Press

Audio Fiction's Press

Audio Fiction Press dazzlers

New York Post
�The power-pop act embraces the best of '90s-style pop-rock� � Maxine Shen

New York Daily News
�New York pop-rock band Audio Fiction �.. rose to fame with its "Garbage meets No Doubt" sound and energetic live shows. Fans love the band's catchy riffs, unique guitar solos and deceptively serious lyrics� - Patty Lee

The Aquarian Weekly
�This band has an attitude of NYC-sized proportions and that makes their able-to-dance-to pop punk music a winner� - Francesca Baratta

The Deli Magazine
�perfectly melding together luscious harmonies with a rowdy edge�delectably addictive cake� - Stephanie Freitag

QuirkyNYChick music blog
�Pop rock force de triomphe!�

LA Beat
�No doubt, Audio Fiction could be huge� � Richard Amery


Gothamist
�They put on a kick-ass live show!� � Jen Carlson

Page Six - New York Post
Scroll down below for AF's numerous mentions in Page Six.

Hot Press Magazine - Ireland
"Band to watch!"

Early Audio Fiction self titled debut album reviews
reviews summary

Three Star Smash
Like "Garbage and No Doubt fell into a rusted blender from the �80s. Their self-titled debut froths over with sunny, effortless melody tempered with biting, scandalous lyrics and an infectious attitude.....Double X chromosome swagger and Siouxsie peek-a-boos tag team the slick, and at times face-melting guitar, such as on the Hendrixian octave madness of standout �Kite High's� soaring licks"

LA Beat
"�No doubt, Audio Fiction could be huge� Read full review here


MeetnowLive.com
"'Suffocate,' ...is absolutely menacing!!! Kristin gives such a powerful performance while at times sounding vulnerable..... This band can be sweet times, but if you mess with them, they WILL throw a chair in your face.

Two One Five Magazine
Audio Fiction�s self-titled debut brings plenty of bluesy punch and slick professionalism to a � set of festival-ready modern rock songs

Popwreckoning
"Audio Fiction�s self-titled Audio Fiction has the recipe for success...There are moments where the star quality of the album does shine through"

Rock is Life
Audio Fiction can be a little punk, a little ska, or a little rock and roll. No matter how you refer to their musical style, their latest release is sure to get you off your feet and moving to their hypnotic rhythms and radiant vocals.

Previous Audio Fiction reviews of "Songs in the Key of Orange Alert"
EP reviews summary

"Tick Tock," is deliriously enjoyable ear candy..." - Neumu.net

"Next-wave power-pop band from New York ....sounding like a Blondie-meets-No-Doubt hybrid" - Curve Magazine

"Impenetrable,.....is a moody, smoky jazz-club crooner..." - The Aquarian, JJ Koczan

"Tick Tock," a cheery power pop marshmallow with deceptively caustic lyrics that rally against the war effort" - The Irish Voice , Mike Farragher

"...they put on a kick ass live show" - Gothamist

"Audio Fiction's version of the future involves a piercing gaze into the past..." Popmatters.com, Zeth Lundy

"...a great New York-based band that combines cool pop hooks with an anti-authority bent" - The Rock & Roll Report

"The handful of pop nuggets found in the pocket of NYC's Audio Fiction presents the audience with plenty of sounds to make them listen..." IndieMusic Explosion

"...the band is on the right path and moving with rapid precision toward becoming serious players." - Gay City News (article)

"...strong vocals and rhythm, good song structures and a balance of dark, deep and sometimes depressing vibes with rocked-up dance tunes and a throw-back vibe." - Score Music Magazine

New York Post - PAGE SIX


PAGE SIX, January 2010 - We Hear THAT indie rock band Audio Fiction spent just $350 making the video for their single, "Way Out," which they debuted at Pianos on Ludlow Street last night Read more: New York Post's Page Six


PAGE SIX, November 2007 - Drumming it into Imelda November 27, 2007 -- ROCK 'n' roll and politics don't always mix. Mark O'Toole, Irish drummer for New York rock band Audio Fiction, was taking a break from recording the other night in Makati, a ritzy area of Manila, when a Filipino friend pointed out Imelda Marcos, the widow of greedy dictator Ferdinand Marcos. "There were about 15 customers in the People's Choice restaurant, all ignoring her," O'Toole e-mailed us. "After a cou ple of beers, I said to myself, 'What the heck?' and marched up to her. How often does one get an oppor tunity to have a dig at a tyrant?" When the Marcoses fled the Philippines in 1986, Imelda left behind 15 mink coats, 888 handbags and 1,060 pairs of shoes. "So I introduced myself, and asked could I borrow a pair of shoes for my lead singer, Kristin. Needless to say, Imelda was not amused," O'Toole related. But soon ev eryone recognized the former first lady: "People started to take pictures, and then everyone was lining up for a shot of her." Audio Fiction plays the Rock 45 Room in Times Square Dec. 13, and their next album drops in March. New York Post's Page Six

PAGE SIX, June 2005 - Sightings ANNA Sui at CBGB catching Audio Fiction accompanied by Metropolitan Opera violinist Katherine Fong, whose performance blew the crowd away.

