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@AntennasUp [TWITTER US!]

About Me


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Read the Reviews:
"Antennas Up might be headed for a breakthrough year." - Richard Gintowt, The Pitch Weekly
"Antennas Up finds happiness in the power of three" - Kurt Kloeblen - The Sun
"Antennas Up bring something new to the table while not straying too far from the roots of house music. This combination makes the band both interesting and inventive, a duality many bands in the same genre cannot hold on to." - Dino Lull - Metro Spirit
"I for one wanted to bust out some Galaga after hearing their track “5P4C35H1P.” Their nerdy backgrounds really come through on this song that constantly beckons listeners to “ride my spaceship” through a suave synthesized voice....Their single “Don’t Wait Up” can be summed up in two words: freakin’ awesome." - Amy Dittmeier - HEAVE Media
"Fun album full of funky-groovy vocals and instrumentals. A modern 70s album." - WRUV 90.1 - Burlington, VT
"Antennas Up's self-titled debut is a gem" - Jeffery Sisk - Philly Daily News
"...there’s something inherently likeable about a band that forgoes being cool in favor of being themselves." - Trevan McGee - InkKC
"Antennas Up introduces a thrilling sound on their self-titled debut that combines Yaz-era power pop, hook-filled synth, and skittery guitar with urgent vocals....[it] sounds like the result of cross-pollinating the lyrical prowess and hottt moves of Flight of the Conchords with the pop-electronica of CSS. It's fun, unselfconscious, and hedonistic. " - Pete Dulin - Present Magazine
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A Bit About Us:
Powerful, groovy, risk-taking Kansas City, Kansas music phenomenon, Antennas Up, is channeling the fever of Saturday nights of the 70s with contemporary electronic sampling and fist-pumping pop. On their debut self-titled album, releasing April 14th, 2009 on the band’s own independent label, Plastic Artifice, Antennas Up will grab you from the inside and provide a soundtrack unique and strong enough to inspire.
Self-proclaimed nerd and bassist of Antennas Up, Kyle Akers, had a heavy influence on the songwriting of the album. With a knack for video games, fixing computers, and chasing girls out of his league, Akers took his nerdy frustrations to the studio, while globetrotter and guitarist, Bo McCall, brought his adventure-seeking attitude. McCall, a professional exchange student, spent years soaking up the music of other cultures and annoying his roommates with late night practicing. Suffice to say, native Zimbabwe roots music is not his forte. While they all had an equal amount of input in the creation and final version of the album, the beer brewing, “100 percent awesome” and modest percussionist of the group, The Ryantist, acted as the conduit during production with his hands on the buttons. His passion for snapping photos and switching up stage lighting led the group to agree that the soundboard was the best place for this tactile-obsessive musician.
The self-titled album, mastered by Bob Power (Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Common, Citizen Cope) and mixed by Allen Farmelo (Yerba Buena, Department of Good and Evil), marks the first release from Antennas Up, but the band has been recording music together since 2002. After countless failed attempts at getting girls with their geeky demeanor, Antennas Up decided to make rock stardom a serious endeavor in 2006 when they started touring nationally with artists like Ha Ha Tonka and Downtown Harvest.
After juggling a number of lead singers, vocalist Lonnie Coleman joined Akers, McCall and The Ryantist in 2007 to record the self-titled debut. Although Coleman added power and soul to the album, he decided on another route and left Antennas Up. As though it was a sign, the band decided to keep the original line up as it was, and Akers took over as lead singer.
The guys of Antennas Up are all about exploring different directions with their music and having a good time with those new paths they come across. While they still sometimes sit behind their instruments and computers, attempting to mathematically calculate the best way to get to the core of a girl’s heart, their music allows them an independent outlet to be slightly jaded towards the female race (they’ve learned apathy equals sex appeal). That said, no math can contend with the pure love and firm commitment Antennas Up has to making music that forces us to move our minds and bodies until we all pass out with an overwhelming sense of feel-good sound and a taste of life worth participating in.
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Moving Pictures:
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 22/04/2008
Band Website: myspace.com/antennasup
Band Members: Bass/Vocals:
Kyle Akers

