MASTERS OF THE HEMISPHERE

AGENT: JIMMY

AVAILABILITY: SEE AVAILS / UPCOMING SHOWS

TOOLS: MAKE AN OFFER / PROMO MATERIALS / PUBLICITY

BAND SITES: OFFICIAL BAND WEBSITE / FACEBOOK PAGE

LABEL: KINDERCORE RECORDS (US) / MAGIC MARKER RECORDS (US) / MODERN COUNTRY RECORDS (US)

FREE MP3: SELECTIONS FROM DISCOGRAPHY AT SOUNDCLOUD PAGE

HOMETOWN: Athens, GA

DISCOGRAPHY:

2011 - MAYBE THESE ARE THE BREAKS CD

2003 - LAST SHOW EVER 2CD

2002 - PROTEST A DARK ANNIVERSARY CD/LP

2001 - THE PERMANENT STRANGER EP

2000 - I AM NOT A FREEMDOOM CD/LP

1998 - MASTERS OF THE HEMISPHERE CD/LP

1997 - GOING ON A TREK TO ICELAND 7"

BIO:

Masters of the Hemisphere originated in Athens, GA and were locally and nationally championed by indie fans from 1996 until 2002 when the band took an announced hiatus to explore new locations and solo projects. In 2010, the four old friends reunited to record a new album together, Maybe These Are The Breaks, which is set to be co-released October 2011 by Kindercore Records and Magic Marker Records.  There were no reports if the band would tour with this release, but some show offers have sprung up and now a small tour of the Mid-West and East Coast is being planned for October 2011.  Please send inquiries and offers now if you are interested.

High school friends Bren Mead and Sean Rawls formed Masters Of The Hemisphere when the two moved to Athens GA to attend college in 1996.  Joined by drummer Jeff Griggs and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Finch, the group recorded and released 3 full-length albums, multiple 7" singles, and a double live CD, mostly released by Kindercore Records.

A cynical critic could try lumping this band in with the Kindercore twee scene or compare them to the Elephant 6 bands that reigned supreme in Athens in the mid-late 90's, but Masters Of The Hemisphere were their own phenomenon, balancing practiced songwriting, smart lyrics, and charming harmonies with rowdy but never distorted crowd pleasing guitar hooks and good vibes.  Interchanging between three songwriters (Rawls, Mead, and Finch), their stage shows  entranced and bewildered audiences with Belle & Sebastian-like allure while still exciting and engaging crowds with their forward and honest stage presence, much like four harmonizing Bob Pollards.  Their craft doesn't need to hide behind shields any more than their personalities do, as they shine as much in their musical performance as they do in their between song banter.  And on a good day, they'll even surprise you with with a spot-on cover song ranging from Fleetwood Mac to New Order.

Masters Of The Hemisphere drew the good-time crowds in Athens like no other at the time, playing regular shows at the famous 40 Watt Club, headlining and playing with national touring acts to bigger and more enthusiastic crowds each year.  They toured coast to coast on the US indie circuit from 1997 - 2002, and gained a national following and played multiple CMJ Festivals and multiple years at the Athens Popfest before declaring a "Last Show Ever" in late 2002.

Flagpole Magazine' columnist Gordon Lamb recently wrote a band retrospective elaborating the band's past endeavors and discography in greater detail.  Read more here: Masters Of The Hemisphere: History

REVIEWS:

If being wildly prolific were the sole mark of greatness, Bren Mead and Sean Rawls would be household names as geniuses of pop composition. As it is, these founding members of Masters of the Hemisphere are at the very least well-versed in songcraft, and may be just short of hitting the genius mark... they have as much in common with campy, comic acts like They Might Be Giants as they do with more austere pop bands such as Belle and Sebastian... Protest a Dark Anniversary contains songs of deceptive simplicity, yet features the same distinctively obtuse perspective and indefinable breeziness that has characterized all of the Masters albums. In fact, the particular gift that seems to have been bestowed on Mead and Rawls in spades is the light touch in all of their songs, an omnipresent lightheartedness that makes everything they produce seem fun. If the reputation for humor and antics in their live performances is an indication, this is simply a reflection of the songwriters’ personalities.

-Pop Matters

I should establish right now that I like I Am Not A Freemdoom... it's an allegorical tale that's filled with a sense of childlike wonder. It's also a tale that seems to have been written by someone locked in a poorly ventilated chemical storeroom -- it's full of thinly-veiled drug use, evisceration and decapitation, not to mention questionable character development.

-Splendid

I first bumped into Masters of the Hemisphere with Pitchfork when I reviewed their self-titled debut - - the finest Athens jangle pop since early REM. I Am Not A Freemdoom is their sophomore effort. I wanted to be disappointed by this concept album about a cartoon dog named Freemdoom who pollutes the reservoirs of Krone Ishta, I really did. But the songwriting and storytelling are too compelling. With an impressive array of instrumentation, Masters of the Hemisphere etch a jubilant, coherent and catchy pop record - one that I couldn't get out of my car all summer long. Apples In Stereo aim for this kind of psychedelic 60's pop sound, but come off sounding stilted and emotionally under-invested. In stark contrast to the Elephant 6 collective, so much care went into making this record, with shocking sincerity and lack of artifice, that you can't help but embrace the tale of Freemdoom the evil dog.

-Amazon.com (well composed comment by zlh)

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