Page Six -Taxicab Treat, Feb, 2005 TAMAR and Mayteana, two topless karaoke singers featured on a recent episode of HBO's "Taxicab Confessions," showed up at Arlene's Grocery the other night to see Audio Fiction, the group whose drummer, Mark O'Toole, wound up on the same episode. When the girls left at the end of the night and got into a cab, the driver recognized them because he'd seen the show a few days before. The cabby was so thrilled, in fact, he gave them a free ride home

New York Daily News - Rush & Molloy & OK Magazine April, 2005(Europe)
A stroke of Chivarly

Fabrizio Moretti obviously isn't paying any mind to reports that he and Drew Barrymore have split. The Strokes drummer was ready to fight for his beloved the other night at the Beauty Bar. Our spywitness says the trouble started when "a dorky-looking guy" started laying a rap on the "Charlie's Angels" star. Fabrizio didn't like what he saw. After he told the dude to get lost, there "was a little push and shove," says our spy. "Fabrizio was defending his girl's honor."

Things got hairier still when fellow drummer Mark O'Toole, of Audio Fiction, tried to rescue his gal pal from the fracas by lifting her off a bar stool. Except that the lady he grabbed turned out to be Barrymore. O'Toole tells us: "Fabrizio was polite to me. He knew I was trying to get her out of the way." Click Here to read the madness

New York Daily News - Rush & Molloy Feb 2005
O'Toole's Confession

It was just another 5 a.m. cab ride for Audio Fiction drummer Mark O'Toole and he was feeling so fine, he didn't even notice the 15-minute journey turning into 45.
The Irish rocker chatted on about meeting a stripper the night of the 2003 blackout and taking her home as well as his obsession with 36DD breasts - until he saw the meter and flipped.
The driver had to confess that it had all been recorded for an episode of HBO's "Taxicab Confessions," which will air tomorrow night.
O'Toole will probably be more cautious after the band's gig at Arlene's Grocery Thursday night - or not.

Gothamist Interview
Sets and The City - Jen Carlson
Aug 2004--We've had a chance to listen to the band Audio Fiction recently and thought they'd be perfect to tell you about this week. Why? Because the RNC is in town, and this band is most likely doing everything in its creative power to counter the Republican agenda. Stop. Pause. And thank them now. Not to pigeon-hole them as only a politically driven band they are catchy pop rock with a message. Check them out now, we haven't heard a voice like Mimi's since...well, we don't know when, but Gwen Stefani comes to mind. And we hear they put on a kick ass live show, which you can catch starting this November.
Go to Article

Hot Press Magazine
Ireland Tour- Shilpa Ganatra

After a successful mini tour of Ireland last year, the band were honored to read that they made Ireland's version of Rolling Stone - Hot Press Magazine's Hot Pick for 2006 �bands to watch�. Check the article out here Hot Press Magazine.

GO NYC Magazine
Soundtracks of Our Lives

The New York based band Audio Fiction, described as "a cross between Blondie and No Doubt with a touch of 10,000 Maniacs," nicely emulates the '80s sound. The four rocking guys and fabulously chic front woman, Mimi Ferraro, churn out tunes that sound Reagan-era but whose subjects are decidedly au courant. From former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge's quickly abandonded color-coded terror wheel that surfaced after 9/11 to the anti-war effort, Audio Fiction makes no bones about it - war is a bummer.

Their first single, "Tick Tock," meshes pop sounds with a heavy message: "Life is good if you're on the right side/I dropped a bomb and killed your cat/wondering if I missed your dog." Ferraro's baby-soft voice is well-suited and haunting in the album's first three tracks. She sings a pretty song, but sounds better when infused with a little grit, as in the final two tracks, "Impenetrable" and "Don't Do It."

