The four playaz in Pictures in Braille fashion their world of music in a tiny cottage, located on a picturesque farm about an hour from the megalopolis known as NYC. It is in this idyllic setting that their cutting edge, almost futuristic layers of sound are constructed. Aaron Jackson and Brendan Neville, the guitarists of Pictures in Braille have known each other since they were in middle school, and have been shredding in tandem for almost as long. The two capture something truly special together with their swirling melodic counterpoint and crunching rhythmic displacements. In addition, both are comic geniuses. Michael Hickey has been laying down some serious timekeeping for years. His style fuses elements of British rock foot-stomping, jazz complexity and spontaneity, and the hammer-crushing brutality of the Metal Gods. And having studied classical music at the University of Arizona, the Hickster lends a percussive sense of duty to crafting his parts for Pictures in Braille's compositions. Tommy Sardo, on the bass guitar, builds a perfect bridge between the outer-dimensional polyphony and the dense rhythmic core that is Pictures in Braille's music. Tommy also happens to be the vocalist and lyricist of the band. His thoughtful words collide with soaring melodies, forming atmospheres that transcend staid emotional outcries. Although Pictures in Braille is not a simple band, they never forget the importance of connecting to an audience. In performance, they are known to get a crowd moving and giving their fans a much needed release from the tedium of our modern society. Being at a Pictures in Braille show is not unlike witnessing an interstellar spacecraft battle, in which everyone wins! Listen to the music, and more importantly come see them in action.
Brendan Neville 02 lokakuuta 2006 04.34
