A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:
"Live With Regis And Kelly" (9 a.m., Channel 9): Actor Adam Sandler.
"The View" (10 a.m., Channel 7) Actor Samuel L. Jackson; musician Melissa Etheridge.
"The Bonnie Hunt Show" (2 p.m., Channel 5): Actor Michael Vartan; actor Danny Masterson; musician Dave Koz.
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (3 p.m., Channel 5) Actress Kate Winslet; musician Anthony Hamilton; singer Britney Spears.
"Larry King Live" (8 p.m., CNN) Actress Sarah Jessica Parker.
"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (10 p.m., Comedy Central) Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. (R)
"Late Show With David Letterman" (10:35 p.m., Channel 2) Actor Tom Cruise; music group Fall Out Boy.
"The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" (10:35 p.m., Channel 5) Actor Jim Carrey; actress Rosario Dawson; music group Relient K.
"Charlie Rose" (11 p.m., Channel 20) Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
"Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" (11:35 p.m., Channel 2) Comedian Don Rickles; actress Joanna Garcia.
"Late Night With Conan O'Brien" (11:35 p.m., Channel 5) Actress Eva Mendes; music group Fleet Foxes.
"Tavis Smiley" (12:00 a.m., Channel 11) Actress Mia Kirshner.
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (12:05 a.m., Channel 7) Actress Courteney Cox; actor Bradley Cooper; music group the Cure.
Christian Music News Source
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Punk Goes Pop Returns
After thoroughly exhausting every idea, good and bad, the Punk Goes series is coming back around to pop.
Fearless Records announced the next installment in its rapidly declining signature compilation series will be Punk Goes Pop 2, which arrives in stores Feb. 17. A finalized track listing for the album has yet to be revealed, though bands such as The All American Rejects, Rise Against, Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T's, Jack's Mannquin, Relient K, Thrice, Mayday Parade and All Time Low are confirmed for the album.
The last installment in the series was this year's Punk Goes Crunk (review), so Fearless can really only go up from here.
Christian Music News Source
Fearless Records announced the next installment in its rapidly declining signature compilation series will be Punk Goes Pop 2, which arrives in stores Feb. 17. A finalized track listing for the album has yet to be revealed, though bands such as The All American Rejects, Rise Against, Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T's, Jack's Mannquin, Relient K, Thrice, Mayday Parade and All Time Low are confirmed for the album.
The last installment in the series was this year's Punk Goes Crunk (review), so Fearless can really only go up from here.
Christian Music News Source
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Family Force 5, Relient K, Toby Mac, Madonna And Jewel In Atlanta This Week
Jan Westmark - Celebrity News Service Reporter
Atlanta, GA (CNS) - The crunk Christian rock band Family Force 5, from Atlanta, will be back in their hometown performing this week at the Fox Theatre. They will be joined by Relient K and TobyMac.
Madonna, the Queen of Pop, will also bring her Sweet & Sticky Tour to Atlanta this week. The Guinness World Records lists Madonna as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time. She was induced into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
A list of concerts in the Atlanta area this week, according to Celebrity News Service, is as follows:
* Madonna at Philips Arena on 11/24
* George Duke at Variety Playhouse on 11/24
* The Cool Kids at Center Stage on 11/24
* B.B. King at The Tabernacle on 11/24
* InnerPartySystem at Masquerade Music Park on 11/26
* Jewel at Lenox Square on 11/27
* Mannheim Steamroller at Fox Theatre on 11/28
* Corey Smith at The Tabernacle on 11/28
* The Grapes and Deep Blue Sun at Variety Playhouse on 11/28
* Turtle Folk at Andrews Upstairs on 11/28
* The Last Waltz Ensemble at Smith's Olde Bar on 11/28
* Jon McLaughlin at Vinyl on 11/28
* Jason Mraz at The Tabernacle on 11/29
* Relient K, Family Force 5 and TobyMac at Fox Theatre on 11/29
* Shawn Mullins at Variety Playhouse on 11/29
* BoomBox at Smith's Olde Bar on 11/29
* Snowden at The Earl on 11/29
* Dave Barnes at The Loft on 11/29
* San Serac at The Earl on 11/30
Christian Music News Source
Atlanta, GA (CNS) - The crunk Christian rock band Family Force 5, from Atlanta, will be back in their hometown performing this week at the Fox Theatre. They will be joined by Relient K and TobyMac.
Madonna, the Queen of Pop, will also bring her Sweet & Sticky Tour to Atlanta this week. The Guinness World Records lists Madonna as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time. She was induced into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
A list of concerts in the Atlanta area this week, according to Celebrity News Service, is as follows:
* Madonna at Philips Arena on 11/24
* George Duke at Variety Playhouse on 11/24
* The Cool Kids at Center Stage on 11/24
* B.B. King at The Tabernacle on 11/24
* InnerPartySystem at Masquerade Music Park on 11/26
* Jewel at Lenox Square on 11/27
* Mannheim Steamroller at Fox Theatre on 11/28
* Corey Smith at The Tabernacle on 11/28
* The Grapes and Deep Blue Sun at Variety Playhouse on 11/28
* Turtle Folk at Andrews Upstairs on 11/28
* The Last Waltz Ensemble at Smith's Olde Bar on 11/28
* Jon McLaughlin at Vinyl on 11/28
* Jason Mraz at The Tabernacle on 11/29
* Relient K, Family Force 5 and TobyMac at Fox Theatre on 11/29
* Shawn Mullins at Variety Playhouse on 11/29
* BoomBox at Smith's Olde Bar on 11/29
* Snowden at The Earl on 11/29
* Dave Barnes at The Loft on 11/29
* San Serac at The Earl on 11/30
Christian Music News Source
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
St. Louis rock band Ludo scales back on tour
Ludo is considered one of the more fortunate St. Louis rock bands.
It landed a deal with Island/Def Jam, which released its CD "You're Awful, I Love You" nationally this year, and its song "Love Me Dead" was a
Top 10 hit on Billboard's modern rock singles chart in August.
Still, Ludo makes no bones about how the economy has affected the band, which just wrapped a tour with headliner Relient K before beginning its
own West Coast tour this month.
"It's rough," keyboardist Tim Convy says. "It's really bad.
"We've been lucky more than anything because we're still on a major record label and the record is selling. But if the economy was different, we
would be selling more. It would be going much better."
Ludo especially feels the pinch on tour. The band is touring the country in a van instead of a tour bus.
"You'd be amazed at all the bands getting back on the van, a lot of bands you would 100 percent think would be in a bus," Convy says. "And
they're not bringing the same crews with them they used to."
This wasn't the case just this past summer, when Ludo toured with the major Vans Warped Tour on a bus.
"That tour went really well, though that was before a lot of the crazy stuff hit," Convy says.
Even though the summer had sky-high gasoline prices, concert producer Live Nation gave the bands gas cards.
"(The cards) made a big difference, as well as the fact everyone sold a lot of merchandise," Convy says.
But the Relient K tour, which came to the Pageant last month, didn't "do the numbers Relient K expected. Kids aren't buying tickets as much as they
used to, which makes touring a very scary thing. We played rooms that should have been more full. And they had to move a show from a room
they had previously sold out into a smaller room."
Friends in bands are playing 1,000-seat venues in which 100 fans show up, Convy says, and Ludo is hearing about a lot of cancellations and a
lot of acts staying home.
Ludo will continue to scale back.
"We hadn't gotten used to too many luxuries anyway," he says.
And they'll contemplate what's next.
"Everyone is looking at next year, and we don't know what we will do," Convy says. "We need to be out there working the record, but bands who
can afford to stay home are staying home.
"But it's hard to predict what's going to happen."
Chrisian Music News Source
It landed a deal with Island/Def Jam, which released its CD "You're Awful, I Love You" nationally this year, and its song "Love Me Dead" was a
Top 10 hit on Billboard's modern rock singles chart in August.
Still, Ludo makes no bones about how the economy has affected the band, which just wrapped a tour with headliner Relient K before beginning its
own West Coast tour this month.
"It's rough," keyboardist Tim Convy says. "It's really bad.
"We've been lucky more than anything because we're still on a major record label and the record is selling. But if the economy was different, we
would be selling more. It would be going much better."
Ludo especially feels the pinch on tour. The band is touring the country in a van instead of a tour bus.
"You'd be amazed at all the bands getting back on the van, a lot of bands you would 100 percent think would be in a bus," Convy says. "And
they're not bringing the same crews with them they used to."
This wasn't the case just this past summer, when Ludo toured with the major Vans Warped Tour on a bus.
"That tour went really well, though that was before a lot of the crazy stuff hit," Convy says.
Even though the summer had sky-high gasoline prices, concert producer Live Nation gave the bands gas cards.
"(The cards) made a big difference, as well as the fact everyone sold a lot of merchandise," Convy says.
But the Relient K tour, which came to the Pageant last month, didn't "do the numbers Relient K expected. Kids aren't buying tickets as much as they
used to, which makes touring a very scary thing. We played rooms that should have been more full. And they had to move a show from a room
they had previously sold out into a smaller room."
Friends in bands are playing 1,000-seat venues in which 100 fans show up, Convy says, and Ludo is hearing about a lot of cancellations and a
lot of acts staying home.
Ludo will continue to scale back.
"We hadn't gotten used to too many luxuries anyway," he says.
And they'll contemplate what's next.
"Everyone is looking at next year, and we don't know what we will do," Convy says. "We need to be out there working the record, but bands who
can afford to stay home are staying home.
"But it's hard to predict what's going to happen."
Chrisian Music News Source
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
RELIENT K HEADS OUT WITH TOBYMAC ON "WINTER WONDER-SLAM" TOUR LAUNCHING NOVEMBER 13th
Relient K will hit the road with tobyMac on November 13th for the "Winter Wonder-Slam" tour. As befitting the season, the band will play several Christmas songs as well as a variety of hits and fan favorites from its 10-year history. U.S. Marines will be on hand to collect toys for The Marines Toys for Tots Foundation, so fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped gift to the concert.
Let It Snow Baby...Let It Reindeer, Relient K's 2007 Christmas collection, is being re-issued for the holidays with a card enabling fans to download three newly recorded songs. And, Funnypages Productions (www.funnypages.com) - helmed by Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley - just put the finishing touches on an animated video to accompany Relient K's version of "Sleigh Ride." In the clip, our intrepid hero hijacks Santa's sleigh to impress a girl only to see her kidnapped by a disgruntled Santa and his buddy, the Abominable Snowman. Will he get his girl back? You will find out soon...
The band recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with the release of The Bird and the Bee Sides. The collection, which included 13 b-sides/rarities plus 13 brand new songs, debuted at No. 25 on The Billboard 200 in July. Relient K was a co-headliner on the 2008 Vans Warped tour.
Dates for the "Winter Wonder-Slam" tour are as follows:
11/13 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center
11/14 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
11/15 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
11/16 Ft. Meyers, FL Germain Arena
11/20 Lincoln, NE Pershing Auditorium
11/21 Denver, CO Denver Coliseum
11/22 Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium
11/23 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
11/29 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
11/30 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Coliseum
12/5 Nashville, TN Sommet Center
12/6 Huntsville, AL VBC
12/7 Mobile, AL Mobile Civic Center
12/11 Bosier City, LA Century Tel
12/12 Houston, TX Toyota Center
12/13 Tulsa, OK Mabee Center
12/14 Dallas, TX Nokia Theater
Christian Music News Source
Let It Snow Baby...Let It Reindeer, Relient K's 2007 Christmas collection, is being re-issued for the holidays with a card enabling fans to download three newly recorded songs. And, Funnypages Productions (www.funnypages.com) - helmed by Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley - just put the finishing touches on an animated video to accompany Relient K's version of "Sleigh Ride." In the clip, our intrepid hero hijacks Santa's sleigh to impress a girl only to see her kidnapped by a disgruntled Santa and his buddy, the Abominable Snowman. Will he get his girl back? You will find out soon...
The band recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with the release of The Bird and the Bee Sides. The collection, which included 13 b-sides/rarities plus 13 brand new songs, debuted at No. 25 on The Billboard 200 in July. Relient K was a co-headliner on the 2008 Vans Warped tour.
Dates for the "Winter Wonder-Slam" tour are as follows:
11/13 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center
11/14 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
11/15 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
11/16 Ft. Meyers, FL Germain Arena
11/20 Lincoln, NE Pershing Auditorium
11/21 Denver, CO Denver Coliseum
11/22 Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium
11/23 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
11/29 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
11/30 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Coliseum
12/5 Nashville, TN Sommet Center
12/6 Huntsville, AL VBC
12/7 Mobile, AL Mobile Civic Center
12/11 Bosier City, LA Century Tel
12/12 Houston, TX Toyota Center
12/13 Tulsa, OK Mabee Center
12/14 Dallas, TX Nokia Theater
Christian Music News Source
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Relient K carries on with faith
They're veterans of the Warped tour and have three gold records to their names, but the guys in Relient K never will forget where they got their start a decade ago, playing at churches around their hometown of Canton, Ohio.
"We couldn't have played in clubs," says the band's lead singer and songwriter, Matt Thiessen, 26. "Nobody would have booked us. And we respect the fact that the church was supportive of us and didn't say, 'Oh, you guys are playing those electric guitars. Get out of here, you heathens!'"
Relient K is touring in support of its new compilation album, "The Bird and the Bee Sides," a trek that brings the band to the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach for a gig on Saturday.
The band burst straight out of Canton as a pop-punk quartet with a goofy sense of humor. "We were kind of one of those Blink-182 wannabe bands," Thiessen recalls, "when not everybody and their brother was in a band like that."
Since then they've expanded their musical palette - the addition of a fifth member has freed Thiessen to switch from guitar to piano onstage - and slowed down the tempos, to the point where Thiessen thinks the "pop-punk" label no longer applies.
"Over the years, influences such as the Beach Boys, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright and other stuff like Death Cab for Cutie have all been factored in," says Thiessen, who has posted a spot-on cover of the Beach Boys' "Warmth of the Sun" at www.myspace.com/matthewthiessenandtheearthquakes. "Now we're mostly just a rock band that does a lot of pop songs."
The band's lyrics have evolved as well. Relient K's early work mixed spiritual concerns with breezy pop-culture references to "Back to the Future" and "Charles in Charge."
But as the band's career progressed, Thiessen says, he made a conscious effort to avoid being pigeonholed. "We like to keep the fun in the music, we like to try to keep it witty, and I can't get away from writing in puns," he says. "But at the same time, we definitely didn't want to become a schticky band."
Humor, however, remains an important part of the appeal.
