The Feeling Biography

Dan Gillespie Sells - vocals & guitar
Richard Jones - bass
Kevin Jeremiah - guitar
Ciaran Jeremiah - keyboards
Paul Stewart - drums

The Feeling are five twentysomethings from Sussex and London who love pop music. Great big no-nonsense, hook-filled, giant-chorused pop music – music for the masses, only intelligent, with sunshine hooks and killer choruses that everyone can hum, from plumbers to professors.

Singer Dan Gillespie Sells, who admits to having had an indie phase once, says: "There are no guilty pleasures anymore. You're allowed to like Andrew Gold, ELO, Supertramp or 10cc. It's really liberating."

The Feeling are pop and proud. They're reclaiming the term.

Like The Raspberries or, more recently, Jellyfish or The New Radicals, The Feeling are premier exponents of prog pop meets nouveau soft-rock.

GET THE FEELING 2: THE MUSIC
"You can get away with murder in pop music," says Dan. "We like getting away with murder. We like great big choruses with great big hooks."

If there's a Lennon & McCartney - or rather, Becker-Fagen, Gouldman-Stewart, or Godley & Crème - in The Feeling, it's the hydra-headed Dan Gillespie Sells, who handles the music and the words. The band, they say, have to "wrestle the songs out of him."

As a Queen fan, Dan admits he doesn't just like "concise pop songs" - he's also a bit partial to "prog epics with ludicrous outros."

This perfect blend of pop and prog will soon see the light of day on The Feeling's debut album "Twelve Stops And Home". It will be a 12-track affair "with no fillers, all stonkers - a classic album."

It will also, explains Richard, be "lush and epic," while at the same time being, in Dan's words, "stripped-down." The singer cites early Elton John records, The Beatles' swansong and The Carpenters as examples of the feel The Feeling are after.

"They were epic but not lavishly orchestrated," says Dan. "'Rocket Man' is just bass, guitar, piano and drums, but it's vocally driven with not much else going on. ‘Let It Be’ was still powerful without the orchestration. It still had epic-ness; a melodic strength to it. Or 'Solitaire' by The Carpenters: that's a great example of a song that's epic but stripped down. The Carpenters were a big influence on me."

GET THE FEELING 3: THE HISTORY
The Feeling, who are all between 25 and 27, are overnight sensations with a bit of a past, cutting their teeth as session musicians on a variety of mainstream and marginal recordings. They're all from Sussex, except Dan, who's from London. Paul, Kevin and Ciaran even went to the same school: Paul and Ciaran were in the same year. The Sussex axis of the band have been friends for 13 years. They met Dan and Richard at music college in Croydon 10 years ago, and they've been working together in various forms ever since.

Five years ago they went through their "Hamburg era" when they appeared for several seasons in the Alps as a covers band who specialised in versions of Rolling Stones, Kinks, Stevie Wonder and Beatles songs as well as rocked-up versions of '80s hits like "Take On Me" by A-ha, "Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles and "Jump" by Van Halen: "Whatever got the crowd going."

The band still go back there, to try out new material.

"It's our spiritual home," says Richard, adding more seriously: "That's how
we got good at playing."

GET THE FEELING 4: THE PLAYERS
The Feeling are, let's not be coy, superb musicians who have spent years honing their craft. That's not to imply that virtuoso expertise and dexterous professionalism in rock'n'roll are a necessity. But it certainly helps if you can play your instruments. And these cats can play.

But who inspired them, as individuals?

Paul?
"Loads of people! Mick Fleetwood, Bernard Purdie, Roger Taylor and Ringo are all big influences. There seems to be a misconception that Ringo was crap, but some of his parts were genius," says the drummer. "I’d love to contribute as much to our sound as he did to The Beatles."

Dan?
"Karen Carpenter was one of the greatest vocal technicians ever. She had a clean, pure voice, only filled with oodles of emotion. It was heartbreaking. But it doesn't have to be flourish-y or over-elaborate. I'd choose Freddie Mercury for his stage presence, and Neil
Young for his guitar-playing. I'd like to be Karen Carpenter in Neil Young's body. With Freddie Mercury's trousers."

