Seymour Glass (Official Thread)

NOTE TO READERS:

THIS ISN’T YOUR ORDINARY ROCK & ROLL BAND





SEYMOUR GLASS READY

TO CHANGE THE FACE OF ROCK

WITH AUGUST 24 RELEASE OF

‘NOTE TO SELF’ ON 456 ENTERTAINMENT







August 5, 2004 -- If you live anywhere outside New York City, you’re probably not familiar with local favorites, Seymour Glass, whose dramatic live performance and visual effects have already earned them a strong local following. But don’t worry: you soon will be.

The band--Artie Kitchen (vocals), Steve Pepe (guitars), James Federico (bass, piano), and Sal Guanti (drums)--is getting ready to bring their eclectic blend of rock urgency, haunting vocals and elegance of textured piano to the masses with release of their NOTE TO SELF debut album on Carson Daly’s 456 Entertainment label on August 24. With acclaimed producer Howie Beno (Ministry, Red Hot Chili Peppers) behind the boards, Seymour Glass delivers the melodies to rock the radio dial and the poetic words to stir the soul, but it's the band's innovative marriage of grit and grace that smashes open the doors of inspiration.

As a whole, NOTE TO SELF shapes an emotional arc that begins with the drum-driven aggression of "Hypervent" and closes with the lush serenity of "Everytime," while the 11 songs in-between offer their own mix of beauty and brawn. For example, "A Drive By" pushes hard on the keys and chords, yet it isn't afraid to add finer piano accents during the stop-and-start moments, while "Car Crash" focuses on vocal intensity with a solid rhythmic backing by Federico and drummer Sal Guanti. Likewise, the buzzworthy "Chemicals" puts forth intimate piano-packed verses that play off the heavier band moments, while "CPR" employs an eerie mellowness that provides atmosphere for Kitchen's tortured tale of neighborhood politics. "Abrasion Uncommon," with its slick tempo twists, belts out unexpected changes ranging from ethereal background vocals and bitter lyrics to crashing guitars and a near piano solo. Summing up the album's duality, "Thorazine" lightens the tone with acoustic guitars and earthy vocals, yet the music is betrayed by earnest lyrics about love's endless disappointments. Such dark themes are prevalent on NOTE TO SELF as they reflect the singer's notion that expecting the worse leaves no place to go but up.

"I'm definitely not a glass half full kind of person," admits Kitchen. "I go into the studio with the worst attitude in the world and come out feeling like I was shelled into someone else's body. Writing music is like a one-sided conversation with people looking in. For once in your life, you get to say what you want to say, and no one can tell you you're wrong."

Prior to Seymour Glass, Kitchen, Pepe and Guanti performed in a hardcore band, while Federico played drums in an emo group. Meeting through friends in the Staten Island, NY hardcore scene, the foursome came together in the late ‘90s with Federico switching to bass and eventually adding piano. After exploring various influences and ideas, the group set itself upon its current path around 2000. Sharing a love for author J.D. Salinger, the group took on the name Seymour Glass, an allusion to a popular Salinger character that returns from war a tragic figure. This literary influence pops up in several of the album tracks and in the artwork.

Seymour Glass actually became the first signing to 456 Entertainment. For their debut, the group spent nearly 10 months working with Howie Beno and traveled to different studios to use specific pianos for a wider range of sounds. With dedicated focus, the band diligently worked to fashion their signature style and tap into a deep emotional vibe.

The group’s 13-song entry into the indie rock world demonstrates the artistic opportunities still available to those bold enough to seek them. Immediately accessible yet infinitely deep, NOTE TO SELF is a tastemaker's classic with potential as limitless as its creative vision.



www.seymourglass.tv

SEYMOUR GLASS LINES UP FIRST BATCH OF U.S. TOUR DATES

WITH KILL HANNAH

STARTING SEPTEMBER 18 IN CHICAGO;



‘NOTE TO SELF’ EXPLODING AT COLLEGE RADIO





September 9, 2004 -- Seymour Glass will be hitting the road starting September 18 in Chicago for two week’s worth of shows with Kill Hannah (Atlantic), their first batch of U.S. tour dates in support of their NOTE TO SELF debut album, which was released August 24 on Carson Daly’s 456 Entertainment label.

The band--Artie Kitchen (vocals), Steve Pepe (guitars), James Federico (bass, piano), and Sal Guanti (drums)—will show new music lovers across the U.S. what fans in their hometown (Staten Island, NY) have known for months; that they combine an eclectic blend of rock urgency, haunting vocals and elegance of textured piano to their unique style of music heard on NOTE TO SELF and displayed in their mesmerizing live performance.

As recently noted in a live review of their New York City residency at Rothko in The Tripwire: “This band’s live show is proof that they are the real deal and not just another studio band that will quickly vanish into obscurity…their live sound was quite remarkable.”

On the radio front, the entire album has been serviced to radio, but a large number of stations are getting a huge reaction from listeners to the song “Trigger Finger.” In fact, NOTE TO SELF recently debuted on CMJ‘s Top 200 Albums chart at #198. Stations such as WFDU and KWCR are spinning the track in addition to the 20 stations who are currently charting with over 140 having added Seymour Glass to their playlists.

