Arizona is a Brooklyn, NY based band that uses a stream-of-consciousness recording/ production style to write songs with organic, naturally 'catchy' melodies and a diverse, compelling sound. The group's self-released debut "Welcome Back Dear Children" is on the cutting edge of hard rock band production but draws its inspiration from before the age of digital recording.
Arizona is native New Yorker Ben Wigler, vocals, guitar, piano, erhu, cell phone and 4 Georgian gentlemen: Alex Hornbake, electric and standup bass, vocals, engineering; Nick Campbell, vocals, guitar, drums, vibraphone, piano; Andrew B Dunn, vocals, guitar, wurlitzer, piano, electric harpsichord, synthesizer, trombone; and James DeDakis, drums, vocals, saxophone, hammered dulcimer. Danny Kadar (My Morning Jacket, Chris Whitley, Trey Anastasio, Iggy Pop) often compliments the group as producer/engineer/mixer live and in studio.
ALBUM BLURB:
Arizona's debut full length, WBDC, is a 13-track album that covers an unprecedented amount of sonic and emotional terrain. Arizona began writing and self-recording WBDC in the Summer of 2005, just months after arriving in NYC and half a year before appearing as a completed live band. Arizona bassist Alex Hornbake engineered the majority of the record and was joined for the first time by producer/engineer/mixer Danny Kadar (My Morning Jacket, Chris Whitley, Trey Anastasio, etc.) who arrived one-quarter through the session to helm. The record was masted by Fred Kevorkian (White Stripes, The Walkmen, Phish, Ryan Adams). The record is presented along with absolutely beautiful artwork from band artist Deems ( inaspoon.com) and includes a massive fold-out poster of the album artwork.
"classic melod[ies]...wonderful vocals, and a [few] good old fashioned slide solo[s]. What's not to like? I mean, the band was produced by Danny Kadar, who's worked with My Morning Jacket (among a boatload of others), and while this isn't soaked with a bucket of reverb, I can see that it's a branch from the same tree. Arizona is another tall glass of lemonade on a hot ass day."
- Music.For-Robots.Com
"Here's my promise: If you buy this album, Arizona's debut Welcome Back Dear Children, you'll fall in love with it. You'll take it out to dinner, introduce it to your parents, you'll tell all your friends....but you won't need to because they'll already know it too... I just wanted to let you guys in on the secret early. I know I posted on this band a few days ago...I knew they were amazing, but I only had 3 songs and didn't have their album yet. I know now, "amazing" is an understatement. I cannot recommend Arizona enough...and I know I've said that before...but this is different. This is one of the best debuts I've heard in a long time." -Iguessimfloating.blogspot.com
"So I have been listening to Welcome Back Dear Children nonstop for a month or so now. And I still have not quite found a way to describe to you all how amazing this record is...[there are] so many layers to these songs."
-Thetwomirrors.blogspot.com
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