band on Craigslist.
Llama Tsunami lead singer Nick Perry encouraged the crowd to get up and dance to their ska/rock sound. With two trumpets, a trombone and a sax, the band brought new light to songs like "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves.
"With a ska band you never really know – people either really love it or really hate it," guitarist Ben Perry said.
"There's never anybody who's like, ‘yeah I guess they're OK," Perry said.
Sloe Loris, a jam rock band, had no vocal component, but did not lack in musical talent or the ability to get the crowd hyped up.
"They're really fun to dance to," junior Emily Cseh said. "Their type of jam music is really fun to see live."
Yo Tengo Soy — formerly known as Dirty Dave — incorporated a great keyboard sound that made all the difference because, like Sloe Loris, the band did not have a vocalist.
The Walk was the last to play. Their playlist's variety was the most evident – they performed a Stevie Wonder cover followed by a ballad written by the lead fretboard player and vocalist Antonio Miravete.
The event was put on by the University Program Board, who planned, supervised and funded the entire night.
"We just kind of wanted to put something on that would give bands that have UVM students a platform to showcase what they've got," McVarnish said.
Instead of having the students decide the winner — as was the case prior to the finals — there was a panel of elected judges.
According to Stabile, everyone has their own method for deciding who their favorite is.
The crowd's reception of the bands was taken into account as well. "
They're going to be performing at Springfest, so you want someone that's going to be great at that event," Stabile said. "So far it's a really tough call,"
McVarnish announced that there was a tie, but that the preferred Battle of the Bands winner, Sloe Loris, will be opening Springfest this May. - Vermont Cynic

For the group of local young musicians that goes by the name of “Llama Tsunami and The Without Helmet," it’s already been quite a year.
After winning the nationwide “Give it Voice” competition, the band is getting free plane tickets to Austin, TX, to take the stage for a prime spot in the Red Gorilla Music Festival—a thousands-strong music event run alongside the infamous SXSW. They’ve also scored $10,000 worth of equipment from Shure, the audio company that sponsors the contest.
Llama Tsunami is a nine-piece front, which deals in ska, a fast-paced music style that blends the rhythm found in reggae and Latin American music with horns and punk rock stylings. The members of the band include two trumpet players, a sax player and a trombonist. Together with the drums, guitars, bass and vocals, Llama Tsunami puts out an upbeat sound that’s also very danceable.
Josh Middleton, who plays trumpet, and Ben Perry, who plays guitar and bass, are 2006 graduates of Montville High School. Two other band members are '07s and there is still one member who is graduating this year. Four members of the group had also played in the school’s jazz band.
Llama Tsunami members have spread out as far as Ithaca to Burlington and Providence. Geography has posed its own set of challenges for the band, but they still make time to play during their breaks from school.
“We wouldn’t be able to do any of this with so many people if we weren’t all really for it,” Middleton said.
Many Llama Tsunami songs written by Perry tend to be more playful, while Maria Shishmanian (trumpet vocals) explores other topics like relationships. Ultimately, the whole band pitches in to write songs and parts for instruments. Having a broad range of skill and band members that are versed in playing instruments makes composing songs far easier.
“We figure out a way to do it even when we don’t have one or two,” said Perry.
Many of the band’s songs on the July 2010 album “Get Serious,” reveal a keen sense of humor, from a sarcastic takedown of the workout-obsessed in “Rock Hard Abs,” to a jab at self-absorbed adolescence in “Emo Kid,” to the salty “Here There Be Pirates.”
The band is cautious about appearing pretentious, preferring a laid back attitude. “We kind of want to be the anti-snobs,” Perry said.
They believe that a lot of other bands lose sight of the importance of having a good time with music. "When you get really serious and you knock down anything with a recognizable melody just because it’s not serious enough—that’s just silly,” said Middleton.
As result of their offbeat name and song topics, both Middleton and Perry can recall the band taking plenty of flak from others.
The song “Get Serious,” is the band’s answer to detractors who told them they were wasting their time with goofy songs and that their music was going nowhere. Fittingly enough, that was the song that won the contest for the band.
“We turned all the negative comments that people gave us and turned them into song lyrics,” said Middleton.
And Llama Tsunami turned those lyrics into an album.
“It was the first time working with a real producer,” Perry said of Llama Tsunami’s recording sessions, which the band paid for itself. “In the end, I think we were a lot stronger as a band and the finished product came out really well.”
Though the album was a big step, they went through a rough time soon after. Two players dropped out, requiring them to find replacements. Perry and Middleton are philosophical about the changes. “In some ways it's better, in some ways it's worse,” Perry said. “It’s different but still good.”
Back in November, Perry submitted “Get Serious” to the “Give it Voice” contest website. He waited until after he'd submitted the song to tell the band they were in the contest, and it was up to them to promote themselves, if they wanted.
Using the Internet, they were able to garner the votes to win a spot at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, where they squared off against other re - Patch.com

