Waking Lights delivers lush arrangements amid pop tunes about ice cream, Vicodin and sharks on debut EP Songs For Jo.

“With their first folksy EP Songs for Jo, Waking Lights, a six-piece indie rock outfit from northern New Jersey is definitely a band to watch out for.” –The Ticker (Baruch College, The City University of New York)

Waking Lights is a musical convergence of sorts, a band borne of circumstance when singer/songwriter Matthew Maroulakos flew out of Burbank airport for the last time, returning to his hometown on the east coast. He came armed with a little black book containing a whole lot of words. Once at home in Northern New Jersey, Matthew began rehearsing with upright and electric bassist Kyle McCammon, who had just returned from honing his skills at a conservatory in Holland. Their mutual friend, percussionist Dana LaMarca, had stayed local to study classical percussion and new music while the other two were away. With all three members in the same state, they quickly enlisted Tommy Maroulakos on piano/keyboards, cellist/female vocalist Jodi Mozeika, and sultry violinist Nicole Scorsone.

The nascent sextet immediately hit upon a compelling and unique sound that at times could be called an English-language Sigur Ros, at others a more orchestral Smashing Pumpkins (when Billy Corgan was at his ballad-penning best.) The band began performing throughout the tri-state area including such venues as New York's Knitting Factory, Paul Colby’s Bitter End, Maxwell's in Hoboken, and Asbury Park's infamous Stone Pony. Soon the band was touring frequently throughout the east coast.

The band soon joined forces with Kieran Kelly and Lowell Thompson at The Buddy Project in Astoria, Queens (Sufjan Stevens' Illinois and Avalanche) to record the material that they had built up through endless demos and many live performances. After the band felt that they had captured their vision, Kenny Gioia (Bayside, Marcy's Playground, Hall and Oates) mixed the rough tracks and mastering engineer Alan Douches completed the project, which resulted in their independently released debut, Songs For Jo. This six-track EP is an autobiography, set to what some might call an indie/folk rock genre, with eclectic instrumentation, lush arrangements, and yet still maintaining a strong pop sensibility.

Waking Lights Live:
12/02 Montclair, NJ @ Live on WMSC Radio
12/05 Passaic, NJ @ The Loop Lounge
12/06 Teaneck, NJ @ Live on WFDU Radio
12/19 Teaneck, NJ @ Mexicali Live
01/07 Brooklyn, NY @ Public Assembly
02/13 Brooklyn, NY @ Red Star Brooklyn Folk Rock Festival

Songs For Jo Tracklisting:

01. Sharks (MP3)
02. Ice Cream & Vicodin
03. Nothing Here For Me
04. Comfortably Swollen
05. Sweet Virginia
06. Down In The Valley

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On The Web:
www.wakinglights.com
www.myspace.com/wakinglights

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The cult surrounding L.A. band Killola rages on -- I Am The Messer already downloaded 30,000 times amid fans tattooing the band’s logo all over.

Get your copy HERE.

“Why these guys aren’t already HUGE stars remains a mystery to me, but we are working on it, aren’t we?” – Dave Navarro

“This DIY band is going places. You'll need to brace yourself for the drool-able Lisa Rieffel, who blazes over Sparks-like tracks like she just gave Gwen Stefani a bloody nose.” – L.A. Weekly

“Teaching quirky ‘80s new wave pop hooks how to stomp glitter-rock-style, I Am The Messer just might pack as many eccentric but indelible melodic and rhythmic twists into its 10 songs as any rock record this year” - Chuck Eddy (Village Voice, Billboard Magazine)

Killola is three boys and one girl, making rock music out of Los Angeles, California. The band’s brand of garage pop (described as “Blondie for the 21st Century” or a derivation thereof by many) enjoys an internet presence that can best be described as ‘cultish’ with 1.5 million MySpace plays from over 80,000 friends, many of whom add the band’s familiar “K))” symbol to their screen names as a show of allegiance. Others go as far as to tattoo themselves with the band’s logo. Don’t believe it? Believe it! See HERE.

