Indie rock band 100 Monkeys have been doubling-over fans the past few years with their unique funky sensibility and incessant comic creativity — the band writes and performs a new song on the spot at every show based on an audience member’s idea. They’re versatile and talented musicians with a common quick-witted sense of humor, and they’re clearly in a world of their own. Next week, the band will release a new album, Liquid Zoo. As they gear up for release festivities, members Jerad Anderson (J-Rad), Jackson Rathbone (J-Action), Ben Graupner (Ben G), Ben Johnson (Ben J), and M. Lawrence Abrams (Uncle Larry) were kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How does Liquid Zoo differ from your previous albums?
J-Rad: There is a tad of extra special sauce—awesome sauce if you will—sprinkled into the music.
J-Action: It’s rebellious, new, exciting, and the best thing about us. It’s going to outlive us, and we’re extremely proud to introduce it to the world.
Ben J: We consider Liquid Zoo to be a leap forward for us as a band. We tracked the rhythm parts live as a band. Instead of spending time on overdubs, we were able to focus on getting the vocals we wanted and putting finishing touches on every track.

Comedy is an important part of your music — who are some of your favorite comedians?
Uncle Larry: Groucho Marx.
J-Rad: The old stuff; Richard Pryor.
J-Action: My dad is an extremely witty guy who can keep a room alive. He’s a big influence, as well as all the comedians my dad doesn’t like because of their use of profanity — George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, etc.
Ben J: I guess when I was growing up in the ’90s — Bill Murray always got me good. These days I love watching Will Ferrell.
Ben G: I guess Henry Fonda would be the fondest.

I’ve heard that acting and improv are a big part of your personal lives as well as your live show. Besides Twilight, what are you currently involved in on the side?
J-Action: Beer, BBQ, cheap whiskey, a new record label, good whiskey, new singles and old b-sides, expensive whiskey that other people pay for…and an upcoming world tour.
J-Rad: We are starting a record label, we produce our own movies, and we continually write new music.

What’s one of your favorite recent musical-improv moments?
Ben G: Playing the “Cocaine Blues” in an upscale hotel lobby with the Kissing Club. That put a grin on my face.
J-Rad: I liked when an idea was written on a pillow that literally hit me in the face on stage. It was called “Pillow Talk.”
Uncle Larry: Our recent improv song called “Jello.”
J-Action: “No Bueno” was the improv song in Mission, Texas at Smokin’ Aces, and that was a recent favorite because it stretched my improv lyrical ability to sing in both English and my limited Spanish… plus the groove felt good!

Best air guitar song of all time?
J-Rad: “Eruption” (Van Halen)
Uncle Larry: “Iron Man” (Black Sabbath)
Ben G: Jumpin’ Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones)
Ben J: “More Than A Feeling” (Boston)
J-Action: “Layla” (Eric Clapton)

Say you’re given the power to remove one album from the world’s collective memory…
J-Rad: Barney’s Favorites, Vol. 2 Featuring Songs from Imagination Island (purple dinosaur Barney).
J-Action: It’s a tie between Yoko Ono‘s Yes, I’m a Witch and Paul McCartney & Wings‘ Red Rose Speedway. Two things collectively broke up The Beatles: John and Paul’s ego. Should we just blame ego or was it Yoko? Either way, Wings sucked just as much as Yoko.
Ben G: My mom’s photo album of embarrassing childhood photographs. Seriously though, we should get rid of generic Christmas music. Shopping centers are tough enough as it is.
Ben J: Cher‘s Believe. It was the beginning of Auto-Tuned vocals, something I’ve never been able to get down with.
Uncle Larry: Any album that advocates hate.

What’s next for 100 Monkeys?
J-Rad: Mayhem.
Uncle Larry: Revealing new music to the new world…
J-Action: Another interview about what’s next for 100 Monkeys. Don’t worry though, you can find out on 100monkeysmusic.com. Plugged the website! Does that mean I get a bonus? Or is it spelled “bonas” like the Jonas Brothers?
Ben J: Liquid Zoo is coming! Look out for new tour dates on our site.

