Member Since: 1/22/2006
Band Website: SonoOto.com
Band Members: Mark Phillips: toy-grade & professional grade keyboards, vocals, guitar, bass
Many others - please contact us if you want to join the Sono Oto Orchestra
Influences: Beatles
Pharoah Sanders
Dogen Zen-ji
Kinks
Karl Marx
Elliott Smith
The Ethiopians
Sounds Like: "Sono Oto's applesongs reflect a smart and seductive pop craftsmanship that'd be a hit in the veggie aisle or anywhere."
-Lost in the Grooves
"Anything these guys learnt from their unique musical lineage seems to have been filtered into creating a multi-layered, beatific album of psychedelic Americana. Elegantly poised... random spacey effects... twinkling lo-fi electronics backed by touching vocal harmonies that would make a young Brian Wilson cry. The album's unifying feel of reflective folk-Americana puts them in the same orbit as their similarly ambitious musical peers the Flaming Lips and Grandaddy. In fact, this album is so perfect it makes you wonder what could happen if some of the worlds less inspiring indie outfits were shipped out to Cuba for six months of rigorous drum training..."
- JoyZine
"Sono Oto's I'm in August
till July is a whip smart indie pop album. Filled with lush
moments, the whole thing can only be best compared to something off
The Soft Bulletin. [But] the wrote comparisons between the Flaming
Lips and Granddaddy can be squashed... Sono Oto, I'm looking your way
now shine not for the critics, but for everyone."
- Eleven Elephants
"Sono Oto make very likeable, inoffensive, indie pop rock, a pleasant dish of geek rock heard from bands like Apples in Stereo and Alfie. With loads of electronic elements, no song rains assault on the senses and the lackadaisical lyricism allows each song takes (sic) its sweet time reaching any semblance of a climax. The duo keeps each cut interesting and invested in the sweet sounds they're making.
- The Deli
"There is a uniqueness to this album that would easily lend itself to
more widespread distribution. Phillips himself sounds a little like
Jason Molina of Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. or that guy from
that country-pop band, The Thrills. But these are just small reference
points. Phillips departs from these comparisons in his songwriting.
The music here is clever and catchy in a lo-fi, Casio keyboard kind of
way that surely would find a larger audience."
- Loose
Type of Label: None