If synth pop wandered into a dark alley and found itself viciously beaten by a gang of guitar distortion and layered rhythms, it might sound an awful lot like The Town Monster.

The band's 8-song release "New Life" had media citing influences as diverse as "Midnite Vultures"-era Beck to "Ministry at its most crushing." The resulting melange is propulsively agressive and unrelentingly groovy. Oh, and it's a two-piece that's making all that racket.

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Photos rains down guitar riffs and shoots up synth lines with a vocal range that runs from black metal growl to Prince falsetto. Drummer Matt Grady's piercing beats add the right level of organic to the electronic, making this musical cyborg's eyes glow red.

The band has shared stages with appropriately diverse national acts including Weezer and Crystal Castles with radio airplay ranging from regular Top 5 play on local independent juggernaut CD102.5 in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to spins on L.A. modern rock staple KROQ.

The music all culminates in The Town Monster's crushing live show, an electro bath of sensory overload. It finds out what happens when noise becomes symphony.

"...a moveable dance party. Everywhere Bobby D sets up...the crowd instantly responds."  - The Hot 17"

"pulsating, high-energy show where uninhibited dancing is encouraged " - The Columbus Dispatch


PRESS LINKS FOR TEEN FICTION (Bob Dawson):
http://614columbus.com/article/teen-spirit-5452/  -  614 Magazine 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2011/09/15/local-limelight.html - Columbus Dispatch

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2012/04/26/solitary-refinement.html - Columbus Dispatch 

http://bustownreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/artist-profiles-teen-fiction.html - BusTown Music (Article and live interview)

"The cap city’s most determined and dynamic one-man band, Teen Fiction" - 614 Magazine
 
"He concisely switches between his pop-fuzz sexy love soaked ballads to his rave inducing masters of all things moveable fun beat parties"  - Chris Topher (The Hot 17)

"it was very obvious by the rather sizable dancing mobs of people, both on, and in front of the stage, that something good was going down." - BusTown Music

"Never has a room been filled with so much sexual synergy than after a Teen Fiction show." - Chris Topher (The Hot 17)

I compose movie, cartoon, and video game soundtracks.
I also perform synth-pop and chiptune music under the name Reptile Fiction: https://soundcloud.com/reptile-fiction

Benji Robinson is following