For the group of local young musicians that goes by the name of “Llama Tsunami and The Without Helmet," it’s already been quite a year.
After winning the nationwide “Give it Voice” competition, the band is getting free plane tickets to Austin, TX, to take the stage for a prime spot in the Red Gorilla Music Festival—a thousands-strong music event run alongside the infamous SXSW. They’ve also scored $10,000 worth of equipment from Shure, the audio company that sponsors the contest.
Llama Tsunami is a nine-piece front, which deals in ska, a fast-paced music style that blends the rhythm found in reggae and Latin American music with horns and punk rock stylings. The members of the band include two trumpet players, a sax player and a trombonist. Together with the drums, guitars, bass and vocals, Llama Tsunami puts out an upbeat sound that’s also very danceable.
Josh Middleton, who plays trumpet, and Ben Perry, who plays guitar and bass, are 2006 graduates of Montville High School. Two other band members are '07s and there is still one member who is graduating this year. Four members of the group had also played in the school’s jazz band.
Llama Tsunami members have spread out as far as Ithaca to Burlington and Providence. Geography has posed its own set of challenges for the band, but they still make time to play during their breaks from school.
“We wouldn’t be able to do any of this with so many people if we weren’t all really for it,” Middleton said.
Many Llama Tsunami songs written by Perry tend to be more playful, while Maria Shishmanian (trumpet vocals) explores other topics like relationships. Ultimately, the whole band pitches in to write songs and parts for instruments. Having a broad range of skill and band members that are versed in playing instruments makes composing songs far easier.
“We figure out a way to do it even when we don’t have one or two,” said Perry.
Many of the band’s songs on the July 2010 album “Get Serious,” reveal a keen sense of humor, from a sarcastic takedown of the workout-obsessed in “Rock Hard Abs,” to a jab at self-absorbed adolescence in “Emo Kid,” to the salty “Here There Be Pirates.”
The band is cautious about appearing pretentious, preferring a laid back attitude. “We kind of want to be the anti-snobs,” Perry said.
They believe that a lot of other bands lose sight of the importance of having a good time with music. "When you get really serious and you knock down anything with a recognizable melody just because it’s not serious enough—that’s just silly,” said Middleton.
As result of their offbeat name and song topics, both Middleton and Perry can recall the band taking plenty of flak from others.
The song “Get Serious,” is the band’s answer to detractors who told them they were wasting their time with goofy songs and that their music was going nowhere. Fittingly enough, that was the song that won the contest for the band.
“We turned all the negative comments that people gave us and turned them into song lyrics,” said Middleton.
And Llama Tsunami turned those lyrics into an album.
“It was the first time working with a real producer,” Perry said of Llama Tsunami’s recording sessions, which the band paid for itself. “In the end, I think we were a lot stronger as a band and the finished product came out really well.”
Though the album was a big step, they went through a rough time soon after. Two players dropped out, requiring them to find replacements. Perry and Middleton are philosophical about the changes. “In some ways it's better, in some ways it's worse,” Perry said. “It’s different but still good.”
Back in November, Perry submitted “Get Serious” to the “Give it Voice” contest website. He waited until after he'd submitted the song to tell the band they were in the contest, and it was up to them to promote themselves, if they wanted.
Using the Internet, they were able to garner the votes to win a spot at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, where they squared off against other re - Patch.com

An eight-piece ska band from New London County has given its naysayers something to think about.

