Hey, I set our profile to no friend requests from bands because we were getting requests from too many bands that had nothing in common with us and seemed like robo-blasts from some sort of mass friend-accumulation service.

Anyway, if you're a band that has something in common with us (style, interests, influences, location), please send a message and we'll be friends.

Dear friends:

We are thrilled to have been invited to play with select performances of the Philadelphia premiere of Tom Stoppard's brilliant play Rock 'n' Roll at the Wilma Theater. At least Tom Stoppard gets us!

Milton and the Devils Party
opening for Tom Stoppard

Tues, Oct. 14 (6:00-6:30pm)
Wed, Oct. 15 (7:00-7:30pm)
Tues, Oct. 21 (6:00-6:30pm)
Fri, Oct. 24 (7:30-8:00pm)
Sat, Oct. 25 (7:30-8:00pm)

The Wilma Theater

265 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Box Office: 215.546.7824
http://www.wilmatheater.org/

This extraordinary theatrical event from Academy Award winner and four-time Tony® Award-winner Tom Stoppard (The Invention of Love) was a recent hit on Broadway following a record-breaking run in London's West End. In August 1968, Russian tanks are rolling into Prague; Jan, the Czech student, lives for rock music; Max, the English professor, lives for Communism; and Esme, the flower child, lives for a high. By 1990, the tanks are rolling out, the Stones are rolling in, and idealism has hit the wall. Stoppard's sweeping and passionate play spans two countries, three generations, and 22 turbulent years, at the end of which, love remains — and so does rock 'n' roll."Triumphant… Rock 'n' Roll is arguably Stoppard's finest play… he is a magician, and this is a passionate, decades-spanning tale of love, revolution, and music!" – The New York Times


And as if that weren't enough! We are also going to be opening for one of the late great John Peel's beloved bands--BEARSUIT!--at the M Room, Tuesday, October 14 (after doing our first gig with the Stoppard play), so come see us twice in one night!

Milton and the Devils Party
opening for Bearsuit
Tuesday, 14 October
The M Room
15 W Girard Ave.
Philadelphia, Pa 19123
Phone: 215.739.5577

Help us celebrate Milton's 400th birthday December 20th at the World Cafe Live!

Things are moving again--thanks for your support!

best, DR
www.miltondevilsparty.com

Check out this very nice review on a great music site called popwreck(oning)!

Review: Milton and the Devils Party at the North Star Bar

Hey, we're so hot they gave us a Monday night slot at 8 p.m!

But it is during the OPEN BAR (w/$6 admission)

Milton and the Devils Party
Monday, July 14, 2008
8:00pm - 9:00pm

The Trash Bar:
256 Grand St. between Driggs & Roebling (Williamsburg)
Brooklyn, NY

http://www.thetrashbar.com/html/index.php


Please come out if you can!

Hey everybody!

Milton and the Devils Party is coming out of hibernation for a spring-summer 2008 promotional push for our critically acclaimed second album, How Wicked We’ve Become!

Our first scheduled show will kick it all off at World Cafe Live in Philly, Friday, May 9!

Click here for tickets!

from a smart blog called Things I’d Rather Be Doing
Things I’d Rather Be Doing
Tuesday Tuneup: Milton and the Devil’s Party
It’s not often a band can start its own genre, but you heard it here first: Milton and the Devil’s Party trade in jangle noir. OK, I know that sounds strange, if not ridiculous; but hear me out. The band’s sonic template puts it squarely in the early- to mid-’80s Southern indie-rock tradition of bands like R.E.M. and the Windbreakers, all chiming guitars, loping tempos and bright, melodic vocals. Yet those vocals tell erudite tales of woe, or, as the one-sheet sent with the band’s sophomore disc, How Wicked We’ve Become puts it: "The record began as a study in bad people -- or, more accurately, ordinary people doing bad things or finding themselves caught in patterns of behavior that define them as wicked, lost or merely failed." If there’s a more succinct definition of noir, bring it on.

All of that would mean nothing if this wasn’t undeniably catchy music. It would fit comfortably in the racks alongside the early work of the two aforementioned bands, as well as that of like-minded acts like Velvet Crush and even Paul Kelly, the Australian singer-songwriter who crafts similarly literate tunes.

Oh yes, about that: The band makes much about the fact that they’ve finally admitted that the two core members -- singer-bassist Daniel Robinson and guitarist Mark Graybill -- are English professors. Whatever. Again, literate lyrics are great, but if they’re not wedded to excellent hooks, they don’t count for much. How many hits does Leonard Cohen have? That said, Robinson’s lyrics are deliciously intricate and smart. The taunt of "I’ve Had Your Wife" is elevated by clever lines like "We’re relaxed as a beast with two backs, and you wonder why she’s getting home so late," alluding to Shakespeare’s metaphor for sexual congress. Elsewhere, Robinson sings on "Muse of Mundanity" of a guy who wishes his girlfriend were smarter because she doesn’t offer suitable inspiration to spur him to creative heights.

Robinson must have a brainy significant other, because with How Wicked We’ve Become is a tight burst of jangling pop music that actually makes you feel smarter by the time the final track spins. At it’s core, it’s a disc of songs for and by adults. So much of power pop is about teenage boys who are frightened of the opposite sex. Here, Robinson offers pointed thoughts about what it means to be grown up. On "Too Old to Die," he leavens such heavy thoughts with a few turns of phrase, including this verse: "Well, I thought there’s be time for me to have more fun/ I thought there’d be time to be number one/ But misery is a luxury when you’re seventeen (or you’re Morrissey)/ But now I’ve got people depending on me/ I’ve got to be and not not to be."

