Thursday, May 14, 2015

Pop songs that are both ultra-catchy, socially conscious: Unlikely pairing is masterfully handled by Houston-based band The Wheel Workers.

Named one of city’s best pop acts by Houston Press, band set to release new album “CITIZENS” May 26th.  Hear “Burglar” via PopMatters now.

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The Wheel Workers (L-R): Craig Wilkins, Steven Higginbotham, Allison Wilkins McPhail, Jason Williams, Tyson Sheth. Photo Credit: Patrick Bertolino.

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The Wheel Workers – In The Press

“Painfully catchy.” – MAGNET

“Houston's brightest hope. Damn. Seriously righteous.” – BLURT

“Sincerely progressive and catchy as hell.” – Space City Rock

“Sociopolitical consciousness with a memorable hook.” – The Big Takeover

“New Wave synth stylings meet sharp lyrics.” – PopMatters

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“Burglar” is the latest single from CITIZENS by The Wheel Workers.  Hear it via PopMatters or at the links below!





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Check out the premiere of the music video for “Yodel” by The Wheel Workers via The Big Takeover

The Wheel Workers is a Houston-based five-piece recently nominated as Houston’s “Best Pop Act” in 2014’s Houston Press Music Awards. The band also received a nomination for Steven Higginbotham, the group’s lyricist, as “Best Songwriter” – an especially noteworthy accomplishment for a pop band.

“I love artists who’ve had something substantial to say beyond the standard lyrical fare in pop songs,” Higginbotham says.  The Houston Chronicle called The Wheel Workers’ previous release “one of the best albums made in Houston last year,” and now the band will follow it up with a new record CITIZENS, scheduled for release on May 26th , 2015.

When Higginbotham talks about substance in pop songs, he’s talking about the pairing of sociopolitical consciousness with a memorable hook. After all, there’s a reason that listeners are still moved by the catchiest folk and punk protest songs of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and The Clash.

This approach to music-making by The Wheel Workers is the reason why the Houston Chronicle went on in that same piece to call the album a “thoughtful recording that offers new rewards during repeated playings.”  On CITIZENS, the band’s way of doing things has become masterful, with the album’s opener “Yodel” providing a vibrant example of the pairing of hook and substance.

Learn more about The Wheel Workers and the upcoming CITIZENS album via this album preview video!

The album’s latest single (and a perfect example of just how The Wheel Workers can conjure an earworm) is “Burglar,” recently premiered via PopMatters.

“The original idea for the song was written a day after my house was burglarized, thus the title,” Higginbotham explains.  “Fortunately, they didn't go upstairs, so my recording gear was intact!  I had been drinking, and my singing style on the song is reflective of my weird, drunken, semi-angry and vulnerable state at the time.”

Along with Higginbotham, The Wheel Workers is comprised of Allison Wilkins McPhail (a fellow Houston Press Music Awards nominee as “Best Keyboardist”), Craig Wilkins, Tyson Sheth, and Dan WorkmanCITIZENS by The Wheel Workers arrives on May 26th , 2015.

Members of The Wheel Workers are available for interviews. Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

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The Wheel Workers – Live

05/22 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s CITIZENS Record Release Show
05/25 Austin, TX @ House Show w/ Czars
05/29 Beaumont, TX @ Texas Rose Saloon
06/13 Houston, TX @ Numbers
06/14 Houston, TX @ Beerfest
07/18 Bryan, TX @ Revolution
07/25 Houston, TX @ Rudyard’s
08/07 San Antonio, TX @ Josabi’s
08/14 Beaumont, TX @ Texas Rose Saloon

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The Wheel Workers
CITIZENS
(S/R – May 26th, 2015)


Track Listing:

01. Yodel (STREAM | DOWNLOAD | MP3 | VIDEO)
02. Burglar (STREAM | DOWNLOAD | MP3)
03. Whole Other World
04. Smokescreen
05. Wage Slaves
06. Run Away
07. Dream
08. Citizen Incorporated

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The Wheel Workers Links


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Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion


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