Audio Fiction gave the city a taste of Songs in the Key of Orange Alert at a pre-release party for the album at Crash Mansion last summer. The band plays Arlene Grocery on Feb 10. " Winny McCroy - GO NYC Feb 2005

Yahoo News - Violin Rocker � from The Metropolitan Opera to CBGB's in a day


A week after the opera season closed with a performance of Tosca at the Lincoln Centre, Met violinist Katherine Fong, stood on the main stage of the soon to close venerable CBGB's with rock band Audio Fiction. After that she ended up in the country's most famous gossip column - The New York Post's Page Six. That was just her first "gig."

(New York, NY) August 5, 2005 -- When one thinks of classical music, one conjures up an audience sitting quietly immersed in symphonic works, chamber music, opera, and ballet. However, in the last several years, artists from Metallica to Coldplay have been using strings in their music to enhance their rock sound. Most recently violinists, such as Miri Ben-Ari (hip-hop), Andrew Bird and Sean Mackin (Yellowcard) , no longer the background track on an album, have been taking center stage with rock acts.

However, Metropolitan Opera violinist Katherine Fong�s path was quite different. A week after the opera season closing night of Tosca at the Met, she stood on the main stage at the soon to close venerable CBGB's with rock band Audio Fiction and ended up in the New York Post's Page Six gossip column. That was just her first "gig." Gone is the conservative black evening attire, only to be replaced on stage with short skirts, fishnet stockings and pigtails in her hair. Read the article here.

Aeki Tuesday - feature interview


When Audio Fiction, a NYC based female fronted rock band, released their EP "Songs in the Key of Orange Alert" late August of last year, the timing couldn't have been more ironic. NYC's Orange Alert status was declared on the very same day. Described as a cross between Blondie and No Doubt (Fortunately Ferraro's voice isn't as girly as Stefani's) with a touch of The Pretenders, Audio Fiction is set to make catchy pop and danceable songs. Though their first single "Tick Tock" is slightly political, the rest of the album is far from it.

This interview is in two parts. The first was conducted as an email interview. The second part was conducted when we met with members of Audio Fiction in a small restaurant on Cinco de Mayo for great food and lots of laughs. Click Here to read the deliciousness

The Aquarian - feature interview


The Aquarian. Click here to read

Curve Magazine - feature interview July 2005


CURVE writer Jennifer Corday got the scoop on New York-based feisty lead singer of indie pop-rock band Audio Fiction. Their self-released album, Songs in the Key of Orange Alert, is available now at www.audiofictionband.com. Click her to read the Curve Magazine article

The Rock & Roll Report.com

What do you get when you combine two Dubliners, a South-African by the way of Austria and a Natile Merchant-esque Princeton grad? What you get is Audio Fiction, a great New York-based band that combines cool pop hooks with an anti-authority bent. "Songs in the Key of Orange Alert" was inspired by the New York "terror alert" status under which the songs were written so there is a definite political tinge to the songs but none as overt as on the great anti-war song "Tick Tock."

I have heard that the band are being compared as something like a cross between Blondie and No Doubt with a touch of Pretenders thrown in for good measure but really when it somes down to it, Audio Fiction have something to say and the fact that they can do that in a form that is danceable speaks volumes for their future. This 6 song EP has a lot of cool stuff with "Tick Tock" and "Wanna be Wild" among my particular favourites.

Pretty cool stuff in my books and a definite refreshing left turn from the stuff I usually listen to. Give 'em a try and look out for an appearance by their drummer Mark O'Toole on a current episode of HBO's "Taxicab Confessions!" You can sample the tunes from the EP on the "Music" section of their website.

HBO's Taxicab Confessions - PR Newswire


New York, NY -- Mark O'Toole, Irish drummer & lyricist with upcoming New York rock band Audio Fiction is an unwitting star of the series premiere of HBO's Emmy- award winning show 'Taxicab Confessions: New York, New York: America Undercover.' O'Toole and a friend hopped into one of the show�s rigged cabs on the way home from a party. None of the passengers were aware that their conversations were being captured with hidden lipstick cameras and microphones until the ride was over. Airs on HBO Sat Feb 5th. The band plays Arlene's Grocery, NYC, Thurs Feb 10th. Stay tuned......
Click Here to read the piece

Yahoo News
ROCK BAND HAS REPUBLICANS SEEING ORANGE
August 30th, 2004 (New York, NY) -- Some Republicans have been seething about New York rock band Audio Fiction's just released single "Tick Tock"; a subtle attack on George W. Bush and his reasons for invading Iraq. As lyrics in the song say, "life is good if your on the right side" perfectly epitomizes the attitude of the Bush administration according to some critics. "Tick Tock" is their first single from their debut record Songs in the Key of Orange Alert. The band denies that the timing of the GOP convention is related to the release schedule.

