You Are Plural with Exrays and Themes

You Are Plural

Exrays

Jon Bernson and Michael Falsetto-Mapp specialize in lo-fi electronic pop made from gritty beats, voice mail vocals and timeless melodies. The duo released their debut EP 'Ammunition Teeth' in October of 2010, the same month that David Fincher's blockbuster 'The Social Network' featured Exray's song 'Hesitation' alongside an Academy Award winning score by Trent Reznor. In February 2011 the band released their first self-titled LP and a series of videos, which were premiered by Pitchfork, Altered Zones, Spin and MOKB. Their music has been Forkasted by Pitchfork and reviewed positively by Prefix and dozens of other blogs.

Since the release of their first record, Exray's has performed with a long list of likeminded innovators:
Toro Y Moi, tUnE-yArDs, The Soft Moon, Nite Jewel, Cloud Nothings, Thao Nguyen, Matthew Dear, Adventure, Dosh, Braids, Tim Cohen, The Sandwitches, John Vanderslice, Weekend, and Pictureplane. The band has released music on several compilations, including Secret Seven's 'In a Cloud,' which features some of San Francisco's best known bands, including The Fresh & Onlys, Thee Oh Sees, Sonny and the Sunsets, Kelley Stoltz and The Sandwitches.

Themes

In 2005 McIntosh and Crawford began “THEMES” in Santa Rosa California.  Being long time touring music veterans, the two artists had experienced many musical dynamics and knew the values of both chemistry and flexibility, thus “THEMES” was created to be the band they had both always wanted. With McIntosh and Crawford at the helm the band has been able to grow and evolve, with an ever changing cast of close friends and multi-instrumentalists sculpting the Music of THEMES into lush Post Rock soundscapes.

In 2007 THEMES relocated to their previous Home town Minneapolis, MN, where they recorded and released their sophomore album “War Over The Great Plains”. The band spent the remainder of the year Touring the U.S. with great success.

In early 2008 The band returned to Minneapolis and the recording of two 7” records, with Miniature Record Club “I can’t make you believe, It’s not hopeless to survive” and “The Soldier Trade / Soldier Trade Remix, (Feat Hip Hop wordsmith P.O.S and re-mix visionary Booka B). The Releases we’re followed with two more U.S. Tours. In fall of 2008 THEMES Relocated again, To Portland, OR and joined longtime Friends Minus The Bear for U.S. tour dates.

In the past 13 years of being touring musicians, McIntosh and Crawford have shared stages with Artists such as The Velvet Teen, The New Trust, Portugal the Man, School of Seven Bells, Atmosphere, Fleet Foxes, Le Tigre, Blueprint and BLACK FLAG, to round out an ever growing solid base of friends and fan throughout the United States and beyond.

THEMES has been Hard at Work in 2011, with recent recorded and live collaborations on the latest Solo release from Tim Kasher (Cursive and The Good Life) Entitled “The Game of Monogamy”, where Kelsey Crawford sings the role of the female antagonist alongside Tim Kasher.

The Band Is Currently Touring in support of their latest release, “THE PHANTOM”, An 8 Song Album of Haunting and Fractured Post Rock Balladry featuring Multi Instrumentalists: Cory Gray (Production, Horns and Keys, and Synths), Brian Wright (Drums and Precussion),  Matt Simon Carillo (Guitars) J. Clark (Bass Guitars) Cliff Hayes (Upright Bass ), and John Askew (Bass Guitars).  With the recent addition of the dynamic Drum and Percussion talent, Nick Dayka, to Round out the live Sound of McIntosh and Crawford’s most lush and focused work yet.