Richard?
"I like to get involved with the whole arrangement and see how I can complement it with my part. Bassists like Paul McCartney or John Deacon were great in this way. For technicality, I'd pick Jaco Pastorius [jazz-rock fusion supremo] or James Jamerson [Motown] "

Kevin?
"Slash and Brian May - Slash for the sheer attitude of his playing, and Brian May for the fact that his solos are always an indispensable part of every Queen song."

Ciaran?
"Maybe Joe Zawinul," says the quiet but deadly keyboardist, and you've got
to admire a band that reference groups like Earth Wind & Fire and Weather
Report. "But my favourites would be Garth Hudson of The Band and Tom Waits."

GET THE FEELING 5: THE FUTURE
The Feeling have an assured future. With dead-cert smash hits like "Fill My
Little World", the joyous harmonies of "I Want You Now", the lilting acoustic and electric guitars and micro-melodies of "Never Be Lonely", the surging keyboard refrains and pop riffs of "Love It When You Call", touching piano ballads like "Strange" and "Spare Me", and the awesomely infectious "Helicopter", pretty soon you won't be able to - hey! - fight The Feeling. They'll just be there, on our radios, a part of all our lives.source:sing365.com

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Jet Biography

Everyone talks about rock these days, the problem is, they forget about the roll. How Keith Richards- who made this comment about post 90's rock music- must love Jet. They rock like there's no tomorrow yet they also roll like the greats of yesterday. As their debut album 'Get Born' proves, this Melbourne four piece, Nic Cester (guitar/vocals), Chris Cester (drums/vocals), Cameron Muncey (guitar/vocals), Mark Wilson (bass), stand for everything that is raw, primitive, direct and loose about rock music. Like all the best bands they trace their influences to the source. I think we were always interested in tracing the roots of this music, explains Chris. We wanted to look beyond the sixties and the seventies and find out where that music came from. That's why we do a cover of Elvis' 'That's Alright Mamma' at the shows. It's just a natural exploration for us.

Jet are steeped in rock folklore. Like The Kinks, AC/DC and Oasis before them- all major influences- they feature two photogenic brothers (Nic and Chris Cester). Their name is on loan from Paul McCartney's frazzled post-Beatles peak from 1973, whilst their debut E.P. 'Dirty Sweet' (Rubber Records) took it's name from T-Rex, and in acoustic highlight 'Move On' had the song The Faces were too hungover to write. But then that's what happens if the first album you ever heard was 'Abbey Road.' My parents had some bad records, explains Chris. But that one always stood out as great. I'd sit there banging on these cushions with a pair of chopsticks playing 'Mean Mr. Mustard.' We formed an entire imaginary band, where we'd play guitars on tennis rackets and do gigs. We were called The Boys, I think?

Such fantasy infuses Jet. Just as Liam Gallagher remarked that BRMC deserved their early Oasis support slots because they 'dared to look like a rock'n'roll band' so Jet see rock music with a clarity only available to those who grew up five thousand miles away in Australia. Where US and British bands subconsciously obey the whims of a media for whom rock's central texts (Beatles, Stones) are somehow seen as passé, Jet bring with them a lucidity and freshness that comes from both youth and sheer Oz-centric bloodymindedness. Jet don't know the rules, and even if they did, they'd break them.

Beginnings. Having grown up in the suburbs of Melbourne on a strict diet of classic rock, the Cester brothers (Nic is three years older at 24) found disaster looming. A terrible blight was about to hit the youth of the Melbourne suburbs. Grunge. I couldn't stand the stuff, continues Nic. To me that was real slit your wrists music. It didn't relate to this idea of rock'n'roll I had in my head. I'd grown up loving The Who, The Easybeats, The Faces and The Stones and these guys were taking music somewhere I didn't want to go. They didn't have that feeling in the music that all great bands have got. Oasis were the last ones.

