The Autumn Film / The Big Motif / Tito Malaga Band

“Like a post-collegiate Fiona Apple jamming with Snow Patrol, The Autumn Film serves up a piano-drenched sincerity topped off with a voice that’s wise and heartbroken beyond its years” (The Onion).

The Autumn Film has a voice you’d swear you’ve heard before, although the band was voted “Best Band to Come out of Nowhere” by The Westword. Al-Attas’ voice is completely her own. It’s a huge voice, like an old friend, telling you secrets one minute, reassuring you the next. It’s spiritual, soothing, soft, but powerful enough to fill a room. It leaves goose bumps over and over again, each time the opening notes sound.

The record feels epic, and makes love sound as all-encompassing as it feels when you first find it. It’s at once intimate and larger than life, and utterly honest and confident.

The Autumn Film didn’t really come out of nowhere, I suppose. All the band members have been making music for years. But I share the feeling of The Westword writers, wondering where this major talent has been hiding for so long.

The Big Motif plays rock music in a way that can be described in one word: naked.

Since its inception in 2005, The Big Motif has been an evolving musical expression with roots in blues, jazz, reggae, psychedelic, funk, and rock. Recognized as youth prodigy's early on, the band has matured and developed into strong songwriters with a unique flair. Founding members Tony Pacello(guitar/vocals) and Hunter Roberts(bass/vocals) are both in their early 20’s and are expanding the sound of the band as 2012 moves forward. 

he Big Motif released its debut CD in 2010 to positive reviews at both press and radio, and then followed up in 2011 with a more straight ahead rock oriented release entitled “Does it Weigh Heavy.” Both releases have garnered critical praise along the way and the band has played over 200 shows since the release of its debut. Frank Gutch Jr, from RockandReprise.net puts it like this: “The Big Motif, a band that if I didn't know better I would swear formed just to prove to me that what I've been saying all these years--- that music really is timeless--- is true. It's like they picked my brain for a handful of my best musical moments and put them all together in a new package.”

This unique hybrid of cultures and styles was originally founded by Samir El Yesfi (TITO), born in Tetouan, Morocco. From the very first time he played the Arabic lute at the age of 16, he's aspired to master the musical styles from Latin America that derive from Native American, Spanish, African, Islamic and Arabic cultures and hybridize them with traditional Moroccan folk music (G'nawa) that is often combined with tastes of the Andalusian region of Southern Spain. This succulent blend is reflected in the rich cultural and musical diversities which are brought by the other members in TDBM which, collectively, share more than half a century of experience . Pianist/ Keyboardist Djorje Vasovic (Tito) of Serbia. Guitarist M'hammed Elmendra (Tito "El Gran Pichon") of Casablanca, Morocco. Bassist Kenny Villanueva (Tito) American born Mexicano. Drummer/ Percussionist and Vocalist "ZAY" Alejandro Rios (Tito-"ZAH")) American born Taino (Puerto Rican Indigenous Tribal Council Member). Conguero/ Multi-Percussionist Ryan Mullin (Tito) of Des Moines, Iowa and the California Music Collective. Local Teacher, Multi-Percussionist/ Conguero Steve Contreras (Tito) of Peru, and occasional guests...

BAND MEMBERS 

Ibrahim Romo - guitar rythm

Matt Pitts - alto sax

Mike Smith - piano and melodica

Jered Jhonson - soprano sax and flute

Tim Friesen - bass

Kaivon Tolooee - cajon, congas, bongos, daf, derbuka

Alejandro Cubano - timbales, bongos and congas