Pet the Music

“...Tunes that make you feel nostalgic and tunes that make you giddy...something you should hear.” — Al Borde “Some of the most original and affecting music I’ve heard in the last 10 years. Killer songwriting, delivered with emotional power and guts—and endlessly inventive musicality. The kind of songs I’ve been waiting to hear.” — Ben Deily, co-founder of The Lemonheads SONIC SEDUCTION: the revelatory sounds of Pet the Music That giddy feeling of falling in love: as if your stomach dropped down to your knees—and your perceptions turned thrillingly upside-down. “That’s the feeling we want to create when you hear one of our songs,” declares Tijuana-born Miguel Ángel Montes—co-founder of bilingual alternative rock band Pet the Music. He smiles modestly. “At least, well...that’s what we’re always aiming for.” Founded in East LA and the Inland Empire, Pet the Music began as a two-piece collaboration between singer/guitarist Miguel Montes and bassist/singer Adriana Molina. From the first, their music combined irresistibly catchy harmony and melody with unexpected sonic twists— and bracing power. But initially—as a two-person outfit—pre-recorded drum tracks provided their only backing percussion. “When it came to making the songs come alive, we needed more,” explains Montes. In seeking out the more organic sound, feel and power of a flesh-and- bones drummer, the band finally secured a truly remarkable third member: veteran percussionist and recording artist Gabriel “Gabo” Ramirez—whose claims to fame include years of international touring with Concrete Blonde, and backing Mexico’s pioneering rockers Sergio Arau (Botellita de Jerez) y los Heavy Mex, among many, many others. Inspired with the influence (and sonic echoes) of bands from Nirvana and the Pixies to Smashing Pumpkins, Pet the Music’s sound isn’t easy to pin down to one simple genre or style. “We try to work in that place of harmony where life meets music...letting a song’s structures evolve naturally, as we experiment and explore. There’s never a formula.” With melodies that are upbeat while never failing to surprise, and lyrics as sincere as they are idiosyncratic, Pet the Music has blown away audiences at SoCal venues like the Knitting Factory, Fais Do Do, The Westchester, Mr. T’s Bowl and the Glass House—as well as events and festivals such as San Bernardino’s “Relay for Life.” Having recently followed up their self-titled debut EP with their first full-length release, “No Matter Where” (available on iTunes, Spotify, and other retailers), the band is currently hard at work on two new releases: their first Latin/Spanish bilingual EP, “Girasol” —scheduled to drop in July of 2017. What can listeners hope to hear from the brand-new release? “Expect to be surprised,” says Miguel. “If there’s one thing we want to achieve, it’s this: that we write songs you can fall in love with—even though they may not sound quite like anything you’ve heard before.” INDIVIDUAL BAND BIOS Miguel Ángel Montes was born in Tijuana, México—where, as a five-year-old, he sold gum to tourists—and was raised in East Los Angeles. At fourteen years of age, he got his first job as a musician when he was hired to be the local church’s choir director; he has now been a songwriter, guitarist and arranger for more than twenty years. Miguel first cut his teeth as a songwriter and arranger in the “rock en español” band Anhes. He later joined Ruido de Fondo, another rock en español band, already making a name for themselves in Los Angeles. With time Miguel gained more experience playing bigger stages, opening for big names like Kinky, Moenia, Jumbo, Los Enanitos Verdes, Aterciopelados, El Gran Silencio, among many others. Pet the Music began as a collaborative project between Miguel and his then- girlfriend—now wife—Adriana Molina. Pet represents the product of all their joint influences combined, ranging from Ritchie Valens to Juan Gabriel, from the Beatles to Soda Stereo. Miguel cites his primary influences as Mexican Pop, Rock and Rancheras. Adriana Molina, born in México City but raised in Southern California, grew up listening to a plethora of music from both sides of the border. Her influences range from the classic Beatles, The Beach Boys, Janice Joplin, A Lovin’ Spoonful to Lila Downs, The Cure, Aterciopelados, Billie Holiday and Bill Withers. Having grown up around musicians, Adriana’s interest in instruments was piqued at a very young age. However, she did not get a chance to play an instrument herself until she met Miguel Ángel Montes; originally introduced as “pen pals,” they became romantically involved—and pooled their influences and talents to create their own band, Pet the Music. As Pet’s bassist, Adriana has had the opportunity to play many local venues in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Pet has also made it a priority to participate in many community events, such as Relay for Life, and other gatherings and fund-raisers focused on promoting the arts within communities. Adriana is currently in studio with Pet the Music working on a new release, expected to be released by the summer of 2017. At an early age, Gabriel Ramirez—“Gabo,” as he is known in the Latin music scene—moved to Los Angeles, where he has lived ever since. Influenced by drummers such as John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, Patricio Iglesias, Art Blakey, and Dave Weckl. Gabo started playing drums at the age of 14; by the age of 16, he was playing professionally with the Latin Grupero band “Rebelde,” giving him the opportunity to fuse his love for rock music with the Latin influences learned from his parents. At 19, he helped form his first Latin Alternative band, “Maria Fatal”, which signed with the San Francisco-based Aztlan Records in 1995. Their success led them to record three studio CDs and one live recording, sharing the stage with such acts as Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, Concrete Blonde, and Jaguares. In 2001, Gabo’s distinctively heavy and explosive sound landed him a tour with Concrete Blonde throughout the U.S. and Australia. He’s been touring and recording with Concrete Blonde ever since, becoming the longest sitting drummer for the band. Gabo is featured on one of their studio releases, and the acclaimed “Live in Brazil” live album. More recently, in 2016 Gabo joined one of Mexico’s pioneering rockers, Sergio Arau (Botellita de Jerez) y los Heavy Mex—playing his first show in Mexico City’s Zocalo de la Ciudad. Gabo has had the opportunity to record under the supervision of famed producer Gustavo Bohrner (Phil Collins, Soda Stereo, Birdman and many more). Among the other artists Gabo has worked with: Maria Fatal, Johnette Napolitano, Sergio Arau, James Mankey, Flor Veneno, Cabula, Curanderos, the Division Men, Will Crewdson, John Trudell, Los Olvidados, Aleks Syntek and EYA. He has toured the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, China, and Australia. Management: Christopher Boyce e-mail: cd.boyce@yahoo.com Booking: e-mail: booking@petthemusic.com www.petthemusic.com Music for people who love life!