Once cited as Mike Pattons favorite bands, give it a chance...Once you hear "New Car" and "Insects" you'll be instantly hooked!
The Kids of Widney High is a music group composed of mentally disabled students from the special education J. P. Widney High School in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of several (typically mentally) disabled students on vocals, with the instruments usually being played by non-handicapped teachers and session musicians. The group originally began as a song-writing class in 1988 taught by Michael Monagan, and has evolved since into two groups, one made up of graduates that performs in local clubs and the other a group of current Widney students in the songwriting class.
The group gained a cult following, primarily thanks to their frequent live performances at such "hip" Los Angeles venues like The Knitting Factory and Amoeba Music, as well as smaller veunues like Chain Reaction in Anaheim and The Smell in downtown LA. As a result, the group often plays (seemingly mismatched) at a number of ska and pop punk shows, including a stint on the Vans Warped Tour. The group has also opened for The Melvins and Mr. Bungle, and have been included on several editions of the Kevin and Bean's KROQ Christmas Albums. Such notable musicians as Smokey Robinson, Jackson Browne, Marilyn Manson and Adam Horovitz have all cited themselves as fans of the band. [1]
In 2005, The Kids of Widney High were featured in the The Ringer, a comedy wherein Johnny Knoxville's character pretends to be mentally disabled in order to fix the Special Olympics and gain financially through betting on it. The group is seen performing "Pretty Girls" (which was also written by several members of the group) at a dance, and again towards the end of the film singing a version of the popular 1960s song, "Respect" in which the lyrics have been rewritten so that it becomes an anthem for those with disabilities.
Their songs have been covered by such groups as The Aquabats singing Throw Away the Trash and Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk singing Insects.
Released in Japan on January 1, 2008. The album features guest appearances by Iggy Pop, Mike Patton, Serj Tankian, Maximum Bob, Killah Priest and others. It has been speculated that the US release delay has to do with contractual difficulties between the artists and their various record labels. It is currently only available for purchase by ordering it from Japan. Click to Download mp3 - 320kbps rar - 83mb
Experimenting for the first time as a film composer, Patton's work will accompany the upcoming film noir short A Perfect Place, a story about two blundering friends trying to dispose of a body. A dual-disc package, including the DVD of the film and Patton's original score on CD.
'Athlantis' is something like an oratorio, with the incredible singers Mike Patton and Jessika Kenney on the main parts. Inspired by Renaissance era literature and philosophy, 'Athlantis' was a chance for Eyvind Kang to interact with one of his favourites Giordano Bruno and his book 'Cantus Circaeus'. He studied and set the text, combining obscure poems from Bishop Marbode of Rennes, and some lines from the Hungarian epic 'Planctus Destructionis', he did the ground work and created the musical space. All of the singers, choir and soloists, came in and inhabited it and made it their own.
Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot (2007) One of three CD's Bucket released October 30, 2007. This one being the most musical. Not as "complex" as Pepper's Ghost, (still my fave), but still an excellent release. Enjoy!
“Mondo Cane” arrangiaments e vocal interpretations of italian tunes from the 50’s & 60’s for voice, ensemble, small chorus, orchestra
Arrangiaments by Mike Patton & Roy Paci Mike Patton voice (USA) Roy Paci trumpet (Italy) Ensemble (theremin/elettronics, synthetizer/samples, el. bass/bass, el. guitar, drums) Small chorus (2 male voices, 2 female voices) Orchestra Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini Aldo Sisillo conductor Project for the Angelica Festival 2007
Grabado el 25 de Mayo del 2007 en el Teatro Comunal De Modena,Italia Click to download
May. 26, 2007 Parme, Italy Piazzale delle Terme Berzieri Salsomaggiore Click to Download
There's also a video for the 1st show: Teatro Rossini, Lugo, Italia (Avi) Click to Download
