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OUT NOW:
Unnatural Ways - UNNATURAL WAYS CDr, 2013, self-released.
Ava- guitar/vox/songs, Dominique Leone- synthesizers, Nick Tamburro- drums
Unnatural Ways is the trio I'm putting most of my energy into writing for and touring with these days. We recorded and produced this 45-minute long CDr for our Feb. 2013 European tour. It sold out, so we printed up a few more when we got back into town. Read more, stream for free, and/or git it here.

Upcoming 2013 RELEASES:
Michael Coleman's Cavity Fang- URBAN PROBLEMS CD, 2013, Table and Chairs.
Michael Coleman- keyboards/compositions, Cory Wright- baritone sax, Hamir Atwal- drums, Sam Ospovat- drums, Jordan Glenn- drums, and me.
Remarkable post-jazz-rock compositions by Michale Coleman, lush and full of textured detail. And a great band of some of the Bay's finest.

2012:
* Ava Mendoza with Nick Tamburro - QUIT YOUR UNNATURAL WAYS CD/Digital Download/Cassete split, 2012, Weird Forest.
Heavy, electrified guitar/drums duo songs I wrote over the course of about a year of playing with Nick ((The Dead Science, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Carla Bozulich's Evangelista). Crawford Philleo of Tiny Mix Tapes/Foxy Digitalis says:"These two display an uncanny connection throughout their triumphant recording, dynamically intertwined and unbelievably locked in with one another rhythmically (amazing, considering the malestroms provided by each at numerous times throughout the album)... this is ultimately a jazz record at its core. No one's ever really done this type of duo quite this way, and come to think of it, I'm not sure anyone's ever made jazz quite this way... and come to think of it even more, this album fucking rules. Go buy it". Read more, listen and/or buy HERE

* Jon Raskin and Carla Harryman - OPEN BOX CD, 2012, Tzadik.
Jon Raskin- saxophones/compositions, John Shiurba and myself- guitars, Liz Allbee- trumpet/electronics, Gino Robair- percussion, piano, Aurora Josephson- vocals. Readers: Carla Harryman, Aurora Josephson, Roham Sheikhani, Jon Raskin
I play as a member of the Jon Raskin Quartet on this music/poetry collaboration album. Tzadik says: "Three years in the making, Open Box is one of the most exciting and successful collaborations of poetry and music ever made. With meticulous attention to detail, Jon Raskin has set the genre-busting poetry of Carla Harryman to music ranging from rock and metal to jazz and free improv. As radical as the writing, the music is brilliantly arranged, and interacts with the texts in a variety of dynamic ways. Each track is a world of its own, and moves forward with a focus and direction unprecedented in music/poetry collaborations. Featuring Raskin’s all star west coast quartet, and the poet herself reading from some of her most cutting edge works, this is music-poetry at its very best. A masterpiece!"

* Various Artists - I NEVER META GUITAR TOO CD, 2012, Clean Feed.
I have a solo track on this guitar compilation, curated by Elliott Sharp.

* Various Artists - $100 GUITAR PROJECT CD, 2012, Bridge Records.
And I have a solo track on this guitar compilation, curated by Nick Didkovsky and Chuck O'Meara and released on Bridge records. It also features Keith Rowe, Elliot Sharp, Rhys Chatham, Fred Frith, John Shiurba, Henry Kaiser, Janet Feder, Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline, Ron Anderson and many moresssss.

* Ava Mendoza - LIVE AT OBERDECK (17. Okt., Hannover) KSV 188, CD, Karl Schmidt Verlag.
A solo guitar/etc. show I played in Hannover in Oct. 2011, recorded and released by Tom Smith (To Live And Shave in LA) on his label. Thanks Tom!

2011
* J.A. Deane/Ava Mendoza - WITHOUT DESIRES CD, Digital Download, 2011.
A duo recording I did with multi-instrumentalist/conductor J.A. Deane. Produced by Cookie Marenco. An amazingly recorded forray into sound and pulse.

* Moe! Staiano - SURPLUS 1980 - RELAPSE IN RESPONSE LP, 2011, Dephine Knormal Musik.
I play guitar on a bunch of the tracks on this. Drummer Moe! Staiano's hard-hitting band featuring members from the Ex, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Faun Fables, and Mute Socialite.

*The Estamos Ensemble - jimpani kustakwa ka jankwariteecheri CD, 2011, Edgetone.
The Estamos Ensemble plays compositions by Vinny Golia, Nels Cline, William Parker, Joan Jeanrenaud, Thollem McDonas and more. More info HERE

2010
* Ava Mendoza - SHADOW STORIES CD, 2010, Resipiscent 
My first solo guitar/electronics effort, a full-length CD released on Resipiscent. Mangled, sonic reworkings of old melodies, plus a lot of layered, heavy original material. You can download it and pay-what-you-will HERE.