Here are the confirmed tour dates, with more to be added in the coming weeks:



DATE CITY VENUE



With Kill Hannah:

Sat 9/18 Chicago, IL Metro

Thu 9/23 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint

Fri 9/24 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Theatre

Sat 9/25 New York, NY Rothko

Sun 9/26 Brooklyn, NY Northsix

Tue 9/28 Cambridge, MA Middle East

Wed 9/29 Pittsburgh, PA Nick’s Fat City

SEYMOUR GLASS

CRITICAL SOUNDBITES



"A band, not a person, the majestic, multi-faceted quartet Seymour Glass purveys progressive pop with sonic overtures, growling bass driven grooves, simultaneous electronic and acoustic drum patterns, multi-faceted keyboard harmonies and blistering guitar textures without making it sound all that complicated. 'Trigger Finger' skillfully plays funk rhythms against classical piano motifs. The title track, steeped in neo-psychedelic harmony, sits comfortably atop sequenced hip-hop beats as if the two disparate genre-defining elements were meant for each other…the ballad 'Everytime' replete with ocean waves samples, Slash-like guitar melodies, weeping violins and breathy vocals is the stuff of pure rock 'n' roll bombast. Coldplay comparisons abound in 'Chemicals,' by way of a strong melodic chorus worthy of a few thousand cigarette lighters. Will there be an arena big enough to hold Seymour Glass?"
--Tom Semioli, Amplifier,

November/December 2004


“…with NOTE TO SELF the band offers a rich and melancholic musical journey, with individual songs as strong and memorable as they are sophisticated and nuanced. Setting Seymour Glass apart from other bands in their genre, whichever that is, may be the prominence of piano in their bittersweet mix, making even their most tragic moments soar.”

--Katie Vrabel, Hartford Advocate,

September 23, 2004



“…rich sonic landscape…Seymour Glass is a band worth checking out.”

--Nick Rose, Pulse Weekly (Allentown, PA),

September 29, 2004



“This Staten Island indie-rock band blends melodic guitars and ambient piano sounds, creating this softly angelic background for their poetic lyrics…I love the way this album made me feel like I had just taken a Valium. The pianos added a soft touch that made me want to take a candlelit bubble bath and the vocals were equally impressive. Seymour Glass will go far, I can feel it.”

--Melissa Moran, Skinnie Ent. Zine (CA),

October 2004



“There are times when an unknown band takes that leap of faith, moving toward their natural evolution, and emerges on the verge of prominence. Seymour Glass epitomizes just such a movement.”

-- Jessica McMenamin, Lemonade Magazine (CA), October 2004


“...irresistibly catchy hooks…”

--Amanda Wallwin, Blogcritics.org,

September 29, 2004



“NOTE TO SELF is as innovative a record as you are likely to hear and given the current music climate, it has appeared at the right time to capitalize. As if taken from a J.D Salinger book from whence their name came, it only remains to be said that the honeymoon is over and if this band aren’t the next big thing it will be tragic.”

--Mike Newdeck, Alternativeaddiction.com,

September 20, 2004



“Hope in the face of chaos, masterfully harnessed in 13 tracks of indie attitude. Hope in the sense that cookie-cuter song-writing hasn't overtaken the masses. Filtering hardcore influence through straight-on rock with strings and a good dose of piano (think Ben Folds with a bitterly heavy band and seething lyrics). From the depths with a hint of the beautiful, Seymour Glass dance a dance of flirtation with the emotionally haunting. Produced my none other than Howie Beno (Ministry, Red Hot Chili Peppers), NOTE TO SELF dips and dives through tinkling moments of sonic cataclysm and then back to the surface of beautified normalcy within each track and from song to song.”

--JNC, Aftertaste Magazine,

September 27, 2004


“Pre-manufactured, made-for-radio alternative rock bands are a dime a dozen these days. Fortunately for NYC’s Seymour Glass, they do not fall into that category…Combining elements of the Deftones and Muse, which could be a recipe for disaster, Seymour Glass uses great hooks and spiraling piano arpeggios to create their own unique and polished sound. [456 Entertainment] very well could have a hit band on their hands.”

--Chip Adams, Tripwire.com,

July 15, 2004


“From the moment I put NOTE TO SELF in, I was instantly taken by the simply gorgeous background melodies that not only consist of the standard line up of drums, bass, guitar, but also features piano and other synthesized effects…NOTE TO SELF is an evocative, melodic, and solid album worth a listen.”

--Meg Enos, Sonicrampage.com, September 2004


“For starters, Seymour Glass is wiling to take risks by employing song structures that are far from predictable, and lead singer Artie Kitchen successfully avoids the annoying qualities that plague his peers’ less-than-soothing endeavors…With songs that vary in tone from somber (‘Everytime’) to innovative (‘Broken’) to just plain rockin’ (‘Hypervent’), Seymour Glass breaks through the songwriting drought that for far too long has been plaguing the rest of the industry.”

--Brad Podray, Musicbox-online.com,

November 2004


“…this is a brilliant debut album and very listener friendly.”

-- Harjit Bains, FMSound.net, October 2004


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www.seymourglass.tv is the band's website, which includes sound clips.

The band will be performing in New York City on Saturday, December 4 at Lit (93 Second Ave., NYC 10003).