METROPOLITAN
INFORMATION / BIOGRAPHY / REVIEWS & PRESS :

Booking, Publishing, Licensing, Press Inquiries : [email]
Press and Retail Onesheet : [pdf]
Sounds / downloads : [myspace]
Interview : [lost at sea]

Reviews :
[the lines they get broken]
[down for you is up][side effects]

DISCOGRAPHY:

1999 Side Effects CD (Crank Automotive)
2002 Down For You Is Up CD (Crank Automotive)
2005 The Lines They Get Broken CD (Crank Automotive)

Who is Metropolitan?

Metropolitan is a band from Washington D.C. :

John Masters (guitar, vox)
Saadat Awan (drums)
Shyam Telikicherla (bass)
Miguel Lacsamana (guitar, keyboards).

Metropolitan began as a collaboration between guitarists John Masters and Aidan Coughlan in late 1998, and they recorded and released their debut record, "Side Effects," in 1999.

After undergoing several lineup changes since the group's incarnation, Metropolitan is now a solid trio. John, Shyam and Saadat played their first gig together in January of 2001, and since then have shared the stage with numerous groups across numerous states, including the Dismemberment Plan, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Bardo Pond, Tristeza, Gogogo Airheart, Wolf Colonel, The Bravery, The Rosebuds, The Shout Out Louds, and Bis.

The current Metropolitan lineup released their second full length album, "Down For You Is Up," in March of 2002. The album was recorded at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington VA and produced by Chad Clark (Dismemberment Plan, Fugazi, Beauty Pill).

The third full-length, "The Lines They Get Broken," was released in 2005. It was produced by Archie Moore (Velocity Girl) and Jason Caddell (Dismemberment Plan).

Also in that year, Miguel Lacsamana joined the group, adding additional guitar and keyboard talent to fill out the live sound.

What other bands/musical outfits are the members a part of?

John owned and operated the now defunct Rainbow Connection label and sharpened his skills in the formative rock band Grubby. He also interned at Teenbeat Records in Arlington VA for quite some time.

Saadat is a member of the DC group the Cassettes and plays drums for ex-Dismemberment Plan singer Travis Morrison. Shyam plays in local DC band Ballentine and also lends a hand playing keys for singer/songwriter Meghan Hayes. Miguel plays in the local DC group Stamen and Pistils.

What are some of Metropolitan's main musical influences?

Among numerous other groups, much influence comes from the Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3, Galaxie 500, Pavement, the Residents, Sonic Youth, the Who, Television, Rush, the Dead C, and the Jesus & Mary Chain just to name a few.

How can I get my hands on some of their music?

Visit the sounds page for details on current releases, as well as the Metropolitan MySpace page.

How can I contact the group for booking, music samples, publishing inquiries, etc?

Either e-mail Metropolitan directly or write:

Metropolitan P.O. Box 50071 Arlington VA 22205

PRESS FOR "THE LINES THEY GET BROKEN"

Innocent Words Magazine

"Metropolitan is a D.C. trio that sounds like a full, reverberating chorus of fuzzy electronics and non-climactic, lo-fi melodies. Although a noise-rock band, Metropolitan uses pop structures that hook the listener in the vein of such preeminent bands as Sonic Youth and Pavement, although with more tonality and less ingenuity. That’s not to say that Metropolitan hasn’t created a new and inspiring album, however, rife with flowing guitar feedback and pulsing bass harmonies.

The energy on The Lines They Get Broken is of the lo-fi, steady, effortless kind whose catchiness cannot be pinned down. Although noise-pop music sometimes has a tendency to sprawl its experimental fingers across landscapes in all different directions, The Lines grasps the heart of the band’s rhythms, melodies and fuzziness, and shakes them up into a delightful medication. These guys make it sound easy to create a multitude of guitar voices that converse perfectly with the aura of any particular song, despite that all the songs on the album follow very similar paths. It’s these minute, hardly noticeable details that give The Lines its narrow-spectrum diversity and ensure repeated listenings reveal a bit more each time. Standout song “Headway” embodies Metropolitan’s strengths with lush guitar riffs and emotionally precise feedback manipulation, and the song as a whole balances with just the right amount of tension on the cusp between noise and melody.

John Masters’ vocals straddle apathetic indie and uncouth post-punk, and although the vocals lie beneath the instruments in volume, they ignite the songs with attitude. Album production may have plasticized Metropolitan’s coarse ’90s sound questionably close to the tip of sterility, as the band sounds like they could play with a freer style when performing live, bringing their energy to a higher degree. In any case, Metropolitan has created a loud, rhythmic album that’s subdued and tuneful enough to remain spinning indefinitely."
~ Lisa Zyga

BigYawn.net

"I'm sad it has been over a year since I have seen Metropolitan play live. Oh sure, the music is great, the energy is all there, absolutely. But, what I like most is watching drummer Saadat Awan play on his tiny little drum set. And by tiny I mean the kit you got when you were 13. He is one hell of a drummer on that kit, hammering out some serious beats. I love it, always makes me smile.

