Martyrs are a young band with an old rock feel. The trio made up of Kyle Nicolaides (guitar/vocals), Avery Wheeler (bass/vocals), and Joey Benenati (drums) play a mean 70’s inspired garage rock featuring gritty, intense guitars with toe tapping, hip shaking drum beats. Add in fun and sexy lyrics delivered by the rasp and husky, yet sensual vocals of Nicolaides and you get a modern rock sound that you will instantly fall in love with.
Having only forming a year ago, the band has created impressive resume for themselves. They have shared a stage with punk legends the New York Dolls, Apple Corp. royalty Badfinger, and modern day bands Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Band of Skulls. They won the respect of legend, Alan Niven, former manger of Guns’n’Roses who called Martyrs debut “brilliant!,” and is an avid fan. In 2009, they headlined Santa Barbara’s 40 year traditional week-long festival, Fiesta, and performed at the first New Noise Conference and Festival, which featured such artists like Jack Johnson and Michael Franti. They were also hand picked by Marko of Sugarcult to perform on his online TV show, Raw Rhythms, featured on theStream.tv.
Listening to their self-recorded and self-produced debut album, you can hear the raw talent that this band possesses.
Stand out tracks are “You’re Electric,” “Shooting Star,” and “Sweet Girl”
The band is playing with Loomis and the Lust at Muddy Waters in Santa Barbara this Friday, January 29th. For more information on the band check them out on MySpace and Facebook and get their self-titled release now on 
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