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Ned is the alter ego of four guys, who makes electronic, lush, drug induced, often multi-multi layered, soundscapes and rock music, all of which is reproduced live with a painstaking attention to detail. Ned is not post, pre, gazer, pop, punk, emo, or any core of any sort. While they do love all of these different styles, Ned really doesn't't fit in to any one of them, as the sounds come from all over. Ned likes many different types of music (from Granddaddy to Fantomas, Beck, to My Bloody Valentine, Massive Attack, The Pixies to Aphex Twin), and try to make each song different from the next, some instrumental some purely electronic, some acoustic, but with a consistent sound running through them which is Ned. "Perhaps it is because of the distant places that the four members of Ned come from (New Hampshire and Alaska) that this Oakland-based band's sound is unclassifiable. Washes of distortion hint at My Bloody Valentine, and much of their instrumentation shows their appreciation for Mike Patton's work." -- Bay Area Buzz Grand Unified Theory is Jerry Chen on guitar and bass, me, Diego Montero, on guitar and bass, and Julie Macon on drums. Jerry and I met at Griffiths Hall in Unit 2 of the UC Berkeley dorms. A couple of years later, we began to play together every now and then and eventually committed to a more or less formal band. Our first show was on the first anniversay of 9-11 at Blakes' on Telegraph. A few days later I moved away to Athens, Ohio. Upon returning to the East Bay, we regrouped and to our incredible good fortune, we were joined by Julie. We released our first album in Sept, 2003 on the Undetected Plagiarism Record Label. Here's what some people have thought of it... "From the very first track, Grand Unified Theory lay out their plan: wavering vocals, simple guitars, and a powerful rhythm section when appropriate. Although lyrics are focused mostly on the sadder side of things, aching beauty and modernity shine trough. "That Beautiful Parade Down Market Street" and "Remarks Made during the Final Interview" are spectacular examples of what Grand Unified Theory does best: they haunt the listener. So, if you're a fan of the Omaha indie sound, check this debut album out." -- leftoffthedial.com "Grand Unified Theory is probably the most thoughtful record you'll hear all year....Chen sing of the futility so prevalent in his generation...It's that....sudden bout of existentialism that grips so many upon graduation, but the poignancy with which Chen delivers his words and the dead-on reading with which the rest of the trio accompanies them sets GUT apart." -- splendid e-zine playinginfog.com |
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