Metropolitan are stuck in the wrong town. And their new CD The Lines They Get Broken proves it: Great hooks, great melodies, crunchy guitars without the feedback. These are not everyday band traits one sees in Washington, DC. Ok, maybe Metropolitan still has the feedback, but the point is that out of the noise and the angst that so many DC bands have, Metropolitan still turns it into bissful pop. The newly revamped quartet ( they recently added guitarist Miguel Lacsamana) take the ball they stole on their first LP, Down For You is Up, and really run with it. There were a couple years between these albums, and it seems some musical maturation occurred, if you will. Songs like "Is it Too Loud" would not have appeared on their previous album. And No, it's not just because they used a shaker; it's the writing. The song changes itself around at least a couple times, from heavy bass lines to dancey beats, only to then stop abruptly. And then it is followed up by "Pakistan International," a song about flying first class on the way to Islamabad; a bit tongue and cheek perhaps, but nonetheless a topic few have written about as well as Metropolitan.

John Masters continues to have a great rock and roll voice. I suppose this can be traced to his singing stlye, as he tends to hang on to the last word in the verse. "Here and There" and 'Headway" are great examples of this. It's the sort of voice I'd like to think I would have, if I sung. And if I had any talent whatsoever.

The music Metropolitan makes isn't groundbreaking, but it is good. A couple songs on The Lines They Get Broken do drag on a bit. Nothing horrible, sometimes noiseier stuff can do that. Their music does stand out in a city that has a lot of noise and even more angst. Perhaps not the norm, Metropolitan keeps on doing their thing, making the type of noise folks can make-out to, or dream of erasing povery to, Or whatever else folks around here do. Me, it just makes me smile."

Copacetic Zine

"This 3rd album from Washington, DC's Metropolitan begins and ends on decidedly Pavement-esque notes. The opening track "Here or There" kicks off with the exact same guitar sound as "Summer Babe", though it doesn't match that song's pop ebullience. They maintain a trebly, distorted guitar sound throughout the album, and singer John Masters has a clipped, faux-British delivery. Co-producers Archie Moore (Velocity Girl) and Jason Caddell (Dismemberment Plan) are a good match here, as Metropolitan combines the noise-pop and angular artiness of the producers' respective bands. At times ("Homeroom") Metropolitan comes across as a noisier Flin Flon, and one track ("Downstream") sounds like the members of Supergrass were replaced with Thurston Moore, the JAMC's Reid brothers, and Jonathan Richman circa 1974. They turn on a little bit of psychedelic echo here and there, which actually provides my favorite moments on the disc. The closing track "Made the Cut" could, ironically, be an outtake from Slanted and Enchanted."

indieworkshop.com

"Recently there’s been a sound that jumps up every now and then that need to be more than a hiccup, a spark. What I’m talking about is that rooted indie-rock sound that was made common from the late eighties (could even go back further than that) all the way up until around ‘98-99. The records from that era are priceless today, pick any Pavement album, any Sonic Youth album, and everything in between and you can hear it: that buzz, that appeal, it’s hard to put into words, but it’s there. I’m not ostracizing any of the bands that are out today with my sky-gazing train of thought, it’s just that, well, it’s a little different. This is where the D.C.’s Metropolitan comes in.

That’s right, Metropolitan is from Washington, D.C., go ahead and let that sink in. Have all of the D.C. bands that you loved and loathed pass though your head and then have the ticker stop right here. Metropolitan’s chiming, noisy Brit-pop-esque energy touches on heavy influences and similarities to the two powerhouse-type bands and really, if you’re one that bites off of just comparisons, than you have your catch, otherwise, you’ll need to take a few notes.

As a band, the members of Metropolitan know how to lay their strengths out evenly over their songs and the nine songs of this LP are a perfect example of this. Catchy, well-written hooks are sprinkled throughout every track and prove to be worth the breath used for your sing-along enthusiasm. Take the loopy bass riff that starts off “Homeroom” somehow upon hearing this littlecarefree plucking, you just know that a good little song is sure to follow. This is the case with pretty much every song on “The Lines They Get Broken”, they’re light and airy enough to make you feel good and sing along, but they’re full of enough substance to receive a replay every now and then. Digestible is the word that comes to mind. It’s upbeat without being cheap, nice without condescension.

The indie scene needs more anti-superficial records like this and less of the overextended side projects that just come out empty and flaccid (I won’t name names now, but you know who you are, your day will come). I say check this band out and do so quickly, the time for the change should be now, quit putting it off."

Hybrid Magazine

"Meshing early 80's post punk sounds with the 90's Britpop ethic, Metropolitan bursts onto the scene with their third release, and it is full of catchy riffing and meaningful angst. From the first moment of sound on The Lines They Get Broken, the band launches into heavily influenced pre-indie rock mayhem. Taking his bass cues from the likes of Joy Division, Shyam Telikicherla pounds out poignant and well-conceived bass lines that contribute beautifully to the guitars and drums provided by John Masters and Saadat Awan (who consequently share both drumming and guitar duties). The band hails from Washington, DC, but don't let that put you off. This band doesn't hold to the Dischord motto of noisy punk rock. Instead, Metropolitan brings melodic light into a very dark musical city. The songs have that certain scrub that made early Gang Of Four and Wire such wonderful musical conglomerates, and was the magical ingredient in so much of the post-punk era. Britpop influence rides high on tracks like "Here Or There" and "Headway". We're talking walls of chiming and lush guitars over a solid bed of rhythmic intensity. Songs such as "Pakistan International" move into the modern semi-psychedelic movement, reminding me of the calmer, less noise-inspired moments of bands such as the Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. And to top it off, the modern trend towards Euro-garage rock has given us bands like The Killers and The Hives, and that sound is also vaguely represented on this record. All told, The Lines They Get Broken is a fantastic collection of music that will appeal to the ears of many people interested in many different musical styles. Song by song Metropolitan make nods toward many diverse musical styles, but all the while maintain their own very unique and memorable sound."