A long spell in the netherworld of the Melbourne live circuit followed. At the time I think we felt we weren't ever going to break free from that scene, explains Nic. That's why songs like 'Radio Song' have got that feeling of resignation about them. At the time it was unimaginable that a band like ours would get any recognition at all. As with everything, timing was all. Having recruited towering bassist Mark Wilson and sworn to get serious Jet's first few shows coincided with the global success of local heroes The Vines. With the A&R feeding frenzy fuelled by a breathless review in the NME of debut single 'Take It Or Leave It' describing it as a hybrid of the 'Rolling Stones and the balls-out stadium rock of AC/DC' the band duly signed to Elektra, the very birthplace of classic American rock.

The result is 'Get Born.' Produced by Dave Sardy (Dandy Warhols, Marilyn Manson) at the legendary Sunset Sound Studios in LA, 'Get Born' is a reminder of rock at its most primal, vibrant and honest. At its frantic best: 'Get What You Need'; 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'; 'Get Me Out Of Here'; it hits you straight and deep in a manner to rival The Ramones. Elsewhere with the Nic-penned 'Look What You've Done', the elegiac 'Radio Song' and the ELO-ish 'Lazy Gun' they suggest the wistfulness of everyone from Badfinger to Todd Rundgren after he called time on The Nazz. Lyrically it's home to an epic wantonness to match legendary Oz-rockers The Saints. When Nic growls I know we ain't got much to say in new single 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' or Dance little deejay c'mon in 'Rollover DJ' you can almost hear the female knees buckle and feel ten years of club culture whither on the vine. We wanted to make a contemporary album, states Chris. We didn't want to make a one dimensional rock'n'roll record either. Albums should be able to reflect all sides of your personality, that's why songs like 'Timothy' and 'Radio Song' are on there. We're trying to get the same amount of emotion you get when you listen to an album like Goats Head Soup. There are quieter moments and others where you just want to go crazy.

Proof of their success came with a call halfway through recording from The Stones camp offering the band the support slot on the Australian leg of The Rolling Stones world tour. Clearly, Jet have got the roll.

I like the idea of 'Get Born' having two meanings adds Chris finally. Like 'Rubber Soul.' It's basically a reminder to forget your problems and celebrate the moment instead. It's a rejection of all those feelings of negativity or depression you might get. It's a heartfelt thing, and that's where that primal energy comes through the music.

The choice is yours. Or, as Nic puts it so succinctly on 'Take It Or Leave It': You better roll with whatever you know/ You better move/ If you don't know what to do, here's the groove.source:sing365.com

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Theory Of A Deadman Biography

