Mancino

Mancino, an indie rock trio proudly claiming New York's Gowanus Canal as home turf, built a loyal East Coast audience through their offbeat humor and eager absorption of diverse pop influences. Guitarist-bassist-vocalist Mike Grimes and keyboardist-bassist-vocalist Nadim Issa launched the group in 2003 during their time as Brown University students. The pair began composing material together and soon performed at area venues under the moniker Mancino, drawn from Leonardo da Vinci's reverse-coding technique. After relocating to Brooklyn, the duo encountered France native Jonathan Mason, whose sensibilities aligned closely with their own; he joined shortly afterward, handling drums, percussion, assorted toys, and vocals. Their debut EP, Dear International, appeared in 2005 and secured notable college-radio rotation, ranking as the second-most-added release of its debut week on the College Music Journal chart. The band became a regular presence in New York venues and maintained steady East Coast touring, with occasional excursions farther west. Manners Matter, their first full-length release, arrived in early 2007 on the band's own imprint and included the track "Hetchie Hutchie Footchie," said to draw from a 1950s Australian dance trend and accompanied by a clever found-footage clip. Like the earlier EP, the album garnered substantial airplay on college and community stations along with solid digital sales.