Simon Says (band)

Simon Says was an Alternative metal band from Sacramento, California. In 2001, they changed their name to Key to Arson, and they broke up in 2004.

History

Simon Says was formed by a group of California high schoolers (Matt Franks, Zac Diebels, and Mike Johnston) who got their start playing high school auditoriums around the state in the early 1990s. Adding bassist Mike Arrieta in 1995, the group self-released two records, which attracted the attention of manager Jeff Saltzman. Saltzman set them up with Cake's producer Mark Needham and got them signed to Hollywood Records in July 1998.^[1] In 1999, they released their major-label debut, Jump Start, which yielded two hit modern rock singles, and the follow-up Shut Your Breath netted a third radio hit.

In 2001, Simon Says left Hollywood Records over promotional issues and changed their name to Key to Arson; soon after, drummer Mike Johnston left the band, to be replaced by Dave "Stixx" Marich. In 2004, Key to Arson announced the completion of an album entitled Light 'Em Up, but by the end of the year the band had broken up. It is now known that Zac Diebels and Matt Franks have formed Automatic Static and will release a full album soon as of 2012, called Number IV.

Members

• Matt Franks - vocals
• Zac Diebels - guitar
• Shane Ozmun - bass (1994-1995)
• Mike Arrieta - bass
• Dave "Stixx" Marich - drums (2001–2004)
• Mike Johnston - drums (Formation - 2001)

Discography

• Touch Yer Toes (self-released, 1994) [demo EP]

01. Reflection
02. Stay With Me
03. Room With a View
04. Can't Break Free

• Little Boy (self-released, 1997) [independent album]

01. The Mark
02. Glimpse
03. Her Mystery
04. Little Boy
05. Fallacy
06. This Well I Wish Upon
07. Quiet Time
08. Earache
09. November

• Perfect Example (self-released, 1997) [independent album]

01. Bold
02. Perfect Example
03. Invisible
04. Last Breath
05. Suffering
06. Quiet Time
07. Subterfuge
08. Superchamp
09. Heartbreaker
10. Shielded

• Jump Start (Hollywood Records, 1999) [debut major label studio album]

01. Sever
02. Slider
03. Ship Jumper
04. Life Jacket
05. Nucleus
06. Perfect Example
07. On My Way
08. Trip Wire
09. Bold
10. Seamless
11. Act One
12. Sam

• Shut Your Breath (Hollywood, 2001) [second major label studio album]

01. Hey You
02. Syphon
03. Canvas
04. Silk Moth (Mr. Double Face)
05. Segue
06. Blister (Nothing)
07. Dead Weight
08. Limosines & Penthouse Suites (Break Me Down)
09. Tourniquet
10. Train Wreck
11. El Ess
12. Dyslexic Smile

• Light Em Up [as Key To Arson] (self released,2004)

01. One Last Night
02. The End
03. Front The Lie
04. Wake Up
05. Enemy
06. I'll Be Gone
07. My Letter From Prison
08. Run While You Can
09. Throttle Pusher
10. Bottom Line
11. Battlestar Rocktica

Singles

• "Life Jacket" (1999) US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 23^[2]
• "Slider" (1999) Mainstream Rock No. 34
• "Sever" (1999)
• "Blister (Nothing)" (2001) Mainstream Rock No. 31

References

1. ↑ Biography, Allmusic.com
2. ↑ Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com. passim.