There's an old axiom in music that says you have your whole life to make your first record and under a year to make your second. This spells disaster for the many bands that return from touring, find themselves with nothing left to say and fall prey to the sophomore slump. But for Vancouver, Canada's Theory of a Deadman, going back into the rehearsal studio was an opportunity to experiment and grow into the group they always dreamt of being. That doesn't mean it was easy. The band members - singer Tyler Connolly, guitarist Dave Brenner and bassist Dean Back - were so exhausted after playing shows around the world with artists including 3 Doors Down, Saliva, Nickelback, and 3 Days Grace that the last thing they wanted to do when they got home was write new songs, so they took a few months off and just absorbed life. "I think the songs we did are a lot more credible this time because they weren't done over a period of six years, they were done in six months," Connolly says. "They really show where we were at when we did them and proved to us that we can come up with great material in a short period of time. We just put our heads together and did it." Gasoline, the product of Theory of a Deadman's second offering, is immediate and urgent without sounding the least bit rushed. Throughout, the band is inventive and precise, drawing influence from decades of rock and recontextualizing them into personal and passionate songs that range from acoustic-based ballads to electrified anthems. "No Surprise" melds electric and acoustic guitar, a compelling vocal and hum-along vocal harmonies in a way reminiscent of the best Alice in Chains. "Since You've Been Gone" shivers with woebegone strumming and tearslicked strings, and features some of the most dramatic vocal work of Connolly's career. Elsewhere, "Say Goodbye" blends a folk-based rhythm and enticing vocal harmonies to a surging main riff and colossal chorus, "Better Off" is a dust-kicking blast of crashing chords and pounding beats that's equal parts Bad Company and AC/DC, and "Santa Monica" is a sentient number treated with strings and delicate arpeggios that underline the song's heartbroken message. One line, "She fills my bed with gasoline" inspired the album's explosive title. "Gasoline is what it takes to get things moving," Connolly said. "And this is the album that's going to take us from one place to another. On the first record we wrote a lot of great songs but I think it was more like a science project than songwriting. We sat in a room and said, 'Okay, let's make a song. Here's what it takes. It has to be three minutes, you have to have a chorus and a bridge. And this time we were like, 'Okay, well, why can't we just sit here and jam?' So that's what we did." "We could tell right away that the songs were really coming together, and our sound was really becoming our own with each song we wrote," Brenner adds. "A lot of times we'd just write one riff and get excited and want to jam it without having a song together." The band's time on the road has earned them an impressive list of jamming partners- rock icons Zakk Wylde and Randy Bachman (The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive) dropped in on the band, adding to their rock and roll storybook, but not to the new album. In addition to coming up with colorful, spontaneous riffs and melodies, Connolly penned his most heartfelt and narrative lyrics to date. Some songs were culled from personal experience, including the self-explanatory "Hating Hollywood" and the touching family break-up song "Hello Lonely." "My mom left our family when I was in high school, so I write about how my dad felt when she left," he said. "She just took off, so I grew up with my dad. I think anyone who's had a family split can relate to that one." Other new tracks were drawn from experiences of those close to Connolly. "No Surprise" sees a naïve boyfriend whose significant other is fooling around with guys she hangs out with in a bar, and on "Santa Monica" a guy's girlfriend packs up and moves to California. Whether chronicling his past or creating a work around situations he observes, writing gives Connolly a cathartic rush. When he sits down with pen and paper, furthering his career is the last thing on his mind. He's far more interested in purging his inner poisons. "Some people get pissed off and get drunk or go get into fights in bars or punch holes in walls," he says. "Instead of doing that, I just write all the stuff that's in my head and it makes me feel better." When writing was completed, the band flew to Bay 7 Studios in Los Angeles to record with producer Howard Benson and mixer Chris Lord-Alge. The team of Benson and Lord-Alge is responsible for some of the biggest rock and modern rock records of the moment, including Hoobastank, Papa Roach, P.O.D., My Chemical Romance, Cold, to name a few. Recording with such a seasoned producer and his team brought out the best in Theory of a Deadman, who pushed themselves to their creative limits and beyond. The band used vintage guitars and amps to get their 'monster' guitar tones, as well as unique musical elements like sitars, a Hammond organ and string instruments to embellish some of the songs on the album. Benson had the band play in a much higher key than they recorded in last time, giving the songs a more lively feel, and challenging Connolly to find new ways to sing. "When Howard said we were going to change the key up a whole step, it was challenging. Sometimes I'd have to sit there for two hours and learn how to sing a chorus way higher than I was used to. It was really hard, but in the end it turned out way better." The members of Theory of a Deadman grew up within six blocks of one another in the small town of North Delta, Canada. Connolly and Back went to the same guitar school and worked in the same restaurant, and Brenner was the younger brother of one of Beck's friends. "We recognized each other at work, and one night, Tyler asked if I was interested in starting a band with him," Back recalls. "Dave and his band used to play gigs with us, and he ended up taking the spot on guitar." The band chose its name from the original title of "Last Song," a track Connolly penned seven years ago about a man who writes his memoirs before committing suicide. Theory of a Deadman made a name for themselves playing live in the Vancouver scene. The band released its debut Theory of a Deadman in 2002, and was soon embraced as a new force in articulate, emotional hard rock. Songs like "Nothing Can Come Between Us", "Make Up Your Mind", and "The Last Song" received strong rock radio play, and the two years of touring that followed tightened the group's sound and strengthened its chemistry. By the time Theory of a Deadman started writing for Gasoline in earnest, they were firing like a stock car engine. The only hitch came when original drummer Tim Hart left the fold. Fortunately, Theory of a Deadman were resourceful enough to play the drum parts themselves while writing Gasoline. When they entered the studio, they brought back Robin Diaz, for every track but "Santa Monica," which features their friend, 3 Doors Down drummer Daniel Adair. "We grew up and went to the same school together, so it was really great to have him play with us," Connolly says. It's difficult to pick a standout track from Gasoline. The storming "Better Off" is one of the band's favorites but Brenner is equally pumped about "No Way Out." "That was one of the last songs we wrote before we went into the studio," he says. "When we listened back to it, I knew right there we were on to something. It got me excited for the rest of the material." That excitement shines through the entire album from the Cult-meets-Stone- Temple-Pilots roar of "Hating Hollywood" to the twangy, countrified verse of "Me & My Girl." Taken as a whole, Gasoline isn't your typical contemporary rock album, where there's one or two strong singles and lots of filler. It's also not a collection of calculated hits- though every song is infectiously well-crafted rock "I just think that if you want to be real, you have to write from the heart," Connolly says. "You can't write a smash hit, you can just write great songs that will hopefully become smash hits. I always say it's easy to write a song, hard to write a good song and pure luck to write a hit." With such a good attitude and such strong material, Theory of a Deadman don't need luck. They've just gotta pour out the Gasoline, and watch it burn.

