Matisse (band)
Encyclopedia
Matisse is an English language
-singing alternative rock
band from Athens
, Greece
formed in 1999. They took their name from the famous French painter Henri Matisse
.
In the beginning of their career the band was making live performances, mostly in small venues in Athens. Still though, they didn't have enough money for recordings. Matisse have also supported many acts including Reamonn
, Puressence
, Shed Seven
, The Frank and Walters
, Drugstore
. They continued their live performances and demonstrations for the next three years, until they signed a contract with Sony BMG Greece in 2001. By winter of 2002, they began recording their EP 4 (Four), which was released in the summer of 2003.
which hit the #3 spot on Pop & Rock Magazine's
"Best of the Year List". The lead single of the album She Smiles, became a radio classic. Enthusiastically received by the critics Cheap As Art set off the band to a great start.
A few days after the release of their debut, Matisse opened the first day of the Rockwave Festival
as supporting act for Garbage
and Marilyn Manson
. Their performance was welcomed by journalists and public alike. In the beginning of 2006, the band started writing material for their second album, with few changes in their line-up; Kostas Synodinos departed from the group and Petros Tsolis was replaced by Nikos Manosopulos. In December of the same year they also supported Kaiser Chiefs
in their live performance in Greece. In May 2007 their second album Toys Up
was released.
In 2007, Aris Siafas left the band for personal reasons. He was replaced by Alex Kavadias, a Greek-Australian singer. The band re-released Toys Up, in deluxe edition, with videos, remixes, as well as a new mix from their cover on Cindy Lauper's song "She Bop
" performed by their new singer Alex.
, the lead single being the album's namesake, Rock 'N Roll Mafia. This is also the only album of the band with Alex on the vocals, as he followed a solo carrier afterwards.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-singing alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
formed in 1999. They took their name from the famous French painter Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
.
Early history (1997-2002)
Matisse was originally formed in 1997 by Aris Siafas, Giannis Massouras, Grigoris Κolias, Petros Tsolis, Kostas Synodinos and Basilis Zervos without making any significant actions as a band. The band became active, when they started performing and writing songs for the first time in January 1999.In the beginning of their career the band was making live performances, mostly in small venues in Athens. Still though, they didn't have enough money for recordings. Matisse have also supported many acts including Reamonn
Reamonn
Reamonn is a German rock and pop band. They have recorded six albums.-History:In 1997, Rea Garvey left his band The Reckless Pedestrians and home town of Tralee, Ireland to go to Germany with not a lot of money and a demo CD in his pocket...
, Puressence
Puressence
Puressence are a British rock band from Failsworth, Greater Manchester, England, formed in May 1992.-Band membership:The band currently consists of:*James Mudriczki: Vocals*Lowell Killen: Guitar*Kevin Matthews: Bass guitar...
, Shed Seven
Shed Seven
Shed Seven are an English indie rock band from York and were one of the groups which contributed to the Britpop music scene that evolved during the 1990s, yet never received the degree of mainstream success achieved by bands such as Oasis and Blur...
, The Frank and Walters
The Frank and Walters
The Frank and Walters are an alternative rock band from Cork city in Ireland. The band was founded in 1990 by Paul Linehan , his brother Niall Linehan , who was replaced by Kevin Pedreschi in 2004, and Ashley Keating . They took the band name in honour of two eccentric Cork characters...
, Drugstore
Drugstore (band)
Drugstore are a London-based alternative and dream pop band led by Brazilian singer-songwriter and bassist Isabel Monteiro , who relocated to England in 1990s, with Dave Hunter on guitar and Mike Chylinski on drums...
. They continued their live performances and demonstrations for the next three years, until they signed a contract with Sony BMG Greece in 2001. By winter of 2002, they began recording their EP 4 (Four), which was released in the summer of 2003.
Breakthrough success (2005-2006)
Two years after the release of their EP 4 (Four), in June 2005 Matisse released their debut album Cheap As ArtCheap As Art
Cheap As Art is the debut album by the Greek alternative rock band Matisse. They depict their debut as "an invocation to lunacy, as art always bowed down to madness".- Track listing :#"Let Me Go Home"#"Rock N' Roll For Boys"#"The Gospel"...
which hit the #3 spot on Pop & Rock Magazine's
Pop & Rock magazine
Pop & rock is a well-known Greek magazine, founded in January 2002 in Athens and devoted to music events...
"Best of the Year List". The lead single of the album She Smiles, became a radio classic. Enthusiastically received by the critics Cheap As Art set off the band to a great start.
A few days after the release of their debut, Matisse opened the first day of the Rockwave Festival
Rockwave Festival
Rockwave Festival is a rock festival held in Malakassa, Greece, a few miles outside of Athens, Greece. It is one of the most famous music festivals in Greece. The festival's history begins back in 1995, but it had its popularity spread since 2004...
as supporting act for Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
. Their performance was welcomed by journalists and public alike. In the beginning of 2006, the band started writing material for their second album, with few changes in their line-up; Kostas Synodinos departed from the group and Petros Tsolis was replaced by Nikos Manosopulos. In December of the same year they also supported Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
in their live performance in Greece. In May 2007 their second album Toys Up
Toys Up
Toys Up is the third studio album by the Greek music band Matisse released in Greece in 2007.-Music style:Compared to the band's earlier albums, the style of Toys Up is unexpected. Not following the feeling and pop rock sound of their debut Cheap As Art, Toys Up introduces another side of the band...
was released.
In 2007, Aris Siafas left the band for personal reasons. He was replaced by Alex Kavadias, a Greek-Australian singer. The band re-released Toys Up, in deluxe edition, with videos, remixes, as well as a new mix from their cover on Cindy Lauper's song "She Bop
She Bop
"She Bop" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the third single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984. Worldwide, the song is her most commercially successful single after "Time After Time", and reached number...
" performed by their new singer Alex.
Rock 'N Roll Mafia (2009)
In 2009 the band released their third album, Rock 'N Roll MafiaRock 'N Roll Mafia
Rock 'N Roll Mafia is the fourth studio album from the Greek band Matisse, released in Greece on 9 June 2009.-Track listing:#"Rock 'N Roll Mafia"#"Today" ft. Johnette Napolitano#"I Like"#"Not Alone"#"Sunday Morning" ft. Lenka#"Last Dance"...
, the lead single being the album's namesake, Rock 'N Roll Mafia. This is also the only album of the band with Alex on the vocals, as he followed a solo carrier afterwards.
Current lineup
- Aris Siafas - vocals, he returned to the band in the summer of 2011SingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Grigoris Kollias - Lead GuitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Vasilis Zervos - Rhythm GuitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
- Giannis Massouras - backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Nikos Manousopoulos - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members
- Alex Kavadias - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Petros Tsolis - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Kostas Synodinos - keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...