Sons of Hippies

Born just before the 2008 Bonnaroo music festival, the Sons of Hippies' name emerged at that event amid 70,000-plus camper/attendees sharing the experience, when Brazilian-native Jonas Canales and Florida-bred Katherine Kelly probed familial bonds to discover that they were, indeed, children of hippies. Just the two, their dreamily melodic but complexly synthesized songs required help to record. Enter Pro-Pain guitarist Tom Klimchuck who not only produced, but also played bass on the band's M...

Born just before the 2008 Bonnaroo music festival, the Sons of Hippies' name emerged at that event amid 70,000-plus camper/attendees sharing the experience, when Brazilian-native Jonas Canales and Florida-bred Katherine Kelly probed familial bonds to discover that they were, indeed, children of hippies. Just the two, their dreamily melodic but complexly synthesized songs required help to record. Enter Pro-Pain guitarist Tom Klimchuck who not only produced, but also played bass on the band's March debut, "Warriors of the Light." Shortly thereafter, Sons of Hippies met Iceland-native and bassist Michael Mok, whose punk background helped complete and solidify the unique sound that continues to draw attention: "Live, they're like an amalgam of everyone from Radiohead to Metric to Ours to Broken Social Scene to Veruca Salt to Guided By Voices to the Psychedelic Furs to, yes, just a little of the White Stripes. It's spacey but it rocks." (Jay Cridlin, Tampa Bay Times) The ritual of songwriting is an organic process for front-members Kelly (guitar, lead vocals) and Canales (drums, percussion, synth, vocals) who use cosmic legerdemain to blend elements of psychedelic and punk rock with tribal Brazilian rhythms. Lyrically, the songs are emotionally intense with a viral urge toward the abstract and poetic. Between tours covering the East coast of the U.S., which included live performances at The Drone Valley Music Festival (Asheville, NC) and Anti-Pop Music Festival (Orlando, FL), Sons of Hippies received the critic's choice award from Tampa's Creative Loafing publication for "Best Modern-Sounding Record" of 2009. "Warriors of the Light" was also voted number one in the "Best Local Music of 2009" category in the Tampa Bay Times. Journalist Colin Kincaid of Reax Magazine wrote of the album: "This is what art-rock should be like, bold and chance-taking without sacrificing catchiness or emotional heft. Warriors of the Light is a thoroughly contemporary, and thoroughly satisfying, slice of original electric music" With increasing support from local media including Tampa's community radio station, 88.5fm WMNF, music critics and several news publications, Sons of Hippies recognize the momentum they have created, elevating their vision to unseen horizons. The planet quietly but desperately awaits. Sons of Hippies are currently soliciting label representation for their full-length sophomore album release, August 2010. For daily updates please visit: www.sonsofhippies.net