ABOUT THE BAND:

(in their own words and those of critics)

Alger Hiss began in 1994, with aspirations of injecting harsh, no wave-influenced noise into droning, punk-tinged hard rock. The NYC power trio originally conisted of guitarist/vocalist/bassist Jordan N. Mamone, drummer Hajji Majer, and bassist/vocalist/guitarist Chris O'Rourke. By late 1995, they had self-released a cassette and played numerous Northeastern gigs with a host of rough, avant-rock luminaries. These shows were characterized by bloody hands, drunken sloppiness, and the drop kicking of guitars. Oblivious of its surroundings, the young band exhibited reckless enthusiasm regardless of whether an audience was receptive, apathetic, or hostile.

At the end of 1995, the burgeoning Ba Da Bing! label released Alger Hiss's official debut, a vinyl mini-LP/CD entitled Settings For Nudes. O'Rourke quit the following summer and was replaced by guitarist-turned-bassist Jon Fine (Bitch Magnet, Don Cabellero). Free of his ex-cohort's more melodic inclinations, Mamone began writing heavier music that elucidated his love of complex song structures, gigantic riffs, alternate tunings, and brief explosions of improvisation.

In January 1997, Feldspar Records issued the varied Graft Vs. Host, which compiled a remixed version of the early cassette with the original lineup's final studio efforts. The album--also pressed on vinyl via Mamone's Tangential imprint--was hailed by critics in the fanzine and alterna-glossy media. A year later, Fine and Majer departed. Mamone spent time finishing school, auditioning personnel, traveling, and pursuing his career as a rock writer.

Alger Hiss sprang to life again in 2001, when Mamone recruited bassist J Yung--whose simplified, deep low-end added even more weight to the sound--and drummer Frederick Schneider. A series of live dates ensued. The following year brought another change of percussionists with the arrival of jazz-schooled Lithuanian expat Dalius Naujokaitis, who has collaborated with Fluxus filmmaker Jonas Mekas and comprises one third of NAM, a reclusive, psychedelic improv project that also features Mamone and former Subskin Cables guitarist Fernando Avila. Alger Hiss's sound was mutating and maturing during this era; the new, sometimes painfully slow material lumbered with art-metal ferocity.

In 2003, Mamone and Yung asked longtime friend Dave Reid (Glenn Branca, Wider, Dustdevils, Don Caballero) to fill in on drums for a thundering, ominous take of the live favorite "Mason Jar," which will appear on a compilation issued by San Francisco's tUMULt Records.

In late 2004, with Alger Hiss again on hiatus, Mamone traveled to Pori, Finland. Overseas, he participated in Lee Miller, a bludgeoning, hypnotic union with Jyrki Laiho and Janne Peltomäki, both of whom were key members of nordic underground heroes Circle and Stalwart. (Circle and Alger Hiss had been labelmates on Feldspar.) Musically Incorrect Records released Lee Miller's European-only debut album, The Futility of Language, in 2005.

Back in New York in 2006, Mamone and Yung reconvened with Naujokaitis for yet another resurgence of Alger Hiss. The revitalized group is currently performing with the occasional aid of symbolist video artist Tamara Yadao. You've been warned.

CRITICAL FLOTSAM:

"Alger Hiss... plies fiery rock that falls somewhere between tech metal, noisy punk, and the disillusionment of your hopes and dreams--necessary sounds for a failing planet." --Time Out New York, Issue No. 564, July 20-26, 2006.

"Local noise and art-rock combo Alger Hiss (which includes occasional TONY contributor Jordan Mamone) has been making the rounds lately after a hiatus; AH can hang with the rawkers and the experimenters, no easy feat" --Time Out New York, Issue No. 312, Sept. 13-20, 2001

"With Alger Hiss, noise rock has met its match. Following 1995's Setting [sic] For Nudes EP, Graft Vs. Host explores the subtleties of melodic noise with songs that dredge the deep end of sonic sludge while simultaneously skimming pop's smooth surface. This New York City trio spews a dark mix of scathing guitar set atop thick bass and crushing drum hits. "Cast Stiffs" opens with Jordan N. Mamone's skidding surf guitar line, which transforms into frantic feedback-riddled strumming and eventually levels out over spoken vocals. The interplay between guitar and bass on "Ground Glass" provides a driving melody of screaming treble that splits the surrounding air into its molecular components. With the advent of math rock giving calculated structure to implied chaos, it's a pleasure to hear Alger Hiss dismantle all categorical pigeonholes. The band's dexterous navigation through soundscapes yields countless experiments with atonal distortion and effects pedals. Although a track entitled "Oxidants, Poisons, Corrosives" might sound like a death metal experiment gone awry, Alger Hiss manages to construct an impressive three-part song that dabbles in everything from simplistic bass strumming to screeching guitar riffs. As it winds down what's left is an album as clever in content as it is in stylistic invention." -- Jonah Brucker-Cohen, Magnet #28, April/May '97.