* Various Artists - BEYOND BERKELEY GUITAR: A COLLECTION OF SOME OF THE BAY AREA'S FINEST ACOUSTIC GUITARISTS CD, 2010, Tompkins Square. My track on this comp is a neo-acoustic (amplified hollowbody) solo western swing mental breakdown sort of thing that I am rather proud of. Read more here and buy at Amazon.

* Weasel Walter - LARGE GROUP PERFORMANCES 2007-2009 CD, 2010, ugEXPLODE.
Features Weasel's large ensemble writing, really interesting long form compositions. The players include Henry Kaiser, William Winant, Devin Hoff, David Slusser, Darren Johnston, Damon Smith, Liz Allbee and Tim Perkis.

* Bay/Oslo Mirror Trio - #1 CD, 2010, Conrad Sound. Double trio of Norwegians and Americans- Jacob Felix Heule and Kyrre Laastad- drums, Tony Dryer and Guro S. Moe- upright basses, Havard Skaset and myself- guitars.
Full-length record from our 2008 tour available. Tense, ominous improvised music with an attention to minute sonic detail.

* Vijay Anderson - HARD-BOILED WONDERLAND CD, 2010, Not Two.
The record features a quintet of Vijay (drums), Ben Goldberg (clarinets), Sheldon Brown (saxes), Smith Dobson Jr. (vibes), and John Finkbeiner and myself on guitars. The improvised music we make is unique I think in its melodicism and focused ensemble playing.

QUOK - LIVE AT STURMGLOCKE, 13 NOV. CDr, 2010, Karl Schmidt Verlag 

2009 AND BACK IN TIME:
* Mute Socialite - CHEAP CLOCKS 7", 2009, Dephine Knormal Music

* Jacob Lindsay/Ava Mendoza/Damon Smith/Weasel Walter - JUS CD, 2008, Balance Point Acoustics

Mute Socialite - MORE POPULAR THAN PRESIDENTS AND GENERALS CD, LP, 2008, Dephine Knormal Musik

Ava Mendoza - CORPOREAL CRISES CDr, 2007


PROJECTS PAST AND PRESENT
UNNATURAL WAYS- me (guitar, compositions), Dominique Leone (bass synth, keys), Nick Tamburro (drums). This trio features Nick Tamburro (The Dead Science, Casio Tone for the Painfully Alone, Carla Bozulich) and keyboards whiz Dominique Leone (Important Records). We play a bunch of my music in a unique way together, drawing from harsh blues, metal, and free jazz.

Aaron Novik's DANTE COUNTERSTAMP- Aaron Novik (clarinet, compositions), Michael Coleman (keys), me (guitar), Jordan Glenn (vibes), Bill Wolter (bass), Sam Ospovat (drums)

QUOK- (2008-present) Ava Mendoza (guitar), Tim Dahl (bass), Weasel Walter (drums)

DOMINIQUE LEONE BAND- Dominique's proggy, noisy pop music realized in full rock band formation

JON RASKIN QUARTET- (2010-present) Jon Raskin (saxes, composition), John Shiurba (guitar), Ava Mendoza (guitar), Gino Robair (drums, electronics)

POREST live band- Porest is Mark Gergis' project and features his middle eastern pop-influenced songwriting and his special sense of theater

MUTE SOCIALITE- (founding member, 2006-2009) Ava Mendoza (guitar), Moe! Staiano (drums, percussive guitar), Alee Karim (bass), Shayna Dunkleman (drums), Liz Allbee (trumpet, keys, vox)

CRUDE FORMS- Ava Mendoza (guitar/electronics/voice)/Liz Allbee (trumpet/electronics/voice). mangled songwriting and harsh sounds

BOLIVAR ZOAR- (founding member, 2005-2007) Ava Mendoza (guitars, voice), Maryclare Brzytwa (guitar, voice, flute), Theresa Wong (cello, guitar, voice)

JACOB LINDSAY QUARTET- Jacob Lindsay (clarinets), Ava Mendoza (guitar), Damon Smith (basses/laptop), Weasel Walter (drums)

PINK CANOES- (2005-2007) Aram Shelton (laptop, reeds), Noah Phillips (guitar, electronics), Zach Watkins (laptop, electronics, mythical creatures), Ava Mendoza (guitar, electronics), Travis Johns (laptop, electronics, bass),

DOUBLESPEAK- J.A. Deane (laptop, electronics), Ava Mendoza (guitar, electronics), Al Faaet (drums)