Possibly named in tribute to the Tom Hanks movie Joe Versus the Volcano, the Brooklyn trio Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! was born out of the medical problems of the group's leader, Mark Duplass. The guitarist and songwriter had scored a demo deal with Mercury Records in 1998 and moved to New York City from Austin when he was diagnosed with tendinitis and was told by doctors he couldn't play guitar anymore without further damage. Making the best of it, Duplass enrolled in City College of New York to study music. While there he discovered he could play organ without pain and began writing songs on the instrument. In late 2002 Duplass began painstaking recording home demos and sent the results to a friend, Byron Westbrook, back in Austin who decided, along with his friend John Thomas Robinette III, that the three men needed to start a band. They ended up in Austin together and with Westbrook on guitar, Robinette on drums, Duplass on organ, and all three on vocals, recorded the group's debut EP, Carbon Copy. While touring behind the record, the group struck up a friendship with Polyvinyl Records and ended up signing with them in 2003. Westbrook left the band around this time and Craig Montoro, who had worked with labelmates Mates of State, joined on guitar. Now relocated to Brooklyn, the trio went back to Austin to record their debut album, Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!, which was released by Polyvinyl in February of 2004. ~ Tim Sendra