Llama Tsunami and the Without Helmet won the Shure SM58 Give it Voice Tour, a national competition for independent musicians, picking up $10,000 in microphone equipment. The win also sent them to Texas on Friday to perform at the RedGorilla Music Festival, one of the biggest independent music showcases in the country.

“I was kind of shocked at first, it was unbelievable that we pulled it off and beat six other bands from across the country and Toronto,” said drummer Nate Hogg, of Norwich.

Boston gig

After initially entering the contest, Llama Tsunami’s fans gave the band enough votes to participate in a battle of the bands contest at Paradise Rock Club in Boston.

“The original reason for entering was because the regional battle was in Boston,” said Ben Perry, of Montville. “We’ve never played Boston before. We never thought we’d make it to the national level.”
After the initial entry period, the showcases were sandwiched between two voting periods for fans to choose their favorite band. Voting periods were during the entry period between November and December, and through the middle of February.

“We’re very grateful for our fan base,” Hogg said.

And the band wasn’t complete when it took on the regional competition. Singer/trumpet player Maria Shishmanian, of Colchester, couldn’t make it to the show.

“I couldn’t go, the whole weather and transportation thing,” said Shishmanian, the daughter of Bulletin photographer John Shishmanian. “It was snowing so nobody would let me borrow the car. But they did a great job without me.”

RedGorilla Music Festival began eight years ago as the DreamScapers Artist Showcase. It steadily grew until it was branded RedGorilla in 2007 when more than 200 artists participated in shows. The 2009 festival boasted more than 500 artists on 11 stages.

The mission of the festival is to promote up-and-coming independent music in all genres and help independent artists further their careers. Other showcasing acts in the past include Here Come the Mummies and Cage The Elephant.

Title track

The Shure SM58 Give it Voice Tour competition provides a chance for bands to submit a recording and earn the right to perform in one or more live showcases. Llama Tsunami submitted the title track of its debut CD “Get Serious” for the competition.

According to Shishmanian, band member Chad Bigelow, of Montville, wrote the song in response to Connecticut ska fans who were accusing the band of not taking themselves seriously.

“The irony is we won a national competition with the song,” Shishmanian said. “As a band, we got a lot of criticism from some of the ska fans online who were saying because of our name, and some of our music ... that our band was a joke.”

Original work

Submissions for the contest needed to be original work written, composed, recorded and performed by the band and contain music and vocals of five minutes or less. It also needed to be suitable for family audiences and not promote any product or commercial service.

“When we first came out, and we first started playing, we received a lot of negative comments about our music, our name, just negative comments in general,” Perry said. “We took those negative comments and wrote them into a song. A playful ‘so what’ kind of song. And that was the song that ultimately won the contest.”

Released in July 2010, Llama Tsunami’s debut album features tunes such as “Beach Tourist Song,” “Punch You in the Face,” “Bite My Thumb,” “Here There Be Pirates” and “Follow the Bouncing Ball.”

