Philadelphia, PN. (Top40 Charts/ Transit of Venus) - English professors
Daniel Robinson (singer/songwriter, bassist) and Mark Graybill (guitar) blend their literary interests and passion for rock 'n' roll as the hellishly creative alter ego
Milton & The Devils Party. Philadelphia's "rock band for thinking people" is readying a sophomore release titled "How Wicked We've Become," out August 21 on independent label Transit of Venus with national distribution through RedEye.
As professors of literature at Widener University, it should come as no surprise that their name, Milton & The Devils Party, is a literary reference. Robinson explains, "It's based on a passage from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell where he describes the 17th-century English poet John Milton as 'a true poet and of the devils party without knowing it.' He's talking about how Milton's Satan is full of more creative energy than Milton's God - both characters from his poem Paradise Lost."
Perhaps that is how Robinson and Graybill best balance each other musically: playing to their devilish strengths. Robinson, a published author of lyric poetry, is the primary songwriter while guitarist Graybill finds inspiration in the styles of Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Johnny Marr (The Smiths) for his arrangements of Robinson's songs. Drummer Bob Falgie rounds out the trio.
To the literary naive, do not be intimidated. As Jonathan Takiff of the Philadelphia Daily News explains, "Their lyrics have an edge, but the spirit of [the] songs ... is more sarcastic punk than highfalutin poetics."
As Milton and the Devils Party, Graybill and Robinson believe in the relevance of rock, but also think that rock, if it is to survive, must become smarter and insinuate itself as part of a larger lyric tradition. "But," Robinson adds, "the last thing we want to do is make music only English professors will like. These songs are for everybody."
Produced by Brian McTear (Matt Pond PA, B.C. Camplight, Espers, Mazarin and The A-Sides), How Wicked We've Become features contributions from guitarist and songwriter Pat Manley (Robinson's former student), guitarist Morgan Terrioni, saxophonist Sean Gardner, poet Dan Albergotti and B.C. Camplight's Brian Christinzio on keyboards.
Milton & The Devils Party will perform at the Northstar Bar in Philadelphia on June 22 but their tour won't begin in earnest until August 2007. Stay tuned for updates.
