{ "ok" : true, "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster", "description" : "sounds like synth pop walking down a dark alley", "location" : "OH, USA", "bio" : "If synth pop wandered into a dark alley and found itself viciously beaten by a gang of guitar distortion and layered rhythms, it might sound an awful lot like The Town Monster.\n\nThe band's 8-song release \"New Life\" had media citing influences as diverse as \"Midnite Vultures\" - era Beck to \"Ministry at its most crushing.\" The resulting melange is propulsively agressive and unrelentingly groovy. Oh, and it's a two-piece that's making all that racket.\n\nVocalist and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Photos rains down guitar riffs and shoots up synth lines with a vocal range that runs from black metal growl to Prince falsetto. Drummer Matt Grady's piercing beats add the right level of organic to the electronic, making this musical cyborg's eyes glow red.\n\nThe band has shared stages with appropriately diverse national acts including Weezer and Crystal Castles with radio airplay ranging from regular Top 5 play on local independent juggernaut CD102.5 in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to spins on L.A. modern rock staple KROQ.\n\nThe music all culminates in The Town Monster's crushing live show, an electro bath of sensory overload. It finds out what happens when noise becomes symphony.", "photo" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/img/the_town_monster.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/the_town_monster/", "albums" : [{ "sku" : "townmonster-aprjunnv", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, April to June (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Folk-Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["quirky","mysterious","dark","energetic","dramatic"], "uses" : ["gaming","trailer","sci-fi or space","emotional storytelling","podcast background","comedy"], "energy" : 4, "instrumentation" : ["synths","bass","acoustic piano","electric piano","banjo","drum machine"], "sounds_like" : ["Radiohead","Faith No More"], "summary" : "A dark, quirky synth-pop and prog-rock album blending electronic intensity with folk-tinged brightness, ideal for sci-fi, gaming, or dramatic storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20April%20to%20June%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-aprjunnv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-aprjunnv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-aprjunnv" },{ "sku" : "townmonster-janmarnv", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, January to March (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Folk-Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["mysterious","melancholic","nostalgic","ominous","dreamy","reflective"], "uses" : ["podcast background","documentary","emotional storytelling","film score","trailer","sci-fi or space"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["synths","acoustic guitar","piano","drum machine","orchestra samples","glitched-out drum loops"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Synth pop with dark, icy piano and glitched drums, blending electropop, folk-rock, and prog elements—ideal for atmospheric podcast backgrounds or moody documentary scoring.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20January%20to%20March%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-janmarnv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-janmarnv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-janmarnv" },{ "sku" : "townmonster-julseptnv", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, July to September (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["nostalgic","melancholic","dreamy","reflective","tender","ethereal"], "uses" : ["podcast background","emotional storytelling","documentary","vlog","slideshow or memories","meditation or yoga"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","piano","synths","drum kit","male vocals"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "A bouncy yet somber synth-pop and alt-rock album with acoustic guitars, piano, and ethereal textures—ideal for reflective, nostalgic, or emotionally nuanced video and podcast projects.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20July%20to%20September%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-julseptnv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-julseptnv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-julseptnv" },{ "sku" : "townmonster-octdecnv", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, October to December (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["dark","ominous","tense","dramatic","mysterious","aggressive"], "uses" : ["horror or thriller","trailer","film score","gaming","podcast background","emotional storytelling"], "energy" : 5, "instrumentation" : ["synths","theremin","screaming guitars","drum machine","piano","real drums"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "A dark, intense synth-pop and alt-rock album with horror-themed lyrics, chaotic live studio energy, and layered instrumentation—ideal for horror, trailers, and dramatic storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20October%20to%20December%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-octdecnv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-octdecnv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-octdecnv" },{ "sku" : "townmonster-octdec", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, October to December", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2013-10-07", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["dark","ominous","tense","dramatic","mysterious","aggressive"], "uses" : ["horror or thriller","trailer","film