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Atom and His Package Are On Their Own
By Chris Gramlich
"I never intended for it to be a quirky one-person band, but I played a couple shows and it was fun so I kept doing it. And somehow it's become more serious and I've achieved a level of success I never thought possible, and I still have fun." Adam Goren is the organic, carbon-based life form half of the duo known as Atom and his Package; the other half? His synthesisers.
Formed in 1995, Atom and His Package have been on a crusade through the punk underground for years, spreading his brand of insanely catchy and melodic keyboard-driven pop/punk/metal coupled with wry, sly and often sarcastic takes on the mundane, semi-political and downright absurd. His second full-length for Hopeless Records, Attention! Blah Blah Blah, furthers his trademark of catchy, silly and engaging, but as always, it's a one-man show, laced with its own benefits and pratfalls.
"The pros [of being a one-man act] are it's a lot easier to be productive. In terms of logistical things, if I want to be on tour, I go. I don't have to coordinate with five people. Financially it's more doable because it's just me. Also if I want to do something a certain way, I just do. And I get to listen to whatever I want when I drive." And the negatives? "In the beginning it really felt like people thought I was just singing over the demonstration loop of a Casio keyboard, ˆ la Wesley Willis. I do a lot of travelling by myself; I definitely miss the camaraderie of touring. Also if it's just one person, it's more difficult to keep it fresh when you don't have the filter of other people to say, 'that's a bad idea; that should never be played out loud.' Is there a chance of Atom and Package expanding its minimal roster then? "I started playing with other people again recently, which is fun, but I think I would be too lazy to do that again."
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The life and work of Patti Smith is marked by artistic innovation and personal tragedy. A key figure in the development of New York’s influential punk scene in the mid-‘70s, Smith’s high-minded poetry and ferocious stage presence deeply affected how women were perceived in the music biz. Leaving the...
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Aghora - Formless
After seven years, Miami prog metal masters Aghora have released their magnum opus, Formless, introducing new singer Diana Serra, whose vocals suit the music better than that of former chanteuse Danishta Rivero. They’re no longer Cynic or Atheist clones — they’re still metal but with fewer teeth. “A...
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Managing Digital Rights, Part II
Last month, Need to Know covered Digital Rights Management. DRM is the phrase that catches digital programs or “handles” that are tacked on to digital music files; they are designed to limit the ability of the file to be copied, downloaded, or played in c...
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