The Moog
New York, NY - Hungary has made some notable contributions to the world over the years: goulash, Rubik’s Cube, and Zsa Zsa Gabor, among them… but rock music??
That certainly doesn’t come to mind—that is, until now. Budapest’s THE MOOG blend 60s garage, art and post punk, with catchy pop rock on their second album Razzmatazz Orfeum, on MuSick Recordings.
Led by baritone-voiced singer Tonyo Szabo, THE MOOG are an explosive combination of alternative rock and pop influences made unique by the band’s catchy Eastern European rock ‘n’ roll touch. The band's debut album Sold For Tomorrow was mixed by legendary producer Jack Endino (renowned for his work on Nirvana's first record). This album produced the underground indie rock hit single "I Like You".
The band's new and highly anticipated second album was recorded in Seattle with producer Geoff Ott (Pearl Jam, Queens Of The Stone Age, Mark Lanegan) and offers the listener something quite uncommon in this day and age: the immersion of a total album experience.
The first single from Razzmatazz Orfeum will be "You Raised A Vampire" and will be released in colored vinyl 7" with stunning artwork by Gris Grimly. The 7" also includes a B-side cover of the Bauhaus classic "The Passion Of Lovers" featuring Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist/vocalist David J, who became a fan of The Moog after seeing them perform in Hollywood in 2008.??
The video for "You Raised A Vampire", which was shot in Budapest in the historic Gothic building where the first "Underworld" movie was filmed www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbeCRD5Y2g.
New single "When I See You" and its video, directed by Anthony Garth (who directed The White Stripes' clips for "We Are Going To Be Friends" and "Hotel Yorba") are out now. The video is currently getting play in all major US music video outlets, including FUSE and MTV (a favorite at Subterranean), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG5H8qYpzGA.
Formed in Budapest in 2004 by then-teenagers Tonyo Szabo (vocals), Adi Bajor (guitar) and Gergo Dorozsmai (drums), and later joined by Csaba Szabo (bass) and Miguel Gyorgy (second guitar), THE MOOG have been compared to such modern-day chart-toppers as The Strokes and The Hives; but their influences run deep and wide: The Beatles, David Bowie, The Sonics, The Smiths, Ramones, Roxy Music and Bauhaus are all responsible for inspiring the band’s sound.
Though criticized by the old establishment in their native country, THE MOOG are pioneers to their homeland rock brethren by being the first popular Hungarian band to sing in English and tour Western Europe and the U.S. Soviet rule prevented previous generations from being exposed to the artists that influenced the young quintet, but The Moog were raised by MTV and the western alternative bands it played, such as Nirvana, Sonic Youth and Blur. This eye opening experience led the band to reach back to classic American and British 60s and 70s rock and punk.
The Moog found their well-hidden muse and the rest, as they say, is history.
Links
myspace:www.myspace.com/moogband
max's kansas city Ramones/moog: www.maxskansascity.com/../theramones
official site: www.moog.hu
label: www.musickrecordings.com
The Moog will be touring throughout 2009 and 2010 in support of Razzmatazz Orfeum.
