Post-grunge melodicism: call it the destiny of nineties rock. Riding the crest of the wave, tvfordogs follow their acclaimed 2003 debut, Heavy Denver, with the beguiling new Roller. Built on crunchy guitars, soaring vocals, and tightly honed songwriting, Roller evokes the broad-based appeal of Coldplay and Foo Fighters, passing it through a new lens. Rooted in alternative, tvfordogs reach to the stylistic periphery for trips into shimmering roots rock ("Drive") and melodic pop ("Be Careful"), displaying an adventurousness increasingly uncommon in contemporary rock. Released by U.S.-based independent label Wampus Multimedia, Roller is very hard to forget, a stirring entry in the modern-rock sweepstakes.
Built on the sturdy songs of singer-guitarist Neil Luckett, tvfordogs are anchored by bassist Mark Homer and drummer Paul Jarrett, who fuel this classic British power trio's salutes to touchstones from Radiohead and Queens of the Stone Age to Beck, Todd Rundgren, and the Beatles. Liberally quoting but not replicating their influences, the band melds and recasts them in the manner of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, refracting New Wave through a prism of the Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Jam, and XTC.
Built around a radio-ready mix of the title track by Nirvana producer Jack Endino, Roller evolves from the punk-infused opener, "The Universe Is Blue," to the Kurt Cobain nod "Everlasting Sun," to the Chili Peppers pastiche "Always There," to the towering mea culpa "Monolith." It is the stunning, AAA-inflected "Drive," however, that delivers the payoff, bridging the gap between noise and melody, aggression and serenity, age and youth. In its poetic narrative, a couple travels aimlessly from town to town, searching for a new home, sleeping in their car, pondering the destiny they deserve and the one they will find. "I'm not even sure," Luckett sings, "if we should be forgiven. So we drive."
Produced by Luckett in London with assistance from engineers Oliver Goodall, Dave Fowler, and Tony Perretta, Roller joins a Wampus Multimedia roster that includes new releases from Cafebar 401, Casey Abrams, Arms of Kismet, Johnny J Blair, and Alice Despard, as well as Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon, to which Luckett contributed a version of Zevon's "Mutineer." Skilled interpreters of the work of other artists, tvfordogs also covered "How Do You Think It Feels" for 2003's After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed.
Watch the videos for "FAQ" and "Roller."
Hear Neil Luckett of tvfordogs interviewed by the Monks Media Radio Network.
tvfordogs / Roller
tvfordogs / Heavy Denver
Named one of the Top Five Indie Releases of 2002 by IndieCrit.com.
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press....
"Brits tvfordogs escape a hasty CMJ-rock lumping by redrawing '90s grunge with emo and blues-rock brush strokes, but no vacuous Nirvana clone, this – Neil Luckett’s vocals have an elastic, grown-up quality that does for alt-disaffection what Sevendust does for nu-metal, leaving pretension and dullness behind for use by the less fortunate. '100x' successfully executes a hybridization of Death Cab daisy-scented candle cut with Simon and Garfunkel Barcalounger-pop, but that’s their plush side – for the most part it’s substantial power and indie exuberance reined in capably and conscionably -- i.e., it’ll probably be overlooked by Pitchfork-thumping scene-finks but could certainly stand the test of time." Eric Saeger, Skope Magazine
"This is a British power trio who bounce gleefully from style to style, sounding one minute like a punked-up Rush -- 'The Universe Is Blue' opens this disc with a virtual Geddy Lee homage -- and the next like slightly less obtuse early R.E.M. ('Natural Science Fiction,' 'Be Careful'). It's all solid indie guitar rock in character, but there's a steady evolution through this album in terms of sound and approach. As the heavy opening pair give way to 'Roller' and 'Everlasting Sun,' Luckett and company focus increasing attention on melody and vocals rather than crunch, revisiting Nirvana-esque heaviness only briefly ('Monolith') before turning out a startlingly effective pair of ballads in '100x' and 'Drive.' As if to illustrate Luckett's propensity for throwing rocks at convention, the final third of the disc is highlighted by the thundering, propulsive theological query 'Where Is Your God?' and the nightclub jazz-pop outro 'Time To Go.'" --Jason Warburg, The Daily Vault
"A one-two punch delivering tight song structures with strong melodies, making a few of these radio worthy hits. It’s power pop rock that’s Sugar-sweet from your head to your feet. Comparisons to Foo Fighters, late Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Everclear fronted by a raspy Bob Mould are definitely warranted." --J.R. Oliver, EarCandy
"tvfordogs carries on the tradition of British power trios with a modern creativity and flair. Their arrangements are tight with crunch guitars and power packed vocals. The first half of Roller is hard-driving and the second part rocks but with a bit more subtlety. 'The Universe is Blue' speeds along at a punk-like pace infused with heavy rhythms and energized vocals. 'Roller,' which was produced by Jack Endino who worked with Nirvana, is colorful, blending various tempos and textures with layered vocal parts. 'Be Careful' takes a number of turns on the pop/rock road circling its way around to the catchy hook. tvfordogs' second release is impressive with eleven tracks that are diverse and dynamic." --Laura Turner Lynch, Kweevak.com
"Hailing from Britain, this rock trio doesn’t sound like a three-piece at all, a five-piece maybe. It’s the way in which each song is crafted; the guitars aren’t flat but rather full, the tones are just great, a bit dirty and overdriven, but clean when needed, no crazy effects.... The drums are well produced (along with the rest of this album) and the bass tone is nice and fat. No intricate solos on this album, some nice slide-playing here and there, and I really liked Neil’s choice of notes, he seems to be the kind of player who ‘thinks.’ He certainly knows how to get the job done here." --Francesco Emmanuel, The Muse's Muse
"Trust me, you will not have a minute to daydream or become bored listening to tvfordogs. This CD is concrete proof that TV is for dogs and music is for humans." --MuzikMan, MusicDish
"Heavy Denver is strongly reminiscent to the Foo Fighters' The Colour and the Shape. Since I think that particular album is one of the most dramatically underrated rock albums of the last several years, you can imagine I'm pretty pleased with what's coming out of my headphones right now." --John Scalzi, IndieCrit
"Good, well produced material for modern rock radio, and most probably soon-to-be critics' darlings in the major music magazines. Check them out and be ahead of the masses!" --Kimmo Toivonen, AOR-Europe
"Unlike most rock, which has all the depth of a one-trick pony, tvfordogs, like the best rock bands past and present, shifts gears and blends songs in a way that not only puts the individual songs in best relief, but takes the listener on a journey." --Mark Kirby, MusicDish
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