"My whole thing has always been that I don't like to write songs about girl-guy relationships, but my other thing is that I always write songs from my present perspective on things," says Thiessen, whose girlfriend is a morning DJ in Indianapolis. "I've got a great thing going on with my girl, so I couldn't get around writing those songs."
But for those who worry that Relient K has left matters of faith behind, "Deathbed," the closing song from the band's 2007 disc "Five Score and Seven Years Ago" should allay any doubts. The 11-minute epic, graced with strings and horns, follows a dying cancer patient's reflections on his life. The song ends with a guest appearance by Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, singing as Jesus. "I am the way," he sings. "Through me you'll live again/For I am love."
Thiessen says the band's message remains the same whether it's performing at a rock club or a Christian festival, and he says music fans are becoming more open to diverse opinions."People are like, 'You know what? Green Day's going to sing anti-Bush stuff, and even if I'm a Republican, I can still listen to it.' And they're like, 'If Relient K wants to sing about their faith, even though I'm agnostic, I can still listen to it.'"
Christian Music News Source
"We couldn't have played in clubs," says the band's lead singer and songwriter, Matt Thiessen, 26. "Nobody would have booked us. And we respect the fact that the church was supportive of us and didn't say, 'Oh, you guys are playing those electric guitars. Get out of here, you heathens!'"
Relient K is touring in support of its new compilation album, "The Bird and the Bee Sides," a trek that brings the band to the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach for a gig on Saturday.
The band burst straight out of Canton as a pop-punk quartet with a goofy sense of humor. "We were kind of one of those Blink-182 wannabe bands," Thiessen recalls, "when not everybody and their brother was in a band like that."
Since then they've expanded their musical palette - the addition of a fifth member has freed Thiessen to switch from guitar to piano onstage - and slowed down the tempos, to the point where Thiessen thinks the "pop-punk" label no longer applies.
"Over the years, influences such as the Beach Boys, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright and other stuff like Death Cab for Cutie have all been factored in," says Thiessen, who has posted a spot-on cover of the Beach Boys' "Warmth of the Sun" at www.myspace.com/matthewthiessenandtheearthquakes. "Now we're mostly just a rock band that does a lot of pop songs."
The band's lyrics have evolved as well. Relient K's early work mixed spiritual concerns with breezy pop-culture references to "Back to the Future" and "Charles in Charge."
But as the band's career progressed, Thiessen says, he made a conscious effort to avoid being pigeonholed. "We like to keep the fun in the music, we like to try to keep it witty, and I can't get away from writing in puns," he says. "But at the same time, we definitely didn't want to become a schticky band."
Humor, however, remains an important part of the appeal.
"My whole thing has always been that I don't like to write songs about girl-guy relationships, but my other thing is that I always write songs from my present perspective on things," says Thiessen, whose girlfriend is a morning DJ in Indianapolis. "I've got a great thing going on with my girl, so I couldn't get around writing those songs."
But for those who worry that Relient K has left matters of faith behind, "Deathbed," the closing song from the band's 2007 disc "Five Score and Seven Years Ago" should allay any doubts. The 11-minute epic, graced with strings and horns, follows a dying cancer patient's reflections on his life. The song ends with a guest appearance by Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, singing as Jesus. "I am the way," he sings. "Through me you'll live again/For I am love."
Thiessen says the band's message remains the same whether it's performing at a rock club or a Christian festival, and he says music fans are becoming more open to diverse opinions."People are like, 'You know what? Green Day's going to sing anti-Bush stuff, and even if I'm a Republican, I can still listen to it.' And they're like, 'If Relient K wants to sing about their faith, even though I'm agnostic, I can still listen to it.'"
Christian Music News Source
Relient K, Ludo, This Providence and House of Heroes at The NorVa
Alt-rock bands Relient K, Ludo, This Providence and House of Heroes will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the NorVa.
Relient K is associated with the Contemporary Christian Music culture, most notably the Christian rock and Christian punk scene. Despite being a Christian band the group has performed alongside secular artists, and has had critical success with mainstream pop punk and alternative rock.
The band's sound incorporates piano rock and acoustic elements. Since its formation, Relient K has released a discography consisting of five studio albums, seven EPs, two Christmas albums, and one collection of rarities. Relient K has received numerous awards including a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Rock Gospel Album and two Dove Awards.
Christian Music News Source
Relient K is associated with the Contemporary Christian Music culture, most notably the Christian rock and Christian punk scene. Despite being a Christian band the group has performed alongside secular artists, and has had critical success with mainstream pop punk and alternative rock.
The band's sound incorporates piano rock and acoustic elements. Since its formation, Relient K has released a discography consisting of five studio albums, seven EPs, two Christmas albums, and one collection of rarities. Relient K has received numerous awards including a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Rock Gospel Album and two Dove Awards.
Christian Music News Source
GOTEE RECORDS RINGS IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH NEW CHRISTMAS TUNES FROM RELIENT K AND HOUSE OF HEROES NOVEMBER 18TH
(Nashville, Tenn.) October 27th, 2008 – Relient K and House of Heroes bring their musical festive tidings to this year’s Christmas season on November 18th via digital music stores with three brand new holiday songs and an animated music video from Relient K, as well as label mates House of Heroes offering up their rendition of the classic “Silent Night.”
The three songs from Relient K will include “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “O Holy Night,” and “Silver Bells,” with an animated music video for the song “Sleigh Ride” coming as well. The Christmas anthems will be added to the platinum-selling band’s 2007 album, Let It Snow, Baby…Let It Reindeer, and upon purchasing online the customer will given a unique code and directions to download the additional three tunes. Fans can also anticipate extra gifts from Relient K upon purchase, including exclusive photos, downloadable wrapping paper, and a few other bonuses.
House of Heroes brings their powerhouse pop sound to “Silent Night” which is also available at all online music outlets on November 18th. The band, whose most recent album The End Is Not The End was delivered via digital stores, has seen an incredible response with the release making it to the #6 spot on the iTunes rock chart and #42 on the overall chart, with a #1 radio hit single and over 1 million plays on their MySpace page.
Relient K, who has toured with the likes of Switchfoot and Good Charlotte, has a GRAMMY nod, and three RIAA-certified Gold albums to their credit. The pop-punk band has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” with their video for “Must Have Done Something Right” receiving airplay on mtvU, MTV Hits, FUSE's "Steven's Untitled Rock Show," Nickelodeon's The N, IMF and Music Choice. Relient K is comprised of lead singer/guitarist/pianist Matt Thiessen, lead guitarist Matt Hoopes, drummer Ethan Luck, bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck.
House of Heroes’ discography includes a 2005 self-titled debut and the re-release Say No More in 2006. Prior to signing a record deal with Mono Vs Stereo/Gotee, the band released an indie project What You Want Is Now (2002) to much critical acclaim and a large grassroots following. On the tour front, House of Heroes has opened up for the likes of Filter, Silverchair, Relient K, and MxPx, as well as full-blown tours with acts including Spoken, The Evan Anthem, Last Tuesday, Dropping Daylight, Love Arcade, and Kids In The Way. The band is Columbus-Ohio natives Tim Skipper (guitar/lead vocals), A.J Babcock (bass/vocals), Colin Rigsby (drums/vocals), and Jared Rigsby (guitar/vocals).
For more information on Relient K or House of Heroes, check out www.gotee.com or the official artist websites at www.myspace.com/relientk or www.myspace.com/houseofheroes.
Christian Music News Source
The three songs from Relient K will include “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “O Holy Night,” and “Silver Bells,” with an animated music video for the song “Sleigh Ride” coming as well. The Christmas anthems will be added to the platinum-selling band’s 2007 album, Let It Snow, Baby…Let It Reindeer, and upon purchasing online the customer will given a unique code and directions to download the additional three tunes. Fans can also anticipate extra gifts from Relient K upon purchase, including exclusive photos, downloadable wrapping paper, and a few other bonuses.
House of Heroes brings their powerhouse pop sound to “Silent Night” which is also available at all online music outlets on November 18th. The band, whose most recent album The End Is Not The End was delivered via digital stores, has seen an incredible response with the release making it to the #6 spot on the iTunes rock chart and #42 on the overall chart, with a #1 radio hit single and over 1 million plays on their MySpace page.
Relient K, who has toured with the likes of Switchfoot and Good Charlotte, has a GRAMMY nod, and three RIAA-certified Gold albums to their credit. The pop-punk band has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” with their video for “Must Have Done Something Right” receiving airplay on mtvU, MTV Hits, FUSE's "Steven's Untitled Rock Show," Nickelodeon's The N, IMF and Music Choice. Relient K is comprised of lead singer/guitarist/pianist Matt Thiessen, lead guitarist Matt Hoopes, drummer Ethan Luck, bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck.
House of Heroes’ discography includes a 2005 self-titled debut and the re-release Say No More in 2006. Prior to signing a record deal with Mono Vs Stereo/Gotee, the band released an indie project What You Want Is Now (2002) to much critical acclaim and a large grassroots following. On the tour front, House of Heroes has opened up for the likes of Filter, Silverchair, Relient K, and MxPx, as well as full-blown tours with acts including Spoken, The Evan Anthem, Last Tuesday, Dropping Daylight, Love Arcade, and Kids In The Way. The band is Columbus-Ohio natives Tim Skipper (guitar/lead vocals), A.J Babcock (bass/vocals), Colin Rigsby (drums/vocals), and Jared Rigsby (guitar/vocals).
For more information on Relient K or House of Heroes, check out www.gotee.com or the official artist websites at www.myspace.com/relientk or www.myspace.com/houseofheroes.
Christian Music News Source
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Relient K keeps working the road
For the Christian pop act Relient K [ tickets ], performing as one of this year's Warped Tour headliners was like spending the summer at camp.
"I'm a big fan of summer camp," vocalist/guitarist Matthew Thiessen said during a recent telephone interview from his rural Canton, OH-area home.
"There are so many bands and only so much you can really do out there, because everybody's kind of competing against each other. The bright side is, there's such a great community behind the scenes on Warped Tour. Some of the friends you get to make you'd never get to make on a normal tour because you wouldn't tour with those bands normally. The friendship and contacts you make out there--it's pretty awesome."
Relient K count among its friends the indie-rock band Say Anything, power-poppers Forever the Sickest Kids, metalcore quintet Every Time I Die and Christian rockers Norma Jean. Performing every day with the likes of Norma Jean was kind of like coming home for Relient K, a band that doesn't mind the "Christian pop" label.
"Whatever people want to call us, they can call us," said Thiessen, who will marry in the Detroit area next summer. "I'm Christian. We write a lot about that stuff. I think it's important for me in my life and we obviously want to write songs about things that are important. At the same time, if you don't share the same beliefs as us, you're probably not going to get rubbed the wrong way with our music. We're not judging anybody. I'm just kind of singing from my own perspective. I think it works both ways."
These days, Relient K is on tour in support of "The Bird and the Bee Sides," a collection of unreleased tracks, some new and some from the band's vault. The album's release was basically out of necessity.
"We had one album left on our contract with our first record deal we signed in '98," Thiessen said. "We had 20 B-sides just sitting around the cutting room floor. We chose 13 of those songs and put them on the record. With that mentality, we said, 'Let's throw a couple new songs on there, too, so it's not just B-sides.' We ended up coming up with 13 new songs a well."
The 26-song album is selling for $10 at shows, he said. "That's a pretty good deal for 26 songs. It's something we did for the summer. We do like to try and put out new material once or twice a year if we can. It fits the bill for that."
Thiessen explained he and the rest of the band--guitarist Matthew Hoopes, bassist John Warne, guitarist Jonathan Schneck and drummer Ethan Luck--aren't sure what label their next album will appear on. They were previously signed to Capitol via Gotee.
"There's definitely a lot of talk of re-singing and reformatting the whole contract," Thiessen said. "There's talk about being able to take over an independent record label of our own, being able to put out our material and have it be a subsidy of Gotee, which is our former label. But nothing's signed yet, so I can't really confirm anything. We'll announce it when we can."
Christian Music News Source
"I'm a big fan of summer camp," vocalist/guitarist Matthew Thiessen said during a recent telephone interview from his rural Canton, OH-area home.
"There are so many bands and only so much you can really do out there, because everybody's kind of competing against each other. The bright side is, there's such a great community behind the scenes on Warped Tour. Some of the friends you get to make you'd never get to make on a normal tour because you wouldn't tour with those bands normally. The friendship and contacts you make out there--it's pretty awesome."
Relient K count among its friends the indie-rock band Say Anything, power-poppers Forever the Sickest Kids, metalcore quintet Every Time I Die and Christian rockers Norma Jean. Performing every day with the likes of Norma Jean was kind of like coming home for Relient K, a band that doesn't mind the "Christian pop" label.
"Whatever people want to call us, they can call us," said Thiessen, who will marry in the Detroit area next summer. "I'm Christian. We write a lot about that stuff. I think it's important for me in my life and we obviously want to write songs about things that are important. At the same time, if you don't share the same beliefs as us, you're probably not going to get rubbed the wrong way with our music. We're not judging anybody. I'm just kind of singing from my own perspective. I think it works both ways."
These days, Relient K is on tour in support of "The Bird and the Bee Sides," a collection of unreleased tracks, some new and some from the band's vault. The album's release was basically out of necessity.
"We had one album left on our contract with our first record deal we signed in '98," Thiessen said. "We had 20 B-sides just sitting around the cutting room floor. We chose 13 of those songs and put them on the record. With that mentality, we said, 'Let's throw a couple new songs on there, too, so it's not just B-sides.' We ended up coming up with 13 new songs a well."
The 26-song album is selling for $10 at shows, he said. "That's a pretty good deal for 26 songs. It's something we did for the summer. We do like to try and put out new material once or twice a year if we can. It fits the bill for that."
Thiessen explained he and the rest of the band--guitarist Matthew Hoopes, bassist John Warne, guitarist Jonathan Schneck and drummer Ethan Luck--aren't sure what label their next album will appear on. They were previously signed to Capitol via Gotee.
"There's definitely a lot of talk of re-singing and reformatting the whole contract," Thiessen said. "There's talk about being able to take over an independent record label of our own, being able to put out our material and have it be a subsidy of Gotee, which is our former label. But nothing's signed yet, so I can't really confirm anything. We'll announce it when we can."
Christian Music News Source
Saturday Night Live Cast Members, Relient K And More This Weekend In New York
Anthony Jones - Celebrity News Service Contributor
New York, NY (CNS) -- Former and present Saturday Night Live cast members will come together for "The Upright Citizens Brigade and Funny or Die Present: Give Food A Chance," a benefit comedy show to celebrate the opening of the Mercy Corps Action Center to end world hunger.
