The Candy Butchers Begin Residency Tour to Support New Album, 'PLAY WITH YOUR HEAD'
Philadelphia and New York First Markets of Focus
PRNewswire
NEW YORK
03/06/2002
RPM Records band Candy Butchers are set to a series of residencies to kick off and support the March 12th release of the group's second full-length album, "PLAY WITH YOUR HEAD." Philadelphia and New York will be the first two cities the band concentrates on, bringing along their own special brand of finely crafted pop songs with a rock twist. Every Wednesday in March lead butcher Mike Viola will play solo at the Pontiac Grill in Philly. He will also play a solo show at Joe's Pub in New York March, and the full band will perform at The Mercury Lounge. Candy Butchers will also make a March 29th appearance on "The Late Show with Conan O'Brien."
Viola has a great rock/pop aesthetic and sense of humor, though he is not one to shy away from the gorgeous, deeply felt ballad. He approaches songwriting with the classics in mind, and in performance delivers his immediately hummable tunes with crunching guitar-glory and passion. For further information on the Candy Butchers check out their website at http://www.candybutchers.com/.
The critics have greeted "PLAY WITH YOUR HEAD" with open arms:
"Viola masterminds the classicist power pop of 'Play With Your Head' ...
specializing in richly textured guitar ballads in the tradition of Brian
Wilson, Paul McCartney, Eric Carmen, and Paul Weller ... turning out
three-minute pop tunes so nattily tailored they make the rest of
modern-rock radio sound decidedly off the rack."
3 1/2 stars
-- Rolling Stone
"These bitter, anxious love songs rock hard -- a blend of Ben Folds
intensity and early XTC with pop hooks."
-- Blender
"A power pop explosion of Beatle-esque melody, smart lyrics and ringing
guitars. Every song is a winner."
A -
-- Performing Songwriter
"Viola is a blustery, big-headed presence, shouting dense lyrics like a
young Elvis Costello while spinning blaring rock guitars in tuneful,
pumping arrangements."
-- Tower Pulse
The dates are as follows:
* March 6 -- Pontiac Grill, Philadelphia, PA (Mike solo)
* March 13 -- Pontiac Grill, Philadelphia, PA (Mike solo)
* March 15 -- Joe's Pub, New York, NY (Mike solo)
* March 19 -- Mercury Lounge, New York, NY (band)
* March 20 -- Pontiac Grill, Philadelphia, PA (Mike solo)
* March 27 -- Pontiac Grill, Philadelphia, PA (Mike solo)
* March 29 -- "Conan O'Brien," New York, NY (band)
* April 8 -- Smith's Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA (Mike solo)
* April 16 -- Park West, Chicago, IL (Mike solo)
* April 21 -- The Crocodile, Seattle, IL (Mike solo)
* April 23 -- Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (Mike solo)
SOURCE: RPM Records/Columbia Records
Contact: Sylvia Weiner of RPM Records, +1-908-301-1779,
sylviaweiner@comcast.net; or Ken Weinstein of Big Hassle Media,
+1-212-366-4492, weinstein@bighassle.com
Website: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.candybutchers.com/