All of that might add up to something to precious for some, and I’ll admit reading the above might turn me off if I hadn’t had the chance to hear the songs first. But if this sounds at all intriguing, go check out the band’s MySpace page to hear a few tracks. You’ll be happy you did.

David Miller's review at Blogcritics Magazine

With a name like Milton & the Devils Party and a current album entitled How Wicked We've Become, one would suspect the corresponding music to be synonymous with angst-driven, unintelligible death rock.


Well, put down your devil horns and crack the spine on your copy of Paradise Lost, because what we have here are biting lyrics you can sing along to, coupled with an indie rock sound rivaling most college rock bands. Band members Daniel Robinson, Mark Graybill and Mark Falgie open the album with "Coward of the Conscience," a tale about returning to the foolish, yet blissful times when a conscience was nothing but a burden to be ignored.The upbeat guitar and bass, moderate drum beats, and singer Robinson's light-hearted, slightly raspy voice in "Coward of the Conscience" set the stage for the remainder of the album.


Continuing with upbeat, catchy sounds, the band makes a 180-degree turn with the lyrically unsettling "I've Had Your Wife," in which the self-righteous recipient of a wife's infidelity arrogantly rubs her husband's nose in his mistakes. The highlights of the song lie within its intense chorus and its smooth, albeit brief, taunting saxophone.


"Have To Have Everything" is musically reminiscent of The Blake Babies or The Lemonheads with its poppy, indie rock stylings. Its introspective, pleasantly upbeat lyrics and Beatles-esque message that love is all we need easily makes it the most accessible and noteworthy song on the album.


The band strikes a pious chord with "My Head Is Bowed," in which Robinson desperately emotes with his frail, dramatic voice in the powerful chorus, "And what you don't know/I've been everywhere but down/Now my head is bowed." Guest musician Brian Christinzio's soft, melodic piano accompaniment further compliments the overall intensity of the song.


Another memorable song is the chock-full-of-wisdom tune "Too Old To Die," in which Robinson humorously laments, "misery is a luxury when you're seventeen (or you're Morrissey)/but I've got people depending on me." The lesson here: wisdom is gained with age, only to be wasted on the elderly and ultimately silenced by death. Robinson's voice pleasantly resembles Elvis Costello's in the exquisitely sad, "Perdita," about trying to save a woman who is ultimately headed for destruction. The emotion is further felt by the acoustic guitar. Robinson lingers on each chord, placing the listener in the tragic moment in which Perdita is slipping away.


How Wicked We've Become is a thinking person's album in which introverted, as well as extroverted, perceptions about human existence are fleshed out. The lyrics can be construed as preachy and self-righteous, but ultimately they enlighten and entertain. The band also does well in combining such lyrics with an approachable, listener-friendly sound that makes for an overall pleasant listening experience.


Slide this album into your CD player when you're home alone, and let the music flow through your mind and soul as you get lost in Robinson's personal commentary on the human condition.

Philadelphia's Milton and the Devils Party is an enjoyable power pop album that's a combination of literary angst and melodic cheer. The lyrical smarts here are not obvious, but the band was founded by two English professors, Daniel Robinson and Mark Graybill. The opener "Coward of Conscience" is the catchy jangle-filled alt-rock that I grew up with, and resembles the Smiths, The Decembertists or even The Ocean Blue. The lyrics of the angry "I've Had Your Wife" are offset by the changing tempos and is a perfect example of pop music with a "wicked" bite. My favorite on this album is the seemingly biographical "Too Old To Die," a soliloquy by a mid-aged musician complete with a Morrissey reference. "Perdita" is wonderful ballad with dueling electric guitar harmonies. The bouncy "Muse of Mundanity" reminds me of any great Joe Jackson song from his early period, with even more insight into lonely bitterness. Every track here is good, if you can get past wierd lyrical subtext on songs like "The Gods have given up on Immortality" and historical analogies on "Reformation." Graybill does a fabulous job on guitars here and Robinsons' vocals are full of longing and rich emotion. And each song tells a distinct message to the listener clearly. For me it's more than enough to recommend this album.

Powerpopaholic review

Hey everybody!

Big happenings in Miltonland!

Save this date:

National CD Release Party!
Saturday, September 8
Milton and the Devils Party
with a very special guest tba
World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia
9 p.m.

GO HERE TO BUY TICKETS!

Our new album, How Wicked We've Become, is available for pre-order--check these out! Thanks to our new label, Transit of Venus, and distributor, RedEye, the CD will be for sale ALL OVER THE COUNTRY! This really is a big deal release!

Pre-order HWWB at FYE here

Pre-order HWWB at Circuit City here

Pre-order HWWB at Sam Goody here

Pre-order HWWB at Amazon here

The above are only a few places that will carry the CD! Please demonstrate your interest by clicking on one of these links and pre-ordering your copy today!

Hope to see you on September 8!

best, DR

We finally made it into the All Music Guide! And they like it--especially the guitar stuff!

go check it out: All Music Guide reviews How Wicked We've Become