DC Pulse

Written by Dan Scheuerman

"Ah, the lo-fi pop dilemma. Either you’re too pissed off at the pop establishment to gratify them with a “good” sounding record, or you’re really into your “sonics,” and write good pop songs by accident. The latter is a noble cause, and in the case that Metropolitan are sticking to their sonic guns with their third release, I applaud them. But I can’t help but think that this dynamic (Pavement-noisy guitars, Hot Hot Heat-squeaky vocals, and Yo La Tengo-busy bass) might sound a little better with a synth, and some more snazzy productions. Of course that would make them commercially viable, and, well, if they happen to be in the first camp (remember the pissed off ones?), they’d never entertain the notion. The last thirty seconds of “Letterbox” (which features a synth riff that almost pales the rest of the album) and the obvious big-pop leanings of “Made the Cut” and “Homeroom,” make me think they’ve got big pop songs in them yet. (Oh, and “Pakistan International”, although a stylistic fish out of water, is the standout track. Setting itself apart lyrically, it describes a foreign airport, and explores the mental dissonance of a second generation immigrant, returning “first class” to visit the third world.) (DS)"

PRESS FOR "DOWN FOR YOU IS UP"

"Performing Sunday night at the Warehouse Next Door is Metropolitan, a local trio that's garnering attention up and down the East Coast, confounding critics all the way.

"We did a count [in reviews of the last album, "Down for You Is Up"], and there were over 20 different bands we've been compared to, and it's such a weird range," says bassist Shyam Telikicherla. He's got a point -- imagine a band that alternately sounded like the Clash, the Velvet Underground, early R.E.M., Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., the Rolling Stones, the Flamin' Groovies and Unrest, depending on the listener. You wouldn't be the only one who's confused.

"It's weird because I like a lot of the bands that people compare us to, but I wouldn't say I'm a heavy listener of most of the bands," drummer Saadat Awan says. "I think it helps that [vocalist-guitarist] John [Masters] used to work at a record store."

"So that way we can figure out what these bands are," Telikicherla jokes.

Masters originally formed the band with a friend to create "noisy, low-fi kind of stuff with a lot of melody to it. We were fans of Sonic Youth, Pavement and indie rock like that." But once Telikicherla and Awan got involved, that plan went out the window. Awan added a propensity for experimental underground bands like Blonde Redhead, Engine Down and the French group Playdoh, and "We definitely have points where we all intersect, but personally, I come from a pop-new wave sort of place," Telikicherla says. "Some of my favorite bands are like the Jam, the Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen -- heavy, melodic guitar-bass kind of stuff -- as well as Indian music. It all depends."

Each brings different tastes to the music, so it's possible to have songs on the band's new (and as-yet-unreleased) EP in which peppy New Order bass lines flow under Masters's chunky, Pavement-style chords while Awan tosses in odd little percussion fills. Then the next song will have a completely different mood, maybe droning guitar riffs over an Indian tabla beat. This sort of mix-and-match chemistry could sound forced, but the guys say it comes naturally -- during Telikicherla's first practice session with the band, they recorded a song for a 7-inch single. Within a month, they were onstage at the Black Cat.

Over the last few months, Metropolitan has been playing in New York City more than in its home town, garnering attention from the press and winning over fans -- including actor Steve Buscemi and MTV jock Matt Pinfield, who've both come to the band's shows. "We definitely feel like it's important to be known outside of town, as much as it's great to be known here," Masters says. The new six-song record was recorded with Archie Moore, formerly of local indie rock band Velocity Girl, and when Metropolitan begins recording its third full-length album this year, the band hopes to work with Ian Svenonius (of the Make-Up and Nation of Ulysses). "Ian's one of the true characters on the D.C. scene," Telikicherla says. "There's no one like him, and he knows a hell of a lot about music. That's something that would be fun to tap into."

