Ladies and Gentleman, We introduce to you a band with songs that have creeped up to our iTunes “Top 25 Most Played” playlist. From our very own Brooklyn, meet (and instantly love) Ambassadors.

Made up of brothers Sam and Casey Harris, Noah Feldshuh, and Adam Levin, Ambassadors deliver a refreshing sound with their eclectic use of keys, guitar, heavy drums, and synth.  We especially love the catchy, tribal-like beats, solid vocals, and original melodies.  The skillfully written songs make them stand out amongst the large pool of Brooklyn indie bands and their live show only reiterates that. 

Ambassadors recently released a self-titled EP and have since been back in the studio and performing around New York City.  Our favorite songs are “Bodybag” and “Unconsolable,” but those aren’t easy decisions considering we’re obsessed with the entire EP.  Do yourself some musical justice and click here to purchase their EP.

Show details: TONIGHT, Friday (October 22—at Arlene’s Grocery: 95 Stanton Street).  We’re so lucky to have them play our No Pulp Music CMJ Showcase tonight at Arlene’s Grocery!  And guess what?  The first 10 lucky people to stop by the No Pulp table in the back will receive a sexy gift bag which will include a copy of Ambassadors’ EP! 

Time: 11:00pm sharp, so make sure you get there early enough to catch the first amazing song!

What to expect: A rock show with unbelievable musicianship that will make you wonder why they’re not playing a stadium.

The Great Collide will hit the stage at 9:15pm tonight at Arlene’s Grocery for No Pulp’s CMJ Showcase

We love Denon audio equipment and were beyond excited to see Wyatt of The Great Collide featured on their site.  Check it out!

In the Spotlight with Wyatt Wolfram

/via @DenonUSA

Denon is pleased to present an EXCLUSIVE interview with The Great Collide’s guitarist and singer, Wyatt Wolfram.

When most people think about bands, usually the first thing that comes to mind is the music, followed closely by the individual members’ artistic and personal lives, and then finally, the curiosity to find out how they all came together.

But in the case of the band, The Great Collide, it’s almost impossible to separate all three things. Living up to the name, the band’s music, members’ lives, and history always coalesce to show who they are as a whole; they are a meeting point, the intersection of four minds that produce music that commands the attention of the listener.

The Great Collide

The group’s origins began in 2009, when, in a seemingly random yet important decision, Drew Mitnick and Wyatt Wolfram saw the opportunity to form a band and play music together. After that first, like the many  planetary collisions in the cosmos, they eventually crossed paths with Jane Lee, and soon after they graduated, moved to Nashville, where David Castillo, gravitated by Lee, joined them. The Great Collide was born.

Wheeeere’s Wyatt?

Since then, the band had worked its way to make a name for themselves in Nashville’s indie music scene. The release of their five song EP in April of 2010 caught the attention of critics and industry experts, many of whom see the great potential the band has.

They certainly caught our attention as well, which is why we sat down with one of the four pillars of the band, Wyatt Wolfram, to get a closer look at one of the minds behind The Great Collide.

Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in the Midwest – Hillsdale, Michigan.  It was a great little town that didn’t offer much more than lot of time and room to breathe.  I always itched for excitement though, and to be in a place where things weren’t the same day-to-day, year-to-year, decade-to-decade.  I left Hillsdale when I started at Syracuse University in New York, and then moved to Nashville, Tennessee after graduation.  Down in Nashville I work in country music TV and film production – music videos, commercial spots, and live concert film.  Between that and working as a guitarist and singer with my band The Great Collide, life moves pretty fast.

When did you first decide to become a Musician? What inspired you?

The light struck me much later than most, I think.  It wasn’t until my senior year in college that I realized I had to pursue music.  I was an economics major, and did my senior thesis on the transformation of the music industry with the switch to digital formats and new wave album releases, such as Radiohead’s In Rainbows.  Researching that and playing in my college band, I realized that my heart and mind were always finding a way to get back to music, and that it was helpless to fight that.  So, I found some other conspirators, moved to Nashville, put a band together, and haven’t looked back.

When did you first fall in love with Music?

My love of music started with my parents.  My dad was at Berkeley during the ‘70s and very keyed into the music scene then and there.  My mom always sang in a choral group and was into traditional Irish music.  So from birth I was fed a healthy dose of Bob Dylan,  John Lee Hooker, Handel, and The Chieftans.  I always was into music, but it wasn’t until I was 16 or 17 that I became obsessed and discovered a whole world of modern underground indie stuff that I had been missing back in Michigan.  I remember hearing the Shins for the first time in one of my friend’s parent’s mini van while we were driving around one summer.  I couldn’t get over the way it resonated with me.  Death Cab for Cutie was another band that really sucked me into contemporary music.  I think I could recite every word of Transatlantacism in my sleep.

Describe your perfect listening experience?

For me music is, and always should be, a human experience.  Sound bliss isn’t about perfection, but about capturing and reproducing the feeling, emotion, and beauty of a performance.  A listening experience is about setting as much as it is about the sound. I love hearing a full orchestra played back in a perfect acoustic environment just as much as blaring “Wild Thing” while driving down the freeway.  A listening experience is just that: experiential.

Share with us your most memorable DENON moment.

My dad had an old Denon turntable from the ‘70s that had been sitting unused for a long time.  I remember coming back to my parents’ house during winter break and flipping through this collection of vinyl albums that were hidden away in cabinets.  I pulled out CSNY’s Déjà Vu, and from the moment I heard those beautiful pops and fuzz burst into a chorus of warm acoustic guitar, I knew the analogue age was going to make a comeback.

What are your favorite 5-10 songs that we would find on your music play list?

• The Rolling Stones – “Torn and Frayed”
• Radiohead -“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”
• Bob Dylan -“Simple Twist of Fate”
• Ra Ra Riot – “Shadowcasting”
• MGMT – “Electric Feel”
• Claude Debussy – “Clair de Lune”
• Broken Social Scene – ”Stars and Sons”
• The Beatles – ”A Day in a Life”

What do you think the future of music holds in store for us?

I don’t think it is music that is changing as much as the way in which we consume it. As music formats change, music becomes more mobile, more accessible, and more integrated into our lives.  Music is as important to video as video is to music.  As David Bowie said, “Music itself is going to become like running water,” and I believe that to be true to so effect.  As technology advances, companies such as Denon will continue to make products that capture and deliver musical performances with more and more clarity and ease.  Who knows what we will see and hear in the next fifty years; I can’t wait to find out.

Many would agree that Wyatt and the rest of The Great Collide have great things ahead of them, and just like the seemingly chaotic, orderly, random, destined, and explosive nature of their music, their lives, and their origin, The Great Collide is poised to take the music industry by storm.