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Camera Obscura Biography

The Band : Tracyanne Campbell - guitar and vocals Carey Lander - piano, organ and vocals Kenny McKeeve - guitar, mandolin, harmonica and vocals Gavin Dunbar - bass Lee Thomson - drums Nigel Baillie - trumpet and percussion A Brief History of Camera Obscura Camera Obscura started in 1996. Tracyanne, John and Gavin started playing together in Gavin's parent's cellar with no drummer. They were soon joined by a guitarist called David Skirving. They recorded the 'Park and Ride' and 'Your Sound' singles for Andmoresound in Glasgow and mini album 'Rare UK Bird' for Quattro in Japan. Richard Colburn took on drum duties live with the band and played on the 'Your Sound' single until Lee joined the band in 2000. During this time they played live shows at Glasgow's 13th Note, Hyndland Church Hall, Nice n' Sleazy's, King Tut's. They also supported Snow Patrol in the Maryhill Community Central Halls and played at the Bowlie Weekender in Camber Sands. David left the band to work on his own, (forming California Snow Story) and was replaced by Kenny. Lindsay Boyd (of Andmoresound) joined on keyboards. During 2000 they recorded their debut album, 'Biggest Bluest Hi Fi' in Cava studios, producing the record themselves with Geoff Allen engineering. The single 'Eighties Fan’ was produced by Stuart Murdoch. These records were released in the UK in 2001 and received airplay from John Peel and The Evening Session on Radio 1. ‘Biggest Bluest Hi Fi’ was 'Album of the week' on XFM and in the Rough Trade shop. It went on to become Prime Distribution's best selling independent album. 'Biggest Bluest Hi Fi' was also released in Spain (Elefant Records), Japan (Quattro) and Australia (Gifted). The band did some UK live shows in 2001 along with their first session for John Peel on Radio 1. Lindsay left the band and was replaced by Carey and they rounded off the year playing live from Peel Acres for John Peel’s Christmas show. 'Eighties Fan' was Number 8 in Peel's Festive 50. In 2002, the band played the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Track & Field's 'Pow to the People' Easter festival in London and the Chickfactor 10th Anniversary 'Black and White Ball' in London's Bush halls. This was followed by their first Spanish Tour. On their return from Spain, work began on the follow-up to 'Biggest Bluest Hi Fi', once again in Cava studios with Geoff Allen engineering and co-producing with the band. Nigel, who had played trumpet as a session musician on BBHF, and who had also been playing live, joined the band full time. 2003 saw Camera Obscura preparing for the release of the new album, 'Underachievers Please Try Harder' and single, 'Teenager' with a couple of Glasgow shows, playing in Hyndland Church Hall with The Ladybug Tranistor, and in Nice'N'Sleazy's for a Big Issue benefit show. The band also played at Spain’s Benicassim Festival in 2003 alongside artists such as Beck and Donovan. The album was released by Elefant Records after the band left Andmoresound. Following its release, the band embarked upon their first proper tour of the UK and Ireland. The tour ended with one final recorded Peel session. One more single, Keep It Clean, was released. It became one of two entries into the Peel Festive 50, along with the album track 'Suspended From Class'. 2004 was a very eventful year for the band. They were invited to play live on Radio 1 from John Peel's house. For this, their third visit to Peel Acres, they were asked to put music to the words of Scotland's National Poet, Robert (Rabbie) Burns. The band came up with five songs, one of which was a version of 'Of A' The Airts the Wind Can Blaw', also known as 'I Love My Jean'. The show was broadcast a few days before Burns' Night in January and the band shared haggis, whisky and stories with John afterwards. The band were so happy with the results of this experiment that they went into the studio and recorded two of the songs. With growing interest in the band coming from America, Elefant released Underachievers there, licensing it to the much-revered Merge Records label. The band undertook their first tour of the States and Canada in July and August, playing as far afield as San Diego in California, Montreal in Quebec and Athens, Georgia. A huge journey... A few weeks after their return to the UK, Camera Obscura played one more live show. It was a private concert- the 65th birthday party of their most enthusiastic supporter, John Peel. Sadly, the great man died that October. That concert also saw the last live appearance of John Henderson, and the band became a six-piece again. Writing commenced for album three. In 2005, work on the next record continued. The band released 'I Love My Jean' as a tribute to John Peel, and it resulted in their first Independent Chart entry. The band were also given the opportunity to try out the new reduced line-up with three shows. First was the South Pop Festival in Seville. Then the band travelled to Sweden for two shows in Stockholm and Uppsala, making new friends along the way. In May of 2006 "Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken" is the first single to be taken from the band's new album, "Let's get out of this country". Recorded and mixed in several studios in Sweden , this was produced by Jari Haapalainen, producer behind such gems as The Concretes and Ed Harcourt.source:sing365.com

