de Triomphe is a 5-piece rock-like band from Oak Forest, IL. It's members are among the most desirable and flatulent in the world. Created and sustained by the deranged genius of 18-year-old Patrick Mitchell, they have been making music and playing shows for about 2 and a half years. Expert dancer and tambourinist Kyle Bell played bass for the band in the original lineup, which rounded off with Jon Wolynia on drums. Keyboardist and phenomenal hip thruster Joe Valente was then added, and the group cut one album, entitled "Turn On The Light, Don't Look Up, Leave The Door Open, Focus, Leave Quickly...Dance" which featured the hit single "Cookie".

After a year or so playing shows in the annals and colons of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan, dT decided what they could really use was another genius musician. Since Kyle was really a hack at bass and Patrick's sister Sarah is the creamiest of the crop in that area of expertise, she joined the band and Kyle moved over to play keyboards, maracas, sampler, vocorder, theremin, tambourine, etc. They played in this formation for a while and then due to internal issues they sadly parted with their dear friend and drummer, Jon. If only they knew this would be the first step to an endless battle in finding a drummer with staying power. They began playing with their friend Zach Oostema, who is fantastic on drums but unfortunately is pretty tall with a very deep and soothing talking voice. They wrote and recorded two songs with Zach, titled "Dear Clandestine" and "Shudder" and played one show with him before he left for his freshman year of college and Illinois State University. de Triomphe never performed those two songs again.

Dejected and conflicted, dT went on to jam with a couple of drummers who were really very talented but for whatever reason just didn't work out. Desperate, they turned to their friend Chris Medina, who is not a drummer at all, but an extremely talented vocalist, guitar player and songwriter. Chris, who fronts the band The Green Light Special, agreed to try and play drums for us while we searched for a permanent drummer. Envision the clouds parting and the rays of heaven shooting down into the sub-basement bedroom of a modest house in Oak Forest, IL. That is what occurred, week after week of playing with Chris behind the drums. Not only was he able to take direction from Patrick, but he was willing and eager to actually practice and apply himself to the task at hand. Thus begins the bittersweet symphony of the story that is dT. de Triomphe has written a few songs with Chris Medina, most notably "I Carve Constellations" and "Sentimental Centigrade Secrets", which they recorded with Mark Berlin of Sally at Gravity Studios in Chicago, IL.

dT is currently trying to gain some solid footing and find a permanent drummer. As of today, the lineup stands as so: Pat Mitchell, guitar, vocals, songwriting; Sarah Mitchell, bass, backing vocals; Kyle Bell, dancing, backing vocals, tamborine; Joe Valente, dancing, keyboards, backing vocals; Chris Medina, drums.

de Triomphe has been lucky enough to maintain and somewhat nurture a friendship with Charlie Deets, who fronts the band Sally and runs the independent record label Paribus Records. Here is what he has to say about the band.

:whiney bitches. they seriously don't talk to me unless they want something. whatever, i'm professional. there are five of them. i think, sometimes they have a drummer. i saw them play with a drummer. it sounded right. i haven't heard them play without a drummer. i am putting my money down that it sucks. but i bet they try to 'rock just as hard.' failing. when i met them, our guitarist and drummer thought their bass player was cute. so obvious. to me, i look right over broads like that. there is a huge possibility that's she's totally fucked in the head. think about it. if 1 out of every 3 guys thinks she's the cat's meow, then they are gonna bend over backwards doing retarded shit for her in hopes that one day she'll suddenly 'discover' they are more then friends. no dice. when the looks fade, that'll be a grim day for that relationship. i'm not even gonna waste my time thinking about it. the one i've talked to the most is kyle. on instant messenger, when i used to do that. since then i've grown up. now i spend my evenings kissing cute girls with ridiculously high self esteems or talking about doing drugs. i'm so over the internet. the whole reason i started liking the band is because of him. he screamed well, danced well, and seemed confusingly outgoing. they all seem like nice chaps. i'd prolly end up being friends with joe if any of them truly won me over. he seems like the biggest pervert and ... wait, did i say joe. i might mean pat. yeah. pat. he's the fucking debotcherous one. send me his phone number. i've been looking for someone to share a sock with. i'm sure you've heard me say, 'i think they all sleep with each other,' or did. i always think bands like that are awesome. i like to imagine them humping and then singing a song together afterward or something. not that any of their songs would prolly be too post-sex hum-able. it's a nice thought, and i cherish it. they've been around for over two years, but they broke up like seven times in between. so i wouldn't exactly call them 'established.' they are making a new cd with the illustrious mr. mark berlin soon. i request that they don't sleep with him. he's hairy and smells like patchouli. even though i've never seen him use patchouli. maybe it's just because i hate patchouli. once i used patchouli soap in the shower, and had the worst day ever. i tried again a couple months later with the same results. -Charlie Deets, Paribus Records.

External links

de Triomphe at MySpace