--Fritz Hahn, The Washington Post, March 2004

"Any list of Metropolitan's influences would be incomplete without mentioning the band's main muse: Arlington County. Its new LP, Down for You Is Up, leads off with a track named for an exit off I-66; the video shows guitarist John Masters, bassist Shyam Telikicherla, and drummer Saadat Awan lovingly taking in Arlington's shabby gentility while trying to make a gig at the Court House Metro stop. More seriously, Metropolitan thinks locally by following the example of county forefathers Unrest and incorporating keen British influences such as New Order and Teenage Fanclub into its spiky American guitar rock. "Westmoreland" bubbles along on the back of Telikicherla's perky bass line and Masters' about-a-girl lyrics like "Blue Monday" in a thrift-store T-shirt; "This Real" salts wistful, Scottish-style power pop with Masters' uniformly terrific, J Mascis–influenced guitar tone. Despite being only about half an hour long, Down for You Is Up shows some classy diversity, interpolating five out-there band doodles between its nine "real" songs, and on "Girl From Montpelier," Awan spells Masters on guitar and vocals while the band lays down a slinky harmonium-and-tablas groove. Still, Metropolitan's forte is classic drums-bass-guitar stuff, such as the album-closing "Wet Cigarette." At the end of that song, someone in the group chides Masters for drawing out the coda too long. "I know tha-at!" he sings. "But I was into it!" Like a waitress at a Columbia Pike diner, he couldn't help but top off your cup."

--Andrew Beaujon, Washington City Paper

"Except for the Eighteenth Street Lounge scene, Washington, D.C., hasn't been in the music spotlight lately. Metropolitan is a solid addition, an economical trio with decisively propulsive bass lines and melodic turns that are inventive, but not self-consciously so."

--Time Out New York

"At its current rate of expansion, Metropolitan could be an orchestra by 2042. Don't expect the Arlington group to substantially fatten its sound, though. Metropolitan has grown from duo to trio since its debut, "Side Effects," but its new "Down for You Is Up" continues to explore such minimalist gambits as Velvet Underground-style vamps and Eno-like vignettes.

"Down for You Is Up" (which takes its title from the Velvets' "Pale Blue Eyes") includes five oscillating instrumental sketches, none of them as long as a minute. The other nine tracks are mostly elemental rockers that generate surprising amounts of drama and propulsion from guitar, bass, drums and voice. On songs like "Slide Rule" and "You Want It," John Masters's guitar and vocals alternately parry and align, and instruments temporarily vanish to open small but vastly effective gaps in the sound. "Girl From Montpelier," the one tune sung by drummer Saadat Awan, is the only track with a syncopated Caribbean groove, but the whole album takes a dub-wise approach to miniaturist modal rock."

--Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post

"From the Crickets to Yo La Tengo, the trio format of guitar, bass and drums has long been rock-and-roll's most primal arrangement, but despite decades of exploration, this most basic of lineups still produces fresh, compelling music. A fine case in point is Arlington's three-piece Metropolitan, whose set at the Metro Cafe on Wednesday night bristled with noisy rock-pop goodness.

Supporting their recently released second album, "Down for You Is Up," guitarist John Masters, bassist Shyam Telikicherla and drummer Saadat Awan played with confidence and cohesion. On the surface, the band's approach might seem unfashionable: Masters's snarly guitar sound recalled garage-pop gurus the Flamin' Groovies, Telikicherla's Rickenbacker bass hooks circa-1982 R.E.M., and Awan's drum patterns the propulsive kick of the Feelies. It was precisely this combination of quality retro elements, shot through with the trio's wiry verve, that gave songs like "Long Distance Dedication" and "Slide Rule" their refreshing sheen. Masters's vocals, especially on numbers like "Westmoreland," "Brightside" and an update of an older tune, "Feel All Right," showed enormous growth from gigs the band played just last year, underscoring the melodies with an easy grace.

Metropolitan, which has several more local shows planned over the next month, is evolving into one of the most intriguing beacons on the D.C. area's musical scene."

-- Patrick Foster, The Washington Post

"Metropolitan understands the simple joys of melodic indie rock but they also know how to add the right psychedelic touches. The Washington, D.C. area trio consists of John Masters (guitar and vocals), Shyam Telikicherla (bass) and Saadat Awan (drums). The band's first CD Side Effects showed a lot of promise with its catchy tunes and a blunt home-made experimentalism similar to early recordings by The Grifters, Hood or Pavement. The second time around, Metropolitan has improved the sound quality and the focus of the songs. Recorded at Inner Ear Studios, Down For You Is Up has the crisp, lean production of the classic Fugazi and Half Japanese songs recorded in the same studio. The overall result is an album with more than its share of memorable alt/indie songs as well as some interesting flourishes and tangents.

The opener "Westmoreland" is a natural single introduced by guitars and drums crashing around a percolating bass line. The measured angst of John Masters' vocals has a bit in common with Doug Martsch of Built To Spill or Stephen Malkmus, but Masters plays it mostly straight, without the same level of eccentric intensity. "Slide Rule" and "Brightside" remind me of nearly forgotten '80s indie pioneers the Red Rockers, with a bit of understated Hüsker Dü in the melodies. "They Meet" is the first of several psychedelic interludes (such as "The Chase", "The Explosion" and "The Escape") that compliment the straightforward songs very well. Saadat Awan provides a gentle lead vocal on the easy grooving "Girl From Montpelier", a song also filled out with a droning harmonium and a great tabla beat. "Long Distance Dedication" has an early Pavement feeling (i.e. "In The Mouth A Desert") with sharp guitar chords cutting across the steady beat and a melancholy descending bass riff. Shyam Telikicherla's bass lines throughout the album have an emotional but triumphant sort of early Clash quality, most clearly stated on "This Real". A highlight of the CD, "This Real" also has guitars and vocals that recall Moving Targets (Boston's under-appreciated answer to Hüsker Dü) and a sad synth part that would fit in on a Grandaddy album. "Incidental" and the closer "Wet Cigarette" are two more fine examples of the band's down but not out optimism, expressed both vocally and in the relationships between the instruments.

