How does music literally speak for itself? How does it confidently translate from musician to listener without a singer overtly engaging his audience by way of his vocal expressions? While instrumental rock certainly is not a novelty by any means, it is indeed a refreshing medium through which bands can really excite an audience. Sans singer, instrumental musicians cannot hide: they can't cheat or "pull a fast one." The sounds that radiate from bare, basic instrumentation will collapse if not buffed and buttressed by true musical ingenuity. Smiley with a Knife has pondered these questions and faced these challenges head-on.

New Orleans' own Smiley With A Knife has managed to successfully sear their own brand of quirky yet sleek instrumental compositions since the fall of 2007. The skills of Patrick Bailey (guitar), Justin Vicknair (guitar), Michael Volpi (bass), and Jared Marcell (drums) lie in their ability to pay homage to their influences and forbearers without reinventing the wheel. They brew together the classic with the new, lithely striding along with sonic hooks and anchors to keep their fans and “to be” fans captivated. Their innovation stems from their ability to temper their more jocular, tickling tunes with other more eerily emotive numbers.

Smiley With A Knife's first full length, How A Reign Comes To An End, debuted in November 2008 and has garnered praise from local and regional press. On their behalf, there has been a tireless effort to unite the instrumental groups of the South East into an organized regional movement. With the beginnings of this instrumental armada, Smiley With A Knife initiated the first annual New Orleans Instrumental Fest in March 2009, a week before their performance at SXSW. Aside from their impressive local allies, SWAK has had the honor of shaing the stage with such traveling talent as Unwed Sailor, Tera Melos, Native, HEALTH, Maserati, Arms & Sleepers and Caspian.

On August 21 2010, Smiley With a Knife released their newest album, Long Now.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/smileywithaknife
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