"It's powerful pop music and it makes you want to go f***ing crazy," said Daryl Palumbo, lead singer of the rock-electronica group Head Automatica. The New York Cit-based frontman couldn't be more truthful.
With the tour dates supporting the group's last record "Decadence," which is now only a memory, Palumbo is preparing to pilot this ultra-edgy pop group through another tour supporting his next release, "Popaganda."
Palumbo has a report card of musical experience that stretches from jamming in several New York City hardcore groups when he was in his teens to forming and fronting the widely successful Long Island hardcore group Glassjaw.
"Glassjaw is still there but it's just slowed down. We're still a band," Palumbo said. Rumors have been sweeping across Internet fan sites that Glassjaw has broken up.
"I'm not really breaking free from Glassjaw," he said. "I did the big tour thing on a major level for over a decade and it took up every second of my life. I guess I needed a fresh outlet. I wanted to write more music by taking things from a stockpile of musical influences from my younger teen years, so I formed Head Automatica on Warner Bros. and three years later had the record 'Decadence.' "
Palumbo's new outlet through Head Automatica may have been just what Glassjaw fans needed.
"I think the fans from Glassjaw dig Head Automatica just as much as the new fans, and that does matter to me if they like it," he said. "Actually, I want everyone to like it. I make music for everyone. It is something to bring people together."
The value of Palumbo's music to the listener is important to him. The old-school style of hardcore writing was to write your music without being conscious of the listeners' approval. If they don't like it, too bad.
"I like the Head Automatica tunes a lot. In the old days it was like if you didn't play heavy music, it was like 'ah, f*** it,' but I think the listeners sort of grew up with me as I grew as a songwriter," Palumbo said.
The new record "Popaganda" is overseen by noted producer Howard Benson, who also produced tracks "Razor" and "Beating Heart Baby" from "Decadence."
"I liked him because he got things out of me that sounded really great," Palumbo said. "Howard Benson and his team make for great recordings and great pop records. I'm very happy about 'Popaganda.' "
Whereas any great record will contain a number of hits, there is always a radio single.
"I guess the single off the new one would be 'Graduation Day,' which should have an April release date," Palumbo said. "We will be playing new music from the new record in Buffalo on Feb. 17. We have been gradually playing new stuff all along the tour."
The boys in Head Automatica are enjoying playing the new music just as much as fans want to hear it.
"We are all into playing the new hits more than the old s***," Palumbo said.
It's a good thing, because Palumbo and his group will have to play the new material four to five nights a week.
"Playing live is pretty much my favorite thing in the entire world to do," he said. "Nothing makes me happier than that. We don't dread it and it doesn't make us scared, we know how we want to act and sound, and we enjoy touring and playing live and we definitely enjoy being together. It gets us so happy just being onstage and together."
Being on the road can be a critical chapter for groups. Spending so much time together can create angst among members or it can bring them closer. Either way, there are always methods of release while off stage.
"We're not too zany on the road. We more or less like hanging out and laying low. Just relaxing and smoking," Palumbo said.
Head Automatica writes pop gems that give people a reason to dance. You can check out their music on myspace.com/headautomatica.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
