Mancino

Mancino is one part sonic beast and two parts insecure nerd. From the depths of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, the trio mashes elements of 60’s pop, psyche, circus squawks, and solid rock music into a potent stew that possesses the shy wallflower to boogie and the dancing queen to strap on a pair of headphones and geek out.

This recipe has been simmering over the course of almost four years of blistering live shows in New York as well as throughout much of the U.S.; headlining alongside such regarded acts as Tapes 'n Tapes, The Big Sleep, Plastic Constellations, Sam Champion, Dosh, and many more. Their fiercely inventive live shows have drawn praise from CMJ.com, SPIN Magazine, and many of the universe's most influential bloggers. Mancino's music was most recently featured in the film "First Ascent" (Sender Films) alongside Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Rapture and Devotchka, and also appeared in the new MTV show "Band in a Bubble."

Mike Grimes (Vocals, Guitars, Bass) and Nadim Issa (Keyboards, Bass, Vocals) started playing music together as undergraduates at Brown University. Soon after relocating to New York, they crossed paths with French expat Jonathan Mason (Drumset, Vocals, Percussion, Toys) and persuaded him to lend his considerable charms to the burgeoning sounds heretofore confined to terrible cassette recordings of late night bedroom jam sessions. In sweaty and overpriced Midtown rehearsal spaces, the trio began hammering out the blueprint for their signature sound, an idiosyncratic blend of Kinks-esque swagger, Beach Boys harmonies, and muscular rhythms reminiscent of Talking Heads. Inspired by the unorthodox and backwards style of penmanship favored by Leonardo da Vinci, they named the project Mancino. And who are we to argue with Leonardo da Vinci? After all, there is a Ninja Turtle named after him.

After the release of their debut EP (2005) "Dear International," (#2 add on CMJ charts the week of its release, #67 in Top 200), Mancino is proud to release its debut LP, "Manners Matter," which was lovingly engineered by DaSh (Gogol Bordello, Balkan Beat Box), mixed by their very own Nadim Issa, and mastered by Alan Douches (Animal Collective, Danielson, Galaxy 500). Recorded in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the boys spent long summer hours bouncing sounds off of the walls and channeling the echoing chants of lingering ghosts in an old industrial warehouse. Then, in the comfort of keyboardist Nadim Issa's apartment, the boys of Mancino spent weeks recording house-pets and vocal overdubs; the seasoning to the band's debut LP.

The first single, Hetchie Hutchie Footchie, which the band self proclaimed to be "The Australian Summer Dance Craze of 1958," has already been the #1 song of the week on WOXY.com while SPIN.com praised the album stating, “Manners Matter shows a band eagerly adopting different genres, and just as easily shrugging them off for the next number. On the experimental scale, these boys show touches of the blithe blending abilities of the Beach Boys and XTC.” Highly Recommended!

Mancino - Five Blades
Mancino - L'Amour (Or Less)
Mancino - Hetchie Hutchie Footchie
Mancino - Hetchie Hutchie Footchie (video stream)
Mancino @ MySpace


Bonus:
Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (2007) !!!
Hammock - Raising Your Voice... Trying To Stop An Echo !!!
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha (2007) !!!
Ali Farka Toure - In The Heart Of The Moon !!!
Arab Strap - The Week Never Starts Round Here !!!
+ Mew, PJ Harvey, Arctic Monkeys, Beck, Death From Above 1979, Delerium, Dntel,
Doves, Fiona Apple, Joni Mitchell, Junior Boys, Kasabian, Kings Of Leon, Panda Bear,
Radiohead, Stars, Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo, Sun Kil Moon, Emiliana Torrini, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3xvcmm
Grand National - Kicking The National Habit
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3x4rxz
Orson - Bright Idea
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/32noeo
8mm - Opener [EP] + Songs To Love And Die By !!!
Tori Amos - American Doll Posse (2007)
Regina Spektor - Albums
+ Moloko, Porcupine Tree, Mum, Thrice, etc.
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/3xgq85
Sergio Mendes - Timeless
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/39bjyf