Elementary school teacher turned electro-pop darling Cannonball Jane heads off on a summer tour, sans a notebook.

“Cannonball Jane is the coolest one woman band I’ve heard in a long time. This is what Carole King would sound like if she had a sampler and was really into Francoise Hardy.” – Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre

“…one-woman New York punk-funk project Cannonball Jane lived up to the hype” – New York Magazine

“Cannonball Jane purveys an inventive mishmash of hip hop beats and day-glo ‘60s pop that suggests a female Beck weaned on The Ronettes and The Raincoats.” – Time Out London

School’s out for the summer and so is Sharon Hagopian, aka Cannonball Jane - music teacher by day and underground electro-pop phenomenon by night. When she’s not teaching in her hometown of Bridgeport, CT, she’s out creating a mind-bendingly brilliant mix of hip-hop samples and sixties girl group pop. With summer vacation underway, Hagopian is taking a time-out by launching a northeast tour to promote her latest EP Knees Up!, which features a remix of the hit “Take It To Fantastic” by Adrock of Beastie Boys. Stream the EP HERE.

Sounding more like the work of a throng of music nerds (banned-from-the-academy maverick multi-instrumentalist, recently-diagnosed-schizophrenic drummer, sleeps-in-his-leather-jacket guitarist, typewriter-sampling-avant-garde keyboardist, etc.) the reality is rather different. It’s hard to believe that there's not more than one of her.

Recorded entirely at home, Hagopian’s studio set up of beatboxes, samplers, tambourines, guitars, turntables, piano, synths, various noise gadgets and effects shines through, creating an innovative retro-modern mix, elegant and sweetly beguiling but still rough enough to handle something bigger than a moped. From the Spector-soul of “Take it to Fantastic” and “The Secret Handshake” (MP3) onwards, Knees Up! combines such diverse influences as Run-DMC, The Aislers Set, Solex, The Shangri-La’s, The Go-Go’s, Luscious Jackson and Devo, while remaining fresh, exciting and original at all times.

On top of this is Sharon’s truly pleasing voice polishing off each mini pop masterpiece on Knees Up!. Hagopian has previously taken the Cannonball Jane sound out on the road with support slots for The Go! Team, Gravy Train!!!!, E.S.G. and Le Tigre. This summer she hits the road again – see below for dates.

Cannonball Jane In The Press:
“Sharon Hagopian busts out the most effortlessly funky indie-rock G-slide not on The Go! Team’s new album.” – Spin

“No wonder The Go! Team and Le Tigre are fans of this gal.” – Paste

“…thirsting for more.” – Bust

“Frothy, infectious sampledelica...dreamy doo-wop oohs and aahs with old-school breaks and beats...it could all be a musical car crash, but charm and sassy beats win the day. And to complete this mini-masterpiece's feel good credentials: by day Jane is a music teacher, Miss Hagopian, and she recorded it in her bedroom.” – The Times (UK)

“…a concise summary of her aesthetic: cartoonish hip hop breakbeats, elegant piano chords, twinkling chimes, girl group melodies and a swirl of miscellaneous musical elements that fill out every available space in her songs without weighing down their buoyant grooves. Hagopian comes across as the world's most ideal music educator -- someone endlessly enthusiastic about a wide range of music who's open both to old fashioned instruments and cut-and-paste sample-based compositions “ – Matthew Perpetua, The Associated Press

Cannonball Jane Live:
6/10 – New London, CT @ O’Neill’s Brass Rail
6/12 – New Paltz, NY @ 60 Main w/ Quitzow
6/13 – Danbury, CT @ Heirloom Arts Theatre w/ Palomar
6/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Galapagos, NYC Popfest
6/17 – New Haven, CT @ Café Nine w/ Quitzow
6/20 – Columbus, OH @ Wholly Craft!
6/21 – Lakewood, OH @ Bela Dubby

Knees Up! Tracklisting:
Stream The EP HERE
Release Date: October 9, 2007

01. Take It To Fantastic
02. Slumber Party
03. Breaker Breaker
04. Take It To Fantastic (Smallstars Remix by Adrock)
05. The Secret Handshake (MP3)
06. Bossa Tug
07. Take It To Fantastic (DJ Downfall Smash Hit Radio Remix)

On The Web:
www.cannonballjane.com
www.myspace.com/cannonballjane
www.myspace.com/gaddycatrecords

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