The Monolators

Last updated
The Monolators
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Indie rock, garage rock, post-punk revival
Years active2002 – present
LabelsMonolator Music
MembersEli Chartkoff
Mary Chartkoff
Ashley Jex
Ray Gurrola
Jillinda Palmer
Past membersMichael Dennis
Andy Bollas
Tom Bogdon
Website Official website

The Monolators are an American rock band from Los Angeles composed of Eli Chartkoff (vocals, guitar), Mary Chartkoff (drums), Ashley Jex (bass), Ray Gurrola (lead guitar), and Jillinda Palmer (keyboards).

Contents

History

Originally called Lonely 451, the band formed as a trio in January 2000 with Eli Chartkoff on bass/guitar/vocals, Mary Chartkoff on drums and Mike Dennis on bass/guitar/vocals. This configuration lasted only 9 months and played a single show: a house party in Mary Chartkoff's living room. The band reformed as The Monolators in the summer of 2002 with Eli Chartkoff on bass/vocals, Mary Chartkoff on drums, and Mike Dennis on lead guitar. [1] [2] Soon after, The Monolators began taking the project more seriously and recorded the EP Hi-Fi Sound in their garage, followed by their first live show at Silverlake restaurant Zen Sushi in September 2002. In 2003, the band self-released a holiday-themed 7" vinyl single Santa Claus vs. Dave Matthews, followed by the full-length record Rejection Set Me Free in 2004. In 2005, Mike Dennis left the band but they continued as a duo with Eli on guitar. The band recorded their second album Our Tears Have Wings in the Fall of 2005 at producer Raymond Richards's Red Rockets Glare Studios with future member Tom Bogdon as a studio musician on lead guitar. They began a monthly "First Friday" residency at the Los Angeles club Mr. T's Bowl in June 2006, which ended exactly two years later in June 2008. [3] The band became a trio again in 2006 with the addition of Andy Bollas on bass. After releasing the You Look Good on the Train EP in 2007, the band (following the departure of Bollas and with new members Ashley Jex on bass and Tom Bogdon on guitar) released their third record Don't Dance in 2008. In October 2008, the band won the LA Weekly Detour Music Festival Battle of the Bands contest sharing the stage with Gogol Bordello, Black Lips, and Datarock. [4] [5] In November 2008, the band contributed their song "Hot Sleigh" to the benefit holiday compilation "Plastic Snow" featuring Los Angeles bands Great Northern, Earlimart, and others. [6] In 2009, the band changed their lineup again with the departure of Tom Bogdon and the additions of Ray Gurrola on lead guitar and Jillinda Palmer on keyboards, followed by the digital EP release of Ruby, I'm Changing My Number in Spring 2009. [7] [8] On September 11th, 2024 it was announced that Andy Bollas would rejoin The Monolators on bass for a show on Saturday September 14th, 2024 at the Goldfish on York in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Don't be a total squid, come see them rip!

Discography

Albums/EPs/Singles

Compilations

Music Videos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugarcult</span> American rock band

Sugarcult is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Tim Pagnotta, Airin Older (bass), Marko DeSantis, and Kenny Livingston (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why? (American band)</span> American band

Why? is an American alternative hip hop and indie rock band. The band was founded in 2004 by Cincinnati rapper and singer Yoni Wolf, who had been using Why? as his stage name since 1997. In addition to Wolf, who serves as lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, the band consists of multi-instrumentalists and backing vocalists Doug McDiarmid and Matt Meldon, and drummer and backing vocalist Josiah Wolf, who is Yoni Wolf's older brother.

<i>Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)</i> 2004 EP by Harvey Danger

Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes) is the second EP by Harvey Danger. It was released in December 2004 on the band's own label, Phonographic Records. One of the songs is a demo from their next album, Little by Little..., two are different recordings of past songs, and the remaining two are rare songs, released only on special collections in the past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Luck</span> Musical artist

Ethan John Luck is an American musician, producer, multi-instrumentalist and photographer who has played in several bands, most prominently, the ska band The O.C. Supertones, Demon Hunter, Kings of Leon, Morgan Wade, and pop punk band Relient K. He has played on albums for Kutless, Roper, Nikki Clan and Last Tuesday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astrid (band)</span>

Astrid is a guitar-pop foursome formed in Glasgow in the mid-1990s, but with strong ties to Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides, Scotland. The group released three studio albums, as well as several singles and EPs, before breaking up in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Lopez</span> Musical artist

Shaun Michael Lopez is an American music producer, composer, and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silversun Pickups</span> American rock band

Silversun Pickups is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles that was formed in 2000. The band is composed of Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester.

