If a covey of wide-eyed indie kids reinterpreted your grandpappy's record collection, it'd probably sound something like the incandescent Band Marino. A swirling carousel of guitars, banjos and mandolins, their whims come in an old-timey vernacular.
But boring neo-traditionalists they're not. The folk trimmings, melodic verve and rock energy culminate in an effusive sort of carnival pop. The music is atmospherically rich and emotionally generous, a tapestry crafted in adoring detail.
Earthy, human and eternally fresh-faced. Their energetic stage performances have turned Band Marino into a catapulting phenomenon in the on-the-cusp Orlando indie scene. Going from curtseying waltzes to dizzying freakouts, they tend to make even the dirtiest rock club feel like a rousing tent show on the verge of spilling over.
And it's this transporting quality that's attracted a large, remarkably devout following in Florida, often selling out major hometown venues like The Social, BackBooth and Will's Pub. In addition to doing two national tours, Band Marino performed at the 2006 South by Southwest Music Festival.
Also debuting at this year's SXSW Film Festival was The Last Romantic, an independent film that the band scored whose cast included James Urbaniak (American Splendor, Henry Fool, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), and Shalom Harlow (Vanilla Sky, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days).
They've played with indie luminaries like As Tall as Lions, Stars, Rainer Maria, Tilly and the Wall, Hackensaw Boys, Lovedrug, Switchfoot, Anberlin, The Ataris, Head of Femur, Receiving End of Sirens, Cartel, Jason Mraz, and O.
A.R. Their debut album The Sea & the Beast was released regionally on December 2, 2006 and has sold over 2,300 copies to date. In January 2008, Band Marino is slated to participate in national retail marketing programs across a wide segment of independent record retail.
This effort is being coordinated by the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and their distribution arm, Junketboy.http://www.bandmarino.nethttp://www.myspace.com/bandmarino