The bands says, “We'll often send a random message to people who have the “K))” in their [screen] name and out of nowhere tell them they’re in the top peeps. They get all stoked, it’s pretty sweet. Four kids showed up to our Chicago gig with K)) tattoos, that made our day.”

Obviously, Killola is quickly developing a reputation for bowling over just about everyone its music and live show comes into contact with.

And there’s more!

Since signing a deal with True Anthem, a new digital distribution company specializing in free downloadable albums through strategic brand sponsorships, Killola’s latest album I Am The Messer has notched 30,000 downloads in its first two months of distribution. Grab your copy HERE.

After attending a Killola show in downtown Los Angeles, Killola lead singer Lisa Rieffel was approached by Angela Robinson (executive producer of The L Word) and offered the role of “Daisy”, the lead character in the cult-adored web-series “Girltrash!” Watch all 10 episodes HERE.

Killola self-booked its own UK tour (12 shows in 12 days) and U.S. Tour (27 shows in 32 days) and the band shows no signs of slowing down with another tour of the United States and England lined up for April 2009. The M.O.B. Agency didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so the elite outfit responsible for booking No Doubt and Gwen Stefani, Fountains of Wayne, Joan Jett, Girl In A Coma and others recently signed Killola to their tight roster of touring bands.

Killola has also self-produced and distributed a live DVD/CD (download it HERE), self-produced and distributed two albums and has maintained a steady stream of visibility with vinyl 45s and even a digital USB-album you can wear around your wrist.

And the press already loves Killola, too. See below for some quotes from the media, find out for yourself by downloading your FREE copy of I Am The Messer, get yourself to a Killola show in your town, and drink, drink, drink the Killola-Aid.

Killola Live:
11/22 San Diego, CA @ Bar Pink
01/17 San Diego, CA @ Bar Pink
01/20 Mesa, AZ @ Hollywood Alley
01/21 El Paso, TX @ Uncle Paulie's w/The Action Design
01/22 San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom w/The Action Design
01/23 Houston, TX @ Chance's
01/24 Dallas, TX @ Sue Ellen's
01/25 Austin, TX @ Emo's w/ The Action Design
01/29 Long Beach, CA @ Alexs Bar

I Am The Messer Tracklisting:
Full Album Download HERE

01. The Is How The World Ends (MP3)
02. All of My Idols Are Dead
03. Strung Out On Sunshine
04. Is This A Love Song?
05. The Man From Kilimanjaro (interlude)
06. Personal Graveyard
07. Heartrate 160
08. Wa Da We Da
09. You Can’t See Me Because I’m A Stalker
10. 10,000 Pound Ego
11. Who We Think We Are (available with album download only)
12. Cracks In The Armor (available with album download only)

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On The Web:
www.killola.com
www.myspace.com/killola
www.youtube.com/killola

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Killola In The Press:
“For a band who operate out of their garage in Los Angeles, Killola have accomplished more than entire ZIP code’s worth of garage bands...” – Alternative Press

“Killola play fast and furious and leave you grinning, sweating and enthralled in equal measure.” – ArtRocker Magazine, UK

“8.5!... Defending the good rep of ‘70s lippy girl new wave...” – Paper Thin Walls

“Lisa totally sings rock like a pop idol (as opposed to Avril who sings pop like a rock idol). Why can’t these guys be more famous instead?” – CMJ New Music Monthly

“On the surface, as warm and cuddly as a bra full of puppies... Dig a little deeper, though, and it soon becomes apparent that each bite of the candyfloss is laced with razor wire.” – Classic Rock Magazine

“Having as much 80’s Cali new wave powerquirk pop (not to mention Blondie...) in its genes as tough-chick, post-glam, herky-stomp reminiscent of the great lost French fox-metal band Shakin’ Street.” – Chuck Eddy, MTV URGE