Current SNL cast members Seth Myers, Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte will be on hand, as well as former cast members Chevy Chase and Horatio Sanz. Also confirmed to make an appearance are "30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's" Christopher Meloni. The show will take place at the HighLine Ballroom on Sunday, October 19th.
Other notable acts in the are this weekend include Christian rockers Relient K, who will play the Northern Lights in Clifton Park on Friday, October 17th, and Method Man & Redman, who will perform at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square on the 17th as well.
Events scheduled for this weekend:
Friday, October 17th:
Relient K, Northern Lights, Clifton Park
The Casualties w/Caustic Christ and Absurd System, Knitting Factory
Colin Quinn, Carolines on Broadway
Galactic, The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
Method Man & Redman, Nokia Theatre Times Square
Ra Ra Riot, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Ben Kweller, Bowery Ballroom
Eric Prydz, Pacha
Saturday, October 18th:
Secret Machines, Webster Hall
The Spines, Knitting Factory
Trey Anastasio, Palace Theatre Albany, Albany
Chris Botti, Bardavon Opera House, Poughkeepsie
Citizen Cope, Apollo Theater
Tim Reynolds and Tr3, Highline Ballroom
Jaguares, Nokia Theatre Times Square
Larry Miller, Carolines on Broadway
Sunday, October 19th:
Lindsey Buckingham, Nokia Theatre Times Square
Horrorpops, Blender Theater at Gramercy
Upright Citizens Brigade & Funnie Or Die Present: Give Food A Chance, HighLine Ballroom
Yura Yura Teikoku, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
David Dondero, Union Hall
Holly Palmer, Living Room
Christian Music News Source
New York, NY (CNS) -- Former and present Saturday Night Live cast members will come together for "The Upright Citizens Brigade and Funny or Die Present: Give Food A Chance," a benefit comedy show to celebrate the opening of the Mercy Corps Action Center to end world hunger.
Current SNL cast members Seth Myers, Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte will be on hand, as well as former cast members Chevy Chase and Horatio Sanz. Also confirmed to make an appearance are "30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's" Christopher Meloni. The show will take place at the HighLine Ballroom on Sunday, October 19th.
Other notable acts in the are this weekend include Christian rockers Relient K, who will play the Northern Lights in Clifton Park on Friday, October 17th, and Method Man & Redman, who will perform at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square on the 17th as well.
Events scheduled for this weekend:
Friday, October 17th:
Relient K, Northern Lights, Clifton Park
The Casualties w/Caustic Christ and Absurd System, Knitting Factory
Colin Quinn, Carolines on Broadway
Galactic, The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
Method Man & Redman, Nokia Theatre Times Square
Ra Ra Riot, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Ben Kweller, Bowery Ballroom
Eric Prydz, Pacha
Saturday, October 18th:
Secret Machines, Webster Hall
The Spines, Knitting Factory
Trey Anastasio, Palace Theatre Albany, Albany
Chris Botti, Bardavon Opera House, Poughkeepsie
Citizen Cope, Apollo Theater
Tim Reynolds and Tr3, Highline Ballroom
Jaguares, Nokia Theatre Times Square
Larry Miller, Carolines on Broadway
Sunday, October 19th:
Lindsey Buckingham, Nokia Theatre Times Square
Horrorpops, Blender Theater at Gramercy
Upright Citizens Brigade & Funnie Or Die Present: Give Food A Chance, HighLine Ballroom
Yura Yura Teikoku, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
David Dondero, Union Hall
Holly Palmer, Living Room
Christian Music News Source
Relient K Delivers A Night Of Christian Rock
Christian rock has been evolving.
Once filled with wholly spiritual lyrics aimed mostly at the devout, the genre has of late found more mainstream popularity, thanks in part to Relient K.
The Ohio quintet comes from a Christian background, though the band is discreet about it — an audience member could have made it through the band's show Saturday night at the Webster Theatre thinking that he or she was watching an average, secular pop-punk band.
The band demonstrated its connection to mass culture with a Halloween-themed stage with skull lights decorating the piano and large fake cobwebs.
The musicians took the stage dressed in black and purple, and singer Matt Thiessen wore a cape for the catchy, if repetitive, first song, "I Need You." Relient K moved into "Come Right Out and Say It," with loud guitar and drums overshadowing pensive, yearning vocals from Thiessen.
The band has a sensitive side lurking under its poppy outer shell, something Thiessen demonstrated in moments when he sang accompanied only by himself on piano.
The Halloween motif returned when the band offered its take on the theme from "The Addams Family" before returning to form with "High of 75," a pop tune with a punk edge.
The beginning of "Mood Rings" sounded like a continuation of the previous song, until the band dropped out for a bit and let Thiessen solo with his vocals and guitar.
Ethan Luck's pounding drums, along with shredding guitars from Matt Hoopes and Jon Schneck, gave energy to "The Lining Is Silver," a track from this summer's "The Bird and the Bee Sides."
A fast-paced cover of Tears for Fears' "Head Over Heels" fit the band, despite Thiessen's having a higher-pitched voice than the original singer, Roland Orzabal.
The band hinted again at its spiritual ties by introducing "Forgiven" as a song about grace.
Relient K returned for an encore featuring "Deathbed," a song that swelled and undulated over about 11 minutes.
Ludo, a band of pop-punk jokesters from St. Louis, played before Relient K. Its set included "Broken Bride," a song about love, time travel and the prehistoric age that garnered audience chuckles. The loud and fast songs were interrupted by problems with microphone feedback.
This Providence preceded Ludo, playing moody pop tunes. House of Heroes, another Christian rock band from Ohio, opened the show.
Christian Music News Source
Once filled with wholly spiritual lyrics aimed mostly at the devout, the genre has of late found more mainstream popularity, thanks in part to Relient K.
The Ohio quintet comes from a Christian background, though the band is discreet about it — an audience member could have made it through the band's show Saturday night at the Webster Theatre thinking that he or she was watching an average, secular pop-punk band.
The band demonstrated its connection to mass culture with a Halloween-themed stage with skull lights decorating the piano and large fake cobwebs.
The musicians took the stage dressed in black and purple, and singer Matt Thiessen wore a cape for the catchy, if repetitive, first song, "I Need You." Relient K moved into "Come Right Out and Say It," with loud guitar and drums overshadowing pensive, yearning vocals from Thiessen.
The band has a sensitive side lurking under its poppy outer shell, something Thiessen demonstrated in moments when he sang accompanied only by himself on piano.
The Halloween motif returned when the band offered its take on the theme from "The Addams Family" before returning to form with "High of 75," a pop tune with a punk edge.
The beginning of "Mood Rings" sounded like a continuation of the previous song, until the band dropped out for a bit and let Thiessen solo with his vocals and guitar.
Ethan Luck's pounding drums, along with shredding guitars from Matt Hoopes and Jon Schneck, gave energy to "The Lining Is Silver," a track from this summer's "The Bird and the Bee Sides."
A fast-paced cover of Tears for Fears' "Head Over Heels" fit the band, despite Thiessen's having a higher-pitched voice than the original singer, Roland Orzabal.
The band hinted again at its spiritual ties by introducing "Forgiven" as a song about grace.
Relient K returned for an encore featuring "Deathbed," a song that swelled and undulated over about 11 minutes.
Ludo, a band of pop-punk jokesters from St. Louis, played before Relient K. Its set included "Broken Bride," a song about love, time travel and the prehistoric age that garnered audience chuckles. The loud and fast songs were interrupted by problems with microphone feedback.
This Providence preceded Ludo, playing moody pop tunes. House of Heroes, another Christian rock band from Ohio, opened the show.
Christian Music News Source
Relient K Releases 3 New Christmas Tracks
Christian rock band Relient K is midway through its 25-date “Uncle Fest Tour,” which concludes Nov. 2, and has along the way released three new tracks for the reissue of their 2007 Christmas collection.
"We took a quick breather after Warped Tour, and … headed back to Nashville to track a couple of Christmas songs and rehearse for the upcoming Uncle Fest Tour," reported Matt Thiessen, Relient K's lead singer, guitarist, and pianist.
The new tracks – "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silver Bells" and "Oh Holy Night" – can be downloaded by fans who purchase the Oct. 7 reissue of Let It Snow Baby...Let It Reindeer, the band’s second Christmas album, which is a beefed up version of the band’s first Christmas album, Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand.
Thiessen says Relient K will probably continue adding to its Christmas album each year, setting up an annual tradition for the five-member group.
"Christmas comes around every year, so you might as well put the record out every year," Thiessen said with a laugh during a recent phone interview with Michigan Live.
"Because I'm not into putting out the same record every year, we're going to tack a couple more songs onto it this year,” he added. “We'll probably tack more songs onto it next year. It's just this whole idea that we had for our Christmas catalog, pun intended: Let it snowball every year and add to it."
Relient K’s second Christmas album had been touted by critics for its diversity and fun factor, capturing the spirit of Christmas with classics such as “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Silent Night.” Also included in their Christmas album is a bratty punk rock take on “I’m getting Nuttin’ for Christmas” and a jazzy-punk arrangement of “Sleigh Ride.”
The original album peaked at No. 96 on the Billboard 200 list in its fourth week and at No. 15 on iTunes.
Christian Music News Source
"We took a quick breather after Warped Tour, and … headed back to Nashville to track a couple of Christmas songs and rehearse for the upcoming Uncle Fest Tour," reported Matt Thiessen, Relient K's lead singer, guitarist, and pianist.
The new tracks – "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silver Bells" and "Oh Holy Night" – can be downloaded by fans who purchase the Oct. 7 reissue of Let It Snow Baby...Let It Reindeer, the band’s second Christmas album, which is a beefed up version of the band’s first Christmas album, Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand.
Thiessen says Relient K will probably continue adding to its Christmas album each year, setting up an annual tradition for the five-member group.
"Christmas comes around every year, so you might as well put the record out every year," Thiessen said with a laugh during a recent phone interview with Michigan Live.
"Because I'm not into putting out the same record every year, we're going to tack a couple more songs onto it this year,” he added. “We'll probably tack more songs onto it next year. It's just this whole idea that we had for our Christmas catalog, pun intended: Let it snowball every year and add to it."
Relient K’s second Christmas album had been touted by critics for its diversity and fun factor, capturing the spirit of Christmas with classics such as “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Silent Night.” Also included in their Christmas album is a bratty punk rock take on “I’m getting Nuttin’ for Christmas” and a jazzy-punk arrangement of “Sleigh Ride.”
The original album peaked at No. 96 on the Billboard 200 list in its fourth week and at No. 15 on iTunes.
Christian Music News Source
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Story Behind the Song: Relient K's Matt Thiessen Talks About...
With the chorus "Marilyn Manson ate my girlfriend/ Satan consumed her mind, and he may do it again," the hit single "My Girlfriend" could be considered one of the most unusual "love" songs in Christian music history. Relient K’s guitarist/vocalist/chief songwriter Matt Thiessen wrote the song when he was 15 (before the Ohio-based group had even formed), inspired by a female friend who lived eight hours away in Pennsylvania.
Thiessen is quick to explain, "It wasn’t a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship, but it was a friend who was a girl. We had a relationship where we would talk a lot on the phone. Sometimes we would talk about things of deeper consequence, of spiritual matter and usually just kind of seeing where God was taking us in the future.
"After a while, though, things started to change with her," he continues. "She started getting so into [Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson] that an obsession grew out of it. And through this she changed her lifestyle [and] what she believed in."
This change in mindset eventually led to Thiessen’s "girl friend" being expelled from school, getting kicked out of her house and moving into a youth detention center. "Through it all she had this new-born dislike for me and what I believed in," says Thiessen, now 21. "She felt that Christianity was stupid and just this big hypocrisy. Being young and impressionable, I just wrote this little, stupid song, but that was the way I dealt with it—writing this song about how she got so consumed by Marilyn Manson."
The song, which came from a very sad chapter in Thiessen’s adolescence, resonated with many listeners when it debuted on the group’s freshman album in 2000. The song’s music video even received a Billboard Music Video Award and a Dove Award nomination.
Still, the group’s references to Marilyn Manson caused a mild controversy. Thiessen recalls, "Some moms didn’t want their kids listening to our records and stuff, but that’s expected. People look for stuff like that sometimes just because they want to be safe all the time."
Today, Relient K continues to play the song for its fans who continue to request it. "A lot of kids like it," confirms Thiessen. "We’re a little tired of it, but it’s still a fun song." He adds, "You know how a lot of bands have their cliché one song about a girl, the relationship that went wrong or all that stuff? We don’t actually have any of those right now. I think we may in the future. You never know how it goes."
Christian Music News Source
Thiessen is quick to explain, "It wasn’t a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship, but it was a friend who was a girl. We had a relationship where we would talk a lot on the phone. Sometimes we would talk about things of deeper consequence, of spiritual matter and usually just kind of seeing where God was taking us in the future.
"After a while, though, things started to change with her," he continues. "She started getting so into [Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson] that an obsession grew out of it. And through this she changed her lifestyle [and] what she believed in."
This change in mindset eventually led to Thiessen’s "girl friend" being expelled from school, getting kicked out of her house and moving into a youth detention center. "Through it all she had this new-born dislike for me and what I believed in," says Thiessen, now 21. "She felt that Christianity was stupid and just this big hypocrisy. Being young and impressionable, I just wrote this little, stupid song, but that was the way I dealt with it—writing this song about how she got so consumed by Marilyn Manson."
The song, which came from a very sad chapter in Thiessen’s adolescence, resonated with many listeners when it debuted on the group’s freshman album in 2000. The song’s music video even received a Billboard Music Video Award and a Dove Award nomination.
Still, the group’s references to Marilyn Manson caused a mild controversy. Thiessen recalls, "Some moms didn’t want their kids listening to our records and stuff, but that’s expected. People look for stuff like that sometimes just because they want to be safe all the time."
Today, Relient K continues to play the song for its fans who continue to request it. "A lot of kids like it," confirms Thiessen. "We’re a little tired of it, but it’s still a fun song." He adds, "You know how a lot of bands have their cliché one song about a girl, the relationship that went wrong or all that stuff? We don’t actually have any of those right now. I think we may in the future. You never know how it goes."
Christian Music News Source
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Relient K's EP has unreleased songs
GRAND RAPIDS -- Typical Relient K.
A would-be EP with some song rarities and unreleased material turned into a 26-song tour-de-farce called "The Birds and the Bee Sides."
"I'm not a huge fan of just putting out a 'B' sides" record, so I thought we should put some new material on there," said Matt Thiessen, the quirky, pop-rock band's lead singer/songwriter, in a phone interview from a Nashville studio.
