smile brigade profile picture

smile brigade

all of my friends were there

About Me


Smile Brigade is into simplicity; a strong melody, a good hook and the knack for putting it all together.
It's that simplicity and knack that make their music hard to get out of your head. Over the past three years, the band has been tucked away in their practice space working on infectious melodies. Their songs range from mildly sugarcoated pop, to sleazy and riff-laden rock, to melancholic lullabies. All the while they maintain a fluidity of impenetrable hooks, rich vocal harmonies and tactful composition.
--reviews
"The debut from this Seattle quartet boasts solid songwriting that covers territory from searing guitar stompers to organ-driven '90s throwbacks to Americana-laced ballads." -Eyl- Denver Westword
“These tunes are a blend of enjoyable pop music that, in some camps, could almost fall into the folk-pop Wilco-like category” –Fense Fensepost.com
“The group makes sweet sounds that are definitely something to expose those pearly whites for. The album ranges from distorted heavy rockers infused with sweet vocals to poppy numbers that are sure to put a wry grin on your face.” -Philip Fairbanks adequacy.net
“Smile Brigade has been honing their particular brand of pop music— which manages to be dark and sardonic, yet breezy and fun at the same time.” –Levi Slade thestranger.com
“combining classic vocal harmonies with rougher arrangements, with the occasional sparkling surprise.” -Ned Ragget allmusic.com
“Wrapped in a blanket of aptly distorted interlude mini-songs, this album is set pretty comfortably in a bed of hazy guitars and sigh filled vocals. This could get any coffee drinking college kid swaying to the sound of its light structure and relevant lyrics. Following an almost folk format, SB is able to create some pretty lucid dream-like serenades with chorus vocals and abound acoustical fortitude.” –Pernell skylinepress.net
“J. Hiram Boggs lends his rich vocals-a slight growl at times recalling John Mellencamp and, at others, Jeff Tweedy-easily to the countrified ballads, but it's on the piano-and-reverb-drenched "Distorted Ivory Coast" and "Devastating" where his voice truly impresses. Boggs' vocals bridge the rift between the experimental and the traditional, making otherwise out-of-place songs fit in perfectly." -Katie Sauro Seattle Sound Magazine
"This hazy indie-pop band from Seattle have the ability to give every song it's own little twist while keeping a constant smile on their listeners' face. Dig Smile Brigade live on KEXP."-W. Myers KEXP 90.3 FM
live show @ the Paradox w/ A. Luxem on bass and Charlie Walsh on percussion

Busking in the streets of Little Tokyo, LA before our show at the Cocaine. Fun times
order the album on vinyl by clicking the go metric! logo

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/8/2004
Band Website: tiltonhouse.net
Band Members:
Graham Crackle
sings/guitfiddle

Jeremy Charbonneau
drums/sings/farms out his beard for profit

Peter Colclasure
keys/accordion/guitar/sings

Leonardo Hartomo
bass/badass name/wardrobe/hair
Influences: leonard skinner, leonard cohen, The Beatles, VU, David Bowie, The Shins, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. relationships, poverty lines, down times, good times,jaco pastorious, a seasonal cold/flu, rock me joseph alberto amadeus,white stripes, brian wilson, pavement, the wipers,and the plastic ono band.
Record Label: tilton house records/beep repaired/go metric
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Jaunty Jaunt Mini-Mammoth Update

Dateline Omaha:The tour is alive and well. All good shows so far, in Boise, Salt Lake City, and Denver. Thank you very much to Jeff in Salt Lake City who let us crash at his place, but not before ta...
Posted by smile brigade on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:19:00 PST

Tour? Tour!

Smile Brigade breaches new territory.  We’re heading out to the spacious midwest this week, hitting states that some of us were born in and some have only seen on a map.  We hope that ...
Posted by smile brigade on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:54:00 PST

Update from the Land of Nod

Where have your precious lovelies been? In the studio recording an EP? Getting their vinyl albums pressed? Gearing up for a midwest tour? Rocking out in 60s garb? You guessed it, all of the above. The...
Posted by smile brigade on Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:49:00 PST

Trapped Inside A Mysterious Red X

I write this from the control room of a Seattle recording studio. Jesse's in the the tracking room, polishing the vocals on Angels, a sweet tune bathed in delicate finger picking, violin, and accordio...
Posted by smile brigade on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:42:00 PST

We are number 12!! We are number 12!! We are number 12!!

On Three Imaginary Girls' Top NW 2007 Reader's Poll we got number 12. Check it: http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/bestof2007/readers_poll Thanks to everyone who voted for us! That would be ...
Posted by smile brigade on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:46:00 PST

I Saw You

From the Stranger, I Saw YouSmile Brigade SEXY Keyboard playerIt was the accordion that really slew meYou are the cutest thing ever !!I shave my head and make really bad jokeswho the hell is Badnarik ...
Posted by smile brigade on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:41:00 PST

Smile Brigade: worst name in 07!!!!

Please do congratulate us for winning the worst band name of '07 in the category of "Cutesy Bullshit" according to The AV Club (www.avclub.com - part of The Onion)     &n...
Posted by smile brigade on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:24:00 PST

Whered that come from?

Smile Brigade recently finished cleaning out and tidying up our rehearsal space at the Tilton house, in preparation for our February recording.  Well, by Smile Brigade, I mean mostly Jeremy Charb...
Posted by smile brigade on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:44:00 PST

Vote for Smile Brigade

Three Imaginary Girls and KEXP have a poll for year end best of'sVote for Smile Brigade's 2007 release "Take The Precious Edge Off This Treacherous Ledge" as one of your favorite for NW releases.just ...
Posted by smile brigade on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 05:46:00 PST

Success on the Streets

We parked ourselves in a corner of an outdoor mall this afternoon, here in Salt Lake City, after a day wandering temple square and playing tourist. We played songs acoustically for the people. We ha...
Posted by smile brigade on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:56:00 PST