ContraNova

Overview

ContraNova was kicked off by Sean Craypo in the fall of 1999. The original band featured Sean on vocals and guitar, Rian Charlton (now Rian Craypo) on bassoon, June Rhee on violin and Laura Phelan on vibraphone (check out Laura’s ‘The Song of Enis-el-Jelis and Nur-ed-Din for three bassoons on ‘BlackLight’(link to BlackLight page)). This quartet recorded a ten-song demo (Twilight and Ash) in the summer of 2001 in Laura’s living room in Pflugerville, Texas. Since then Sean has moved seven times, received one and a half degrees, gotten married, joined the fire department and expanded the sonic palette of the band by including friends on bass clarinet, clarinet, trombone, contra bassoon, banjo and harp as well as the ever present bassoon and vibraphone.

ContraNova’s upcoming release ‘Infinity in All Directions’ is expected in May 2007. This album tells the story of a man’s quest to build a time machine, his seeming success and the experiences that follow, and his eventual entrapment in the past that leads to an uncertain future.