<i>Let It Snow, Baby... Let It Reindeer</i> 2007 studio album by Relient K

Let It Snow, Baby... Let It Reindeer is the second Christmas album by Christian rock band Relient K.

Erben der Schöpfung is a dark-gothic-metal/EBM band from Liechtenstein, founded in 1998/99 by Oliver Falk.

Single File was a band from Westminster, Colorado / Cleveland, Ohio. After achieving local success, the band was signed to Reprise Records in 2006.

Everybody Else is an American rock band from Silverlake, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death to Anders</span> American indie rock band

Death to Anders is an American indie rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2006. Their current lineup consists of Rob Danson, Rob Hume, and Robert Smith (drums).

The Soft Pack was an indie rock band from San Diego, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bastardz</span> Croatian funk band

The Bastardz are a Croatian funk based band with a lot of pop and jazz influences, founded in 1990 by guitarist and songwriter Jex Zoran Jaeger. In 1995, they released their first music release, a mini LP titled "Your Love". The song "Tvoja Ljubav" quickly topped the charts in Croatia. It also started the whole urban music movement united under the record label Aquarius Records. They have won several national music awards. Due to the fact that Jex resided in Croatia and in The Netherlands, The Bastardz were active as a band there, too. Apart from leading The Bastardz, Jex was a long time guitarist for several dutch funk, acid jazz oriented bands like Saskia Laroo Band, Saxual Harassment, Traffic Jam and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Useless Keys</span>

Useless Keys are an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, composed of Michael Regilio and Michael Bauer.

Red Rockets Glare is a Portland, OR recording studio, founded by musician, producer, and engineer Raymond Richards in 2003. The associated record label, Red Rockets Glare Records, has signed bands such as Frankel and the Leviathan Brothers, while artists that have recorded at the studio include The Broken West, Chapin Sisters, The Fling, The Monolators and My Own Holiday. Richards frequently produces albums at the studio, including Catch the Brass Ring (2007) by Ferraby Lionheart and Gorilla Manor (2009) by Local Natives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange (band)</span> American-British punk rock band

Orange is an American-British pop punk/punk band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002.

Kaveh Rastegar is a Persian-American Grammy-nominated songwriter, record producer, composer, and bass guitarist. Rastegar was born in Montreal and raised in Denver, Colorado. He currently resides in the Los Angeles/Pasadena area with his wife and children.

Social Studies is an indie rock band from San Francisco, California, composed of Natalia Rogovin, Tom Smith (guitar), Ben McClintock (guitar), Jesse Hudson, and Michael Jirkovsky (drums). Their sound has been described as “structurally trim and sonically dazzling”.

Everest is a rock band from Los Angeles, California and Nashville, Tennessee, which consists of Russell Pollard, Joel Graves, Elijah Thomson, and Dan Bailey (drums). The band released three acclaimed full length albums respectively on Neil Young and Elliot Robertss' Vapor Records, Warner Bros. Records and ATO Records. The group toured extensively in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe with artists such as Neil Young, Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, Hayden, Minus the Bear and Young the Giant and more. The band performed on live national television broadcasts including Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and The Late Show With David Letterman.

References

  1. "The No-Fi "Interview" with The Monolators". No-Fi "Magazine". Retrieved 2009-08-16.
  2. "Mini-Interview: The Monolators". Radio Free Silverlake. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  3. "I will always love you T-Bowl". Feed Us A Live Insect. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  4. "MONOLATORS WIN L.A. WEEKLY DETOUR CONTEST!". LA Record. September 22, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  5. "DETOUR: SET TIMES". LA Record. September 25, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  6. "confessions of a would-be hipster presents: plastic snow". Confessions of a Would-Be Hipster. November 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  7. "Monolators digital EP release show tonight at Echo Curio". Feed Us A Live Insect. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  8. Deming, Mark. "Allmusic: The Monolators". Biography. Allmusic . Retrieved 2009-07-30.