On its website, the band says, “The debut release ... captures the essence of the band’s primary message. The title of the album is both ironic and fitting. In a way, it mocks those who take themselves far too seriously and are unable to laugh at a joke at their own expense, but it also recognizes the necessity for dedication. ...” That dedi - Norwich Bulletin

Going to the Wild West for a young band of Montville ska musicians meant going out to the Austin scene to play in one of the best known music events in the nation.
Every year, the Red Gorilla Festival, alongside its big brother SXSW, draws tens of thousands of music lovers from far and wide, crushing them into one partying street. This year, hundreds of big-name acts showed up in the city, including The Strokes and Kanye West, who performed a duet with Jay Z.
For Llama Tsunami, this was a chance of a lifetime. Having won the Shure Microphone “Give it Voice” contest, they had free airfare to Austin, Texas, and three rooms at a hotel in town for all seven of their musicians. Best of all, they had a gig lined up in the center of all the action.
In an earlier interview with Patch, members Ben Perry and Josh Middleton discussed the formation of their band and their upcoming performance in Austin. Now that they were back from their trip, Perry and Middleton were joined by fellow band members Rolf Racich and Nick Perry, for a second interview at The Nook Café.
A taste of the road
Their journey began in Providence where they had an early morning flight at T.F. Greene the next day. Group. They got a head start by sleeping on the floor of their friend’s unfurnished apartment. One of their band mates arrived in Providence at three in the morning via a bus from Vermont.
“It was fun trying to catch one or two hours of sleep in a very large room with five of us in there and a hardwood floor,” said Ben Perry.
Taking what little sleep they could get, they arrived, bleary-eyed at the airport for their flight. After a three-hour connection in Chicago, they hit the ground in Austin at 2:30—seven and a half hours before they were due to hit the stage at The Blind Pig Pub.
A ride was waiting for them at the airport. They had a “fun story” when the hotel didn’t realize their rooms were already paid for and asked for their credit cards. Fortunately, the hotel realized their mistake and didn’t stick the band with the $3,000 tab.
They had to show up to the Pub at 6 p.m. to do an interview with the Shure people. Though they were slated for a 9 p.m. load in, the band got this done early. “We weren’t going to leave our instruments on the streets.” Ben Perry said.
The Blind Pig Pub was a two-story affair. “There was basically a whole outdoor venue on the roof,” said Ben Perry.
That roof would later become packed with spectators, most of whom had never seen Llama Tsunami play. Being a Ska band, they were less common at the festival than indie or conventional rock outfits.
“We were kind of apprehensive at first, especially being one of the only Ska bands down there,” Nick Perry said. “We were worried whether people would like us or not, but we actually got a really good response for the crowd.”
Feeling the love
It took the sound people, who were less familiar with their instruments, a long time to mic-check the band. “They didn’t deal with horns,” said Racich. It took the sound people a full half-hour to adjust the microphone for his trombone before the show.
Though there were inevitably some nerves about playing in front of the all-new audience, when Llama Tsunami hit the stage, they were a huge hit. “Nobody there had heard us before,” said Perry. “All these people heard us for the first time and they were dancing. We played a couple covers and they were singing along.”
After they finished their set, several people approached them to praise them for their set, especially the energy they put on. Members of a California band called Shiver Fox came by and paid their respects. Another group of new fans included a roller derby team from Scotland, who told them that they would be welcome any time they wanted to play a show in their homeland.
Meanwhile. Nick acted as “merch boy” managing to sell about 50 of their CDs and giving out plenty of stickers and buttons to their new friends.
In the weeks after the show, the band also saw a swell of ne - Patch.com