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The Ordinary Boys Biography

source:sing365.com
Preston Guitar / Lead Vocals
William J Brown Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals
Charlie Drums
James Bass

In an age where most bands exist only to be famous, it’s heartening to see that wit, intelligence and style are poised to make their re-appearance. Born out of the same genealogy of British musical genius that includes The Kinks, The Smiths, The Clash and The Jam but transcending their influences to produce a sound fit for the 21st century, The Ordinary Boys are a band determined to prove that success does not necessarily mean lowest common denominator.

With influences that stretch from the great songwriters to Will Self and beyond, The Ordinary Boys rise above the trivialities of a Big Brother world. Displaying tunes full of passion, wit and grace, these four young men from Worthing are a welcome reminder of a British pop that relies on ability, not computers, dance routines and end-of-the-pier talent shows. Early live shows, demonstrating a need to entertain and provoke, have amassed a small army of devotees: all this prior to a note being released. The NME are already proclaiming:

“Something exciting is going on in the UK underground…The Ordinary Boys make a brilliant case for why they’ll be at the very front of it”

With the conviction of the truly righteous and a history of playing together back into their early teens, The Ordinary Boys are set to release their debut single at the start of the New Year, and things will probably never be the same again. Produced by the legendary Stephen Street, famed for his work with The Smiths and Blur, amongst a host of others, band and producer found their ideal partners in each other, inaugurating the start of what is sure to be a long term musical relationship. Singer Preston says of the forthcoming debut single, ‘It’s about putting back the honesty and passion in music that’s been missing for too long’.

