The Front Bottoms

THE FRONT BOTTOMS

THE FRONT BOTTOMS Talon of the Hawk New Album Out May 21, 2013

New Video for “Twin Size Mattress”

On Tour This Summer Bar/None Records is proud to announce the highly anticipated album Talon of the Hawk by New Jersey’s The Front Bottoms on May 21, 2013.

For a band whose much-celebrated self-titled debut album resonated amongst a very broad audience and whose music covered equally as much territory, The Front Bottoms are gearing up to explore even more territory with a bigger and brighter new sound that’s much more realized yet very much The Front Bottoms.

Written mostly on the road over the span of the last year, Talon of the Hawk is the sound of a band that is coming into their own. “It’s hard to say how much The Front Bottoms means to us,” they both say. “It has become so much of a lifestyle at this point. It’s not our jobs, hobbies, nor our obligation. It’s just who we are.” At once immediate and catchy while also complex and profound, the music of The Front Bottoms is a study in contrasts, something The Daily News caught on when they called their debut “endlessly fascinating” and crowning it one of the Top Ten for 2011. Bob Boilen of NPR chimed in, saying “the young duo’s smart, irreverent, self-titled debut strikes a deft balance between the comical and the emotional.” Charming and comical with a very real heart, their music isn’t just a byproduct of their overactive youthful imaginations… as they stated earlier, it’s just who they are.

Kicking off the record with the snarky send-off “Au Revoir (Adios)”, it’s evident that Talon of the Hawk isn’t a departure but an extension of their last record. Their ode to marijuana, “Skeleton” is an herb-inspired rock song that’s just begging to become a sing-along staple at their live shows. The driving melody of “Lone Star” begs to be blasted out of the windows of a cross-country road trip. It is this very visceral and tangible sense of imagery that makes The Front Bottoms so relatable and so refreshing. Brian’s trademark stream-of-conscious lyrics is most evident on the seemingly-inspired-by-“La Bamba” track “Back Flip”, which explores regrettable tattoos, the process of breathing, and anticipating the changing of traffic lights. The contemplative and epically soaring “Twin Size Mattress” (the first publically released track from the album) embodies everything that made them such breakthrough artists… the surreal lyrics, Brian’s obtuse phrasing, the fascinatingly intricate guitar melodies, and Mat’s confident drumming. The song’s video – a road film of sorts – begins and ends with their van… the perfect embodiment of their last two years spent on the road, logging in hundreds of show, playing for thousands of fans, traveling countless miles of pavement. Find the video here:

Formed in Northern Jersey, The Front Bottoms grew organically throughout the underground. First tackling local Jersey media like The Jersey Journal (“…quirky love songs with dollops of synths, trumpet, and strings that command your attention”), The Star-Ledger (“It is hard to come away from an encounter with The Front Bottoms without developing protective feelings about the band akin to those that Jonathan Richman’s fans feel about him”) and Aquarian Weekly (“an indie-pop sound similar to that of Piebald with the vocal style of Say Anything… Impressive!”), the band quickly garnered rave reviews from national outlets such as Alternative Press, Filter, All Music Guide, DRUM Magazine, Beyond Race Magazine, AOL, Absolute Punk, Jersey Beat, and Sputnik Music among many others, and even caught the eye of the Los Angeles Times who declared “This is a pop soundtrack for learning to live in the moment.”

The Front Bottoms is Brian Sella (vocals/guitar), Matt Uychich (drums),Tom Warren (bass), and Ciaran O’Donnel (keys/trumpet/guitar). Talon of the Hawk will be released on Bar/None Records on May 21, 2013.

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plus support: ALLISON WEISS

Call it cliche but sometimes a musician’s inspiration can be broken down simply. Some are inspired by fame and money and some just want to tell their story to everyone. The latter is the best way to describe 25-year-old singer-songwriter Allison Weiss. “When I started playing, I wasn’t so much inspired by other musicians as I was inspired by the need to get a feeling out into the world,” she states. Weiss’ honest, catchy, folk-infused powerpop have attracted a devoted fanbase over the last few years. While her music has changed stylistically, her passion to create music hasn’t. “I’ve always been a writer. I’ve got a lot to say to people and the only way I know how to do it is through pop songs.”

Weiss first picked up the guitar at the age of 14. Inspired by pop punk and the ups-and-downs of young relationships, her journey began. Throughout it all, Weiss always embraced a DIY ethic. “I’ve always been a shameless self promoter. I never counted on finding anyone who believed in me as much as I did, so I just learned to handle everything myself” she says.

Confidence in herself mixed with natural online marketing skills has helped Weiss’ spread her music to new audiences. Two highly successful Kickstarter campaigns resulted in New York Times and Wired Magazine features and a panelist position at SXSW.

It was at this point, Weiss made one of the biggest decisions of her life and moved to Brooklyn. The change of scenery brought a whole new mindset when it came to making music. “In the past I was just a sad teenager in my bedroom writing hopeless breakup songs. I’m still a sad teenager on the inside, but I’m also a pretty happy adult trying to figure myself out and talk about love in a more mature way,” Weiss reflects. Weiss’ maturity shined on the self-released I Was An Island EP.

Earlier this year, Weiss received one of the biggest honors of her young career. She was handpicked by Lou Reed to join his backup band for a European tour. While some might be intimidated by the presence of a rock legend, she tried to absorb as much as possible from the experience. “Our soundchecks were two hours long and he’d be there the whole time, breaking a song down into the tiniest parts, perfecting the sound.” Weiss remembers. “He has this way of breaking you down with brutal honesty and building you back up with the most genuine praise. One minute he looks you in the eye and says your note was terrible. The next minute he stops the song to tell you how beautiful you just sounded.”

If she took anything from Mr. Reed however, it was the reminder to always have fun and enjoy the ride. The sky is the limit at this point for Ms. Weiss. “My favorite moment is right now. I feel like I’ve just made the record I’ve been dying to make. I started playing electric guitar again. I got my hands on a tour van. I played in Europe with a legend. I flew over the Atlantic four times this summer. I’ve got this constant feeling that something great is about to happen.”
          

plus support: SHANKLAND