Going to the Wild West for a young band of Montville ska musicians meant going out to the Austin scene to play in one of the best known music events in the nation.
Every year, the Red Gorilla Festival, alongside its big brother SXSW, draws tens of thousands of music lovers from far and wide, crushing them into one partying street. This year, hundreds of big-name acts showed up in the city, including The Strokes and Kanye West, who performed a duet with Jay Z.
For Llama Tsunami, this was a chance of a lifetime. Having won the Shure Microphone “Give it Voice” contest, they had free airfare to Austin, Texas, and three rooms at a hotel in town for all seven of their musicians. Best of all, they had a gig lined up in the center of all the action.
In an earlier interview with Patch, members Ben Perry and Josh Middleton discussed the formation of their band and their upcoming performance in Austin. Now that they were back from their trip, Perry and Middleton were joined by fellow band members Rolf Racich and Nick Perry, for a second interview at The Nook Café.
A taste of the road
Their journey began in Providence where they had an early morning flight at T.F. Greene the next day. Group. They got a head start by sleeping on the floor of their friend’s unfurnished apartment. One of their band mates arrived in Providence at three in the morning via a bus from Vermont.
“It was fun trying to catch one or two hours of sleep in a very large room with five of us in there and a hardwood floor,” said Ben Perry.
Taking what little sleep they could get, they arrived, bleary-eyed at the airport for their flight. After a three-hour connection in Chicago, they hit the ground in Austin at 2:30—seven and a half hours before they were due to hit the stage at The Blind Pig Pub.
A ride was waiting for them at the airport. They had a “fun story” when the hotel didn’t realize their rooms were already paid for and asked for their credit cards. Fortunately, the hotel realized their mistake and didn’t stick the band with the $3,000 tab.
They had to show up to the Pub at 6 p.m. to do an interview with the Shure people. Though they were slated for a 9 p.m. load in, the band got this done early. “We weren’t going to leave our instruments on the streets.” Ben Perry said.
The Blind Pig Pub was a two-story affair. “There was basically a whole outdoor venue on the roof,” said Ben Perry.
That roof would later become packed with spectators, most of whom had never seen Llama Tsunami play. Being a Ska band, they were less common at the festival than indie or conventional rock outfits.
“We were kind of apprehensive at first, especially being one of the only Ska bands down there,” Nick Perry said. “We were worried whether people would like us or not, but we actually got a really good response for the crowd.”
Feeling the love
It took the sound people, who were less familiar with their instruments, a long time to mic-check the band. “They didn’t deal with horns,” said Racich. It took the sound people a full half-hour to adjust the microphone for his trombone before the show.
Though there were inevitably some nerves about playing in front of the all-new audience, when Llama Tsunami hit the stage, they were a huge hit. “Nobody there had heard us before,” said Perry. “All these people heard us for the first time and they were dancing. We played a couple covers and they were singing along.”
After they finished their set, several people approached them to praise them for their set, especially the energy they put on. Members of a California band called Shiver Fox came by and paid their respects. Another group of new fans included a roller derby team from Scotland, who told them that they would be welcome any time they wanted to play a show in their homeland.
Meanwhile. Nick acted as “merch boy” managing to sell about 50 of their CDs and giving out plenty of stickers and buttons to their new friends.
In the weeks after the show, the band also saw a swell of ne - Patch.com

Llama Tsunami want to dance with you. If their music doesn’t make you want to stand up and jam with all nine members of this Connecticut ska band, it may be that either A. you take yourself too seriously, or B. you’re intimidated by vocalist Nick Perry’s dance skills, a staple to any show they play. If the answer happens to be A., Llama Tsunami’s album Get Serious is aimed specifically at you. Get Serious isn’t about pretense or obscurity, it’s about keeping it upbeat and fun and Llama Tsunami’s twelve-song album reaches a level of fun that’s on-par with The Aquabats-- maybe it comes with their shared affinity for writing pirate songs. That said, sea bandits aren’t even the most peculiar song subjects on the album. Ernest may be the first song about a gay shark ever to be recorded, and more power to the band for filling that niche.
The lighthearted attitude found in most of their song lyrics pairs well with their catchy riffs and impressive four-piece horn section (two trumpets, a trombone, and a baritone sax), giving the album an all-around happy-go-lucky vibe. The album also keeps a good-natured, sassy sense of humor as it pokes fun at man thongs, emo kids, and themselves, like in the title track lyric: “And our biggest fans are our biggest fans because your mom can’t hate your band.”
Get Serious does have a few changes of pace, though, as in Unraveling,When It’s Over, Swing, and Bite My Thumb, all of which demonstrate more reflective songwriting and moods.
Llama Tsunami are constantly playing shows around New England, their next show is Sunday, Jan 15, 2012 @ the Waterford VFW in Waterford, CT. - The Deli Magazine