"With a song unsmilingly entitled 'Oxidants, Poisons, Corrosives,' you might think Alger Hiss were purveyors of some Carcass-inspired death metal. Well, guess again. This New York trio is firmly planted in the type of grinding '80s post-punk sawed out by old favorites like Live Skull, Bitch Magnet and Honor Role. Which is to say they favor metallic shards of oblique guitar harmonies, cryptic spoken vocals, and abstract time signatures. Where those older bands occasionally approached some semblance of a verse/chorus structure, however, Alger Hiss favor a wandering progressive pummeling akin to mid-'70s King Crimson. Pretty good as far as this stuff goes." -- Theo Cateforis, The Big Takeover No. 41, Fall '97.

"Though recorded in '94 and '95, this recent release displays much more of Alger Hiss' post-punk personality. By coaxing the spirits of Mission of Burma and Wire (as well as fellow NYC combos like Of Cabbages and Kings, Surgery, and Cop Shoot Cop), Alger Hiss display a fragmented appreciation for guitar damage and pop songs pummeled by dirty rhythm lines, as one would expect from their neighborhood ... the noisier, more manic moments on this LP raise the standard from their previous 12" release (on Ba Da Bing!) ... Trade in the kids for this one." -- Keith York, Mod Magazine, fall 1997.

"A language of rock deconstructionism, aesthetics, and academia (especially calculus). Loud, bristling guitar lines reminiscent of Sonic Youth, Rapeman, and quite possibly Head of David and Band of Susans too. All looked bright on the listening horizon. The stars burst with color when my stereo sang their track "Gallo" . . . the noise, the beautiful noise. "Nonpartisan" finished off the six-song set, and my needle lifted on a positive note. So what did I do? I started the whole thing over again, sitting motionless for another play. Absolutely essential." -- Keith York, Mod Magazine, summer 1997.

Good NYC band who bring up names associated with the noise/cold wave blowout, that many of my peers cling closely to their black little hearts. Sonic Youth, Live Skull, Rat At Rat R could be the proud grandparents of this bunch. Hell, throw in Mars too. Why? Well, some of the cling/clang turned inward-abstract -trio-powerisms could've wandered from there to here (Sure, strained thru a minimal take on the early Blue Oyster Cult. Hell, those two things fueled Sonic Youth; along with the other stuff.) I bet Page Hamilton (Helmet) heard Mars and was aware of their clinical freezerburn buzz and howl. I mean, Atavistic's got the Mars stuff back in print; it's not like it's a pain to find 'er anything. Oh yeah, Alger Hiss approach contemporary rock norms from the angle above, meaning it's less a break with tradition rather than the ability to use the stark noise palette within tunes that shouldn't upset a Fugazi, Unwound, Sonic Youth, Shellac, or Biblical Proof Of UFOs fan. Tense but flowing fast-strummed guitar tunes that alternate the swarm of bees sound with chiming off-kilter chopped riffs that are, at best, nimble enough to rope fireflies with barbwire and, at worst, a pleasant power hum. I hope they make a go of it. -- W. Chambers, Moo Magazine, October 1997.

"It's a pleasure to hear Alger Hiss step back and into the brave new world of 1982. Even the medical imagery of the CD jacket seems to belong on an old ROIR cassette-only catalog . . . a band that could go far on sound alone. It'd be a shot in the arm for our tired, latter-day post-punk of they did." -- David Krasnow, Option #74, May-June 1997

A squall of plodding bass, cymbal-heavy drumming and effects-processed guitars, the EP features tight-ass compositions stretched to maximum effect . . . Alger Hiss spiral out of control like some anal-retentive beast looking for a home between your ears. Let them in, won't you?" -- Aaron Burgess, Alternative Press, May 1996.

". . . pleasing to the ears . . . like a cross between Raise-era Swervedriver and Tweez-era Slint . . . the songs are seamless gallops through the dark reaches of art-rock abstraction . . . a step further than Sonic Youth, jazz fusion leaking everywhere . . . It would make good background music for chase scenes in apocalyptic future flicks like Blade Runner . . ." -- Jarrod Mohler, Moo #24, July 1996.

"Employing an engaging blend of aggressive rhythms and dissonant guitar work, Alger Hiss delivers songs that are fraught with passion and energy." -- Jenny Eliscu, CMJ, Spring 1995.

MySpace: http://myspace.com/algerhisstheband

E-mail to: algerhiss at-sign somnity period net.