It's been a while since I heard a new album that recaptures the spirit of the early stage of the indie rock movement without winking at the listener. Metropolitan will take you back to your memories of the late '80s and early '90s while offering a more contemporary psychedelic edge (…and I didn't even get around to name checking Bob Pollard or Thurston Moore)."

--Nick Bensen, Free City Media

"What happened to the 1980s? Not necessarily the big-hair, glitter-rock 80s or the John Hughes movie 80s, but the underground, SST Records, Murmur-era R.E.M., Daydream Nation 80s. As a sound, as a defining epoch, it’s well-traveled ground. Bands like Dinosaur Jr., Black Flag, Husker Du, and Sonic Youth took punk, among other things, and stretched it, often beyond recognition, making great, strange, complicated music that influenced countless bands. Everyone knows this, and everyone knows that these bands influenced Nirvana, which spawned the grunge boom, and blah blah blah. It’s 2002, and what began with an urgent need to create music has become Puddle of Mudd. A sad story, and one that doesn’t need further exploration.

What I mean is, what happened to the other sounds of the 80s? Nirvana’s Beatles-meets-Sabbath noise is only one offshoot of the era, and there are plenty of styles that are ripe for reclamation. One other option is taken by the Washington, D.C. band Metropolitan, who play rock that harkens back to the days of IRS records and New Zealand bands like the Bats and the Clean. “Westmoreland”, the first track on their new album Down for You Is Up, is the perfect distillation of the genre. The melody is a quick run of notes, played in unison by the bass and guitar, which quickly gives way to distorted, jangly chords and vocalist John Masters’ high-pitched, warbly voice. It’s obviously not revolutionary, but it’s like finding a really great sweater in your closet that you forgot about: it feels great, and it brings back a host of memories.

This is not to say that Metropolitan are pure revivalists. Rather, they seem to be intent on taking particular elements and pushing them further, as the aforementioned NZ bands have done in the late 80s and 90s. In past reviews of the band’s music, there are several allusions to Sonic Youth, implying that Metropolitan has seized on the more focused elements of that band's sound and attempted to turn it into straight pop songs. This isn't entirely accurate, but it provides a good sonic reference. And indeed, there are times when Metropolitan sound like what might happen if Thurston Moore played in a jangle-pop bar band just for kicks on the weekend. I don’t mean this in a derogatory way; it’s actually the band’s biggest strength. They don’t always transcend their influences, but when they do, the music they create is formidable, and it makes you wonder how some of these sounds got lost in the first place. It’s also a good reminder that if you’re going to draw from the past, it doesn’t necessarily need to be from either the Beatles/Beach Boys or Velvets/Stooges template. Metropolitan have picked up where some fine bands have left off, and they display a promising future of extension. After a few listens, however, one’s concerns about origin and appropriation are pushed aside by the fact that there are simply some great songs on this album, even if not absolutely everything works. “Wonderland”, “Slide Rule”, “Girl from Montpelier”, and “Wet Cigarette” all pulse with a restless energy and a genuine freshness of approach. They are also catchy as hell. Production by D.C. fixture Chad Clark is unfussy and straightforward, fusing the instruments together in a way not dissimilar to early R.E.M.

That said, Masters could focus more on his lyrics, as they occasionally slide into quasi-emo relationship chronicles. The strengths of the band, such as the inventive rhythm section and a penchant for sound collage, should be a focus on future recordings, which would allow the band to further define their own sound. It’s easy to make music of this ilk and sound entirely generic; Metropolitan don’t. If they can stretch themselves and continue to produce music with the passion and energy that they display here, they could turn out some great albums in the years to come."

--Jason Dungan, Dusted Magazine

"Don't get the wrong impression when I tell you that Metropolitan has cleaned up its act. The band hasn't made a miraculous "come to Jesus" morality decision and traded in its distorted guitars for Pearly Gates anthems. Instead, we find the band evolving from a lo-fi, 4-track recording fiend to a sharp-sounding, underground pop marvel that can dish out everything from spacy drones to angular sonic disruptions with faultless fluidity.

In its earliest incarnation, this Arlington, VA duo could whip out a collage of feedback-ridden anti-pop soundtracks in a jiffy. However, with the release of sophomore outing Down for You is Up, Metropolitan has changed members, expanded to a trio and shrugged off its wall-of-sound mélange for a more up-front, indie-rock-laced sound.

Since the band's early releases, Metropolitan's pop inspirations have lurked quietly beneath a wall of discord. Early 7" singles found the then-duo of Masters and Coughlan traversing a variety of influences, including a layered, anticlimactic Dead C approach and frenetic, anxiety-driven outbursts that brought to mind Slanted & Enchanted-era Pavement in all of its glorious sloppiness.

