March 13, 2010 8pm
Outland Live
95 Liberty Street
(614) 744-0100
$10 adv / $12 door
Ages 18+ - under 21 pay $2 surcharge at door
Hockey
http://hockeyband.com/
Merging the studied cool of the new wave revivalist movement with the sleek textures and commanding rhythm of electronic pop, Hockey burst out of the Portland, OR music scene in 2009 to become cult favorites in the United Kingdom on the strength of a handful of live appearances and a self-produced demo EP. Vocalist and guitarist Ben Grubin and bassist Jeremy Reynolds formed Hockey in 2007 while they were both students at Southern California’s Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, a free-form college affiliated with the University of Redlands. The Johnston Center allows students to establish their own curriculum, and Grubin and Reynolds used the opportunity to focus their attentions on music. They began writing songs and playing out as Hockey accompanied only by a drum machine, and a demo recorded by this early incarnation of the band attracted the attention of A&R executives at Sony Music. Hockey were signed to a record deal, but communication between Grubin and Reynolds and Sony soon broke down, and attempts to cut an album with producer Jerry Harrison (ex-Talking Heads) came to a halt when Sony dropped the band. Grubin and Reynolds left California for a creative environment where they could start over, and after a spell in Spokane, WA, they found it in Portland, OR. Hockey expanded to a four-piece with the addition of percussionist Anthony Stassi and guitarist Brian White during the band’s stay in Spokane, and they started playing clubs and college parties as soon as they hit Portland. Home-recorded versions of the songs “Learn to Lose” and “Work” found their way to Zane Lowe, a disc jockey at BBC Radio 1, and airplay generated a demand for the group in the U.K.. After being invited to play the London club Water Rats, and a showcase hosted by the influential music magazine New Musical Express, Hockey were once again being courted by the major labels, and they signed with Virgin for the U.K. and Europe and Capitol for the United States. Hockey’s album Mind Chaos, featuring revised versions of the songs from their demo, was released in fall 2009. - ©1992-2008 All Media Guide, LLC
The Constellations
http://theconstellationsmusic.com/
Dubbed an Atlanta supergroup by locals, The Constellations officially formed when vocalist Elijah Jones teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley) and others to create Southern Gothic. Jones, formerly the frontman of Atlanta bands Gates of Berlin and Vin Corejo, and Allen tossed ideas around for two years before finally recording. Now the band and its ever-changing line-up of Atlanta musicians is playing sold out shows in Atlanta’s most popular venues, from the Earl, Star Bar, Lenny’s, the Drunken Unicorn, and even Athens’ the 40 Watt.
Recorded at Maze Studios, Southern Gothic (2008) is a meandering tour of the underbelly of Atlanta, lead by Jones’ gruff delivery and parabolic lyrics. Lush production invokes the muscular rhythms of ‘70s Fela Kuti, the propelling pop sensibility of the Gorillaz and the vocals of a modern-day Tom Waits. Cee Lo of Gnarls Barkley and newly signed SRC artist Asher Roth are featured on the album, with a revision of Tom Waits’ “Step Right Up” as a centerpiece. Also on the album are Atlanta musicians Brand Hagen (Trances Arc) and Julian Dorio (The Whigs).
The Constellations live show consists of a five-man band backing Jones’ trademark vocals and persona: James Arnold, Ryan Davis, Jamie Gordon, Wes Hoffman (Second Shift), and Chandler Rentz (Snowden, Ocha la Rocha). A crowd-pleasing, all-girl “Clap Squad” covers back-up vocals and completes the spectacle. The band plays locally monthly and will begin touring nationally this summer.
The Postelles
http://thepostelles.com/
Playing propulsive pop tunes with a streetwise energy and attitude that’s pure rock & roll, the Postelles are a four-piece band born and bred in New York City. Singer and guitarist Daniel Balk, lead guitarist David Dargahi, bassist John Speyer, and drummer Billy Cadden all met while they were attending the same high school in the Big Apple; they shared similar interests in music and played in a handful of garage bands, eventually putting the band together during their early college years (and at a time when most still couldn’t legally order a beer). In 2007, the Postelles began playing out, and they soon gained a valuable ally in Albert Hammond, Jr., guitarist with the Strokes. Hammond liked the Postelles’ music enough to help produce a six-song EP for the band; the EP earned enthusiastic reviews and some British radio play, with BBC 1 disc jockey Zane Lowe spinning their tunes and praising the band on air. The buzz helped the Postelles set up a tour of Europe which included shows in London and Paris, and back home in the States the band was booked into two major summer festivals, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. In early 2009, the Postelles went back into the studio with Hammond to begin work on their debut album. - ©1992-2008 All Media Guide, LLC