Irish Voice
New & Old New Wave
2004(New York, NY) -- Early �80s New Wave is being reinvented by stylish New York/Irish band Audio Fiction, who have just released a new Bush-bashing EP entitled Songs In the Key of Orange Alert.

That�s what I said to myself when I placed my checkered Van slip-on shoes into the closet after being roundly ridiculed at a family barbecue a few years ago. Now, the men�s magazines are full of models wearing the shoes made popular on the new wave celluloid classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. At another barbecue a few weeks ago, my college-age cousin was sick with envy as I walked the backyard in all my checkered glory ...Click Here to read on

The Bray People, Wicklow Ireland
Audio Fiction Release Their Debut CD

Bray-born musician and his band are causing quite a storm in America at the moment.

Originally from Bray, drummer Mark O'Toole, and his New York based rock band, Audio Fiction have been making quite a name for themselves with the recent release of their debut single, 'Tick Tock'.

Taken from their forthcoming six-track EP, 'Songs in the Key of Orange Alert', the debut single is a subtle attack on American president, George W. Bush and his reasons for invading Iraq.

'The song is certainly inspired by Bush's march into Iraq looking for non-existent weapons of mass destruction. But we're not all politics - it's a catchy pop song,' lead singer Mimi Ferraro said.

Mark, the drummer in the band and the son of Des O'Toole of the Harbour Bar in Bray, echoed his singer's sentiments saying 'We're a rock band. We are not a part of any organization but hey, it would be nice if Washington actually paid New York City the money it promised us for homeland security.'

However, despite Mark's assertion that they are first and foremost a rock band, the song has already been embraced by Democrats and Liberals alike in questioning the Bush administration's policies in Iraq.

Audio Fiction's music has been described as a cross between Blondie, No Doubt and Four Non Blondes and they have received substantial airplay from a number of high-profile stations in the states.

Audio Fiction's debut CD will be available in Ireland in January and the band hope to do an Irish tour in March.

Rock Band Has Republicans Seeing Orange
PR Newswire
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 29, 2004 -- Some Republicans have been seething about New York rock band Audio Fiction's just released single "Tick Tock", a subtle attack on George W. Bush and his reasons for invading Iraq. As lyrics in the song say, "life is good if you're on the right side" perfectly epitomizes the attitude of the Bush administration according to some critics. "Tick Tock" is their first single from their debut record Songs in the Key of Orange Alert. The band denies that the timing of the GOP convention is related to the release schedule.

"The song is certainly inspired by Bush's march into Iraq looking for non-existent WMD's. But we're not all politics -- it's a catchy pop song," says lead singer Mimi Ferraro. She then quipped, "but I could see why the chorus line, 'I am the American Psycho' would bother the Republicans." Mark O'Toole, drummer for the band, dismissed recent talk that the band is affiliated with MoveOn.org . "We're a rock band. We are not a part of any organization but hey, it would be nice if Washington actually paid New York City the money it promised us for homeland security." Ed Gillespie, Chairman of the Republican National Committee declined to comment.

The Irish Echo
The Buzz
"Up-and-coming local band Audio Fiction will celebrate the release of their debut album, "Songs in the Key of Orange Alert", on Tuesday, Aug 3, with a party at Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery at Spring Street, NYC. Actually, the bash is sort of a pre-release party, but they've assured me that there will be some CD's on hand, so just go and have a good time. The title, incidentally, was inspired by the New York terror alert status in effect at the time the songs were written, so I guess you'll want to be prepared for a sharper than usual Big Apple edge." -Eileen Murphy, July 30, 2004

I Wanna Be Ripped to Pieces
Rachel Kramer Bussel - Village Voice columist & Lusty Lady blogger ...we booked over to Crash Mansion where luckily Audio Fiction hadn't started yet.... ...they rock... literally. I hadn't seen them play in a long time so it was quite the treat, and they did an amazing job. Their songs are so catchy and that was just what I needed in my head today, especially "Wanna Be Wild" and "Race the Hourglass" cause yesterday I had all this Elliott Smith and Aimee Mann, specifically "I Didn't Understand" and "I Should've Known," on top of nightmares about running into people, and seeing Mimi just destroy that song was awesome. I did get a little teary during "Impenetrable" but the rest was awesome rock, and I want to go see them more whenever they start playing shows again cause I missed that band. Even though I had to leave the show early so didn't get my copy of "Songs in the Key of Orange Alert," those are amazing songs and you should totally check out Audio Fiction. And I kinda related to "Wanna Be Wild," just that whole sense of getting lost in someone, just that whole energy. - - Rachel Kramer Bussel