Source

100 Monkeys are escaping from the Zoo…the Liquid Zoo on June 28th.

Coinciding with the “Liquid Zoo” album release, 100 Monkeys kicks off a 40+ city US tour in conjunction with House of Blues Entertainment. The tour opens in in Cincinnati on June 28 and will also include dates in Dallas, Anaheim, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco and other major cities. The band which has also been selected as one of LG’s “One’s to watch” this summer are more than excited about the upcoming tour and album. They promise the biggest and best tour yet and of course the usual surprises along the way that only 100 Monkeys can deliver. The band logged a quick eight day tour over the winter holiday playing to sold out venues in several cities across the southern U.S. and they are more than eager to get back to what they love…playing for their fans.

For more on 100 Monkeys Source

Singer/actor Jackson Rathbone is hoping for a musical start to 2011 by setting up his own record label.

The star rose to fame as a vampire in the hit Twilight movie franchise, but spends his time off moonlighting as a member of 100 Monkeys, a band he formed with four of his pals.

Rathbone reveals he’s planning a string of shows with the group next year.  He also aims to launch his own music company.

He tells Zooey magazine, “I’ll be working with my band 100 Monkeys and playing shows around the south as well as setting up other productions for the future of my new company PatchMo Entertainment. Also, I’m setting up a record label.”

Source

As most of you probably know by now, Kristen, Nikki, and Jackson were all at the Scream  Awards last night. While on the carpet, Jackson and Nikki did a great interview with Collider about Breaking Dawn filming, the scripts, and a side project Nikki and Jackson are doing together so check it out!

PS: Kellan, Nikki, and Ashley were all spotted leaving LAX for Louisiana and Kristen, Rob, and Taylor have been there already rehearsing. Things are starting to heat up with filming already!

I know he isn’t one of the CBA guys but I figured you all would like to read about him anyways

“Fans may come because of Twilight, but they stay because of the music,” Ben Graupner said in his interview with Blast.Graupner is a member of 100 Monkeys, a funky rock band that is also made up of “Twilight” star Jackson Rathbone, as well as Jerad Anderson, Ben Johnson and Lawrence Abrams (whom they call “Uncle Larry”).

The 100 Monkeys has rapidly been gaining popularity over the last few years. In July, they released “Live and Kicking,” a live album with tracks from their most recent tour around the country.

The 100 Monkeys are an indie band distinguished not only by their wide musical range and astonishing energy, but by their performance as well. Don’t be surprised to see the band members switch instruments and vocalists every other song during their theatrical live sets. It’s just their “Monkey Switcheroo.”

“It’s a huge party,” Graupner said about their performances. “That’s exactly what it is. It will make you smile and move. The lights come up, the energy thrums and then it’s just a bunch of fun.”

The goal of the 100 Monkeys is simple: to have fun and inspire creativity. That’s where their name comes from – the 100 monkeys affect, the idea that once a large group of people start doing something it spreads to everyone else and becomes common knowledge. 100 Monkeys aims to inspire people on this same principal.

Graupner chatted with Blast about the music, current and upcoming projects and jamming with his friends.

BLAST: What is your favorite instrument?

Ben Graupner: Oh man, that’s a hard one. It changes from moment to moment. Right now my favorite instrument is the piano. But I don’t know what it’s going to be tomorrow.

BLAST: Are you playing any new instruments?

BG: Yeah, actually we got this really great, cool…well we actually have a couple of cool new ones. Jackson (Rathbone) got gifted this five string guitar from Puerto Rico. I don’t know the actual name for it, but the thing is pretty awesome. We also got, from some fans in Texas, an instrument called a waterphone, which you play with a violin bow and it sounds like those screeching sounds you hear in a horror movie; it’s really fun. And we have a musical saw; we’ve been playing lately too.

