In this bio, there is talk about the Christmas album, which is very exciting. Also, near the bottom, it looks as if they (they being Transparent Media - SGA's record label) are looking to sign artists. DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT THOUGH!
ENJOY!~The Radiators
theradiators.blogspot.com
There’s a delicate balance between the intertwining worlds of artistry, entertainment and humor, but for dance-derived alternative rockers Family Force 5, it’s an ecstatic equilibrium that remarkably illustrates all three elements. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, the Atlanta-based five-some are just as likely to get the party started as they are to escort audiences into an alternate reality. Even so, the band never compromises album creativity, while simultaneously hearkening back to the days of massive spectacles on tour.
The group’s sophomore release, Dance Or Die, oozes with over-the-top illustrations, charging out of the gate with funky rhythms, percolating club grooves, undeniably infectious hooks and instantaneous sing-a-longs. Imagine an inventive evolution of the band’s eye-opening debut, Business Up Front, Party in the Back, blended with Prince getting down at a Daft Punk concert where Michael Jackson busts out the moonwalk in the center of the dance floor.
“Listening to Family Force 5 is like lighting a cluster of firecrackers in your mouth,” offers guitarist Derek Mount (known to fans as Chap Stique), recommending a spin of Dance Or Die over that daredevil antic. “This album provides a connection and an escape, and it's guaranteed to make your booty shake and your head bang. It's greasy, slimy and soupy, yet still very slick and shiny at the same time.”
Indeed, the disc is replete with rippling rhythms, assaulting electronics and a raucous rock ‘n roll underpinning, but beyond these sonic elements, there’s also an all-encompassing futuristic vibe. From the sci-fi synth textures of “Fever” to the thrash-tinged robotic rocker “Radiator” to the ultra contagious title track, consider this project to be the musical version of Mad Max meets 2001: A Space Odyssey.
“The last record was a straight-up party, but we always said the second would be sweaty rock n’ roll music,” stresses front-man/guitarist Solomon Olds (Soul Glow Activatur), who co-produced the project with Joe Baldridge (Beck, Jewel). “The album title and imagery transport the listener into a dire life-or-death situation. Each song unites that urgency with a danceable beat, so get to steppin,' or you'll
be extinct.”
Since its release in summer of 2008, fans have been clamoring to catch those very sentiments in concert, swarming the band’s explosive appearances throughout the Vans Warped Tour and also on two legs of the group’s own Dance Rawr Dance Tour. “We encourage fans to dress up in costumes, whether it be a killer whale, a big chicken or a Skeletor outfit,“ urges Chap Stique. “Family Force 5 realizes that most people think rock n’ roll is about trying to be cool, but to us, there’s nothing cooler than when people let go and end up stealing the show by break dancing in helmets or body-slamming each other in Lucha Libre masks.”
Placing their lives and relationships at risk, the members have committed themselves to an arduous touring schedule, averaging 250 to 300 days on the road per year. Thus far 2009 has seen the group jam packing a showcase at 2009’s coveted SxSW Festival, followed by an extensive headlining run on the Alternative Press Tour alongside breakout bands 3OH!3, The Maine, Hit The Lights and A Rocket To The Moon. In addition to members taking the stage wearing the trashiest old school tuxedo garb they could find, expect to see the Family Force 5000, a massive drum machine they personally invented that, at first glance, looks more like the next NASA launch computer than it does a musical instrument.
“It is the only fully-functional giant drum machine in the universe. It's a six-and-a-half-foot tall, 760-pound juggernaut of pads, knobs, and switches that inhales electricity and exhales lightning,” announces Soul Glow Activatur. “The Family Force 5000 started as a joke three years ago. Then we mentioned it to a friend, who happens to be a wizard in electronics, and he was able to bring our sci-fi idea to life. The fact that we have a huge, light-up, chunky machine on stage is pretty cool, and it adds to
the robotic rock element of this season.”
