Putnam Hall
Encyclopedia
Putnam Hall is an American indie rock
band formed in Orange County
by Lillard (Anthony) (vocals/guitar) with Kris Wismer (drums) and Al Walters (bass) in 2002. Putnam Hall grew a following in Orange County, starting in the fall of 2002, and quickly rose, dubbed by OCNYE as the hidden jewel of the local stage. They will be appearing on the Vans' 2006 Warped Tour
. Putnam Hall’s guerilla Do-It-Yourself promotional tactics and flat-out hard work that has brought their music from shows all across Orange and LA Counties to garnering television airplay on MTV
and radio airplay on 106.7 KROQ-FM
and Indie 103.1.
band. Naming his band after his freshman residence hall at UC Berkeley, Lillard was born and raised in a nice suburban home in southern California, then went on to graduate from UC Berkeley with double degrees in economics and rhetoric, and finally, realized the “Yuppie American Dream” by working a high paying job in the finance field.
Always uncomfortable with the socially-accepted high-paying lifestyle and predictable career path, Lillard quit his job and started this post-punk, indie rock outfit -- Putnam Hall.
Lillard first met Kris in 2003 when the drummer heard the four-song demo that Lillard had recorded. The two became fast friends and found writing music together came easily, receiving inspiration from James Brown
, the Skatalites, Rancid
and No Doubt
.
Upon the departure of their original bassist, and just prior to the recording of their first EP, “brandnudemusic”, Lillard and Wismer met Al Walters, then a bassist for another band that had formerly included Wismer. Lillard was impressed by Al’s playing and signed him to the band.
In December, MTV
launched a new channel and asked Putnam Hall to appear. Entertaining for MTV's launch After Party at The Cutting Room, Putnam Hall was also asked to host a show called "Maximum Chi". The special was filmed at Sin-e
and featured Putnam Hall's newest video, "Supernothing", which became ranked MTV Chi's top 10 requested videos on the channel as was reported in an issue of Entertainment Weekly Magazine.
The video has since been played on MTV U, the college only broadcasted MTV affiliate channel.
. The band played a live performance of their songs "Fight the Format" and "SuperNothing" for an MTV special that broadcast to 200 million people via DirectTV.
The band will join the mtv u / Rockband Video Game national tour in 2007.
The song "To Kill" from the album "Fight the Format" was included in the 2009 Oren Moverman film "The Messenger" which was subsequently nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor) and one Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actor).
The band also released the video for "It's Over" which garnered play on MTV Iggy.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
by Lillard (Anthony) (vocals/guitar) with Kris Wismer (drums) and Al Walters (bass) in 2002. Putnam Hall grew a following in Orange County, starting in the fall of 2002, and quickly rose, dubbed by OCNYE as the hidden jewel of the local stage. They will be appearing on the Vans' 2006 Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
. Putnam Hall’s guerilla Do-It-Yourself promotional tactics and flat-out hard work that has brought their music from shows all across Orange and LA Counties to garnering television airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and radio airplay on 106.7 KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
and Indie 103.1.
Early years
Putnam Hall is an indie rockIndie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band. Naming his band after his freshman residence hall at UC Berkeley, Lillard was born and raised in a nice suburban home in southern California, then went on to graduate from UC Berkeley with double degrees in economics and rhetoric, and finally, realized the “Yuppie American Dream” by working a high paying job in the finance field.
Always uncomfortable with the socially-accepted high-paying lifestyle and predictable career path, Lillard quit his job and started this post-punk, indie rock outfit -- Putnam Hall.
Lillard first met Kris in 2003 when the drummer heard the four-song demo that Lillard had recorded. The two became fast friends and found writing music together came easily, receiving inspiration from James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, the Skatalites, Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
and No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
.
Upon the departure of their original bassist, and just prior to the recording of their first EP, “brandnudemusic”, Lillard and Wismer met Al Walters, then a bassist for another band that had formerly included Wismer. Lillard was impressed by Al’s playing and signed him to the band.
2005
In July ’05, armed with an invigorated sense of punk rock attitude (think Rancid) and thoughtful, multifaceted songwriting (think No Doubt), Putnam Hall went back to the studio and recorded “Love and Industry”. The album is a dynamic blend of throaty vocals, raw guitars and pulsating rhythms that hearken the frustration of being locked in a suburban lifestyle that just doesn’t fit.In December, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
launched a new channel and asked Putnam Hall to appear. Entertaining for MTV's launch After Party at The Cutting Room, Putnam Hall was also asked to host a show called "Maximum Chi". The special was filmed at Sin-e
Sin-é
Sin-é was the name of a music venue in New York City which helped launch the careers of several noted musicians in the early 1990s.-Original café:...
and featured Putnam Hall's newest video, "Supernothing", which became ranked MTV Chi's top 10 requested videos on the channel as was reported in an issue of Entertainment Weekly Magazine.
The video has since been played on MTV U, the college only broadcasted MTV affiliate channel.
2006
Currently, Putnam Hall has been playing shows across the US and will be playing at the Vans 2006 Warped TourWarped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
. The band played a live performance of their songs "Fight the Format" and "SuperNothing" for an MTV special that broadcast to 200 million people via DirectTV.
2007
Putnam Hall will release their first full-length album entitled "Fight the Format" with a headlining show at the House of Blues Anaheim on October 23, 2007. "Fight the Format" is a collection of 13 Putnam Hall songs. The album was mixed by Bryan Carlstrom, most famous for his work with Social Distortion, the Offspring and Alice in Chains.The band will join the mtv u / Rockband Video Game national tour in 2007.
2009
Putnam Hall began working with multi-platinum rock producer Dave Jerden in 2009. No release date has been set for the album.The song "To Kill" from the album "Fight the Format" was included in the 2009 Oren Moverman film "The Messenger" which was subsequently nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor) and one Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actor).
The band also released the video for "It's Over" which garnered play on MTV Iggy.