FROM DEC. 13TH CD RELEASE SHOW!!!!A few years ago, while other kids were playing little league baseball and trading Pokémon cards, Aspen and Valor were living in a Winnebago on the continental divide, surrounded by natural majesty and boxes full of their parents CD's.Having returned to their hometown of St. Louis, it became clear late in 2006 that the brothers were ready for their first band. After looking first in the neighborhood and then outward, it also became clear that their bass playing peers were just not on the same page.Their parents asked several of their musician friends if any of them would be willing to jam with the boys and Benton stepped up to the plate. Since then they have become a punk rock and roll powerhouse.Aspen and Valor were raised on punk rock, along with their younger siblings, Cyana and Lucky. They have led a different life from their contemporaries and their taste in music is first proof of that fact. While many of their friends are lost in the fallacy of "Hot Topic Punk", they are quick to speak truths and offer up proper alternatives for their edification.They have turned many a neighborhood kid onto staple bands such as The Ramones, The Stooges and The Clash in lieu of the fluffy punk that the kids are fed through the media. (Much to many a parent's dismay.)Aspen, the drummer, is a pretty typical 12 year old. He skates, obsesses over girls and video games and is constantly revamping his MySpace. He plays a mean guitar and has an old soul, as well as a deep rooted love for Johnny Cash and the rest of his outlaw brethren. His drum skills are more than impressive for a kid of his age who is self taught and they seem to improve every time he takes his throne behind a kit.Valor is 11 years old and his biggest fear of late is the inevitability of the impending change in his voice. He is just now starting to like the way he sounds, a state almost never attained by any singer, and fears he'll have to retrain "the new voice". He cringes at every crack. Valor’s musical tastes are insatiable, everything punk, blues, ska, jazz, or country, and although he has tried, he cannot fathom hip hop. You will never find this guy without a guitar in his hand, unless he is skating, playing football, or drawing a masterpiece. In addition to his songwriting and guitar playing, Valor's drawing and painting are indispensible passions.Uncle Benton, 10 years Aspen's senior, brings it all to the table. He has been in several punk and thrash bands in St. Louis and has played shows with several really great artists. His hobbies include fast cars, speeding bullets, the purest forms of anything garage and the pursuit of an E string that will not break. When asked what it’s like playing music with children, Benton says the pros outweigh the cons. There is never serious girlfriend drama, no out of hand egos and writing music has never been more fluid. The only real cons are that there are venues they can’t play because of the brothers’ ages and he can't hang out and drink with his band mates after a show.Valor, Aspen and Benton write all their own music but do some awesome covers, as well. They play no less than five Misfits songs, Dead Boys, various British Oi, and a fantastic version of "I'm a Boy" by The Bullys. At present they are perfecting a cover of "Second Skin" by The Gits to pay homage to their murdered singer, Mia Zapata. They learn covers by whatever suits their fancy, everything from The Descendents to GWAR. It takes no more than a day or two to have whatever they want to play down to a science. You never know what they'll feed you for an encore.
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