Secret Identity of Crystal Castles' "Ethan" Revealed!
3/7/2008 By Cam Lindsay

Just when you thought Punk’d died with Ashton Kutcher’s career, it appears there is a new prankster in town, who’s been punking journalists for the last few years.

Ethan Kath, producer/instrumentalist for Toronto’s Crystal Castles, recently spoke with Exclaim!, admitting, “We used to have our friends do our interviews and we instructed them to make up stupid stories and names. My name isn’t Claudio – that’s one of my roommates. Our roommates’ names would get into interviews, and we’d go somewhere and a fan would be, “Hey Conrad, how’s it going?” Another time I’m Clint, and Claudio… But my name’s Ethan.”

Good to know. Or so we thought. According to a reliable source close to the band, “Mr. Kath” is not who he appears to be. Or the other three or four people he appears to be. “His name is not Ethan or Ethin. I have no idea why he wants to be called that but yeah, [it’s definitely] Claudio,” the source told Exclaim!. “I can't believe the stories that Claudio (yes, Claudio) concocts. This whole ‘lazy journalists’ thing he talked about is so unfair — I have friends who wrote early articles on them and who are really pissed about that line he is using in these new interviews.”

Claudio Palmieri pulled a similar stunt with his former band, sleaze rockers Kill Cheerleader (nee Cheerleader666), assuming the name “Ethan Deth.” Some internet digging produced an old interview with “Deth,” who was caught off-guard when a journalist let his real name slip by mistake.

Palmieri’s secret hard rock past also includes time spent in the early stages of Warner-signed alt-rock band, Die Mannequin, along with Death From Above/MSTRKRFT dude Jesse F. Keeler.

Crystal Castles are set to release their long-awaited, self-titled debut album through Last Gang Records on March 18.
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