"We wrote some new songs and recorded them really quick. It gives us a little breathing room 'til our next full, length project."
Among the selections are demos and other studio experiments. Besides the dozen or so new tunes, there's also an acoustic version of a song that's become one of the band's signatures, "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been."
"We kind of had carte blanche on this one," said Thiessen, 28. "There's some old country stuff ("I Just Want You to Know"), a bit of reggae ("The Lining is Silver") and a couple of little fun tunes."
The band also continues its penchant for odd, "punny" song titles, slipping in "A Penny Loafer Saved Is a Penny Loafer Earned."
It's the sixth recording for the band that appeared 10 years ago near Canton, Ohio, naming itself (with a purposeful misspelling) after original member Matt Hoopes' Reliant K car.
From its punkish beginnings into its more recent forays into piano-pop, the band has carved a following in mainstream and Christian music markets with songs such as "Be My Escape" and "The Best Thing."
The band did the full length of last summer's alternative bands Vans Warped tour, during which Thiessen admitted feeling his age.
Christian Music News Source
A would-be EP with some song rarities and unreleased material turned into a 26-song tour-de-farce called "The Birds and the Bee Sides."
"I'm not a huge fan of just putting out a 'B' sides" record, so I thought we should put some new material on there," said Matt Thiessen, the quirky, pop-rock band's lead singer/songwriter, in a phone interview from a Nashville studio.
"We wrote some new songs and recorded them really quick. It gives us a little breathing room 'til our next full, length project."
Among the selections are demos and other studio experiments. Besides the dozen or so new tunes, there's also an acoustic version of a song that's become one of the band's signatures, "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been."
"We kind of had carte blanche on this one," said Thiessen, 28. "There's some old country stuff ("I Just Want You to Know"), a bit of reggae ("The Lining is Silver") and a couple of little fun tunes."
The band also continues its penchant for odd, "punny" song titles, slipping in "A Penny Loafer Saved Is a Penny Loafer Earned."
It's the sixth recording for the band that appeared 10 years ago near Canton, Ohio, naming itself (with a purposeful misspelling) after original member Matt Hoopes' Reliant K car.
From its punkish beginnings into its more recent forays into piano-pop, the band has carved a following in mainstream and Christian music markets with songs such as "Be My Escape" and "The Best Thing."
The band did the full length of last summer's alternative bands Vans Warped tour, during which Thiessen admitted feeling his age.
Christian Music News Source
Relient K ready to rock at Croc in Friday's EXPOSED
They have a punk side, an emotional side, a spiritual side and a goofy side and the guys in Relient K plan to bring them all to Allentown on Tuesday for a show at Crocodile Rock Cafe.
Lead singer Matt Thiessen recently took a break from rehearsing in Tennessee and spoke to Exposed about the tour and the band's evolution and multifaceted persona.
Also in Friday's edition...
-- iTunes is raising its prices?
-- Kirby, Wario and Sonic return to the gaming world.
-- An after-dinner (or whenever) beer from Canada
-- A look at an Americana rocker from Clinton
-- Ask Pinky, 10 Things To Do, Nightlife and more!
Exposed is published Fridays in the Express-Times or you can pick it up free at bars, restaurants and shops through the Lehigh Valley. Be sure to check out Exposed on MySpace to learn more about upcoming editions and be the first to find out about upcoming contents and more.
Christian Music News Source
Lead singer Matt Thiessen recently took a break from rehearsing in Tennessee and spoke to Exposed about the tour and the band's evolution and multifaceted persona.
Also in Friday's edition...
-- iTunes is raising its prices?
-- Kirby, Wario and Sonic return to the gaming world.
-- An after-dinner (or whenever) beer from Canada
-- A look at an Americana rocker from Clinton
-- Ask Pinky, 10 Things To Do, Nightlife and more!
Exposed is published Fridays in the Express-Times or you can pick it up free at bars, restaurants and shops through the Lehigh Valley. Be sure to check out Exposed on MySpace to learn more about upcoming editions and be the first to find out about upcoming contents and more.
Christian Music News Source
Relient K EP includes blend of old and new songs
GRAND RAPIDS -- Typical Relient K.
A would-be EP with some song rarities and unreleased material turned into a 26-song tour-de-farce called "The Birds and the Bee Sides."
"I'm not a huge fan of just putting out a 'B' sides" record, so I thought we should put some new material on there," said Matt Thiessen, the quirky, pop-rock band's lead singer/songwriter, in a phone interview from a Nashville studio.
"We wrote some new songs and recorded them really quick. It gives us a little breathing room 'til our next full, length project."
Among the selections are demos and other studio experiments. Besides the dozen or so new tunes, there's also an acoustic version of a song that's become one of the band's signatures, "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been."
"We kind of had carte blanche on this one," said Thiessen, 28. "There's some old country stuff ("I Just Want You to Know"), a bit of reggae ("The Lining is Silver") and a couple of little fun tunes."
The band also continues its penchant for odd, "punny" song titles, slipping in "A Penny Loafer Saved Is a Penny Loafer Earned."
It's the sixth recording for the band that appeared 10 years ago near Canton, Ohio, naming itself (with a purposeful misspelling) after original member Matt Hoopes' Reliant K car.
From its punkish beginnings into its more recent forays into piano-pop, the band has carved a following in mainstream and Christian music markets with songs such as "Be My Escape" and "The Best Thing."
The band did the full length of last summer's alternative bands Vans Warped tour, during which Thiessen admitted feeling his age.
"We'd hang out with bands like Forever the Sickest Kid, where all the guys are, like, 20 or 21," he said. "Sometimes, I would make reference to some older music, and they'd have no idea what I was talking about."
The busy band has recorded three new Christmas songs to add to a re-issue of its holiday CD, "Let It Snow Baby ... Let It Reindeer."
"What we're trying to do with our Christmas (music) catalog is to 'snowball' it a little bit each year," he said.
Relient K has a new drummer, Ethan Luck, who earlier this year replaced Dave Douglas. Luck also holds down a job as guitarist for hard-rock group Demon Hunter.
The band's one-of-a-kind song titles have gained it at least a little notoriety. "The Only Thing Worse Than Beating a Dead Horse is Betting On One" -- a tune from their CD "MmHmm" -- won honors from a national magazine.
"Somebody actually sent that title in to Reader's Digest, and it made it into the Quotable Quotes section," Thiessen said. "I actually have a copy of that one."
Thiessen will join the rest of his bandmates in the ranks of the married, when he weds in August. His fiancee is from Detroit, but works in Atlanta.
"She's got a heck of a schedule, like I do," Thiessen said. "We're trying to get a jump on the planning because it's gonna be a bit of a circus."
Christian Music News Source
A would-be EP with some song rarities and unreleased material turned into a 26-song tour-de-farce called "The Birds and the Bee Sides."
"I'm not a huge fan of just putting out a 'B' sides" record, so I thought we should put some new material on there," said Matt Thiessen, the quirky, pop-rock band's lead singer/songwriter, in a phone interview from a Nashville studio.
"We wrote some new songs and recorded them really quick. It gives us a little breathing room 'til our next full, length project."
Among the selections are demos and other studio experiments. Besides the dozen or so new tunes, there's also an acoustic version of a song that's become one of the band's signatures, "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been."
"We kind of had carte blanche on this one," said Thiessen, 28. "There's some old country stuff ("I Just Want You to Know"), a bit of reggae ("The Lining is Silver") and a couple of little fun tunes."
The band also continues its penchant for odd, "punny" song titles, slipping in "A Penny Loafer Saved Is a Penny Loafer Earned."
It's the sixth recording for the band that appeared 10 years ago near Canton, Ohio, naming itself (with a purposeful misspelling) after original member Matt Hoopes' Reliant K car.
From its punkish beginnings into its more recent forays into piano-pop, the band has carved a following in mainstream and Christian music markets with songs such as "Be My Escape" and "The Best Thing."
The band did the full length of last summer's alternative bands Vans Warped tour, during which Thiessen admitted feeling his age.
"We'd hang out with bands like Forever the Sickest Kid, where all the guys are, like, 20 or 21," he said. "Sometimes, I would make reference to some older music, and they'd have no idea what I was talking about."
The busy band has recorded three new Christmas songs to add to a re-issue of its holiday CD, "Let It Snow Baby ... Let It Reindeer."
"What we're trying to do with our Christmas (music) catalog is to 'snowball' it a little bit each year," he said.
Relient K has a new drummer, Ethan Luck, who earlier this year replaced Dave Douglas. Luck also holds down a job as guitarist for hard-rock group Demon Hunter.
The band's one-of-a-kind song titles have gained it at least a little notoriety. "The Only Thing Worse Than Beating a Dead Horse is Betting On One" -- a tune from their CD "MmHmm" -- won honors from a national magazine.
"Somebody actually sent that title in to Reader's Digest, and it made it into the Quotable Quotes section," Thiessen said. "I actually have a copy of that one."
Thiessen will join the rest of his bandmates in the ranks of the married, when he weds in August. His fiancee is from Detroit, but works in Atlanta.
"She's got a heck of a schedule, like I do," Thiessen said. "We're trying to get a jump on the planning because it's gonna be a bit of a circus."
Christian Music News Source
Punk band Relient K to play at Allentown's Crocodile Rock
Relient K singer Matt Thiessen was calling from Tennessee. The band was taking a break from rehearsing for its tour. And the members were sifting through their six-album catalog looking for some surprises for their audiences.
"There's a lot of givens to play, but after that we just pick whatever we feel like playing," he says. "This tour is going to be fun because we're bringing out a couple of nuggets we haven't played for a while."
After playing the Vans Warped Tour during the summer, Relient K has put together its own club tour called the Uncle Fest Tour.
The band will headline the show that also features Ludo, The Providence and House of Heroes. The tour comes to Allentown's Crocodile Rock on Tuesday, and on Wednesday they'll be at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia.
In an era where punk bands come and go, Relient K has stayed both popular and relevant since its 2000 debut album that was full of adolescent-style punk that proved anything goes.
Among the topics: dissing Marilyn Manson, a tribute to Nancy Drew and a punk version of the theme from the TV show "Charles In Charge."
Since then the band has steadily matured and its latest album, "The Bird and the Bee Sides," shows Relient K at its most musically diverse yet.
Although the album contains rarities, demos and songs from EPs, they wanted to add a few new songs to the album. But then the idea expanded. So there are 13 new songs on it.
"It ended up doing as many songs as we can fit," Thiessen says. "I really enjoyed doing some of the offbeat reggae and country songs. We were able to experiment more because we knew it wasn't going to come out as a completely new Relient K album."
As varied as the new album is, the band is regarded as a punk band. Although sometimes tagged a pop-punk band its lyrics are much deeper. No topic seems off-limits to them ranging from sarcastic critiques of pop culture to emotional songs about self-doubt.
But saying something relevant and important is in the spirit of punk rock, Thiessen says.
"If you're going to play music where you stick with just three or four or five chords, you better have something to say so that people pay attention," he says. "You can't do the same old love songs."
Since punk burst into a legitimate genre in the late 1970s, it's survived through genre changes and trends ranging from hardcore to pop punk. But there's been one consistency in it, Thiessen says.
"I think there's an element of DIY kids can relate to," he says. "They know you started in some garage and that you weren't some kind of musical savant."
Over the past few albums, Relient K songs have grown complex both lyrically and musically. Because of the confessional lyrics and tempo shifts, it's sometimes called an emo band -- a genre of punk rock heavy on emotional lyrics. But emo may already be another punk genre that is over.
"I think it may have run its course," he says. "It's so loosely defined anyway. Back in the day it started with bands like the Juliana Theory and Dashboard Confessional who started singing songs with layers of different emotions.
"There's nothing wrong with putting some emotion into music. But Coldplay has a lot of emotion. So do you call them emo?"
However, he says, the band does write songs that are personal and confessional.
"We write from a pretty introspective perspective and we analyze our shortcomings and we wear our hearts on our sleeves," he says. "Or we write about positive experiences. If something is good, it's good to express that as well."
Something the band has fewer questions about from when they started is their spirituality.
They still sometimes play Christian festivals. But questions about their religion don't surface much anymore, he says.
"We don't really have to deal with it," he says. "We really just do whatever we want. I just try to make sure I don't do anything to pull people down or that has a negative impact."
Somehow that's kept them going for 10 years.
"When we started the band, we made a demo for $200 and I sang in an English accent," he says. "But somebody actually saw something in it. And since then our band has definitely been blessed."
Christian Music News Source
"There's a lot of givens to play, but after that we just pick whatever we feel like playing," he says. "This tour is going to be fun because we're bringing out a couple of nuggets we haven't played for a while."
After playing the Vans Warped Tour during the summer, Relient K has put together its own club tour called the Uncle Fest Tour.
The band will headline the show that also features Ludo, The Providence and House of Heroes. The tour comes to Allentown's Crocodile Rock on Tuesday, and on Wednesday they'll be at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia.
In an era where punk bands come and go, Relient K has stayed both popular and relevant since its 2000 debut album that was full of adolescent-style punk that proved anything goes.
Among the topics: dissing Marilyn Manson, a tribute to Nancy Drew and a punk version of the theme from the TV show "Charles In Charge."
Since then the band has steadily matured and its latest album, "The Bird and the Bee Sides," shows Relient K at its most musically diverse yet.
Although the album contains rarities, demos and songs from EPs, they wanted to add a few new songs to the album. But then the idea expanded. So there are 13 new songs on it.
"It ended up doing as many songs as we can fit," Thiessen says. "I really enjoyed doing some of the offbeat reggae and country songs. We were able to experiment more because we knew it wasn't going to come out as a completely new Relient K album."
As varied as the new album is, the band is regarded as a punk band. Although sometimes tagged a pop-punk band its lyrics are much deeper. No topic seems off-limits to them ranging from sarcastic critiques of pop culture to emotional songs about self-doubt.
But saying something relevant and important is in the spirit of punk rock, Thiessen says.
"If you're going to play music where you stick with just three or four or five chords, you better have something to say so that people pay attention," he says. "You can't do the same old love songs."
Since punk burst into a legitimate genre in the late 1970s, it's survived through genre changes and trends ranging from hardcore to pop punk. But there's been one consistency in it, Thiessen says.
"I think there's an element of DIY kids can relate to," he says. "They know you started in some garage and that you weren't some kind of musical savant."
Over the past few albums, Relient K songs have grown complex both lyrically and musically. Because of the confessional lyrics and tempo shifts, it's sometimes called an emo band -- a genre of punk rock heavy on emotional lyrics. But emo may already be another punk genre that is over.
