Bryce Boley - Drums (upper left)
Phil Bonahoom - Bass (upper right)
James Duft - Guitar/Vocals (lower left)
Tom Wagner - Guitar (lower right)
Conner's new album "Hello Graphic Missile" combines 70's funk bass lines, hard-hitting disco/dance drum riffs and complex rock guitar for a sound
that hits the brain somewhere between off-kilter art and on-the-pulse pop. Listen to it once, and its catchy melodies and stick-in-your-head rhythms will suck you in. Listen to it again, and you'll fall for its intricately placed parts and provocative lyrics.
Formed around the core of longtime friends and band mates James Duft and Phil Bonahoom, Conner lost its original drummer to the Boston Conservatory of Music and began experimenting with a few other musicians who just didn't
quite gel. Eventually, everything came together with the addition of Bryce Boley. Duft says the decision to include Boley was based almost entirely on personality and a similar music aesthetic, even before the drummer had demonstrated his metronome-perfect pace. The final piece of the puzzle was the fateful meeting with guitarist Tom Wagner. Wagner
happened to run Underground Sounds Studio, where the band recorded its first demo and, consequently, every recording since. After spending so many hours knocking songs around in the studio together, Wagner was a natural fit when the band wanted to include another guitarist.
Since Conner solidified its lineup, the band has not looked back. Releasing two independent full-lengths CD's since 2003, playing live shows across the country and gaining radio, internet and media attention, Conner has rarely seen a dull moment. Neither have their fans. No matter
how much you love Conner's newest record, "Hello Graphic Missile" (Sonic Boom Recordings), the real experience begins when you've seen the group's raucous, rambunctious and amazingly tight live show. Between Duft's engaging vocals, Boley's quick feet and Wagner and Bonahoom's absolutely
explosive guitar and bass solos, fans will tell you that their shows often escalate to a sweaty, wailing, electric mass that throws you into Conner's tightly woven reality. But don't take their word for it; check out Conner when they come through your town and see for yourself.
Ashcan Rantings
If you had a glass into which you poured some 80’s new wave sound, a bit of The Strokes, an oddly UK-sounding lilt originating in Kansas and just a few dashes of the Kings of Leon mumbles, you’d have a close approximation of Conner and their album, Hello Graphic Missile (Sonic Boom Recordings).
James Duft, Tom Wagner, Bryce Boley and Phil Bonahoom create a throwback sound that doesn’t sound dated or cliché. Their songs are well-constructed and catchy but not the type of catchy that annoys. On their new album, the fourth track, Floating on Error, ascends into a sonic maelstrom with ridiculous drums and raucous guitar, and their song Enough For You and Me opens with a Rolling Stones feel and then settles into a relaxed, laidback groove.
With great vocals and awesome guitar solos throughout, Conner successfully makes the sounds that a lot of other bands attempt to create. Some would compare Conner to bands like The Killers, but I think Conner has a truer sound that isn’t an obvious grab at commercialism.
In short, I dig it.
CMJ - Greg Winter
“The rock rejuvenators at work here are bound to make their mark in the current garage revival scene — especially as they add an approach to songwriting that’s notably original; if anything, Conner is a trailblazer in the resurgence.”
KJHK, University of Kansas
“If you're even remotely interested in the local music scene you know that Conner is one of Lawrence's brightest new bands. Equal parts Iggy Pop, The Clash and the Velvet Underground, the band's songs have the distinct ability to wedge themselves in your brain like a needle in Keith Richards' forearm. Live, the band is a raucous riffage-machine driven by the nimble fingers of lead guitarist Tom Wagner and the sounds-before-words vocals of James Duft. Screw moving to New York City: Conner gives ample reason to stay in Lawrence.”
Kansas city star’s local album of the year
Big Takeover - Marcel Feldmar
I think it's getting harder to tell which bands are just ripping off the "popular" styles, and which bands are just playing music they love, and if it references other bands you've heard - so be it. Conner, a Kansas quartet, falls into that play what you love category. Sure, you hear some Strokes and Franz Ferdinand, but you also get some early Stones, Hot Hot Heat, and possibly a little Clash thrown in for good measure. Sparse but incredibly catchy songs, with the guitar bursts just catching you and not letting go. Fun and clever indie garage pop that's sure to be enjoyed. (www.sonicboomrecordings.com)
Modern Fix
Don't let "Lawrence, KS" fool you. Conner will never be confused as post-Get Up Kids, post-Coalesce, post-The Anniversary, post-The Casket Lottery hardscreamoemocore from the middle of nowhere. Instead they're closer to a new-wave version of the Clash - a liquor and cigarettes version of the cocaine and amphetamine-fueled The Killers. File it in your iPod next to the Faint, The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, Elvis Costello angry.
