Another day, and another band to turn you on to. They are called Smoke Signals. Now I just want to say that with domain usage, it is getting harder all the time to even research a band name like this, because it is so easy to get waylaid by the common usages. In this case, the rabbit hole is the use of smoke signals through the ages; from the Great Wall Of China, to the Aboriginals and Native Americans, to the Vatican using smoke to alert the masses to the selection of the new Pope. It is all on the WIKI. Seriously, though, it’s like movies having to say the title and tag it with the word ‘movie’ for the dot com. I am finding more bands these days with names that include “music” or “band.” And don’t even get me started on the global nature of all of this. I predict more absurdist names of bands, because it is getting harder to clear band names all the time these days.

That said, I love the name Smoke Signals. Coley O’Toole and Joe Ballaro formed their first band when they were in the 7th grade in Shelton, Connecticut. Then Coley met Zac Clark over a decade later, when Zac moved into a house on the banks of the Housatonic River. The three toured as The Queen Killing Kings. In early 2011, they headed out to Silverlake, California where Simon Katz  from Youngblood Hawke and Christian Letts from Edward Sharpe welcomed them at the Effie House- a home equipped with recording consoles, a Steinway baby grand, two dozen guitars, a Hammond organ, and a ghost. Woot! Smoke Signals brought more than 30 songs. Over nine days, they recorded one song each day, live in the living room, for the band’s  self-titled debut which came out in August.  The song “Black Holes” features Rocco Deluca, who also appears in the video. Urgent, gospel infused, with an overlay of the monastery choir chain gang. Note the Papal art on the wall.

-Jessie Scott