"I think it may have run its course," he says. "It's so loosely defined anyway. Back in the day it started with bands like the Juliana Theory and Dashboard Confessional who started singing songs with layers of different emotions.
"There's nothing wrong with putting some emotion into music. But Coldplay has a lot of emotion. So do you call them emo?"
However, he says, the band does write songs that are personal and confessional.
"We write from a pretty introspective perspective and we analyze our shortcomings and we wear our hearts on our sleeves," he says. "Or we write about positive experiences. If something is good, it's good to express that as well."
Something the band has fewer questions about from when they started is their spirituality.
They still sometimes play Christian festivals. But questions about their religion don't surface much anymore, he says.
"We don't really have to deal with it," he says. "We really just do whatever we want. I just try to make sure I don't do anything to pull people down or that has a negative impact."
Somehow that's kept them going for 10 years.
"When we started the band, we made a demo for $200 and I sang in an English accent," he says. "But somebody actually saw something in it. And since then our band has definitely been blessed."
Christian Music News Source
Relient K: Let no song 'B' left behind
Relient K vocalist/guitarist Matthew Thiessen has a matter-of-fact view about holiday albums, specifically his band's release, "Let It Snow Baby ... Let It Reindeer," which was re-released Oct. 7.
"Christmas comes around every year, so you might as well put the record out every year," Thiessen said with a laugh during a recent phone interview.
"Because I'm not into putting out the same record every year, we're going to tack a couple more songs onto it this year. We'll probably tack more songs onto it next year. It's just this whole idea that we had for our Christmas catalog, pun intended: Let it snowball every year and add to it."
In between tours, the Christian popsters recorded three new tracks -- "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silver Bells" and "Oh Holy Night." CDs come with a card enabling fans to download the additional songs for free.
However, Relient K is now on tour in support of "The Bird and the Bee Sides," a collection of unreleased tracks, some new and some from the band's vault. The album's release was basically out of necessity.
 "We had one album left on our contract with our first record deal we signed in '98," said Thiessen, who will marry in the Detroit area next year.
"We had 20 B-sides just sitting around the cutting room floor. We chose 13 of those songs and put them on the record. With that mentality, we said, 'Let's throw a couple new songs on there too so it's not just B-sides.' We ended coming up with 13 new songs as well."
The 26-song album is selling for $10 at shows, he said. "That's a pretty good deal for 26 songs. It's something we did for the summer. We do like to try and put out new material once or twice a year if we can. It fits the bill for that."
Thiessen explained he and the rest of the band -- guitarist Matthew Hoopes, bassist John Warne, guitarist Jonathan Schneck and drummer Ethan Luck -- are unsure for which label they're going to record their next album. They were previously signed to Capitol via Gotee.
"There's definitely a lot of talk of re-signing and reformatting the whole contract," Thiessen said. "There's talk about being able to take over an independent record label of our own, being able to put out our material and have it be a subsidy of Gotee which is our former label. But nothing's signed yet so I can't really confirm anything. We'll announce it when we can."
Christian Music News Source
"Christmas comes around every year, so you might as well put the record out every year," Thiessen said with a laugh during a recent phone interview.
"Because I'm not into putting out the same record every year, we're going to tack a couple more songs onto it this year. We'll probably tack more songs onto it next year. It's just this whole idea that we had for our Christmas catalog, pun intended: Let it snowball every year and add to it."
In between tours, the Christian popsters recorded three new tracks -- "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silver Bells" and "Oh Holy Night." CDs come with a card enabling fans to download the additional songs for free.
However, Relient K is now on tour in support of "The Bird and the Bee Sides," a collection of unreleased tracks, some new and some from the band's vault. The album's release was basically out of necessity.
 "We had one album left on our contract with our first record deal we signed in '98," said Thiessen, who will marry in the Detroit area next year.
"We had 20 B-sides just sitting around the cutting room floor. We chose 13 of those songs and put them on the record. With that mentality, we said, 'Let's throw a couple new songs on there too so it's not just B-sides.' We ended coming up with 13 new songs as well."
The 26-song album is selling for $10 at shows, he said. "That's a pretty good deal for 26 songs. It's something we did for the summer. We do like to try and put out new material once or twice a year if we can. It fits the bill for that."
Thiessen explained he and the rest of the band -- guitarist Matthew Hoopes, bassist John Warne, guitarist Jonathan Schneck and drummer Ethan Luck -- are unsure for which label they're going to record their next album. They were previously signed to Capitol via Gotee.
"There's definitely a lot of talk of re-signing and reformatting the whole contract," Thiessen said. "There's talk about being able to take over an independent record label of our own, being able to put out our material and have it be a subsidy of Gotee which is our former label. But nothing's signed yet so I can't really confirm anything. We'll announce it when we can."
Christian Music News Source
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Relient K enjoys headlining a 25-city tour
Ever since Relient K was founded nearly a decade ago, the Christian rock band has relied on witty wordplay for its album titles: "The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek;" "Two Lefts Don't Make A Right... But Three Do;" "The Vinyl Countdown." They're good for a chuckle, but that doesn't mean the band remains the same nod-and-wink group it was during its high school years in Canton, Ohio.
The reality is that Matt Thiessen & Co. have mellowed and deepened, and their recent compilation -- "The Bird and the Bee Sides" -- showcases the true talent beneath the pop veneer.
As Relient K ventures into Indianapolis for the Uncle Fest Tour (get it?), Thiessen tells us about the band's new chapter, the persona behind the puns and more.
Question: Tell us about your relationship with the other bands coming into town for Uncle Fest.
Well, the main support is a band called Ludo. I just heard their song on a commercial for the show "House." They're really cool and quirky -- they've got some Weezer influence, along with some darker stuff like My Chemical Romance.
This Providence ..... I don't know those guys very well, but their music is really cool. And then House of Heroes is the first band playing. They've been friends of ours for probably eight years, and they're one of my favorite bands.
When you were first starting Relient K, did you ever think you'd be around long enough to do a compilation project?
Not at all. The thing is, we had one more album to do for our contract, and we had all these songs sitting around, and I was thinking we might as well put those out and get out of our deal and start something new. But then we ended up writing a bunch of originals for it, too, so we went half and half with new songs and old B-sides.
Over the last several years, there's been such marked maturity and growth in the songs of Relient K. What direction do you think things will go?
It's a line that we've always chosen to walk -- where you try to stretch the band and move in a different direction, and yet also give people what they want.
What is that balance? In another interview I did recently, the songwriter just said that, ultimately, he's the one that has to stay interested.
Right. When you're writing new songs, you have to put yourself in the perspective of making sure you're a fan first of all, and then hopefully your tastes will align with that of your audience.
What can people expect from the live show?
On our last record, we had an 11-minute song that ended the record, called "Deathbed," and I'm not sure how we'll pull this off on the live show, but I think we're gonna try it. I think Matt (Hoopes) and I are also going to try out some trumpet and do some other interesting and fun stuff. Should be a good time
Christian Music News Source
The reality is that Matt Thiessen & Co. have mellowed and deepened, and their recent compilation -- "The Bird and the Bee Sides" -- showcases the true talent beneath the pop veneer.
As Relient K ventures into Indianapolis for the Uncle Fest Tour (get it?), Thiessen tells us about the band's new chapter, the persona behind the puns and more.
Question: Tell us about your relationship with the other bands coming into town for Uncle Fest.
Well, the main support is a band called Ludo. I just heard their song on a commercial for the show "House." They're really cool and quirky -- they've got some Weezer influence, along with some darker stuff like My Chemical Romance.
This Providence ..... I don't know those guys very well, but their music is really cool. And then House of Heroes is the first band playing. They've been friends of ours for probably eight years, and they're one of my favorite bands.
When you were first starting Relient K, did you ever think you'd be around long enough to do a compilation project?
Not at all. The thing is, we had one more album to do for our contract, and we had all these songs sitting around, and I was thinking we might as well put those out and get out of our deal and start something new. But then we ended up writing a bunch of originals for it, too, so we went half and half with new songs and old B-sides.
Over the last several years, there's been such marked maturity and growth in the songs of Relient K. What direction do you think things will go?
It's a line that we've always chosen to walk -- where you try to stretch the band and move in a different direction, and yet also give people what they want.
What is that balance? In another interview I did recently, the songwriter just said that, ultimately, he's the one that has to stay interested.
Right. When you're writing new songs, you have to put yourself in the perspective of making sure you're a fan first of all, and then hopefully your tastes will align with that of your audience.
What can people expect from the live show?
On our last record, we had an 11-minute song that ended the record, called "Deathbed," and I'm not sure how we'll pull this off on the live show, but I think we're gonna try it. I think Matt (Hoopes) and I are also going to try out some trumpet and do some other interesting and fun stuff. Should be a good time
Christian Music News Source
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Gig roundup: Hammill's influence spans decades
If there's a place to go to see the legends of the '60s, '70s and '80s underground, it's Shank Hall, which confirms that status with an appearance by London's Peter Hammill on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Hammill started out as the frontman -- singer and songwriter -- of one of the oddest, most chaotic prog rock bands of the 1970s, Van der Graaf Generator. But put your "Tales of Topographic Oceans" aside, because VdGG was nothing like the pastoral Yes. Think more along the lines of a pre-historic Bauhaus.
Hammill's distinctive style, especially when blended with the eerie yelp of David Jackson's heavily-effected saxophones, meant that the group sounded like no other. And it's dark, chaotic sound and style has often been described as proto-punk.
Although the band split in 1978, Hammill, Jackson, Guy Evans and Hugh Banton reformed in 2005 and have recorded two solo discs. But Hammill remains active on his own, too, and has issued 26 solo discs, including seven while the band was active and the most recent, "Singularity," released in December 2006.
The wide-ranging and diversely-talented Hammill also writes and performs music for film, television and the ballet.
So, expect an interesting and engaging night of music when he takes the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday. Admission to the smoke-free show is $30.
Please note that tonight's RRIICCEE show at Shank Hall has been canceled.
Some other gigs on tap this week include:
Bassnectar Labs Present The Other Side tour stops at the Miramar on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m., bringing Bassnectar and special guests like Beats Antique, For Knox Five, Seasunz and others along, too. Tickets are $15.
Sicilian rock chanteuse Carmen Consoli makes her Milwaukee debut Monday night at the Miramar at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12. On this, her seventh U.S. trip, Consoli is still promoting her most recent disc, "Eva Contro Eva," but she recently returned to the studio to begin work on the follow-up.
Children of Bodom, Between the Buried and Me and Black Dahlia Murder team up for a 7:30 gig at The Rave on Thursday, Oct. 2. Meanwhile, Relient K plays there on Sunday, with openers Ludo, This Providence and House of Heroes at 7 p.m.
The Cactus Club hosts John the Savage's CD release party with Father Phoenix and Lopan on Friday and Molitor, Sleep Tight Co. and Revolving Doors on Saturday. Both shows start at 10 p.m.
My Morning Jacket returns to town on Friday, Oct. 3 for a gig at the Riverside. Tickets are $31. There's an afterparty at Mo's with Athens, Ga. outfit Dead Confederate, which is touring in support of its full-length debut, "Wrecking Ball." Rolling Stone recently called the band one of "Six Artists to Watch."
New York comedian Mike Birbiglia performs the same night over at The Pabst. Tickets are $26.50. Street Dogs, Time Again, The Stilettos and Flatfoot 56 are at Turner Hall for $14.
Singer, guitarist and main songwriter for the pop version of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsay Buckingham plays Saturday at The Pabst. Tickets are $51.50. Alanis Morrissette plays the Riverside Sunday and it'll run you either $39.50 or $59.50.
Christian Music News Source
Hammill started out as the frontman -- singer and songwriter -- of one of the oddest, most chaotic prog rock bands of the 1970s, Van der Graaf Generator. But put your "Tales of Topographic Oceans" aside, because VdGG was nothing like the pastoral Yes. Think more along the lines of a pre-historic Bauhaus.
Hammill's distinctive style, especially when blended with the eerie yelp of David Jackson's heavily-effected saxophones, meant that the group sounded like no other. And it's dark, chaotic sound and style has often been described as proto-punk.
Although the band split in 1978, Hammill, Jackson, Guy Evans and Hugh Banton reformed in 2005 and have recorded two solo discs. But Hammill remains active on his own, too, and has issued 26 solo discs, including seven while the band was active and the most recent, "Singularity," released in December 2006.
The wide-ranging and diversely-talented Hammill also writes and performs music for film, television and the ballet.
So, expect an interesting and engaging night of music when he takes the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday. Admission to the smoke-free show is $30.
Please note that tonight's RRIICCEE show at Shank Hall has been canceled.
Some other gigs on tap this week include:
Bassnectar Labs Present The Other Side tour stops at the Miramar on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m., bringing Bassnectar and special guests like Beats Antique, For Knox Five, Seasunz and others along, too. Tickets are $15.
Sicilian rock chanteuse Carmen Consoli makes her Milwaukee debut Monday night at the Miramar at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12. On this, her seventh U.S. trip, Consoli is still promoting her most recent disc, "Eva Contro Eva," but she recently returned to the studio to begin work on the follow-up.
Children of Bodom, Between the Buried and Me and Black Dahlia Murder team up for a 7:30 gig at The Rave on Thursday, Oct. 2. Meanwhile, Relient K plays there on Sunday, with openers Ludo, This Providence and House of Heroes at 7 p.m.
The Cactus Club hosts John the Savage's CD release party with Father Phoenix and Lopan on Friday and Molitor, Sleep Tight Co. and Revolving Doors on Saturday. Both shows start at 10 p.m.
My Morning Jacket returns to town on Friday, Oct. 3 for a gig at the Riverside. Tickets are $31. There's an afterparty at Mo's with Athens, Ga. outfit Dead Confederate, which is touring in support of its full-length debut, "Wrecking Ball." Rolling Stone recently called the band one of "Six Artists to Watch."
New York comedian Mike Birbiglia performs the same night over at The Pabst. Tickets are $26.50. Street Dogs, Time Again, The Stilettos and Flatfoot 56 are at Turner Hall for $14.
Singer, guitarist and main songwriter for the pop version of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsay Buckingham plays Saturday at The Pabst. Tickets are $51.50. Alanis Morrissette plays the Riverside Sunday and it'll run you either $39.50 or $59.50.
Christian Music News Source
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Relient K Fall Tour Announced
Comming soon to a venue near you...
Relient K has announced a fall tour in support of their new album, The Bird and the Bee Sides, a collection of b-sides, demos and rarities culled from the Relient K archives is addition to 13 brand new tracks.
