Songwriting in the tradition of Dylan and Springsteen with the blues/rock guitar chops of Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaughan.

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ROCK: Modern Rock, ROCK: Jam-band



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BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS are one of those very special bands that defy genres and categories...a rock-n-roll band in the broadest sense â folk, blues, country, rhythm and blues, soul, contemporary, indie, alternative and everything in between. In a review of BHTMâs most recent studio release, Crimes of Passion--recorded in TODDâs solar-powered studio--The London Times described the band as âscandalously overlookedâ and âas classy as American rock gets.â The band certainly deserves its place in the Rock pantheon, though they are ever defiant of the tired and well-traveled commercial formula that seems to define the overwhelming bulk of contemporary music.

âIndependentâ and âalternativeâ are terms that are often used to describe Big Head Todd and The Monstersâ sound, but there is an undeniable pop/soul polish here, a song based accessibility that elevates BHTM from the mosh-pit. The bandâs greatest strengths are their incendiary live performances and the songwriting of TODD PARK MOHR. Todd has consistently plowed new ground writing and helming BHTMâs seven studio and two live releases. Heâs a writer in the tradition of Dylan and Springsteen, but with the rock/blues guitar chops of Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaughan. Add to that Mohrâs gritty yet powerful and dynamic voice, and the bandâs legendary live shows, and you have a most potent force.

Big Head Todd and the Monstersâ original members have stayed together since their beginning in the mid-â80s. They are truly a âbandâ in every sense of the word, rare in todayâs world of short-lived collaborations. The bandâs tight and explosive rhythm section is comprised of drummer BRIAN NEVIN and bassist ROB SQUIRES, who met Mohr at Columbine High School in Colorado and joined forces to develop what would be a lifelong musical partnership.

The band launched its own independent label, Big Records, to release their first two albums, Another Mayberry (1989) and Midnight Radio (1990), still considered cult classics. These two self-releases and BHTM's constant roadwork soon put the band in the national spotlight. In the process they sold an unheard of (for those pre internet days) 58,000 copies on their own without any major distribution or help. Mainstream success arrived when they were discovered by music business legend Irving Azoff. After seeing Big Head Todd and the Monsters in a tiny Aspen venue, he signed them on the spot. The first major label release, Sister Sweetly, would become a platinum-selling smash, producing several top ten rock radio hits such as âBroken Hearted Savior,â âCircleâ and fan favorite âBittersweet.â

The group would go on to produce four more outstanding studio releases over the following decade. But unlike many mainstream successes, BHTM work hard to break new musical ground. According to Mohr the main rule is, âNever write the same song twice.â And that statement reflects the band's determination to push its own creative horizons. The band has consistently chosen to follow its heart rather than sacrifice it for easy commercial success. Their refusal to make a video for their most successful song, âBittersweet," in an era when music video was the industryâs driving machine, is one very significant example.

After the success of Sister Sweetly, the band's subsequent recordings, Stratagem (1994), Beautiful World (1997), Live Monsters (1999), Riviera (2001) and Crimes of Passion (2004), continued to move BHTMâs music and live show forward. In 2004 Todd, Rob, and Brian brought JEREMY LAWTON on board, and BHTM released their first DVD, âLive at the Fillmore,â filmed during two sold out nights at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco.

BHTM have garnered golden opportunities to pay tribute to, as well as to perform with, their heroes. While producing the band's Beautiful World disc, Talking Head Jerry Harrison brought blues legend John Lee Hooker into the studio with the band to record Hookerâs immortal âBoom Boomâ shortly before his death. After playing a whirlwind U.S. tour with Zeppelin front man Robert Plant, BHTM were invited to contribute their rendering of âTangerineâ to the gold-selling Encomium, A Tribute To Led Zeppelin. The band's covers of âWithin You and Without Youâ on Songs From the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison and most recently the moody acoustic version of âSweet Home Alabamaâ featured on Under the Influence: A Jam Band Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd are all testament to BHTMâs willingness to reinvent other writers material.

Big Head Todd & the Monsters have always felt a gratitude and connection to their fans. They have deepened this relationship by signing autographs after every show and hosting intimate outings. In March 2006 the band set sail on their second annual fan cruise of the British Virgin Islands on the four-masted Star Clipper. The band will continue the tradition with a "land cruise" trip to the Big Island of Hawaii in May of 2007.

In the increasingly uncertain atmosphere of the music business, BHTM continue to innovate not only with their music, but with technology within the changing business model. The band was recently approached by NASA to write a song in support of the Space Shuttle program. The resulting âBlue Skyâ single and video, both produced by Todd, were featured at the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery and continue to reach a significant Internet audience as it is featured on iTunes. Big Head Todd and the Monsterâs newly launched Podcast, âBig Head Toddcast,â will push the band further into the 21st century, as file sharing and free music are all ideas which the band has embraced and helped pioneer. A 2006 recording project with legendary producer Alan Parsons of Beatles and Pink Floyd fame, and their 2007 release From the Archives Vol. I (a compilation disc of unreleased and rare tracks from the band's early days), shows that after all the band has achieved in their unusually long career, they are showing no signs of settling down.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters will be in the studio recording their 8th studio project to be released late 2007/early 2008.