BLAST: Some fans on Twitter suggested the bagpipe.BG: (Laughs) Oh yeah, who knows. Maybe one day someone will pick one up. But that’s one of the trickiest instruments to learn, kind of like the violin. You just have to have the time.

BLAST: How many instruments do you play?

BG: You know I haven’t really kept count. I kind of have a varied skill level on all the different ones, but we’ll really pick up anything and give it a whirl.

Read full article.

Jackson Rathbone and his band 100 Monkeys are up to their usual shenanigans in a new they put together for GoDaddy.com’s Commercial Contest. The Mustaches Make It Big commercial featuring 100 Monkeys has the highest ranking!

Visit GoDaddy to vote and keep it there!!

Source via Source

Isn’t it nice to know that the Cullen brood supports each other both onscreen and off? When MTV sat down with Nikki Reed to chat about her upcoming film, “Last Day of Summer,” she was quick to talk about how excited she was about all of her costars’ current projects as well.

When asked which of her fellow “Twilight Saga” stars’ work she was most looking forward to, she answered, “I guess all of them… I don’t know! We all root for each other,” before delving into each of their current film projects, surprising herself with her ability to remember everyone’s movie names and costars.

She started off talking about her onscreen enemy and off-screen bff Taylor Lautner, who is currently filming “Abduction.” “I love Taylor so much and I’m so proud of him and what he’s doing,” Nikki said, and then referenced “Abduction” by saying, “He’s making a great movie in Pittsburgh right now.”

It’s hard to mention one “Twilight” hottie without mentioning the other, so Nikki then talked about Robert Pattinson’s upcoming project before breezing over Kristen Stewart’s equally awesome “On The Road.”

“I’m excited for Rob’s movie, ‘Water for Elephants.’ I think he’s going to be phenomenal in that and Kristen is doing something amazing,” Nikki said.

Then came her onscreen mother, Elizabeth Reaser, who apparently just finished filming a movie called “Homework.” Nikki was just as excited about Elizabeth’s involvement as she was with her friend’s costars: Emma Roberts and Kristen Stewart’s ex, Michael Angarano. Nikki referred to him as “a really good friend of mine” and ignored his other connection to the “Twilight” cast.

“By the way,” Nikki added, “Jackson [Rathbone] and I are on the phone every other day because we’re trying to find a movie to do together. I’m sorry I forgot to mention Jackson, and he’s touring right now and his band [100 Monkeys] is just like sky-rocketing. It’s amazing.”

Nikki said she would be more than willing to direct one of 100 Monkeys’ music videos. “Would I ever? Oh my god!” she replied excitedly when MTV suggested it to her. “Yeah, of course. I would be honored! I don’t even want to take the position of saying ‘would I ever.’ If he would ever let me, yeah. I love them.”

Enjoy this pictures taken at the 100 Monkeys show in Phoenix, AZ on July 21, 2010

Last but not least a picture of our friend Cassie Vega and Jackson. Thanks Cassie for sharing your pictures!

Pre-Order the upcoming release, Live & Kicking: Part I, by 100 Monkeys and get a limited* autographed CD Booklet with purchase!

*Offer valid only with purchase of Live & Kicking: Part I. This special offer is valid for both domestic and international orders. Preordered CDs shipping with promotional material are limited to (5) per customer. Booklets will be available while supplies last, newburycomics.com will post information when autographed booklets are sold out.

Via @Twilightfb Source

From their 100 City Tour interview with CBA

Jackson Rathbone (aka Jasper Hale from the Twilight Saga) and the band ‘100 Monkeys’ will be playing at The Roxy Theatre (9009 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90069), for the “Even Later Show” at 11:45pm, which coincidentally is right AFTER the premiere of Eclipse.

Cast members from the Twilight Saga have been known to show up at 100 Monkeys events.

Need more info? Email: theroxy@mac.com or vicky.gorman1@gmail.com