After several years of releasing DIY music below the radar the No Gringos! faction of the DIY Bandits was created in late 2008.   The goal of the No Gringos! faction is to provide a larger outlet for independant music.  We feel there is some music that belongs only in the tightknit DIY community and there is other music that can be enjoied there and beyond while maintaining its DIY structure.  It is the aim of No Gringos!to offer a wider range of distribution and promotion for such music while avoiding the corporate “gringos” that seem to ru(i)n the music “industry.”  That means we have no contracts or business deals tied to us-just friends and Bandits working together.  As long as we can pull this off without direct contact with any “gringos” we will continue to put out independent/DIY music.  The day we need the help of any “gringos” is the day we will call it quits for the No Gringos! faction of the DIY Bandits.

The No Gringos! faction is much indebted to Fake Four Inc. (www.fakefourinc.com) who has helped us pull  off this project in a way that we can be happy with.

RELEASES

(Check the catalog for more details/ordering info on No Gringos! releases)

PRETEND YOU’RE HAPPY - s/t cd  release date Nov. 4, 2008

Pretend You’re Happy use indie rock to encourage reverence and catharsis in everyday life. Based out of Brattleboro and Burlington, VT, the band plays in a variety of live forms. One night they might be a stripped down acoustic 4-piece, the next an 8-piece electric entourage including two drummers, a doublebass player, and a clarinet-noise player. Their music takes influence from divergent genres such as folk, classical, and hardcore. Songs present poppy lullaby-esque vocal melodies surrounded by shifting textures, from 3-part violin harmonies to screeching static and detuned guitars.

Acoustic guitar compositions by Jeremiah Morelock Brown were the initial points of inspiration that formed these now richly orchestrated pieces. Formerly known as “Mantits”, Jeremiah gained some recognition throughout the DIY Acoustic Punk movement for his sarcastic solo releases including a split release with Vermont band Johnny Hobo and the Freight Trains. In 2005 Jeremiah retired the “Mantits” title to start Pretend You’re Happy with Jeremy Bernozzi (drums) and Mikey Cham (doublebass). Eventually the list of collaborators on the project grew to include Lauren Bernozzi, Nicholas Gangel, Forrest Mulerath, Jonas Fricke, Ruth Garbus, Seqouyah Leaf, Timothy Findlen, Ron Schneiderman, Caitlin Senni, Ike Wittman, and Flash-C. During the summer of 2007 a decidedly hi-fi recording full of introspective lyrics, quirky yet lush orchestration, 9 parts pop and 1 part dissonance was completed. “Pretend You’re Happy” is a rare album that brings to mind some of the finer moments of recordings by Neutral Milk Hotel, Sufjan Stevens, Polyphonic Spree and The Decemberists all while maintaining a strong and original voice of its own.

With their official 2008 release Pretend You’re Happy is determined to spread their word further than ever before. Today they routinely play throughout the New England area at DIY punk venues, bars, and coffee houses with additional members including Joanne Chapman, Michael Schneeweis, and Scotty Thunderlips.  As for long-term goals, the group is more focused on process than on destination. As their music displays and their lyrics profess, they are looking forward to playful expansion and exploration.  They are currently working on their second full length album.