“It has all the right synth flourishes, a new wave stomp, and hooks the size of Jaws - if you can get over the sugar-sweet-pop centre, Then be prepared for the best femme-fronted pop-rock since No Doubt ruled this earth...” – Subba-Cultcha (UK)

“Killola is unquestionably a band to keep an eye on.” – Revolt Media

“Blondie for the 21st Century... Their album Louder, Louder! is a monster of a debut. Leaving you breathless, charmed and feeling refreshed by the possibilities rock music still holds.” – Kudos Magazine, UK

“Seriously, pick up the new CD. It just gets cooler during every listen.” – Mish Mash Magazine

“The quartet writes ballsy rock songs, more fun than a good one night stand – sexy and thumping stuff.” – Las Vegas City Life

“A rock and roll legend continues...” – Sugarbuzz Magazine

Luke Jackson merges Swedish pop with the arrangements of Nick Drake, Elvis Costello, Elton John collaborator Robert Kirby on ...And Then Some.

In the Spring of 2006, a seven-year email correspondence culminated in the meeting of Luke Jackson and Magnus Börjeson.

Luke had long been a devoted fan of two of the Swedish musician’s former bands: Beagle and Favorita, and the two songwriters finally met in Paris where Magnus was mid-tour playing in The Cardigans. By the end of the weekend they were old friends and Luke had accepted an invitation to Sweden for the upcoming Midsummer holiday, the focal weekend of the Swedish Summer. These celebrations were taking place in the countryside outside Malmö, at the Aerosol Grey Machine – the stunning, all-analogue recording studio of Christoffer Lundquist, producer and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, former member of Roxette and founding member of Brainpool, yet another of Luke’s favourite bands.

The Midsummer weekend was a magical time filled with wonderful people, beautiful weather, great music, fantastic food and free-flowing booze of the highest quality. As Luke boarded his flight back to London in a Schnapps-induced fog, he considered the invitation to “come back and record any time”. It had been six years since the release of his self-produced second album Momentum, and Luke knew that the songs currently springing from his right hemisphere were the best he’d ever written.

“Why NOT make an album with my favourite musicians on the planet?” he mused. And so Luke returned to Sweden in January 2008 and set to work in the studio with Magnus on bass and Christoffer’s Brainpool bandmate Jens Jansson on drums. The four musicians worked quickly and spontaneously to capture half a dozen songs, including “Come Tomorrow” (MP3) which Luke had begun writing the day before leaving for Sweden. Luke returned to London buzzing with excitement. Not one to manifest small, he sent the rough mixes of the songs to renowned London-based string arranger Robert Kirby (who has orchestrated celebrated works by Nick Drake, Elvis Costello, and Elton John and many others). To Luke’s delight and surprise, Kirby loved the songs and offered to write orchestrations for the album and accompany Luke to Sweden to conduct the necessary recording sessions with nine players from Malmö’s Opera Orchestra.

Luke had managed to bring together two of his most beloved musical worlds: the pop sensibilities of his friends in Sweden, and the distinctive eloquence of Kirby’s arrangements. It is the collision of these two worlds which makes ...And Then Some so compelling. Densely layered guitars and vocal harmonies fuse with sweeping string lines, none of which ever draw the ear too far from what lies at the heart of Luke’s music...gorgeous, expressive, unpretentious songs born of the trials and tribulations of a life lived to the fullest.

Artist: Luke Jackson
Title: ...And Then Some
Label: Popsicle Recordings
Release Date: November 4th, 2008
Stream The Album: HERE

01. Come Tomorrow (MP3 VIDEO)
02. This Life
03. Trouble
04. Goodbye London
05. A Little Voice
06. Half A World Away
07. All I Can Do
08. 1970s Kids TV Show Theme
09. Longest Day
10. The Fear

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On The Web:
www.lukejackson.com
www.myspace.com/luke_jackson
www.popsiclerecordings.com

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