Outside of their industrial explorations, members continue offering fans content in a variety of entertainment mediums as an additional means of appreciation for listeners’ unwavering support. Take, for instance, the steady stream of audio blogs, recently issued as the iTunes compilation Blingin’ Blogs Volume 1 (which finds the players offering a series of ghetto shout-outs and poking fun at pirates, to name a few). There’s also the ever-expanding online collection of The Really Real Show, a Spinal Tap-esque video library of stories from the road, spanning a broad comedic spectrum from bus brawls to single men's support groups.
Buzz is also building for the band’s first ever remix project, which is slated to hit streets May 19 under the appropriate banner Dance or Die With a Vengeance (on Transparent Media Group with EMI distribution). Outside of the Family Force 5 guys twirling the knobs, contributors include members of Cobra Starship, 3OH!3, Relient K, The Pragmatic and French remix sensation The Toxic Avenger.
“In hindsight, a lot of the songs from Dance or Die almost seem like they were made to be remixed,” explains Soul Glow Activatur. “We asked a lot of friends we’ve toured with and just wanted to call it something that sounds really cool like it could be a Bruce Willis flick. For some reason, the dance culture and the whole electro theme has really blown up in the alternative scene and we want to be forerunners to help bring it on. We’re excited to open up a whole new world to alternative kids used to the punkier versions of any of these songs and give them a chance to hear versions that are all the way dancey.”
But wait, there’s more coming from the Family Force 5 camp before 2009 is over! The guys have already let the cat out of the bag when it comes to the gang’s inaugural holiday offering The Family Force 5 Christmas Pageant (also on Transparent Media Group). The killer collection will feature choice covers of everything from the classic “Carol of the Bells” to Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” to “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music, all reworked as completely re-imagined dance-derived rock renderings.
“We’ve always been really skeptical of a Christmas project because we’re not really fans of them in general, but I have to say it’s absolutely the most fun we’ve ever had recording,” continues Soul Glow Activatur. “We’ve seriously been banging on pots and pans doing the most ghetto-tech style of a Christmas album ever. But we’ve played it for a bunch of friends and they’ve told us they wouldn’t normally buy a Christmas album, but this literally feels like a dance party instead of the same old way Christmas songs have been done for the last 75 years.”
The plethora of prominent projects comes as a result of both the band’s unceasing imagination and its formation of the aforementioned Transparent Media Group, which works directly with the group’s longtime partner Chris Woltman of Element1 Music, Marketing & Management. Together, the behind the scenes forces offer all the most important components of a major record label (from new media to publicity to community development and viral campaigning), but is rooted in Family Force 5’s artistic ideals and desire for its most direct interaction with fans to date.
“When we had the initial conversation a year ago to start a label, bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails proved it could be done and they could reach their audiences closer than ever before,” says Chris Woltman of Element1 Music, Marketing & Management / Transparent Media Group (who also has a dozen years of experience at Columbia Records and another four at RCA). “Now we’re able to speak to fans in an original and quick manner and we’re fortunate to have a group of guys who are insanely creative and who’s well never runs dry…It’s also been pretty amazing to watch a band that’s literally sold over 200,000 records and perhaps triple that if you add in ring tones and digital downloads, build a brand without the traditional media drivers, such as radio, that the major label system was built on.”
And just for the record, Family Force 5 and Transparent Media Group are officially on the lookout for top talent hoping to think outside the box across both the front lines and behind the scenes. “We have a greater desire to find other bands that are consistent with the DNA and ethos of the FF5 camp,” adds Woltman. “Somebody can write an amazing song, but if they can’t connect with fans and they’re not willing to put in hard work across the entire spectrum, they’re gonna fall short. We’re going to be looking for artists with the same work ethic and dedicated approach the guys have, which is now approaching 600 shows in the last four years. That’s real dedication and real sacrifice!”
In fact, the band is already plotting past the AP Tour, staring with a third installment of Dance Rawr Dance, plus some spot dates with Flyleaf, and of course, a holiday run of celebratory proportions. But no matter what season of the band’s do-it-yourself paradigm, perhaps Family Force 5000 player/keyboardist Nathan Currin (Nadaddy) best summarizes this diversified entertainment enterprise’s quest for intergalactic conquest. “Family Force 5 is an unconventional arsenal of ultimate dance floor anthems,” he declares. “We're at war. Dancing is our weapon, and our party is ready to pull the trigger.
