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Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind ... brash & original acoustic- electric rock music

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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - M   a   d     M   e   l   a   n   c   h   o   l   y     M   o   n   k   e   y     M   i   n   d The Music   The Gigs   The Band   The CD   Booking T H E   M U S I C :   Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind (M4) plays a mixture of fast-tempo, New Wave-influenced, acoustic-electric pop-rock music and slower-tempo melodic rock. The band's repertoire is comprised almost entirely of original songs ... although on occasion the group will throw in a Patti Smith or Mott the Hoople or Velvet Underground song - because those songs just rock and M4 justkindofyouknow likes to have some fun.   Influences? Think John Lennon, T. Rex, The Kinks, Mott the Hoople. And then think The Clash and The Talking Heads and Patti Smith and even The Pixies.   The band is not about Loud ... although sometimes maybe it gets that way, a little bit.   It is about Music, first and foremost.   With too many bands, Loud tends to trump Music. M4 just wants to keep these matters in the proper relation to one another. return to top

T H E   G I G S:   Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind plays shows lasting from one to four hours. Two- and three-hour shows are probably ideal.   The band has appeared at Chez Marche, and Simpson's, in Waupaca, Wis. ... Clark Place, The Keg, Renee's Red Rooster, and Mission Coffee House, in Stevens Point, Wis. ... Pine Line Cafe, in Medford, Wis. ... Saloon Dubay, in Knowlton, Wis. ... and The Bar, in Wausau, Wis.   It has played shows with some of the best-known rock acts in the state. (If you have not given a listen to MAMA and WAMI winners Sunspot and Rainy Day Crush, then may we suggest you will enjoy rectifying that situation.)   It has played shows with some incredibly talented new rock acts, including Milwaukee's Skexies and Oshkosh's Ion Drive.   Check out the calendar of shows return to top

T H E   B A N D:   Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind started out in 2001 as a two-piece recording group ... and then, perhaps foolishly, tried to expand the group, going through several suites of musicians over a course of several years, with the band's size ranging from the original twosome to a fivesome. It ended up trying several different trio formats ... and now, in 2005, has been performing again as a two-piece group. And liking it. A lot. A whole lot.   The line-up is: Mark Rich and Martha Borchardt on acoustic-electric guitars, effects, tube amps, and vocals. (And Boswell, our car.) No drum machine, no pre-programmed instrumental elements, and no loops. Just live performance of a couple excitable but serious players. return to top

T H E   C D:   Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind released its self-published CD "Drive" in 2001. Eight songs: "Like Everyone Else," "Red Roses," "You're Good," "Peaceful Mask," "Drive," "One More Time," "Everyone Knows," and "Little Bit of Nothing."   It sounds pretty good. "One More Time" ended up on an Indie compilation. "Red Roses" was in final consideration to be run on Witchblade, or whatever the heck that TV show was called.   And we are very happy that some of our SF writer friends, including Richard Bowes, Jeff Ford, Allen Steele, and Stephen Burns (and non-SF writer Richard Winters), like it. Are they just being nice? Well, they are nice people, true enough. Are they also being honest about it? Well, maybe they are prejudiced in our favor. We do not mind.   The CD has received a bit of airplay and webplay, though. It still gets played on 90FM WWSP out of UW-Stevens Point. The CD makes us sound like a much bigger and louder band than we are. (Even so, the recording just features two guitars, bass guitar, and drum sounds tapped out on a keyboard ... so maybe it sounds as big as the band actually is.)   So you want a copy? Cost: seven dollars post-paid within the United States; ten dollars post-paid around the world. Five dollars in person. Send orders payable to Mark Rich, P.O. Box 971, Stevens Point, Wis. 54481-0971.   And thank you, very much. return to top

T H E   P R E S S :   " ... an alternative, poppy, sometimes folksy band. A little Tom Petty, a little Violent Femmes ... " - scorerocks.com   " ... MMMM are actually a band you should keep an eye on ... " - Splendid E-zine   " ... full of youthful, unpretentious energy ... " - Wausau City Pages   "Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind is what bands like Jimmy Eats World try to recreate in studios and on MTV stages. Can't be done. ... The songs are strong and the mix, although pointing to low-rent recording and equipment, is consistent. They aren't reaching for the arena sound on a Tascam Porta-3, they're shooting for their own sound. And have done it.   ... the sub-pop flavor of Martha Borchardt's vocals are reminiscent of a Blondie tribute. ... Drive is a consistent album with a strong indie sound. It's got a strong style with excellent phrasing, craftsmanship and lyrics. - Christopher Eissing, Legends #125   "It's not often that a new band releases an album that possesses its own distinct sound that immediately sets it apart from almost everything else. The Stevens Point based and cleverly-named band Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind (M4) does just that with their Drive release. ... M4 weaves heavily distorted guitar rifs with catchy tunes that will appeal to any indie music fan." - UWSP The Pointer. return to top

B O O K I N G:   Mad Melancholy Monkey Mind can be booked by contacting Mark Rich at e-mail "mark (dot) rich (at) sff (dot) net"; phone 715.342.0505. We are easy to get along with. Thanks, & Cheers ... return to top

Songs and mp3 clips from the 2001 CD recorded by M. Rich and M. Borchardt.

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