score","gaming","podcast background","emotional storytelling"], "energy" : 5, "instrumentation" : ["synths","theremin","screaming guitars","drum machine","piano","real drums"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "A dark, intense synth-pop and alt-rock album with horror-themed lyrics, chaotic live studio energy, and layered instrumentation—ideal for horror, trailers, and dramatic storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20October%20to%20December/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-octdec/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-octdec", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-octdec" },{ "sku" : "townmonster-julsept", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, July to September", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2013-07-14", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["nostalgic","melancholic","dreamy","reflective","tender","ethereal"], "uses" : ["podcast background","emotional storytelling","documentary","vlog","slideshow or memories","meditation or yoga"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","piano","synths","drum kit","male vocals"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "A bouncy yet somber synth-pop and alt-rock album with acoustic guitars, piano, and ethereal textures—ideal for reflective, nostalgic, or emotionally nuanced video and podcast projects.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20July%20to%20September/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-julsept/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-julsept", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-julsept" },{ "sku" : "townmonster-aprjun", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, April to June", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2013-05-05", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Folk-Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["quirky","mysterious","dark","energetic","dramatic"], "uses" : ["gaming","trailer","sci-fi or space","emotional storytelling","podcast background","comedy"], "energy" : 4, "instrumentation" : ["synths","bass","acoustic piano","electric piano","banjo","drum machine"], "sounds_like" : ["Radiohead","Faith No More"], "summary" : "A dark, quirky synth-pop and prog-rock album blending electronic intensity with folk-tinged brightness, ideal for sci-fi, gaming, or dramatic storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20April%20to%20June/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-aprjun/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-aprjun", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-aprjun" },{ "sku" : "townmonster-janmar", "name" : "Ohio Sessions, January to March", "artist" : { "name" : "The Town Monster", "page" : "the_town_monster" }, "release_date" : "2013-04-04", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Folk-Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["mysterious","melancholic","nostalgic","ominous","dreamy","reflective"], "uses" : ["podcast background","documentary","emotional storytelling","film score","trailer","sci-fi or space"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["synths","acoustic guitar","piano","drum machine","orchestra samples","glitched-out drum loops"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Synth pop with dark, icy piano and glitched drums, blending electropop, folk-rock, and prog elements—ideal for atmospheric podcast backgrounds or moody documentary scoring.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/The%20Town%20Monster/Ohio%20Sessions,%20January%20to%20March/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/townmonster-janmar/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/townmonster-janmar", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=townmonster-janmar" }] }, "license" : { "music_license" : "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 1.0)", "music_license_url" : "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/", "listening" : "Stream the free previews, or buy an album for $8 to download it in MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, OGG or WAV. 100% of the price goes to the musician.", "non_commercial" : "Non-commercial projects may use the music under CC BY-NC-SA 1.0: credit the artist and Magnatune, and share alike.", "projects" : "Magnatune members may use any Magnatune music in their projects, commercial or not (videos, films, podcasts, games, apps, websites, adverts), including work for clients, under the Magnatune Project Licence. Projects released while a member stay licensed for good; new projects need an active membership. Credit is required. TV or radio broadcast, cinema, and background music in shops, restaurants or on-hold lines are not included: license those from the musician. Membership: $10/month, $99/year or $299 lifetime; agents can buy one themselves with MPP at /api/member-pass ($10 month, $99 year, $299 lifetime, one-off).", "projects_status" : "available", "projects_signup" : "https://magnatune.com/member/signup", "royalty_free" : "Membership is royalty-free licensing: no per-video, per-download or per-view fees, for every project created and released while a member.", "youtube" : "YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts: members may use the clean songs in monetized videos. Members register their YouTube channel (the set_youtube_channel MCP tool, or their account page) so YouTube's Content ID doesn't claim their videos. The free versions carry a spoken Magnatune voice and are non-commercial (CC BY-NC-SA), so they're not for monetized channels or client work.", "details" : "https://magnatune.com/info/licensing", "how_to_credit" : "Name the artist and \"Magnatune\", with a link to the album's web_url." } }