Upcoming tour dates for the "Uncle Fest Tour" will be:
10/02 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
10/03 Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom
10/04 St. Paul, MN Myth
10/05 Milwaukee, WI The Eagles Ballroom
10/07 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room @ Murat Center
10/09 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
10/10 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
10/11 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo's
10/12 Pittsburgh, PA Club Zoo
10/13 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
10/15 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
10/16 Worcester, MA The Palladium
10/17 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
10/18 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
10/21 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/22 Towson, MD Recher Theatre
10/23 Norfolk, VA Norva Theatre
10/24 Charlotte, NC Amos' Southend
10/25 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues Myrtle Beach
10/27 Orlando, FL House of Blues Orlando
10/29 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre
10/30 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
10/31 Cleveland, OH House of Blues Cleveland
11/01 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
11/02 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Christian Music News Source
Relient K has announced a fall tour in support of their new album, The Bird and the Bee Sides, a collection of b-sides, demos and rarities culled from the Relient K archives is addition to 13 brand new tracks.
Upcoming tour dates for the "Uncle Fest Tour" will be:
10/02 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
10/03 Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom
10/04 St. Paul, MN Myth
10/05 Milwaukee, WI The Eagles Ballroom
10/07 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room @ Murat Center
10/09 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
10/10 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
10/11 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo's
10/12 Pittsburgh, PA Club Zoo
10/13 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
10/15 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
10/16 Worcester, MA The Palladium
10/17 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
10/18 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
10/21 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/22 Towson, MD Recher Theatre
10/23 Norfolk, VA Norva Theatre
10/24 Charlotte, NC Amos' Southend
10/25 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues Myrtle Beach
10/27 Orlando, FL House of Blues Orlando
10/29 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre
10/30 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
10/31 Cleveland, OH House of Blues Cleveland
11/01 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
11/02 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Christian Music News Source
Relient K plots fall tour, records new holiday tracks
Fresh from the Van's Warped Tour, alt-rockers Relient K [ tickets ] will head back out on the road this fall for a headlining tour of their own, right after they record a few new Christmas tunes.
The Ohio-based Christian rockers kick off the "Uncle Fest" tour Oct. 2 in Madison, WI. The outing boasts dates in 25 cities through early November; details are shown below.
The band will take the time between tours to record three traditional holidays tracks--"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silver Bells" and "Oh Holy Night"--for the Oct. 7 reissue of the band's Christmas collection from last year, "Let it Snow Baby ... Let it Reindeer." While the songs won't be included on the reissue, copies of the CD will come with codes enabling fans to download the additional songs free of charge.
"We took a quick breather after Warped Tour, and now we're headed back to Nashville to track a couple of Christmas songs and rehearse for the upcoming Uncle Fest Tour," frontman Matt Thiessen said in a statement. "We're excited to hit the road and get back to some of our favorite clubs and theaters."
Released last March, Relient K's most recent studio album, "Five Score and Seven Years Ago," is the band's fifth album in seven years. The record follows 2004's "Mmhmm," which earned the group its third consecutive gold-album certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
The band released an album-length collection of new material, "The Nashville Tennis EP," earlier this year on the same disc as a b-sides and outtakes collection, "The Bird and the Bee Sides." Although the band itself classifies the release as an EP, the entire package clocks in at more than 70 minutes.
Christian Music News Source
The Ohio-based Christian rockers kick off the "Uncle Fest" tour Oct. 2 in Madison, WI. The outing boasts dates in 25 cities through early November; details are shown below.
The band will take the time between tours to record three traditional holidays tracks--"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silver Bells" and "Oh Holy Night"--for the Oct. 7 reissue of the band's Christmas collection from last year, "Let it Snow Baby ... Let it Reindeer." While the songs won't be included on the reissue, copies of the CD will come with codes enabling fans to download the additional songs free of charge.
"We took a quick breather after Warped Tour, and now we're headed back to Nashville to track a couple of Christmas songs and rehearse for the upcoming Uncle Fest Tour," frontman Matt Thiessen said in a statement. "We're excited to hit the road and get back to some of our favorite clubs and theaters."
Released last March, Relient K's most recent studio album, "Five Score and Seven Years Ago," is the band's fifth album in seven years. The record follows 2004's "Mmhmm," which earned the group its third consecutive gold-album certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
The band released an album-length collection of new material, "The Nashville Tennis EP," earlier this year on the same disc as a b-sides and outtakes collection, "The Bird and the Bee Sides." Although the band itself classifies the release as an EP, the entire package clocks in at more than 70 minutes.
Christian Music News Source
Friday, September 19, 2008
Discography
The following is a comprehensive listing of all official releases by Relient K, an American rock band formed in Canton, Ohio in 1998. The band has released some kind of music every year since their debut album was released in 2000.
Albums
Studio albums
EPs
Other
Singles
Music videos
Compilation appearances
Tribute albums
Christian Music Links!
Albums
Studio albums
| Name | Notes | Singles released Includes promotional singles | Charts | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | US | US | |||
| Relient K |
| — | 400,000+ | ||
| The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek | 158 | 500,000+ | Gold | ||
| Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do |
| 38 | 500,000+ | Gold | |
| Mmhmm |
| 15 | 800,000+ | Gold | |
| Five Score and Seven Years Ago |
|
| 6 | 150,000+ |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2000 A.D.D. | Gotee |
| 2001 | The Creepy EP | Gotee |
| 2002 | Employee of the Month EP | Gotee |
| 2003 | The Vinyl Countdown | Mono Vs Stereo |
| 2005 | Apathetic EP | Gotee Capitol |
| 2007 | Must Have Done Something Right EP | Gotee Capitol |
| 2008 | The Nashville Tennis EP (Included inThe Bird and the Bee Sides) | Gotee |
| Year | Title | Type | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | All Work and No Play | Demo | CREC Records |
| 2003 | Open Mic Karaoke: Relient K, Vol. 1 | Karaoke CD | Gotee |
| 2003 | Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand | Christmas CD | Gotee |
| 2006 | The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek: Gold Edition | Re-release | Gotee |
| 2006 | Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do: Gold Edition | Re-release | Gotee |
| 2007 | Let it Snow, Baby... Let it Reindeer | Christmas CD | Gotee |
| 2008 | The Bird and The Bee Sides | B-Sides/Rarities CD | Gotee |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Top 40 Mainstream | Billboard Pop 100 | Hot Digital Tracks | Hot Christian Songs | CCM | Certification | |||
| 2003 | "Getting Into You" | - | - | - | - | #25 | - | - | Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do |
| 2005 | "High of 75" | - | - | - | - | #17 | #2 | - | Mmhmm |
| 2005 | "Be My Escape" | #82 | - | #48 | #31 | #16 | #1 | Gold | Mmhmm |
| 2006 | "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" | #58 | #22 | #35 | #37 | #32 | #1 | Gold | Mmhmm |
| 2006 | "Must Have Done Something Right"1 | - | #45 | - | - | - | - | - | Five Score and Seven Years Ago |
| 2006 | "Forgiven"1 | - | - | - | - | #13 | #1 | - | Five Score and Seven Years Ago |
| 2007 | "The Best Thing" | - | #47[1] | - | - | #29 | #2 | - | Five Score and Seven Years Ago |
| 2008 | "Give Until There's Nothing Left" | - | - | - | - | #17 | - | - | Five Score and Seven Years Ago |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "My Girlfriend" | Relient K |
| 2001 | "Pressing On" | The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek |
| 2003 | "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry" | Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do |
| 2005 | "Be My Escape" | Mmhmm |
| 2005 | "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" | Mmhmm |
| 2007 | "Must Have Done Something Right" | Five Score and Seven Years Ago |
| 2007 | "The Best Thing" | Five Score and Seven Years Ago |
Compilation appearances
| Year | Album | Song(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Take Time to Listen: Volume 5 | "Hello McFly" | 5 Minute Walk |
| 2000 | Gotee Records Freshmen Class 2000 | "My Girlfriend" "Hello McFly" "Softer to Me" "Breakdown" | Gotee |
| 2001 | hearitfirst.com New Music Sampler | "Pressing On" | Sparrow |
| 2001 | Happy Christmas, Vol. 3 | "Santa Claus Is Thumbing to Town" | BEC |
| 2002 | ConGRADulations! 2002 | "Pressing On" | Interlinc |
| 2002 | Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie | "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" | Big Idea |
| 2003 | Smash-Ups | "Tobymac "Yours" vs. Relient K "Pressing On"" | Sparrow |
| 2003 | Soulfest 2003: A Soul Revolution | "From End To End" | New Sound International |
| 2003 | WOW Hits 2004 | "Getting Into You" | Sparrow |
| 2004 | Gotee: 10 Years Brand New | "Sadie Hawkins Dance" | Gotee |
| 2004 | Congratulations Class of 2004 | "Hallelujah Chorus" | EMI |
| 2004 | VeggieTales: Veggie Rocks! | "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" | ForeFront |
| 2004 | X 2004 Rock Hits! | "I Am Understood" | |
| 2005 | Punk Goes 80's | "Manic Monday" | Fearless |
| 2005 | Now That's What I Call Music!, Vol. 19 | "Be My Escape" | EMI |
| 2005 | Happy Christmas, Vol. 4 | "I Celebrate the Day" | Tooth & Nail |
| 2005 | X 2005 Rock Hits! | "More Than Useless" | |
| 2006 | ConGRADulations! 2006 | "Be My Escape" | Interlinc |
| 2006 | Now That's What I Call Music!, Vol. 21 | "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" | EMI |
| 2006 | X Worship 2006 | "I Am Understood?" | ForeFront |
| 2006 | 2006 Warped Tour Compilation | "Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet?" | Side One Dummy Records |
| 2006 | Freaked! | "Between You and Me" | Gotee Records |
| 2006 | X 2006 Rock Hits! | "I So Hate Consequences" | |
| 2006 | X 2007 Rock Hits! | "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" | BEC |
| 2006 | WOW Hits 2007 | "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" | Chordant |
| 2006 | Now That's What I Call Christmas!, 3 | "Twelve Days of Christmas" | Sony BMG |
| 2007 | Punk Goes Acoustic 2 | "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" | Fearless |
| 2008 | Warped Tour 2008 Tour Compilation | "The Truth" | Side One Dummy |
Tribute albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | String Quartet Tribute to Relient K | Vitamin |
| 2007 | Pickin' On Relient K: A Bluegrass Tribute | CMH records |
| 2008 | Relient K Piano Tribute | CC Entertainment |
Christian Music Links!
Other projects
The Complex Infrastructure Known as the Female Mind
In 2004, Relient K released a book entitled The Complex Infrastructure Known as the Female Mind. The book clues in the confused male Relient K fans on some of the inner workings of the female species.[citation needed] The band gives advice on the opposite sex through personal experience, stereotypes (including Rocker and Vanilla Pudding), and Biblical advice—presented in the attitude found in their music. The title of the book is taken from the last line of the song "Mood Rings," which is found on their third album, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.
Woodland Forest
In June 2006, Relient K released the first episode of their own flash cartoon. The cartoon features all five band members, and takes place in a fictional land known as Woodland Forest. It is animated by bassist John Warne. There have only been two episodes thus far, and can be found on YouTube.[47][48] The cartoons also feature "Merle the Squirrel," (who is now on Relient K t-shirts, and has his own MySpace page)[49] as well as "Crosby the Reindeer".
Podcasts
Relient K has made a total of nine audio podcasts and five video podcasts. The nine audio podcasts were made during the band's time on the Matt Hoopes Birthday Tour. They included interviews with the band members, their guitar techs, and various other people who help them on tour. There were also interviews with the other touring bands, The Rocket Summer and Maxeen.[citation needed]
The five video podcasts include various scenes in the studio, as well as the band doing things outside the studio, much like the video podcasts made by Switchfoot. The first two video podcasts showed the band in the studio preparing for the recording of Five Score and Seven Years Ago, and Dave Douglas recording the drum parts, respectively. The third video podcast was a collection of footage and discussions from the Nintendo Fusion Tour, and a Mario Kart DS Tournament between the five band members. The fourth video podcast showed Jon Schneck and Dave Douglas preparing for a boxing match (which is also included and completed in the Wal-Mart "Devastation and Reform" video), and the fifth video podcast showed the completion of the battle. There is a sixth unreleased video podcast including John Warne fulfilling his lifelong dream of walking into a room with the AutoZone Theme Song playing. It shows Warne recording the song with the assistance of Dave Douglas and Jon Schneck. It can be found on YouTube at the present time, and it is currently unofficially released on the site, as it has not made it to the band's official site.
Related Projects
Outside of Relient K, Matt Thiessen has a piano-focused solo project called Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. He started it in 1998, around the time Relient K was started. He has released seven songs either online or on various CD releases. Thiessen also has The Makeout Girls, a less serious side project that features himself and his friend, Kevan Peden. They have released one known song, which was the hidden track known as "Silly Shoes" from Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.[citation needed]
Former drummer Dave Douglas created a project called Agnes, a solo rock project that somewhat resembles the sound of Relient K's earlier music with his own twist. Douglas also started a project called Gypsy Parade, a softer project that he started with his wife, Rachel. They have released two demo songs on their MySpace with more expected. Douglas amicably left Relient K to further pursue this project.[citation needed]
Ethan Luck, the current drummer, is involved with the Christian metal band Demon Hunter, but he also has a side project called My Red Hot Nightmare.[citation needed]
Three tracks were featured on the compilation album My Other Band, Vol. 1 on Mono vs Stereo records in 2006, from Matt Thiessen's side project Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes, Dave Douglas' side project Agnes, and Ethan Luck's My Red Hot Nightmare project.
Christian Music Links!
In 2004, Relient K released a book entitled The Complex Infrastructure Known as the Female Mind. The book clues in the confused male Relient K fans on some of the inner workings of the female species.[citation needed] The band gives advice on the opposite sex through personal experience, stereotypes (including Rocker and Vanilla Pudding), and Biblical advice—presented in the attitude found in their music. The title of the book is taken from the last line of the song "Mood Rings," which is found on their third album, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.
Woodland Forest
In June 2006, Relient K released the first episode of their own flash cartoon. The cartoon features all five band members, and takes place in a fictional land known as Woodland Forest. It is animated by bassist John Warne. There have only been two episodes thus far, and can be found on YouTube.[47][48] The cartoons also feature "Merle the Squirrel," (who is now on Relient K t-shirts, and has his own MySpace page)[49] as well as "Crosby the Reindeer".
