The Benders

There are three artists using the moniker The Benders: (1) The Benders were a 1960s garage band. There were in college at Stout State in Menominie, Wisconson, and was looking to get a band together in 1965. The band was: Gerry Cain, lead guitar; Paul Berry, vocals and drums; Geno Jansen, bass; and Tom Nofke, rhythm guitar. After the band broke up, Gerry Cain went on to play with the band The Why Four. (2) "The Benders have been doing what they do since the dawn of the 21st Century. They may have the instrumentation of a bluegrass band, but The Benders are an entity all their own. Fans and radio have called it Bluegrass, Newgrass, Alt-Bluegrass, Blackgrass, and even Twisted Old Time Music. The Benders just call it music. Three albums and many tours later, The Benders have played to audiences throughout New England, the eastern coast of the US, and through the southwestern states. National press have embraced their world-goin-to-hell sound, all being sure to point out one true fact--The Benders make real, no bullshit, music. No Depression Magazine describes The Benders as "Down from the mountain anti-panache." From their first album, recorded live in one afternoon standing around a microphone, to their newest album, the studio-tracked Mountain Radio, The Benders continue to put out music that is pure; blending rock, bluegrass, country and punk, into a sound all their own. The adept and prolific songwriting of Bow Thayer, Jabe Beyer, & Nolan McKelvey, coupled with the stellar lead playing of Tim Kelly and Sean Staples, provide an energy and sound new to even the most ardent bluegrass fans. Completely uncaring of today's music industry, The Benders are, for better or for worse, playing the music they love, to anyone who will listen. " --from the band's myspace page (3) The Benders are a three-piece indie rock band based in Connecticut, U.S.A. The band's style mixes current indie rock with a '60s British Invasion-type feel, much like Guided by Voices. The Benders' lineup consists of Brian McKay on vocals and guitar, Chris Serapiglia on bass, and JP Cyr on drums. Their sole CD, New Britain, was released in 2003. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.