Nathan Asher & The Infantry's sound combines a distinct, modernized version of Dylan and Springsteen's earliest full band work with anthemic rock-n-roll, reminiscent of U2 and early REM. Asher, an award winning poet, songwriter, and playwright, has a distinct and powerful gift for storytelling. His lyrics punch through the music, bridging the gap between the lyrical dexterity of spoken-word and the melodic and emotional subtlety of anthemic rock-n-roll. The songs are driven by interwoven organ, piano, guitar and harmonica lines. Recent awards and recognition: - Grand Prize Winner in Session I of the 2005 John Lennon International Songwriting Contest. - First Place Winner in Seventh Annual Great American Song Contest. - Finalist in the 2005 International Songwriting Competition, surpassing over 15,000 entries from 80 countries. - Awarded Best Rock Band in the Triangle region of NC and nominated for Best Rock Album, and Best Rock Song in the Triangle in the Independent Weekly's Annual Indy Music Awards. - Receiving regular airplay on college radio stations nationwide, selected for National Public Radio Open Mic podcast. Nathan Asher & the Infantry didn't anticipate this recent explosion of praise when they first established the band in 2003 in Raleigh, NC. All they set out to do was create great music with meaning and connect with their fanbase, both lyrically and instrumentally. The band's new album, Sex Without Love, was released in September 2005 to rave reviews. The album, recorded live during a 3-day time period to analog tape, captures the band’s raw, live sound. Stripped down to its roots, the album focuses on an astounding synthesis of sound and Asher’s provocative lyrics about the mechanization of society and the human heart. THE REVIEWS “Nathan Asher is the next great American songwriter. He is the first lyrical inheritor to Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.” –Weirdearsmag.com, February 2006 "Nathan Asher & The Infantry are not impressive for their ages. They’re impressive for the ages. Nathan Asher’s voice sounds like a combination of Rhett Miller, Bruce Springsteen and Conor Oberst, fully delving into each of the respective genres while somehow transcending them all to create something wholly individual. Young virtuosity in musical storytelling seemed to be reserved for past greats like Springsteen, Dylan or Simon. The likelihood of modern music being graced with such talent seemed like nothing more than wishful thinking. My generation can now proudly add Nathan Asher & The Infantry as our contribution to the encyclopedia of musical genius." -- Altsounds.com, March 2006 "Drawing more similarities to classic heartland rock greats like Bruce Springsteen or Rhett Miller, Nathan Asher and The Infantry’s latest effort Sex Without Love has all the makings of an indie/underground hit. No matter your taste in music, a great song is a great song is a great song, and Sex Without Love has more than a couple of them. (4.95/5)" -- Kings of A&R, March 2006 “The Infantry--six-piece and explosive--sounds like a legendary hammer, bearing down and browbeating with volume.” -- Grayson Currin, Music Editor for The Independent Weekly - October 2005 "Nathan Asher is a powerful songwriter and astute social commentator. He sees with an unflinching eye. The Infantry drives with power. They play like a single, inseparable instrument." -- Steven Heller, three-time Grammy Award Winning Producer "Whatever else can be said about the state of rock 'n' roll nowadays, it's definitely running low on grandiose, over-the-top, larger-than-life, take-over-the-world ambition. Which is why it's so cool to have Nathan Asher & the Infantry in our midst, a group that does not think small. Front and center is Asher himself, a singer unafraid to reveal the deepest depths of himself in the most intense display of vocalizing emotion this side of American Music Club's Mark Eitzel.” –- David Menconi, Music Critic, News & Observer of Raleigh, NC "Asher's social ideology--think Springsteen's populist bent, Lennon's escapist maneuvers and Dylan's self-perpetuating puzzlement and folk-ethic pursuits--rises at the center, embittered, imploring and embattled by what it senses. The band takes Asher's wail well, driving from an initial Brit-pop-meets-American Beauty lilt to a thundering eight-minute mark on "No More Colleges," slapping out on snares, cymbals and an everybody-sing cadenza: "No colleges, graduations, We know who we are!" They channel Neil Young's Ol' Black Gibson unrest on the exploratory "Storms," an apocalyptic vision of the loner's possible deliverance." -- Grayson Currin, Music Editor for The Independent Weekly "This album is one of the most impressive to come out from the independent league of acts for a long time." -- Neufutur.com -- March 2006 http://www.nathanasher.com http://www.myspace.com/nathanasher Nathan Asher & the Infantry: Dan Abbate: Drums, Nick Abbate: Bass, Vocals Nathan Asher: Guitar & Vocals, Turner Brandon: Organ & Synth, Serino: Guitar & Vocals, and Lawson Taylor: Piano, Synth, Glasses & Vocals. Tracks: 1. Leave the South 2. Drift Away 3. Sex Without Love / a war 4. Storms 5. You Cannot Quit Smoking 6. Skipping Stones 7. So Long, So Short 8. No More Colleges 9. Thursday Night / Friday Morning