Podcasts
Relient K has made a total of nine audio podcasts and five video podcasts. The nine audio podcasts were made during the band's time on the Matt Hoopes Birthday Tour. They included interviews with the band members, their guitar techs, and various other people who help them on tour. There were also interviews with the other touring bands, The Rocket Summer and Maxeen.[citation needed]
The five video podcasts include various scenes in the studio, as well as the band doing things outside the studio, much like the video podcasts made by Switchfoot. The first two video podcasts showed the band in the studio preparing for the recording of Five Score and Seven Years Ago, and Dave Douglas recording the drum parts, respectively. The third video podcast was a collection of footage and discussions from the Nintendo Fusion Tour, and a Mario Kart DS Tournament between the five band members. The fourth video podcast showed Jon Schneck and Dave Douglas preparing for a boxing match (which is also included and completed in the Wal-Mart "Devastation and Reform" video), and the fifth video podcast showed the completion of the battle. There is a sixth unreleased video podcast including John Warne fulfilling his lifelong dream of walking into a room with the AutoZone Theme Song playing. It shows Warne recording the song with the assistance of Dave Douglas and Jon Schneck. It can be found on YouTube at the present time, and it is currently unofficially released on the site, as it has not made it to the band's official site.
Related Projects
Outside of Relient K, Matt Thiessen has a piano-focused solo project called Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. He started it in 1998, around the time Relient K was started. He has released seven songs either online or on various CD releases. Thiessen also has The Makeout Girls, a less serious side project that features himself and his friend, Kevan Peden. They have released one known song, which was the hidden track known as "Silly Shoes" from Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.[citation needed]
Former drummer Dave Douglas created a project called Agnes, a solo rock project that somewhat resembles the sound of Relient K's earlier music with his own twist. Douglas also started a project called Gypsy Parade, a softer project that he started with his wife, Rachel. They have released two demo songs on their MySpace with more expected. Douglas amicably left Relient K to further pursue this project.[citation needed]
Ethan Luck, the current drummer, is involved with the Christian metal band Demon Hunter, but he also has a side project called My Red Hot Nightmare.[citation needed]
Three tracks were featured on the compilation album My Other Band, Vol. 1 on Mono vs Stereo records in 2006, from Matt Thiessen's side project Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes, Dave Douglas' side project Agnes, and Ethan Luck's My Red Hot Nightmare project.
Christian Music Links!
Tours and Live Performances
* Relient K performed in the 2005 and 2008 Vans Warped Tour,
* Between September and November 2006, Relient K played on the Nintendo Fusion Tour with Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Plain White T's, and The Sleeping.[41]
* The band also took part in McDonald's Summer 2007 music tour. Every band involved in the tour has the chance to be involved in a future McDonald's ad. Votes by viewers will be counted to decide who will win. All live shows are available for viewing.[42]
* Members of both Switchfoot and Relient K had been talking about touring together, and Switchfoot confirmed the rumors this fall during the Alive Festival. Relient K and Switchfoot will be co-headlining, but Switchfoot will be playing last every night. Ruth will be opening for them. It is expected to be given an official announcement complete with tour dates soon. Matt Thiessen stated in a blog entry on the Relient K website that there will be a fall tour but did not hint at any details except that the two bands are trying to figure out a way to incorporate Habitat for Humanity into the tour.[43] On July 12, 2007, Switchfoot's website released a new video podcast[44] and blog, and in the middle of the video podcast there is a short intermission where all the band members of Switchfoot and Relient K announced there will be a tour in the fall of 2007 with more details to come. Relient K and Switchfoot both played at the Los Angeles premier of the movie Evan Almighty on June 22, 2007.[45] They also played at the Lizard Fair in Midland, Michigan on August 15, 2007 with Chris Daughtry.
* "Must Have Done Something Right" and "The Best Thing" were performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno respectively.
Live Covers
During tour dates and shows the band has been known to perform live cover songs from various sources. The covers have included the following:
* Relient K included "I Want It That Way" by The Backstreet Boys for some of their sets in 2000.[citation needed]
* The band covered "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain on a tour early in their career.[citation needed]
* In the summer festival season of 2001, the band covered "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul, "We Built This City" by Starship, and "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer.[citation needed]
* At Cornerstone 2003, Relient K played a cover of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" after which Matt Thiessen stated, "That was uh... that was a joke."[46]
* During the See Spot Rock tour, Relient K covered the eponymous song from the 1996 movie, "That Thing You Do"; "Everywhere You Look", the theme song from the TV show Full House, and Kenny Loggins' Highway to the Danger Zone. They brought back the Full House theme for their late 2005 tour, "The Panic With A K Tour". They brought back "That Thing You Do" and "The Top Gun Medley" for "The Matt Hoopes Birthday Tour" in early 2006, as well as the summer festival season of that year.[citation needed]
* The DVD released with the special edition of Five Score and Seven Years Ago features a video of the band's cover of The Beach Boys' "Sloop John B", which is also a bonus track when the album is purchased through iTunes.[citation needed]
* On the Appetite For Construction tour in 2007, Relient K covered Head Over Heels by Tears For Fears as well as the theme song for the TV show The Office.[citation needed]
* "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley was covered by the band in early 2008.[citation needed]
* The band covered Kanye West's "Good Life" on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour and earlier that year.[citation needed]
* The band played the theme song from "The Office" during their performance in Scranton, PA on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour.
Christian Music Links!
* Between September and November 2006, Relient K played on the Nintendo Fusion Tour with Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Plain White T's, and The Sleeping.[41]
* The band also took part in McDonald's Summer 2007 music tour. Every band involved in the tour has the chance to be involved in a future McDonald's ad. Votes by viewers will be counted to decide who will win. All live shows are available for viewing.[42]
* Members of both Switchfoot and Relient K had been talking about touring together, and Switchfoot confirmed the rumors this fall during the Alive Festival. Relient K and Switchfoot will be co-headlining, but Switchfoot will be playing last every night. Ruth will be opening for them. It is expected to be given an official announcement complete with tour dates soon. Matt Thiessen stated in a blog entry on the Relient K website that there will be a fall tour but did not hint at any details except that the two bands are trying to figure out a way to incorporate Habitat for Humanity into the tour.[43] On July 12, 2007, Switchfoot's website released a new video podcast[44] and blog, and in the middle of the video podcast there is a short intermission where all the band members of Switchfoot and Relient K announced there will be a tour in the fall of 2007 with more details to come. Relient K and Switchfoot both played at the Los Angeles premier of the movie Evan Almighty on June 22, 2007.[45] They also played at the Lizard Fair in Midland, Michigan on August 15, 2007 with Chris Daughtry.
* "Must Have Done Something Right" and "The Best Thing" were performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno respectively.
Live Covers
During tour dates and shows the band has been known to perform live cover songs from various sources. The covers have included the following:
* Relient K included "I Want It That Way" by The Backstreet Boys for some of their sets in 2000.[citation needed]
* The band covered "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain on a tour early in their career.[citation needed]
* In the summer festival season of 2001, the band covered "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul, "We Built This City" by Starship, and "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer.[citation needed]
* At Cornerstone 2003, Relient K played a cover of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" after which Matt Thiessen stated, "That was uh... that was a joke."[46]
* During the See Spot Rock tour, Relient K covered the eponymous song from the 1996 movie, "That Thing You Do"; "Everywhere You Look", the theme song from the TV show Full House, and Kenny Loggins' Highway to the Danger Zone. They brought back the Full House theme for their late 2005 tour, "The Panic With A K Tour". They brought back "That Thing You Do" and "The Top Gun Medley" for "The Matt Hoopes Birthday Tour" in early 2006, as well as the summer festival season of that year.[citation needed]
* The DVD released with the special edition of Five Score and Seven Years Ago features a video of the band's cover of The Beach Boys' "Sloop John B", which is also a bonus track when the album is purchased through iTunes.[citation needed]
* On the Appetite For Construction tour in 2007, Relient K covered Head Over Heels by Tears For Fears as well as the theme song for the TV show The Office.[citation needed]
* "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley was covered by the band in early 2008.[citation needed]
* The band covered Kanye West's "Good Life" on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour and earlier that year.[citation needed]
* The band played the theme song from "The Office" during their performance in Scranton, PA on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour.
Christian Music Links!
Members
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Christian Music Links!
History
All Work and No Play (1998–2000)
After Relient K was founded in 1998[6] Todd Frascone joined for a short time in 1998 as a drummer. However Frascone left the band after recording first demo, All Work and No Play. The demo was recorded by Mark Lee Townsend, the former live guitar player for dc Talk. Townsend had met the band members because his daughter, Danielle, was friends with the band.[citation needed]
All Work and No Play caught the attention of dc Talk's Toby McKeehan (tobyMac), who later signed the band to his label, Gotee Records. With the label Relient K released their debut EP entitled 2000 A.D.D. in 2000, with Stephen Cushman on drums. Soon after, they released Relient K, their first full-length CD. It was distinctly Christian rock and featured lyrics with a wide range of pop-culture references.[7] Cushman left later that year to join the Christian metal band Narcissus. Brett Schoneman of Christian rock band Philmore filled in temporarily,[8][9][10] followed by Jared Byers, drummer of the Christian rock band Bleach, until Dave Douglas joined in December 2000.[11]
In an interview Matt Thiessen said that when the band started, he was the only one who sang, but he knew Matt Hoopes could sing as well. Hoopes was reluctant, but Thiessen said he "got it out of him". Hoopes became the primary back-up vocalist from then on.
The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek (2001–2002)
The band released their second album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, in 2001. The album launched both Relient K and their sound to a whole new level. Though there were still plenty of pop-culture references on this album,[7] it contained many more softer songs and slightly lighter guitars.[12] They would continue chords through tracks in order to fluidly transition in between songs, a trend that continued on their later albums.[12]
Anatomy landed them in the Christian rock limelight, and Relient K was offered a clothing deal with Abercrombie & Fitch in 2001.[7] Gotee, their label, accepted the offer on Relient K's behalf; Pittman recalls, "The choice was never really given to us. The label made the choice."[13] After significant pressure from conservative Christian organizations such as Focus on the Family, Gotee backed out of the contract.
Relient K was then asked to do a rendition of the popular VeggieTales song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the 2002 feature length VeggieTales movie Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. The song was released on three different albums, two in single form. The first version also included their song "Breakdown" being sung by Larry the Cucumber. There was also a promotional version which included the original version of "Breakdown". A cut-down version (missing the bridge) was included on the Christian rock compilation Veggie Rocks!.[citation needed] This song mixes the sounds of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek and their third album, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.
Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do (2003)
In 2003, Relient K released Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do. The album had multiple covers of different colors, each depicting a vehicle in some kind of wreck. As pop-culture references became less specific, sound and vocals became far more defined.[14][15] Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do (often called Two Lefts by fans) combined the soft, meaningful songs of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek and threw in fast-paced songs with deep lyrics.[14][15] It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Rock Gospel Album"[2] and won the Dove Award for "Modern Rock Album of the Year" in 2004.[3]
During this time, Relient K also released a limited edition red vinyl EP entitled The Vinyl Countdown, only released in one printing. The EP included two versions of the song, "Five Iron Frenzy is Either Dead or Dying." The album was dedicated to Jesse Alkire, contest winner and friend of Matthew Thiessen, who inspired the song "The Vinyl Countdown."[16]
Since Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was released in March 2003, Relient K released a bonus disc for Christmas, entitled Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand. The album was packaged with Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do from November 2003 to December 2003.
Mmhmm (2004–2007)
The group released their fourth album, Mmhmm, in late 2004. Pop-culture references were even less specific than on their third album, if non-existent. The album was significantly more on the serious side with very few of the silly songs the band was known for.[18] The album had the band experimenting with their sound a bit more, which included incorporating Piano rock, Hardcore punk and some pop music.[18] In July 2005, the album was certified gold for shipping over 500,000 copies. It is reported that it has sold approximately 796,000 copies.[19] Driven by newfound recognition from Mmhmm, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was also certified gold in spring 2005. Also, it was announced in 2006 that their second record, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, had reached the Gold rank as well as certified by the RIAA.[citation needed]
Shortly before the Mmhmm's release, longtime bassist Brian Pittman left the band, citing that he was tired of touring and wanted to start a landscaping company.[20] He also joined Christian metal band Inhale Exhale shortly afterward. Matt Thiessen announced Pittman's departure in fall 2004, saying,
"After almost seven years of being in Relient K, our cherished and lifelong friend, Brian Pittman has decided to move on to other things. That IS crazy, huh? Brian decided to leave the band in July, so we've had plenty of time to let the initial shock die down. We're aware that a lot of you already knew, so we apologize for not announcing this sooner. There were many reasons. He thought long and hard about his decision, and he came to the conclusion that he would like to do other things than play bass for the band. We respect him for it. We'd be lying to say that we're not all completely bummed that Brian won't be a part of Relient K anymore. And though we know things won't be the same without him, it must be said that we have always valued our friendships with him more than our on-stage relationship.[citation needed] Anyway, all of us still hang out, and its like nothing is different at all. I feel like that's how you know that you've made a friend that will be there for the rest of your days. We want to thank Brian for all the years he gave the band. You're the best, buddy."
Pittman reunited with the band for one final show, which was the release party for "Mmhmm" at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio on November 1, 2004. John Warne, lead singer and guitarist of Ace Troubleshooter, filled in as bassist for the remainder of 2004 and became full-time bassist in 2005. Also in 2005, Jon Schneck joined as a third guitarist, as well as a banjo and bell player, to create a fuller, more distinctive sound. This was also because the band planned to add more piano, and having another guitarist gave Matt Thiessen the freedom to do that.[21]
The band covered "Manic Monday" by The Bangles for the compilation Punk Goes 80's in 2005.[citation needed]
Mmhmm features two top 40 hits which both made it on MTV's Top Ten. The track "Be My Escape" is the band's most popular mainstream song to date. Its music video entered MTV's Top Ten, and landed them an appearance on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. "Be My Escape" is also featured on Now! 19, a popular secular and quasi-annual compilation series. It was classified as a gold single in October of 2005.[22] The music video for "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" has also made its way onto the TRL countdown,[23] many top 40 radio stations, and was included on Now! 21. Mmhmm was awarded a Dove Award in 2006 for the "Rock Album of the Year."[4] The band was also nominated for "Artist of the Year" and "Band of the Year" at GMA Canada's 2006 Covenant Awards[24]
The band did a cover of "Between You and Me" by dc Talk for the 2006 Jesus Freak tribute album Freaked!.[citation needed]
Relient K covered Weezer's song "Surf Wax America" during an Alternative Press radio show in late 2006.