Aided by producer Chad Clark, Metropolitan's sound has evolved from its caustic sonic roots to a confident and off-kilter indie-rock-pop that still honors the band's peculiar influences. Transitioning to a Troggs-meet-Television ideal, several of Metropolitan’s tunes -- particularly "Westmoreland" and "Slide Rule" -- are mop-headed mod rockers that have received the indie rock blessing. There's still plenty of noise-tinged goodness to get all of you washed up Sonic Youth loners back in business (check out "Brightside" for details), while the rest of us can feast upon the wonderful vocal-driven melodies of John Masters. "Long Distance Dedication" and "Wet Cigarette" are the best tracks of the lot, laying the foundation for the future of Metropolitan with gritty guitar chords underpinned by hazy, drone-like rhythms. While briefly entertaining, the less-than-a-minute noise clips that are scattered between the songs become mere filler, forcing you to manually skip past them to the next full-length aural gem.

While this bizarre transition from noise to contemporary mod-tinged pop definitely sounds erratic on paper, Metropolitan’s incorporation of poignant bass lines and a mixture of ringing guitar notes and chords pulls it off with satisfying results. Has the band finally settled on a musical niche? Probably not -- but while they're thinking it over, I'll enjoy these entertaining slices of cyclical musical beauty."

--Andrew Magilow, Splendid Ezine

"By using the most basic rock instrumentation and tons of energetic licks, the group Metropolitan rips their way on to the indie scene. This trio is the making of lead singer and guitarist John Masters along with Aidan Coughlan in 1998. Through many lineup changes, the group now consists of Masters, Saadat Awan on drums, and Shyam Telikicherla on bass. Their sound is a lot like their contemporaries and associates the Dismemberment Plan, in that they produce hard hitting pop/rock tunes. On the recent release called "Down For You Is Up," Metropolitan delivers a sonic punch to your system. Five rock sketches are sandwiched in between tracks of blasted power and attitude. The opening song "Westmoreland" ventures into the bang and crash featured throughout the recording. The distorted guitar and teasing croon of Masters is the signature of the band's sound. Yet the track "Girl from Montpelier" shows off the vocals of Awan and his syncopated rhythm. Other songs worth checking out are the sexy and playful "You Want It" and the cool "Slide Rule." If the group continues to present this type of noise pop/ rock music, they are in for a bright and solid career."

--Monica Arrington, Performer Magazine

"Fresh from the capitol city of the United States is Metropolitan—a trio of talented musicians that can help but make you stop what you’re doing and take notice. With their second release Down For You is Up, this band is bound to make a splash wherever they go.

Founded by vocalist and guitarist John Masters with Aidan Coughlan in 1998, the band released its first album Side Effects in 1999 to glowing reviews. A few line-up changes later, Metropolitan is still led by the unique and tangy vocals of Masters and includes bassist Shyam Telikicherla and drummer Saadat Awan.

Produced by Chad Clark of Fugazi and Dismemberment Plan fame, Down For You is Up is an ass-shaking, all-about-the-groove album that is a shot back to the tight rock sounds of groups like the Beatles. There is honestly no bad song on all 14 tracks of this album, from the driving drumming of “Brightside” to the sexy and smoky Rolling Stone-vibe of “You Want It.”

Other great tracks include “Long Distance Dedication,” where bassist Telikicherla gets to show off his musical prowess and “Westmoreland”—the album’s rocking opener that sets the tone for the rest of the album and just makes you fall instantly in love.

Down For You is Up is the type of album that I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone disliking. It’s just honestly good music that is a joy to listen to and is the perfect example of what those that don’t listen to indie music are missing out on."

--C.E. Pelc, fmSound

"Once the home of labels TeenBeat and Simple Machines, indie-rock's heyday lives on in Arlington, VA.'s current crop of pop bands, and leading the way perhaps, is the three-piece Metropolitan. Saadat Awan, Shyam Telikicherla, and John Masters have a solid rock sound that combines youthful energy and a good ear for vocal-driven melodies.

John Masters' vocals, emotive and just a tad snotty, suck you in on songs like "Slide Rule," "You Want It," and "Incidental." Musically, Metropolitan refrains from composing outside the realm of what is expected from a pop trio of bass, drums, and guitar. Despite their devotion to Sonic Youth and Television, the end result of their collaboration is more akin to your everyday neighborhood garage band. While some bands belong in the basement, Metropolitan's heart is just too big to be restrained and their tunes just too infectious to ignore.

While some contemporary pop bands try to sound too much like one old band or the other, Metropolitan uniquely blends many old favorites into one cohesive mix that effectively revives the optimistic mood of the early '90s."

--SK, Free Williamsburg

"With their fuzzy production, sharp hooks and naive approach, Metropolitan comes across as a snottier Teenage Fanclub. The two bands have a lot in common, but most importantly they can take dissonant guitar and ugly production and craft sweet pop songs out of all the noise. Tracks like "Long Distance Dedication" have hooks that burrow deep into your brain while the band bangs away at their instruments like they were Fugazi. This yin and yang to their sound is a great mix, making the obvious Fanclub comparisons seem pretty accurate because both bands also have the ability to pull it off. The album does suffer a little from the band's need to throw wanky one-minute noise blips in between otherwise excellent songs, but that is the nature of the beast when dealing with bands like this. Like a DC hardcore band trapped in a room full of pillows, Metropolitan delivers the goods for wide-eyed pop lovers and angst-filled feedback fanatics alike."

--Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide

"Metropolitan's sound, like their hometown of Washington DC, is all business. The trio produces tight, catchy songs and seems to know just exactly where they're going. I'm not sure that can be said for their neighbors, our politicians. Despite their obvious indie rock influences, the band still has the wherewithal to experiment, telling a sonic story through the tracks "They Meet," "The Chase," "The Explosion," "The Escape," and "The Dust," filling out their new LP, Down For You Is Up, with short transitional tracks of churning drums and wandering guitar and bass. This disc is filled with great beats and hooks, and it’s utterly danceable or head-bobbable, whichever greases your wheels.

John Masters' vocals and guitar seem to carry the songs but would be lost without Shyam Telikicherla's throbbing bass and Saadat Awan's guiding drumbeats. "Long Distance Dedication" is a widely acknowledged favorite, as well it should be. All of Metropolitan's songs are deliberately planned and delivered with grace and authority. "Long Distance Dedication," with its simplicity and infectious pop hooks, climbs to the top of the list. "The Girl From Montpellier" stands out because of the band's use of harmonium and tabla in addition to the maybe-not-so-surprising change-up of drummer and singer/guitarist. Metropolitan's recent show at the the Galaxy Hut in Clarendon clarified this difference in vocals (“Hey! The guitarist can play the drums too! And the drummer can play the guitar! Cool!"). On "This Real," the keyboards add something D-Plan-like to the sound, and I wish they had used them more on the rest of the album. Their live show was a little understated, but then again, the Galaxy Hut is the kind of place where you can sneeze from one end of the room to the other, so you can't really fault their rigidity. Down For You Is Up is a solid album, from a solid and experienced trio.

This is good, honest music. You should listen to it."

--Andrea Caumont, Left Off the Dial

"Energetic indie-pop bands are a dime a dozen, but Metropolitan is nevertheless worth your attention. The D.C. trio's new album, "Down For You Is Up" (Crank Automotive Records), will hit ya and hook ya, with lots of unexpected twists and turns from the time-honored power-trio lineup. It's barely a half-hour long and leaves you wanting more, which you can get Sunday at Local 506 or Thursday at Kings."

--David Menconi, Raleigh News & Observer

"Our unwieldy neighbor to the north, Washington D.C. has filled our life with the good (Bad Brains, Fugazi, the Smithsonian museums), the bad (99.9% of all politicos, filibustering, crack), and indeed, the ugly (again, 99.9% of all politicos). Add to the good list the strange sounds of Metropolitan, a trio with a sound that truly lives up to its name. Combining the drones of The Velvet Underground with the poppier sides of Yo La Tengo, Metropolitan welcome you to their own personal jangle-pop explosion."

--Punchline Richmond

"I'm beginning to think that the 80s ideal of "indie rock" is starting to manifest itself again. Metropolitan has that feel, though there's a definite emo sheen to the guitars and a restrained quality to the writing that is much more, um, modern (I guess).

Nothing pretentious or overbearing, just solid songs performed with a minimum of flair. I have a feeling the three members of Metropolitan walk out on stage, play their songs and walk off. Workmanlike and impressively so.

Sometimes the music is enough. Like on this album. No need for any flash or hype.Metropolitan simply plays good music. That's all."

--Aiding & Abetting

PRAISE FOR "SIDE EFFECTS"

"Pick a track at random from Metropolitan's "Side Effects" and you'll likely get a surging vamp that suggests an even more minimal version of the early Dream Syndicate's stripped-down homage to the Velvet Underground. Yet you also might hear an electronic fragment whose noisiness is its principal link to rock 'n' roll. This Arlington duo's debut album is clearly an embryonic work; since its release, the band has expanded to a trio. Even so, edgy simplicity remains Metropolitan's speciality. Rough-edged rockers like "All Too Much" and "Drop Dead Girl" may be elementary, but they have everything they need."

--Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post, October 2001

"Ah, the infamous split 7" single -- your chance to discover two bands without fully investing your hard-earned cash in just one. Rhythmic deconstructionists Metropolitan thrust a swaggering bit of overdriven glory onto the vinyl as the vocals are cranked over the instruments, relegating each to a specific role. The overall mood is chic, but the mix would be more tolerable if guitar, drums and bass were evened out instead of battling Masters' overpowering vocals. Nonetheless, the band sets forth a slightly different feel than its typical noisy outings. Side B shows us that slightly out-of-key notes can sometimes ring the truest. Calibos drives its calculated rhythms with discordant guitar lines as vocalist Andy Fogle sings about Austin and motherfuckers. That's my kinda man. It's a catchy, Sebadoh-inspired tune that beefs up the ante with an attitude that makes Lou Barlow look like a big pussy."

