Reviews

The Hypno Rings are the worst band ever. We were gonna get them for our last Sorority Party, but my best friend warned me that they set up their speakers, and turn on all their instruments real loud, and then they make all kinds of weird noises. They don’t sing nice songs about love or having a good time, and the music is so ugly you can’t even dance to it. None of my friends like them or their music (I’d rather listen to "Hotline Bling").

-Jessica Amber Edwards, Isla Vista, CA

About The Band

Matthew Pelletier is the principal composer and musical director of THE HYPNO RINGS. He can play the guitar real good. He thought it would be fun to be a "serious composer", so he went to the library and learned what all the "little dots" do. Alex Lang and Jose Rangel are his roommates. Alex  is a physicist  and thinks human existence is meaningless (WE TEND TO AGREE). He plays bass guitar and likes to sing along to Teddy Pendergrass albums in his free time. Jose digs Jazz. He knows too many guitar chords to be a RESPECTABLE POP MUSICIAN. When the band  performs live, he sits on a chair and doesn't look up. Ian Stokes and Sammy Willenson are, along with Alex, promising  young physicists--handsome, wholesome, and excited to start a career building nuclear warheads for the Government. Ian grew up in Virginia and has long, dreaded  hair. He likes to sail. We invited him to jam with us a year ago and now WE CAN'T GET HIM TO LEAVE. Sammy is an excellent saxophonist. He stands front and center during live performances because we don't know where else to put him. Bryce Trigiani likes to climb big rocks, and he can drum full speed for 6 hours and not poop out. HE says he's only been drumming for a year. WE DON"T BELIEVE HIM.

We have spent the last year plotting and scheming our rise to the top. In some circles, our reputation has begun to precede us.

We would like to thank the following people for their contributions to the development of our music, attitude, and worldview.

Frank Zappa, Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, Rene Magritte, Igor Stravinski, Don Van Vilet, Charles Ives, Miki Dora, Edgard Varese, Jeff Beck, Robert Fripp, Steve Reich, Jaco Pastorius, Bill Evans, The Isley Brothers, Wes Montgomery, Eric Dolphy, Herbie Hancock, Euclid, George Duke, Norton Jester, Gustav Holtz, Tal Wilkenfeld, Harry Gesner, Wayne Shorter, Clara Rockmore, Duke Ellington, John Mcglaughlin, Fritz Klein (the composer), Robert Moog, Jerry Garcia, Miles Davis, Kevin Shields, Arnold Schoenberg, Henry Mancini, Joe Zawinul, Howard Roark, David Gilmour, Sir Issac Newton, Ornette Coleman, Andy Latimer, Dav Pilkey, John Coltrane, Scott Joplin, Nicolas Slonimsky, Keith Emerson, Vince Guaraldi, Bill Bruford, Thelonious Monk, Brian Wilson, Oliver Nelson, Danny Elfman, Gene Wilder, Anton Weburn, Dave Stewart, Roy Buchanan.

Photos by Lauren Wicks

Event: Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Festival, 2015