Botanica

seen live

Led by erstwhile Firewater co-conspirator and international piano man Paul Wallfisch, Botanica is a band named for those mysterious stores stocking spells, potions and artifacts of ritual. Botanica makes punk rock chamber music for the 21st century. Paul’s gypsy past has taken him to 40 countries, including performances of various sorts in in China, Finland, Indonesia and Guinea--where he became an overnight sensation lipsynching on the only TV show in the land. Past lives saw collaboration with Love & Rockets, Congo Norvell, Stiv Bators, Syl Sylvain, Stan Ridgeway and a parade of French people as diverse as Anne Pigalle and Johnny Hallyday. Bridging the gap between Secret Machines and The Dresden Dolls, Botanica produces dark, gritty, epic, acid, sexy music that is neither blind to politics nor ignorant of romance. Called the sonic equivalent of an Aki Kaurismaki film by Intro Magazine (Germany), Botanica’s music was also recently described in the New Yorker as “...trafficing in sonic noir with an undercurrent of sinewy menace...sinister sophisticates providing the perfect soundtrack to the after-hours, urban experience.” Members: Paul Wallfisch, John Andrews, Jason Binnick, Brian Viglione, Miriam Eicher + members of the greater Botanica Conspiracy-Dave Berger, Dana Schechter, Anne deWolff, Udo Masshoff, Mark Stepro, Heather Paauwe, Jae Mae Barizo... Albums: For Malediction, (Checkered Past Records), Botanica’s first album, front-creature Wallfisch joined forces...