Brass Monkey is an alternative heavy metal band, heavy into polyphony and complex harmonies. As Ayla describes:
- Brass Monkey was alternative heavy metal, but there are thousands of crappy alt metal bands out there. Brass Monkey was different. Drastically different.
- Their lead singer and keyboardist, Lena, was just a stone fox, and she had a voice that could cover at least four octaves. Plus, she was great on her synthesizer. All three of their guitarists were really good. They were angry, and they were anti, and they were different. But that wasn’t what I loved about them.
- They played real music. Not three chords and a drumbeat, but really complex polyphonic music. They moved from one to two to three different rhythms playing off against each other, and their big finale had four different rhythms playing off against each other at the same time, with a drumline that fit with all four. It reminded me of a cross between Frank Zappa and Philip Glass, with some of William Byrd’s “Mass for Five Voices” thrown in. I loved it. I even bought all three CDs they had for sale.[1]
The band seems to have been somewhat popular in the past -- most people are aware of their music, if only to hate it -- but has fallen in hard times: they have been referred to as a "local (Los Angeles) band", Ayla discovered it when they played as opening act for another band,[1] and they seem to be short of money.[2]
They have published at least three CDs. Some of their songs are “Military- Industrial Convex”[3], “I Hate the Supermodel”[4], “Stab My Eyes with Synesthesia”[5], “Defective Invective Detective”[5], “Rage Against the MacCheese”[6], “Why I Hate Your Guts”[7] (described as a "love song"), “Can’t Diss This”[8], “Question Authority, Except For Me”[9], "Crush Kill Destroy"[10] (about the future of robotics), and their tragic lament "High School Fun"[11].
Known Brass Monkey fans include Ayla, Antenna[12], Antenna's older brother Max and Heckel.[13]
Members[]
- Lena Pereille (Keyboards and lead vocal)[12]
- Pete Czernowski (lead guitar)[12]
- Mike Wells (drums)[12]
- Two other guitar players[12]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ayla and the Late Trevor James Goodkind
- ↑ Ayla and the Grinch (A Christmas Story)
- ↑ Ayla and the Tests: Chapter 3 - The Ceryneian Hind
- ↑ Ayla and the Tests: Chapter 4 - The Capture of Cerberus
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ayla and the Tests: Chapter 6 - The Stymphalian Birds
- ↑ Ayla and the Networks
- ↑ Ayla and the Great Shoulder Angel Conspiracy: Chapter 1 - Ishim
- ↑ Ayla and the Great Shoulder Angel Conspiracy: Chapter 4 - Malakhim
- ↑ Ayla and the Great Shoulder Angel Conspiracy: Chapter 5 - Hashmallim
- ↑ Ayla and the Birthday Brawl: Chapter 9 - The Legend of Arthur, or of Magnificence
- ↑ Ayla and the Mad Scientist: Chapter 1 - A la Recherche du Temps Perdu
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Ayla and the Tests: Chapter 7 - The Cattle of Geryon
- ↑ Call the Thunder - Chapter 5: Idiots 'R Us