Five Score and Seven Years Ago (2007–present)
Recording sessions for another studio album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, started on June 18, 2006 and continued for parts of July and August. Some tracks on the album were produced by Howard Benson, (The All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance, P.O.D.). Thiessen had said that the title of the album comes from the fact that it's the band's fifth album, it is the first time all five of them are on a record together, and it has been seven years since they formed the band.[25]
While the band hoped for a November 2006 release, the official release date was announced as March 6, 2007.[25] The album is considered, by the band, to be their happiest record to date. On March 2, 2007 the entire album (except the last track, "Deathbed") was made available for streaming on the band's MySpace. Five Score and Seven Years Ago debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling about 64,000 copies in its first week.[26] The album also peaked at #2 on the iTunes Store chart.
The band's first single from the album, "Must Have Done Something Right," was released on the iTunes Store on November 28, 2006 and to radio on January 9, 2007. "Forgiven" was the first radio single directed at Christian stations. "Forgiven" was the most added song on Christian radio and entered Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart on January 11, 2007. The single received enough airplay to be the fourth most played song on Christian Hit Radio (CHR) stations in 2007 according to R&R magazine.
The second single from the album, "The Best Thing," was released to radio on April 10, 2007, taking the 7th most adds in its first week. Thiessen has said that "The Best Thing" is "the anti-Daniel Powter "Bad Day" song. It's straight-up positive." A video was filmed for the single.[28] The second single released on Christian CHR radio stations was "Give Until There's Nothing Left", which was the 20th most played song on CHR radio stations in 2007.[27]
In the early morning of June 28, 2007, Relient K's bus caught fire. Everyone made it out safely, but the band lost many instruments, laptops, cameras, phones, iPods, clothes, and merchandise. Matt Thiessen said he lost a laptop that had roughly 100 unfinished songs on it, and Dave Douglas lost his Battlefield drum set. In the midst of it, the band still laughed at the situation, calling it "cinematic".[29] On a blog post on their website, Matt Thiessen stated that the next day after the fire, the band went to view the damage of their van and found that while 85% of their gear was intact, Douglas's drum kit set was not salvageable.[30] A member of the Switchfoot forums first announced it, asking everyone to pray for the band. The band had just played Creation Northeast, and had to cancel their appearance at Cornerstone Festival in Illinois, which the band has named as one of their favorite shows to do. They did, however, play their next scheduled show in Greeley, CO on June 30, 2007. In the months following, the band played more Christian rock festivals.
The band released a Let it Snow, Baby... Let it Reindeer, a Christmas album, on October 23, 2007. The CD contained all of the tracks from Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand as well as 6 new songs.[31][32][33][34] This Christmas themed re-release has so far been met with success, peaking at #15 on iTunes music store and #96 on the Billboard 200.[35]
Relient K, Switchfoot and Ruth recently recorded a song together titled "Rebuild". It is available for download on Switchfoot's website, fans can choose between paying for the song (with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity) or downloading it for free.[citation needed]
On October 18, 2007 drummer Dave Douglas announced his departure on the band's website due to a desire to pursue his side-project Gypsy Parade with his wife Rachel. There is no animosity between any of the members, and he finished to tour with the band until his last show on December 29, 2007.[36][37] On February 12, 2008 it was announced that Ethan Luck, former guitarist of The O.C. Supertones and current guitarist for Demon Hunter, would be replacing Douglas as the band's new drummer.[38] Luck and Warne were in a short lived band together called Guerilla Rodeo.
The band has announced plans to play at Warped Tour 2008, and Valparaiso University in late September as the main attraction of the Sourcestock Concert. The band may even recruit guitarist Luke Fontaine, if his missions trip to Brazil doesnt interefere.[38]
The recording of The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything Relient K did for the 2002 movie, Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, was reused in The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie.[citation needed]
On July 1, 2008 Relient K released a double EP. The double EP is contained on a single disc and contains the The Nashville Tennis EP and The Bird and the Bee Sides. The Nashville Tennis EP included 13 tracks of new material that allowed the band to explore their sound a bit by allowing other band members, besides Thiessen and Hoopes, to compose/record a few tracks, as well as adding some influences from Country music and Ska. The Bird and the Bee Sides contained tracks which had previously been released on hard-to-come-by records.
Christian Music Links!
After Relient K was founded in 1998[6] Todd Frascone joined for a short time in 1998 as a drummer. However Frascone left the band after recording first demo, All Work and No Play. The demo was recorded by Mark Lee Townsend, the former live guitar player for dc Talk. Townsend had met the band members because his daughter, Danielle, was friends with the band.[citation needed]
All Work and No Play caught the attention of dc Talk's Toby McKeehan (tobyMac), who later signed the band to his label, Gotee Records. With the label Relient K released their debut EP entitled 2000 A.D.D. in 2000, with Stephen Cushman on drums. Soon after, they released Relient K, their first full-length CD. It was distinctly Christian rock and featured lyrics with a wide range of pop-culture references.[7] Cushman left later that year to join the Christian metal band Narcissus. Brett Schoneman of Christian rock band Philmore filled in temporarily,[8][9][10] followed by Jared Byers, drummer of the Christian rock band Bleach, until Dave Douglas joined in December 2000.[11]
In an interview Matt Thiessen said that when the band started, he was the only one who sang, but he knew Matt Hoopes could sing as well. Hoopes was reluctant, but Thiessen said he "got it out of him". Hoopes became the primary back-up vocalist from then on.
The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek (2001–2002)
The band released their second album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, in 2001. The album launched both Relient K and their sound to a whole new level. Though there were still plenty of pop-culture references on this album,[7] it contained many more softer songs and slightly lighter guitars.[12] They would continue chords through tracks in order to fluidly transition in between songs, a trend that continued on their later albums.[12]
Anatomy landed them in the Christian rock limelight, and Relient K was offered a clothing deal with Abercrombie & Fitch in 2001.[7] Gotee, their label, accepted the offer on Relient K's behalf; Pittman recalls, "The choice was never really given to us. The label made the choice."[13] After significant pressure from conservative Christian organizations such as Focus on the Family, Gotee backed out of the contract.
Relient K was then asked to do a rendition of the popular VeggieTales song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the 2002 feature length VeggieTales movie Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. The song was released on three different albums, two in single form. The first version also included their song "Breakdown" being sung by Larry the Cucumber. There was also a promotional version which included the original version of "Breakdown". A cut-down version (missing the bridge) was included on the Christian rock compilation Veggie Rocks!.[citation needed] This song mixes the sounds of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek and their third album, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.
Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do (2003)
In 2003, Relient K released Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do. The album had multiple covers of different colors, each depicting a vehicle in some kind of wreck. As pop-culture references became less specific, sound and vocals became far more defined.[14][15] Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do (often called Two Lefts by fans) combined the soft, meaningful songs of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek and threw in fast-paced songs with deep lyrics.[14][15] It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Rock Gospel Album"[2] and won the Dove Award for "Modern Rock Album of the Year" in 2004.[3]
During this time, Relient K also released a limited edition red vinyl EP entitled The Vinyl Countdown, only released in one printing. The EP included two versions of the song, "Five Iron Frenzy is Either Dead or Dying." The album was dedicated to Jesse Alkire, contest winner and friend of Matthew Thiessen, who inspired the song "The Vinyl Countdown."[16]
Since Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was released in March 2003, Relient K released a bonus disc for Christmas, entitled Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand. The album was packaged with Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do from November 2003 to December 2003.
Mmhmm (2004–2007)
The group released their fourth album, Mmhmm, in late 2004. Pop-culture references were even less specific than on their third album, if non-existent. The album was significantly more on the serious side with very few of the silly songs the band was known for.[18] The album had the band experimenting with their sound a bit more, which included incorporating Piano rock, Hardcore punk and some pop music.[18] In July 2005, the album was certified gold for shipping over 500,000 copies. It is reported that it has sold approximately 796,000 copies.[19] Driven by newfound recognition from Mmhmm, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was also certified gold in spring 2005. Also, it was announced in 2006 that their second record, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, had reached the Gold rank as well as certified by the RIAA.[citation needed]
Shortly before the Mmhmm's release, longtime bassist Brian Pittman left the band, citing that he was tired of touring and wanted to start a landscaping company.[20] He also joined Christian metal band Inhale Exhale shortly afterward. Matt Thiessen announced Pittman's departure in fall 2004, saying,
"After almost seven years of being in Relient K, our cherished and lifelong friend, Brian Pittman has decided to move on to other things. That IS crazy, huh? Brian decided to leave the band in July, so we've had plenty of time to let the initial shock die down. We're aware that a lot of you already knew, so we apologize for not announcing this sooner. There were many reasons. He thought long and hard about his decision, and he came to the conclusion that he would like to do other things than play bass for the band. We respect him for it. We'd be lying to say that we're not all completely bummed that Brian won't be a part of Relient K anymore. And though we know things won't be the same without him, it must be said that we have always valued our friendships with him more than our on-stage relationship.[citation needed] Anyway, all of us still hang out, and its like nothing is different at all. I feel like that's how you know that you've made a friend that will be there for the rest of your days. We want to thank Brian for all the years he gave the band. You're the best, buddy."
Pittman reunited with the band for one final show, which was the release party for "Mmhmm" at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio on November 1, 2004. John Warne, lead singer and guitarist of Ace Troubleshooter, filled in as bassist for the remainder of 2004 and became full-time bassist in 2005. Also in 2005, Jon Schneck joined as a third guitarist, as well as a banjo and bell player, to create a fuller, more distinctive sound. This was also because the band planned to add more piano, and having another guitarist gave Matt Thiessen the freedom to do that.[21]
The band covered "Manic Monday" by The Bangles for the compilation Punk Goes 80's in 2005.[citation needed]
Mmhmm features two top 40 hits which both made it on MTV's Top Ten. The track "Be My Escape" is the band's most popular mainstream song to date. Its music video entered MTV's Top Ten, and landed them an appearance on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. "Be My Escape" is also featured on Now! 19, a popular secular and quasi-annual compilation series. It was classified as a gold single in October of 2005.[22] The music video for "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" has also made its way onto the TRL countdown,[23] many top 40 radio stations, and was included on Now! 21. Mmhmm was awarded a Dove Award in 2006 for the "Rock Album of the Year."[4] The band was also nominated for "Artist of the Year" and "Band of the Year" at GMA Canada's 2006 Covenant Awards[24]
The band did a cover of "Between You and Me" by dc Talk for the 2006 Jesus Freak tribute album Freaked!.[citation needed]
Relient K covered Weezer's song "Surf Wax America" during an Alternative Press radio show in late 2006.
Five Score and Seven Years Ago (2007–present)
Recording sessions for another studio album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, started on June 18, 2006 and continued for parts of July and August. Some tracks on the album were produced by Howard Benson, (The All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance, P.O.D.). Thiessen had said that the title of the album comes from the fact that it's the band's fifth album, it is the first time all five of them are on a record together, and it has been seven years since they formed the band.[25]
While the band hoped for a November 2006 release, the official release date was announced as March 6, 2007.[25] The album is considered, by the band, to be their happiest record to date. On March 2, 2007 the entire album (except the last track, "Deathbed") was made available for streaming on the band's MySpace. Five Score and Seven Years Ago debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling about 64,000 copies in its first week.[26] The album also peaked at #2 on the iTunes Store chart.
The band's first single from the album, "Must Have Done Something Right," was released on the iTunes Store on November 28, 2006 and to radio on January 9, 2007. "Forgiven" was the first radio single directed at Christian stations. "Forgiven" was the most added song on Christian radio and entered Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart on January 11, 2007. The single received enough airplay to be the fourth most played song on Christian Hit Radio (CHR) stations in 2007 according to R&R magazine.
The second single from the album, "The Best Thing," was released to radio on April 10, 2007, taking the 7th most adds in its first week. Thiessen has said that "The Best Thing" is "the anti-Daniel Powter "Bad Day" song. It's straight-up positive." A video was filmed for the single.[28] The second single released on Christian CHR radio stations was "Give Until There's Nothing Left", which was the 20th most played song on CHR radio stations in 2007.[27]
In the early morning of June 28, 2007, Relient K's bus caught fire. Everyone made it out safely, but the band lost many instruments, laptops, cameras, phones, iPods, clothes, and merchandise. Matt Thiessen said he lost a laptop that had roughly 100 unfinished songs on it, and Dave Douglas lost his Battlefield drum set. In the midst of it, the band still laughed at the situation, calling it "cinematic".[29] On a blog post on their website, Matt Thiessen stated that the next day after the fire, the band went to view the damage of their van and found that while 85% of their gear was intact, Douglas's drum kit set was not salvageable.[30] A member of the Switchfoot forums first announced it, asking everyone to pray for the band. The band had just played Creation Northeast, and had to cancel their appearance at Cornerstone Festival in Illinois, which the band has named as one of their favorite shows to do. They did, however, play their next scheduled show in Greeley, CO on June 30, 2007. In the months following, the band played more Christian rock festivals.
The band released a Let it Snow, Baby... Let it Reindeer, a Christmas album, on October 23, 2007. The CD contained all of the tracks from Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand as well as 6 new songs.[31][32][33][34] This Christmas themed re-release has so far been met with success, peaking at #15 on iTunes music store and #96 on the Billboard 200.[35]
Relient K, Switchfoot and Ruth recently recorded a song together titled "Rebuild". It is available for download on Switchfoot's website, fans can choose between paying for the song (with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity) or downloading it for free.[citation needed]
On October 18, 2007 drummer Dave Douglas announced his departure on the band's website due to a desire to pursue his side-project Gypsy Parade with his wife Rachel. There is no animosity between any of the members, and he finished to tour with the band until his last show on December 29, 2007.[36][37] On February 12, 2008 it was announced that Ethan Luck, former guitarist of The O.C. Supertones and current guitarist for Demon Hunter, would be replacing Douglas as the band's new drummer.[38] Luck and Warne were in a short lived band together called Guerilla Rodeo.
The band has announced plans to play at Warped Tour 2008, and Valparaiso University in late September as the main attraction of the Sourcestock Concert. The band may even recruit guitarist Luke Fontaine, if his missions trip to Brazil doesnt interefere.[38]
The recording of The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything Relient K did for the 2002 movie, Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, was reused in The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie.[citation needed]
On July 1, 2008 Relient K released a double EP. The double EP is contained on a single disc and contains the The Nashville Tennis EP and The Bird and the Bee Sides. The Nashville Tennis EP included 13 tracks of new material that allowed the band to explore their sound a bit by allowing other band members, besides Thiessen and Hoopes, to compose/record a few tracks, as well as adding some influences from Country music and Ska. The Bird and the Bee Sides contained tracks which had previously been released on hard-to-come-by records.
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