Guitar/Vocals:
Bo McCall

Drums/Vocals:
The Ryantist

Booking:
Matt Mentele
Event Resources Presents, Inc
Click to E-Mail Matt
(College Inquiries)


Influences: Stevie Wonder
Radiohead
Medeski Martin & Wood
Marvin Gaye
Beck
Soul Coughing
The Urge
David Gray
Portishead
Led Zeppelin
Weezer
Gnarls Barkley
Rage Against the Machine
Jurassic 5
Van Morrison
Rod Fleeman and Interstring
Calexico
The Roots
Otis Redding
Dave Matthews Band
Outkast
Joy Division
Bob Marley
Ben Folds Five
The Fugees
Gotan Project
Jamiroquai
Jaga Jazzist
Muse
Henry Rollins
Happy Mondays
Ray Charles
Bonobo
Jude
Amon Tobin
Faithless
Feist
John Butler Trio
Minus the Bear
The Mars Volta
TV on the Radio
Sounds Like:

Antennas Up CD on iTunes

Antennas Up: Antennas Up CD
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Antennas Up: Logo T-Shirt
$15.00:

Antennas Up: Figures T-Shirt
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Antennas Up: Robot Pin Set
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Antennas Up: Logo Sticker
$1.00:

Antennas Up's Facebook Page

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Type of Label: Unsigned

My Blog

AU's Day Off In Guitar Center, Pt. 1


Posted by on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:46:00 GMT

Enoch Magazine Reviews our Record!

Thanks to Enoch for writing about us!Original post here Antennas Up - EP Written by Paul Backus Antennas Up, as heard on thei...
Posted by on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:05:00 GMT

The Road to SXSW (Pt. 2)

Please enjoy. Please see myspace.com/hahatonka for Pt. 1.
Posted by on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:55:00 GMT

The Ryantist featured in Modern Drummer

Our very own Ryantist has a feature in Modern Drummer you can read here:http://www.moderndrummer.com/modern-drummer-blogs/At a show in Lawrence, Kansas, Jordan, then drummer of Oliver Future, now dr...
Posted by on Tue, 26 May 2009 10:44:00 GMT

AU hits CMJ charts again!

That's right, we're still on the charts. AU slides a hair down to #166, but still remains one of five unsigned acts to place on the CMJ top 200.Thanks to all the radio stations for their support!
Posted by on Sun, 17 May 2009 09:42:00 GMT

Rock Is Life Interview

Taken from: http://www.rock-is-life.com/2009fivequestions/antennasup.htm 1. If I knew absolutely nothing about Antenna's Up!, how would you describe the groups music to me?-- Quirky, nerdy electro-roc...
Posted by on Fri, 15 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The Pitch - Jason Harper Live Show Review / Video Interview

"...[I showed up] just in time to catch all but about the first four songs from Antennas Up. It was my first time seeing them live, even though I've been enjoying the hell out of the group's debut alb...
Posted by on Thu, 14 May 2009 11:05:00 GMT

AU Live Video in 96.5 The Buzz's Studio

Behind the Scenes Keith was fabulous enough to film us playing in the studio in the buzz. Enjoy yourselves.
Posted by on Wed, 13 May 2009 09:03:00 GMT

Present Magazine interview with AU

by Rachel Frederickson05/04/09http://presentmagazine.com/full_content. php?article_id=2188&full=yes&pbr=1"Antennas Up introduces a thrilling sound on their self-titled debut that combines Yaz-era power...
Posted by on Tue, 12 May 2009 09:02:00 GMT

AU Moves up the CMJ Chart! 128 Belongs to Us!

Hello Friends,More good news from our friends at Planetary (http://www.planetarygroup.com)Antennas Up's debut record claimed spot #128 on the CMJ Top 200 list!We are one of only a handful of unsi...
Posted by on Mon, 04 May 2009 13:37:00 GMT