--Andrew Magilow, Splendid E-Zine, May 2001

"... Shalini, a North Carolina trio that split a bill with the impressive Arlington outfit Metropolitan at the Galaxy Hut Sunday night. Metropolitan mined a groove based on the spiky guitar patterns of John Masters, whose dynamic vocals on songs like "All Too Much" contained traces of a Richard Hell-like snarl. The sinewy support of drummer Saadat Awan and bassist Shyam Telikicherla drove home the trio's songs of prickly beauty. "

--Patrick Foster, The Washington Post, April 2001

"Across the Atlantic, Arlington duo Metropolitan have their own ramshackle take on DIY avant-pop. Most of these songs have an urgent, trebly quality, like condensed, song-based Sonic Youth material crossed with early Jesus And Mary Chain. For every on-target hit there's a clumsy miss, where there practically trip over themselves in a noisy race to the finish line."

--Tom Ridge, The Wire, May 2000

"Metropolitan brings to mind the way American bands like the Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth were influenced by garage rock, then subsequently influenced, in an off-kilter way, underground New Zealand bands of the '80s. Side Effects is the sound of a sensibility that was shot around the world only to come boomeranging back. This Arlington, Va., duo doesn't deny the VU, Spacemen 3 and Dead C influences, and that's not a bad route for sound to travel. But like a survivor virus, it should become more deadly with each mutation. Sweet, sad vocals and basic pop sensibilities come through eloquently, but not without the requisite bumps and scrapes -- Metropolitan has a good handle on the trashy, sheet-metal sound that reminds me more of NZ than NYC. If you can stop reading the footnotes and pay attention to the text, Side Effects is mostly satisfying. The Pebbles rock of "All Too Much" and the melancholy tone of "Punches" stand up amidst a swell of Jesus And Mary Chain-isms. Here you have a band with great taste that's probably a record away from getting it just right and figuring out what it is. In the meantime, what Metropolitan wants to be isn't bad, either."

--Cyndi Elliott, Magnet, January 2000

"An extraordinarily strange merger of My Bloody Valentine, The Dead C and Pavement, this dynamic duo mixes pop music with anti-depressants and adds an occasional dripping slice of noisy, feedbacking guitar to complete its own form of captious garage-rock. Based on conflicting schizophrenic musical principles, Metropolitan is the antithesis of itself -- a band that wants to write genuine pop gems, but seemingly uncontrollably throws in a jarring, insensitive twist to fuck up its own rhetoric. The sign of troubled artists, perhaps? Retaining a sense of song structure, Messrs. Coughlan and Masters cruise through such stout numbers as "Punches" and the lo-fi "Automatic" with skillful eloquence. Both tunes exemplify songwriting in its rawest form, as the distorted, tainted vocals strain for recognition while the guitars abruptly clash with one another. Metropolitan's darker side rears its head on the elusive "Presence" as howling feedback, rambunctious drumming and incoherent, reverberating vocals converge into what could be considered an "anti-pop" number. Side Effects is catchy enough to tickle the fancy of pop enthusiasts, but equally just as irritating to drive away those same curiosity seekers in the span of one track."

-- Andrew Magilow, Splendid E-Zine, November 1999

"If Metropolitan had made their music 30 years ago, they would have gotten along swell with the primitive cavestomp antics of bands like the Troggs, Fugs and Animals. Simple two-chord battering ram riffs, thudding drums and beautifully blunt lyrics ( “Oh if you dance with me/How great it would be,” ) are reminders that punk rock really started with “Wild Thing”, not “God Save the Queen”. This sound has already been appropriated and twisted by bands from the Velvet underground to Sonic Youth, but more than any of them Metropolitan is true to the original spirit of the garage, dropping any artistic pretense and just letting it all hang out."

--David M., Audiogalaxy

"Combines NME 60 indie pop, Lou Reed & Spacemen 3 references by turn - abandoning the Pavement-like chaos of an earlier incarnation called Grubby. Everything comes together in the anthemic "All Too Much" - which mixes Reed's maturity with Spacemen's drive - & Byrds-ish "Presence."

--Mole Magazine, October 2000

"Jangly Garage Rock that sticks one toe into the psychedelic rock pool. The singer gives it the garage-y edge with his gritty voice, while the meandering reverb-drenched guitar gives it its psychedelic leanings."

-- Mike C., Listen.com

"Metropolitan catches you off-kilter from the very beginning, offering as a first track a haphazard nailing together of odd sound effects. But then this duo takes you into an amateurish but very emotional CD of sometimes-poppy, sometimes-soft music that's got some pretty impressive guitar and great lyrics."

-- Impact Press, December 1999

"At times it seems that 90 percent of today's indie rock is filtered through the Vaseline-smeared lens of the Velvet Underground. Primal drumming, droning guitars, and the occasional drug reference put Arlington duo (John Masters and Aidan Coughlan) Metropolitan squarely in that majority. The band's garagey debut, Side Effects, on local label Crank Automotive, features 13 songs that bow at the feet of Lou Reed and proto-punk Jonathan Richman. The disc's liner notes call Masters and Coughlan "screamers of silence, bathers of dirt, soul-caves," but they sound like two guys with a serious New York New Wave fixation to me. If a young band is going to worship fellow musicians, I guess it might as well be Reed and Richman rather as, say, John Tesh."

-- Christopher Porter, Washington City Paper, September 1999