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Blending gypsy punk, dance and rock into mind-bending stew, San Diego based ensemble The Burning of Rome will release their debut LP With Us on September 18th via Surfdog Records.
The Burning of Rome began as a creative outlet for mastermind and front-man Adam. The small studio project quickly outgrew the four-track tape recorder on which it was born and Traub began collaborating with local musicians who were eager to help bring his vision to life.
The Burning of Rome recorded their LP in LA at EastWest studios and was produced by lead singer Adam Traub and Tom Biller, mixed by Dave Darling (Tom Waits, Jack Johnson, Brian Setzer) with additional remixes by Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers, Sublime, U2, Meat Puppets, Pepper).
The band was voted Best Alternative Act at the 2012 San Diego Music Awards.
Deriving influence from such artists as Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle), Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo), Pink Floyd, and Phil Spector, the San Diego-based ensemble refuse to be pigeon-holed.
“The sound is very eclectic,” said drummer Lee Williams, “I just like people to hear it and then say what they think it sounds like. And you usually get some weird answer that you’ve never heard before.”
After several revised line-ups, The Burning of Rome has settled in its current and longest-running rockers: Traub (keyboards/lead vocals), Joe Aguilar (guitar/vocals), Aimee Jacobs (glockenspiel/synthesizer/vocals), and Lee Williams (drums/percussion).
Together they’ve unleashed Adam’s creation upon the world. Each song though disguised alarmingly well by infectious hooks and provocative allusions to historical references, elicits intensely moving accounts of Adam’s interpretation of the human experience.
Adam said: “As a songwriter music is a therapeutic way for me to cope with the world around me. Ever since I was a child I felt like an alien visiting Earth and had (and still have) difficulty understanding what makes people normal.”
Adam found solace in creating music and reaching out to their fans, he wants to create a revolution with his band, he said: “I opted to rebel against the norm through music; it was the only thing that made sense to me.”
“The ultimate goal of The Burning of Rome is to reach as many people as possible with our sound and offer musical asylum to those needing it. Bands used to carry the banner for their followers in a way that seems fleeting. There aren’t any Joe Strummers of this generation acting as a voice for those that can’t be heard. I want The Burning of Rome to carry a banner for its followers and give them refuge from monotony. I want to rally the masses and call out the corrupt. I want a revolution to spark from this band.”
The band’s live show successfully personifies a brazen style of rock that fuses the brashness of punk with the captivating drama of a theatrical production exemplified by the bold, beautiful insanity of front-man Adam stomping carelessly on a crooked timeline somewhere between David Bowie and GG Allin.
Each live show is its own rock opera: the band dresses in costumes (everything from hazmat suits to burkas), dances among the audience and even adds the occasional pig head on a stake just to keep things even more interesting.
Adam commands the attention of the audience over the megaphone: a gothic beat poet who weaves seamlessly among the eerie keyboards and irresistible melody of the band.
It is a profoundly entertaining experience that leaves each onlooker with an intensely personal interpretation of the music.
Music creator Adam Traub grew up in San Diego, CA and at the age of 15 he played guitar in the punk band Nobody’s Hero, signed to Arista Records.
It all came to a halt when he was diagnosed with a rare muscular disorder in both legs. He was thrown into a world of medical chaos, and underwent seven surgeries and six titanium bolts later, Adam was faced with a long gruelling recovery.
During that time he would play an old upright piano and would hobble over to figure out Beatles songs. Beatles eventually turned to Chopin. Chopin eventually turned into Thelonious Monk. And Thelonious eventually morphed into The Burning of Rome.
The Burning of Rome follows no suit or trend. They attempt to do the opposite and challenge convention. Prepare for something manic and theatrical when you see them live.
The band has been lucky enough to open for acts they admire such as The Black Keys, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Devo, MGMT, Skrillex, Suicidal Tendencies and Jimmy Eat World.
The Burning of Rome is:
Adam Traub: Vocals, Keyboards
Joe Aguilar: Guitar, Vocals
Aimee Jacobs: Keyboards, Vocals
Lee Williams: Drums
Live:
Aug 25 Soda Bar San Diego, CA
Sep 01 SoCal Music Festival San Diego, CA
Sep 15 Bar Eleven San Diego, CA
TheBurningOfRome.com
Facebook.com/TheBurningOfRome
theburningofrome.bandcamp.com
surfdog.com
Check out The Burning of Rome’s latest music for the first single, Ballad of an Onion Sprout in the video box.