QC Songwriter: Centaur Noir

Got an open mind?

Ok.  Proceed.

I'm a big fan of Jon Burns.  Regular listeners of The Bill Stage Radio Show hear what fans of Jon's previous band Meth & Goat's know as a song called "Wolf Style".  I play it at the top of every hour as I pre-sell the upcoming songs.

I didn't ask for permission to do this.  I probably should have.  That was a dick move. Sorry, Jon.

Jon was the singer of Meth & Goats...an incredible band!  At The Drive-In meets Mike Patton. I still love this band and I was bummed out when they played their last show.

Jon, being a true artist...in every sense of the word, moved on to other projects. Photography, painting and a band called Centaur Noir.

This band is unlike the noisy distorted screamy punk/math rock of M&G. Centaur Noir is a blend of 80's Casio keyboard & indy pop.  It took me a while to get used to Jon not singing into a distorted mic, but I'm still a fan.

This episode of QC Songwriter sounds different than all the rest because Jon is Jon and I wouldn't have it any other way...although at some point, I'd like to hear what his real voice sounds like and break through that thick candy shell.

01. Name of the band
Centaur Noir

02. Members of the band and what they do
Jon Burns on all instruments and vocals with a steady cast of friends collaborating.

03. What kind of music
It's mostly all electronic based in nature, but with a wide variety of influences from rock and r&b to pop, hip hop, new wave, and dance music.

04. Influences
I honestly try to not be too directly influenced by anything in particular. I would say though that I am influenced in songwriting by many great punk and folk artists and that I've been on a huge early 90's dance music kick lately.

05. Where to find your music
You can find most of Centaur Noir's music for free on the bandcamp and I have a slew of music videos on my youtube page, but it's also available on itunes, spotify, and a whole bunch of other online music sources.
https://centaurnoir.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/jonnybeevideos
https://www.facebook.com/centaurnoir

06. Where the band is from
Moline Illinois, born and raised.

07. Contact information for booking
centaurnoir@gmail.com

08. Any equipment or product endorsements
Not at the moment, but if someone wants to pay me I'm down.

09. Upcoming shows you'd like to promote
Saturday August 13th at Tommy's Bar in Moline with The Curls, Tambourine, and Subatlantic

10. Have you opened for any regional or national bands
I have, but my favorite shows are the ones I've done with my friends. Idpyramid, Tambourine, Baby Alchemy, The Multiple Cat, Gosh, Le Roy, just to name a few.

11. Favorite band memory of accomplishment
Some of my favorite memories playing live music involve being on the road with people I love and meeting new friends. Waking up bleary-eyed the next morning on someone's couch and searching out the nearest source of coffee.

You can download the song for free at the bandcamp
https://centaurnoir.bandcamp.com/track/lean-on-me

If you’d like to be a part of Quad Cities Songwriter on 97X, or would like to nominate someone, email: BillStage@97X.com for more information.