The Ordinary Boys have already begun to build a loyal and dedicated fanbase with selected shows supporting The Thrills and a one-off performance for Radio One’s Live In Brighton event at the invitation of Zane Lowe. Support dates with Stellastarr saw the band take their first proper steps towards the fanaticism that is sure to follow them through 2004 and beyond, with The Times noting incredulously that:

“their best tunes really do evoke Paul Weller when he was still alive, and the Smiths’ minor-key fantasies”

When the members of the band first started playing music at the age of fourteen, pop music was about guitars and tunes, swagger and purpose: about living the dream and taking everyone along with you for the ride. With that as their cue, The Ordinary Boys were formed in March of 2002 and now those times are just around the corner once again.

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Michael Learns To Rock Biography

FORMED: 1988, Arthus, Denmark

Michael Learns To Rock is one of Denmark's most successful bands ever. The group was formed in spring 1988, and already same year they won two music contests and met their current manager, J.P. Andersen. They also released four songs on a promo record called "Secrets". The following year they got recording contract with the Danish recording company, Medley Records and released their first single, The Actor. In 1991 their first album, Michael Learns To Rock was released. It sold about 30.000 copies in just two months and was no. 1 on the sales list for 5 weeks. In 1993 they released their 2nd album, Colours, which sold more than 1.1 million copies and became one of the best selling Danish pop-albums ever.

In 1995 Played On Pepper was released, and it became a mega-success too. The album sold about 100.000 copies in half a year, and the readers of the two Danish music magazines Mix and Vi Unge chose MLTR as Danish band of the year 1995 and That's Why as Danish single of the year. In 1996 Paint My Love - Greatest Hits was released in Asia and sold more than 2,5 millions copies. MLTR are REALLY BIG in Asia, and with their 4th album "Nothing To Lose", they are hoping to break through in Europe too. And why not? In Denmark "Nothing To Lose" sold 25.000 copies on the release day!

In 1999 they released different Greatest Hits and Remix albums around the world.

In summer 2000 bass player Søren Madsen decided to leave the band to pursuit a solo carrier. MLTR continues as a trio, bass player SP is playing Søren's part on stage. MLTR's 5th studio album Blue Night was released in November 2000. In Indonesia it sold 42.000 copies on the release day.

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Regina Spektor Biography

Born in Moscow, CCCP, Regina came to the Bronx when she was 9 years old. She started studying classical piano at the age of six, and loved her teacher, but had to say goodbye, and her family had to sell the piano, right before their immigration. She badly wanted to continue her lessons when she got to America, and thanks to her piano teacher, Sonia Vargas, she was able to. Sonia was a Manhattan School of Music Professor, and her husband Samuel Marder, a NY Philharmonic violinist. They had invited Regina's family for a lunch and a free concert before their tour to Spain. After playing with their four cats and two dogs, Regina approached Sonia and asked "Will you be my teacher?" Her mother, a music historian and theorist, turned an embarrassed red, knowing the family had no piano or money for lessons. Sonia said "Of course!" and went on to teach Regina for years, her and her husband becoming like family.

In 1998, she left the Bronx for the conservatory of music at SUNY Purchase. There, she met lots of wonderful and talented people, and was inspired by the school's art scene. Many of the kids she met there were associated with the Lower East Side Anti-Folk scene. Regina played her earliest NYC shows at Sidewalk Cafe, and made the Anti-Folk world her home.

Ever since graduating Purchase in 2001, Regina has played hundreds of shows around NY. She ran away to France for a summer, and Switzerland for a spring where she also performed to rapt audiences. In NYC she has played at The Living Room, Tonic, Knitting Factory, Joe's Pub, Fez at Time Cafe, The Bowery Ballroom, CB's Gallery, Makor, and of course Sidewalk Cafe. This fall and winter she had the opportunity to open for the Strokes for their U.S. tour playing in front of thousands of music fans a night. Now she is currently on the road with the Kings of Leon for their European tour.

She has self-released two records, "11:11" and "Songs" sold at shows and online. She recently completed her third album, Soviet Kitsch - recorded in New York City and London she co-produced the album with Gordon Raphael and Alan Bezozi - the album will be released on an independent label in the later winter of 2004.

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