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Rigbees Press
Biography / CD Reviews / Downloads
Biography:
The RIGBEES are a band of refreshing and decidedly welcome contradictions.
Songwriter/singer Steve Brown pens songs with the lyrical sensibility and introspective depth of 70's folk, but The Rigbees deliver them with the guitar-driven energy and melodic punch of the first wave of American indie/alternative bands. Think For Everyman -era Jackson Browne colliding with Document -vintage R.E.M., with touches of The Jayhawks, Tom Petty and Counting Crows thrown in.
The Rigbees hail from Willow Grove, PA, a small suburb 15 miles due north of Philadelphia where 3 of the 4 members live within one block of each other. Physical proximity aside, the band members have diverse musical influences, backgrounds and credits to their name including: recording a CD for MCA/Refuge with Don Gehman (R.E.M., Hootie & the Blowfish, John Mellencamp), opening for bands as varied as Train, Live, Better Than Ezra, G Love & Special Sauce, Fuel, Blue Oyster Cult, Tenacious D and Conway Twitty, and playing on a song that went Top 10 in Portugal.
The acoustic guitar is a cornerstone of the band's sound—no surprise, given Brown's admiration of wood-toting writers from Dylan and Springsteen to Jeff Tweedy and Ryan Adams—yet together (John Bicer on drums, Mitch Cojocariu on bass, Kevin Hug on guitar) the band weaves a dynamic sonic tapestry indicative of four kids weaned on classic rock and equally informed by the modern, punk, alternative, grunge and alt-country rock that followed. At the core, The Rigbees are four individuals focused on creating music together—regardless of style or category—that they feel is somehow both relevant and to be revelled in.
The Rigbees second CD, Treading Water in an Angry Ocean is being released in April 2006. Like their debut (2002's AM Radio Companion ), it was recorded and produced by Bruce Rogers at Recovery Room studios in Willow Grove . TWIAAO was mastered by Scott Hull (John Mayer, Matthew Sweet, Garbage, McCartney, Dylan, Uncle Tupelo) and features 12 new original compositions along with a cover of Donovan's 1965 classic “Catch the Wind”—continuing the tradition of including a re-worked version of a 60's-era folk tune that began when the band included Simon and Garfunkel's “Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall” on their debut.)
The Rigbees have enjoyed national FM airplay (over 150 stations) on the P.R.I.-syndicated World Café and solid support from numerous regional FM and college stations. Bellwether public radio station WXPN (www.xpn.org) in Philadelphia added their debut single “Chaos Rules” (from AM Radio Companion ) to its regular rotation playlist—a true rarity for an independent release. The band is planning full radio promotion efforts for Treading Water in an Angry Ocean along with extensive 2006 performances in support of the new CD release.
CD Reviews:
Treading Water in an Angry Ocean
"...a melodic and inspired collection. "Get Up" kicks off the album on an upbeat note with a call to rise above life's setbacks and challenges. With it's blend of acoustic and electric guitars, it has the feel of a song meant to be played in the car with the top down and the volume up. "Funny" is a cleverly constructed ballad about the healing power of music that uses song titles by Elvis and Willie Nelson. The band continues in its tradition of including a 1960s (cover) song on its albums and turns in a spirited version of Donovan's "Catch The Wind."
Guitarist, songwriter and lead vocalist Steve Brown, guitarist Kevin Hug, bassist Mitch Cojocariu and drummer John Bicer are a cohesive unit who shift effectively between musical styles. The Rigbees should generate a buzz with their sophomore album."
- Tom Wilk, Primetime
"From the lyrical kick-in-the-pants of the disc's opener, "Get Up," to the poetic, beer-soaked "Funny," The Rigbees do more than merely tread water in today's ocean of alt-whatever. This record finds the
band with a baker's dozen of finely crafted rock songs with intelligent, heartfelt lyrics."
- Mike Fiore, , Courier-Post
AM Radio Companion
“The Rigbees have the advantage of writing songs that are instantly recognizable melodically and stylistically, and there is more than one on AM Radio Companion; it's an auspicious beginning.”
- David Dye, World Cafe; Host and WXPN DJ
“...a combination of bright-eyed earnestness, downright catchiness and genuine talent...wearing influences that could just as easily be Son Volt, Pearl Jam, Pete Yorn or all three. Guided by jangle and twang, the songs hold a contagious charm.”
– Doug Wallen, Philadelphia Weekly
“The songs are filled with infectious hooks and heartfelt, honest lyrics about standing tall in the face of all of life's day-to-day crap.”
– Andy Vineberg, Bucks County Courier Times
“...a refreshing brand of pop rock...similar to Barenaked Ladies delivered with the stylistic veracity of the Counting Crows.”
– Christopher Dilts, The Ticket
Downloads :
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