Ariel Publicity

Citizens Of Contrary Knowledge are a New York City band whose four members come from extremely varied backgrounds, life experiences, and musical influences, but upon hearing them, you get the impression they've known each other for a lifetime...or more. Formed in 2005, appropriately the Chinese year of the rooster, Citizens Of Contrary Knowledge are testimony to the wondrous power of music, friendship, and perseverance.

Lead singer Chris Barczynski and drummer Blake Hepburn were introduced by mutual friend Gary Brown, a brilliant singer, songwriter, and producer. A few months after that initial meeting, Chris received an unexpected call from Blake. Blake began to tell Chris of a dream he'd had the night before. In the dream, Blake had seen Chris as the frontman of his band, performing in front of a crowded stadium. He had even envisioned the name of the band: "Rare Bird". Seeing this dream as a sign of great possibilities, Chris and Blake began writing and rehearsing together with another New York guitarist with whom Chris had already been writing and recording while searching for a bassist. After seven months of writing and rehearsing, and playing one gig, that guitarist vanished into thin air. The dream was in limbo.

Many months later, Chris, Blake, and Gary met at a Harlem watering hole. A few beers into the afternoon, a long-time friend of Gary Brown from his days in Los Angeles walked into the bar. Guitarist, songwriter, and producer Mark Hermann began to tell Gary that he had recently moved back to New York City and was searching for a serious rock singer to form a band. Mark had already been writing and recording with an amazing bassist named Mike Leslie. Gary chuckled and said, "You need to come sit down over there." Mark said, "I'm looking for a drummer as well." Again Gary laughed and said, "You need to come sit down over there."

That afternoon, plans were made to bring Chris, Blake, Mark, and Mike into the same room together, and from the first few bars of music they played together, each of them knew that they were in the midst of something very special. The band has come a long way in the three years since that fateful meeting over a few beers and owes a huge debt of gratitude to Gary Brown for bringing them together. The story of this band is proof positive that following your dreams is the true path to happiness.

This band of 4 journeyman musicians has found indie success with their first release, having licensed music to Showtime's hit series "The Tudors", Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh" and "Zoey 101", MTV's LOGO network, and College Sports Television. Their music has made a splash on college radio from Maine to Virginia, Michigan to Long Island, and the politically charged song "Wrong Side Of The World" is featured in the independent film "PBI: Paranormal Bureau of Investigation."

Frontman, songwriter, guitarist, and singer, Chris Barczynski, known affectionately as "Breeze" to most of his friends, was raised in nearly every small Pennsylvania town with a steel plant and a Dairy Queen. He attended Franklin and Marshall College and the Univ. of Dayton, where he read far too much Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and Albert Einstein to ever function in "normal" society. His music life has rivaled his nomadic and enigmatic upbringing, and his travels with previous unsigned bands and as a solo artist have found him sharing the stage with acts as diverse as Green Day, Collective Soul, Live, Fuel, Sugar Ray, Todd Rundgren, Warren Zevon, Ashford and Simpson, Michael McDonald, and Hootie and the Blowfish, to name a few. He has sold over 16,000 records...personally, and has appeared as a featured guest on Last Call with Carson Daly, The Early Show on CBS, the WB's Daily Buzz, and was a semi-finalist on Star Search. You can hear Chris's voice on the Top 10 Billboard Kidzbop Cd's, singing the new Pokemon theme song "Diamond and Pearl", as well as Appleby's and Canadian Club whiskey radio ads. You can see and hear Chris as a featured singer on NBC's hugely successful show The Singing Bee.

Drummer, Blake Hepburn is a Harlem resident who grew up in White Plains, NY. Charming, dread-locked and a Pisces, Blake attended the Univ. of Pittsburgh, but received his Masters degree in Funk and Astrology from the Univ. of Life, School of Hard Knocks. He is a complex man who cites "The Excorcist" as his favorite movie, yet counts Jesus as one of his idols. Part Bruce Lee, part Jimi Hendrix, part John Bonham, Blake's drumming has graced the stage of countless artists including Atlantic Starr, Groove Collective and the Harlem Gospel Choir.

Bassist, Mike Leslie, born in Denver, Colorado, was raised in Billings, Montana and settled (for the moment) in Da Bronx, NY. Mike has been a journeyman who has performed with Joan Osborne, Rufus Wainwright, and Rick Derringer, to name but a few. He honed his skills at the Berklee College of Music and the Univ. of Montana, but his strongest influence came from the Yellowstone County Correctional Facility, where his alter ego, "Lucky" was born. Any man who lists Zero Mostel, Ghengis Khan and his mother as his idols must surely be fitting of the term, "contrary."

Guitarist, Mark Hermann, also a resident of Harlem, grew up in southern Connecticut, which may (or may not) explain his deep Southern blues influences. Mark left Syracuse University for the original "Surreal Life" on the road with rock legends, Joe Walsh and Foreigner. Years on the road armed Mark with some of the most insane stories this side of Hunter S. Thompson. Living for a while in the sunshine of L.A. as a songwriter, producer and session player, he produced numerous acts including "Five For Fighting." Influenced by the music of Jimi and Miles, the poetry of Rumi and the essays of Emerson, he found himself longing for the energy of playing rock 'n roll in New York and headed back East in search of like-minded Citizens.