“Everything The Terrordactyls do is wonderful.” (Megan Seling, The Stranger)The Terrordactyls are Michael Cadiz and Tyrel Stendahl. Although Michael was born in Maryland and Tyrel hails from Washington, the pair met in high school on the tiny Northwest island of Vashon where they first began to play music together (along with some games of four-square and capture-the-flag.)
Now split between NYC and Washington, Michael and Tyrel still find plenty of time for music-making. The boys recently put the finishing touches on the upcoming Mike Bowers EP, covering five songs by the Seattle band (and close friends) The Pharmacy. Meanwhile, the duo’s self-titled debut album has been receiving lots of attention recently for its song “Devices” (MP3) featuring Kimya Dawson.
With the unexpected popularity of the Juno soundtrack and its many Kimya-penned songs, this Terrordactyls track and its accompanying stop-motion video has become an internet sensation with over 150,000 YouTube views to date. See it HERE.
As you can see, The Terrordactyls are rather talented individuals. In addition to music, Michael’s interests include fabricating truths on job applications, answering multiple choice questions and running away. Tyrel enjoys guns, organizing his iTunes music library and being good at life. During the brief periods that Michael and Tyrel are away from the gym, they enjoy watching inspirational sports films and talking about their abs.
On their self-titled album, The Terrordactyls’ quirky, lighthearted yet decidedly melancholic tunes are augmented by toy pianos, kazoos, the “stumpf fiddle” (LINK) and the voice of Kimya Dawson (The Moldy Peaches, Juno). Despite all these charming trappings, though, nothing really serves to take the edge off The Terrordactyls’ gutsy interpretation of the sad sweetness (or sweet sadness) of living.
Andrew WK writes: “I’m honored that you decided to cover my ‘Long Live The Party’ song (MP3) and I enjoyed your version very much. I could’ve never imagined the arrangement you recorded, and I was delighted at the effect. Again, thank you... No matter what, let’s all continue to make music and enjoy every moment of this process that is life. Never let down and long live the party.”
More quotes from the press:
“The duo spin a web of clever lyrics, catchy sing-a-longs and goofy instrumentation… their communist inspired, love tortured sound could be the hottest thing since Yikes! Pencils” – The Vox
“When the opener nails its performance, there is an odd electricity that runs through the room, and it was certainly there when the Terrordactyls left the stage. Their head-swaying songs, filled with out-of-tune kazoo harmonizing and a plinking toy piano, were almost the pinnacle of the whole show. With the lightheartedness of a child and the lyrical earnestness a grandfather might have, Terrordactyls resembled old friends weaving tidy, ephemeral songs around a campfire, especially during the song ‘Fall.’” – West Coast Performer
“This will fit in nicely next to your Jeffrey Lewis, Boat, and Bishop Allen records; it takes the best bits of 90s indie-pop and twee and blends it with some semi-serious melancholy and half-ironic cries for help, along with a few melodies you may be physically unable to keep from singing the second time around.” – indiefolkforever
“The earnest quality of their music is immediately endearing, and at the same time belies a deeper songwriting.” – Rock Sellout
The Terrordactyls Live:
03/01 Olympia, WA 1502 Legion Way
03/06 Seattle, WA Fusion Cafe
03/07 Seattle, WA The Vera Project
03/08 Portland, OR Kurt’s House
03/09 Oakland, CA Ghost House Gallery
03/10 Santa Barbara, CA The Oven
03/11 Phoenix, AZ The Phix
03/12 Austin, TX SXSW Fanatic Promotion Showcase
03/21 Durham, NC Bull City HQ
04/02 New York, NY The Canal Room
04/08 New York, NY Pianos
04/13 Columbus, OH Wholly Craft
04/20 Denver, CO Rhinoceropolis
The Terrordactyls Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE
01. Facelift
02. Sabina
03. Zombie Girl
04. I Want To Cry
05. Decoration Daniel
06. Fall (MP3)
07. Devices (MP3 VIDEO)
08. Sandcastles
09. Shipping
10. Parking Lots
11. Nobody Knows
12. Swimming
13. Home
14. Baltimore
Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=75
On The Web:
www.terrordactyls.com
www.myspace.com/theterrordactyls
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