Monophonics has been the San Francisco Bay Area’s top funk/soul group for five years. These young musicians were raised in the rich musical heritage of the city and continue the tradition of local music.
Monophonics was formed in 2005. Originally an instrumental group consisting of guitarist Ian McDonald and Myles O’Mahony as well as trumpeter Ryan Scott and trumpeter Alex Baky. The band recently added keyboardist Kelly Finnigan to their dynamic soul vocals. It is a psychedelic, heavy-duty funk band that evokes the styles of the late 60’s & early 70’s while still being rooted in the present.
The Monophonics are a staple of San Francisco’s venues like the Boom Boom Room or the Independent. They share the stage & bill alongside such acts as Soulive and Macy Gray, Budos Band and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Their recordings include tracks with The New Mastersounds, Karl Denson (Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Grey Boy All-Stars), who is also featured on their second album, Into the Infrasounds. Musical guests Mic Gillete of Tower of Power and Jonathan Korty of Vinyl are also featured on the album. Their hard-hitting, rowdy live show has been heard on over 400 dates across the United States, including major music festivals like High Sierra, Joshua Tree, and Las Tortugas. The group has also been a regular at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. They have been featured in numerous magazines, including Relix’s section “On the Rise”, and were awarded the Best Funk/Soul/R&B band award in SF Weekly’s 2007 “Best of the Bay Awards”.
Colemine Records has already released a 7-inch entitled “Like Yesterday” in 2011. This is the first time the group has shown off their new sound. This record features members of Orgone, a Los Angeles-based funk band. It will be distributed in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Monophonics will also release their third album in 2011. The record features the sounds of late 70’s and early 60’s soul, with freaky synthesizers and gritty vocals. It is a musical testimony to the evolution and growth of the six-piece band.