Emmet Swimming  

November 5, 2009

Thursday 8:00pm

Detail:

 EMMET SWIMMING   W/ JUKEBOX SERENADE 

About emmet swimming

emmet swimming formed in 1991 while students at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA ... The band named themselves after a young black boy, Emmet Till, who was shot in a small Mississippi town for whistling at a white woman and became one of the many martyrs of the American civil rights movement. "The idea of the name was basically that a 14-year-old boy should be swimming in the river, not dying in it," Watts recalled. emmet swimming comes from a similar collegiate culture as fellow mid-Atlantic roots rocking jam bands as Hootie and the Blowfish, Everything, and Dave Matthews Band. Like many in the genre, emmet swimming built their following through years of touring, especially in Washington, D.C. The band also played the H.O.R.D.E. Festival during the summer of 1998.

 

emmet swimming released their indie debut, Dark When the Snow Falls, in 1993, which was deemed Debut Album of the Year by the Washington Area Music Association. Songs from the album were featured in the films Gabriel's Dream (with R.E.M., Peter Gabriel, and They Might Be Giants) and Crimson Lights. Epic signed the group after their follow-up, Wake, sold 8,000 copies with limited distribution. It became their first major-label LP in 1996. Arlington to Boston was also released in 1996, which was followed by Big Night Without You in 1998 and the LP Earplugs 50¢ in 1999. emmet swimming is popular ... for their intense live shows and their seemingly contradictory mix of upbeat music and somber lyrics.

 

About Jukebox Serenade

Jukebox Serenade is a Washington, DC area pop rock band. The group's mainstream pop and indie rock sensibilities are both represented in it's debut CD "Bliss" to be released July 30th. Produced by Jim Ebert (Marvelous 3, Meredith Brooks, Cowboy Mouth) at Cue Studios in Fall Church, Virginia, Jukebox Serenade's "Bliss" combines a guitar based rock sound with various hip-hop and synth layerings, "Bliss" embraces past influences from the Beatles to Nirvana while also drawing from more contemporary artists as well. Originally formed under the name Ringleader, the songwriting duo Lena Esposito and Chris Brownelle released the EP "No Slide Guitar" in 2005. In 2006, after enjoying many positive reviews of the EP, they recruited a rhythm section and began playing area shows at such venues as Jammin' Java and IOTA Club and Cafe. In 2007 after forming Get Ringleadermusic Publishing (ASCAP), the duo's songs were incorporated into the libraries of several accredited publishing houses. These company's credits include placements on HBO, MTV, Spike TV, CNN and Discovery Channel. Also in 2007 after releasing a 3-song CD with Ebert, the band solidified its lineup with Dean Perry on bass and Eddie Anzueto on drums. Both Dean and Eddie have played in numerous previous projects making them both a powerful and creative rhythm section. It was the chemistry of this lineup that led to the recording of "Bliss" which began in the fall of 2008. The first single off of "Bliss", "Abigail" features Beck-like synth lines, heavy guitar chord progressions, and hand clappin' foot stompin' rhythms making the song both fun and hard rocking at the same time. Some songs such as "All Alone With You" and "What He Says" may evoke reminders of popsters Taylor Swift or Kelly Clarkson. The CD opener "Sugarrush" features an intro of dissonant indie rock guitar riffs over a sugar-coated verse/chorus while "Crazy Completely” combines a reggae verse with an all-out 80's style pop chorus. "Turning the Page", a Tori Amos meets PJ Harvey composition, is another standout featuring producer Jim Ebert on piano. In 2009 with a new CD under it's belt, Jukebox Serenade will promote its new release with live performances throughout the rest of the year.