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Brooke Black Just-Olesen
Big Hassle Media
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212.619.1360
California Wives
Art History
“I felt like I was asleep for years,” says California Wives’ lead vocalist / keyboardist Jayson Kramer of his decision in 2009 to leave behind a promising career in medicine for a professional go at music. Jayson’s first experience with music began at age 6, playing classical piano up until he was 16. Along the way he started writing songs as hobby, taking influence from bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Oasis, and later electronic music such as Autechre and Aphex Twin. The hobby continued through his undergrad years at Boston University as a pre-med student until, ”a weird thing happened when I finished my MCAT and all the studying stopped. I was completely honest with myself for the first time in my life and recognized that I had no desire to go on to medical school. This is when I took a more serious turn toward music, which is something I realized I should have been doing all along.” Around this time he moved back to his hometown of Chicago where he was introduced to drummer Joe O’Connor and bassist Dan Zima, who had be playing together since high school.
Joe and Dan’s musical influences followed a similar path to Jayson’s, beginning with alternative rock and arriving at a strong appreciation of electronic music, more specifically bands that mixed synthetic and traditional instruments like New Order and the Cure. It was via this shared appreciation of music and compatible chemistry that California Wives was formed in 2009, with the current lineup being cemented in 2012 upon the new addition of lead guitarist Graham Masell. For the band’s debut album, Art History, they worked with producer Claudius Mittendorfer (Interpol, Neon Indian, Wild Nothing) in NYC. When asked about recording Dan said, ”my favorite thing about doing the album with Claudius was how he pushed us to try everything with these songs that we felt we knew so well. Any sound, any part, any rearranging of a song section, when we were skeptical about something he’d convince us to try it out, and most of the time it would turn out great.”
For the eleven tracks that comprise their debut, Jayson is quick to point out that, “songwriting is always the most important thing for us as a band. You can talk about vibe and style but if you don’t have solid songs you’re wasting people’s time.” He goes on to say that thematically the album, “comes from a relatable place of losing one’s youth,” highlighting tracks like “Marianne,” “23″ and “Blood Red Youth” for their focus on that topic: “a lot of our songs are about getting older because that’s something we are all familiar with in one way or another. You want to go back to the way things were, but life is changing and people are too.”
One person who’s taken notice of the band’s sound is Joy Division / New Order’s Peter Hook who appointed California Wives to open his headlining set with The Light at Chicago’s Metro Cabaret. Other memorable appearances include 2011’s North Coast Music and Tomorrow Never Knows festivals, the Taste of Chicago, and the Wicker Park Fest. Local press has not been shy either, the Chicago Tribune calling the band one to watch in 2011 and stating California Wives’ 2010 EP Affair “will tempt even the most reluctant wallflower.”
After a formative performance at the SXSW Billboard Official Showcase in 2011, national outlets started taking notice, with Pitchfork stating “Chicago new wave aesthetes California Wives caught our ears” and My Old Kentucky Blog firmly declaring “This could be the next buzz band everyone is talking about…”
California Wives debut album, Art History, will be available September 4, 2012 through Vagrant Records.
California Wives is:
Jayson Kramer – Lead Vocals, Keyboard and Rhythm Guitar
Dan Zima – Bass, Vocals
Joe O’Connor – Drums
Graham Masell – Lead Guitar
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Get a Sneak Preview of California Wives’ Album for Labor Day WeekendStay Tuned For MTV VMA’s Debut of “Purple” Video and Stars Tour
Stream, Grab, and Share a Full Stream of Art History (Out 9/4) Now! Chicago new-wave quartet California Wives has offered an early Labor Day weekend listen of its new full length debut, Art History. Produced by Claudius Mittendorfer (Interpol, Neon Indian, Wild Nothing), the album is out next week on Vagrant, a few weeks before the band embarks on a national tour with Stars and Diamond Rings. Art History‘s opening track ‘Blood Red Youth‘ was recently premiered at RollingStone.com, who hailed it “a driving guitar-and-synth anthem with a swelling chorus.” Their first single ‘Purple,’ was premiered last month with Paste, and its forthcoming video will be released as a commercial on September 6 during the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. Currently streaming at Billboard, the “mesmerizing” debut follows the band’s 2010 Affair EP. Get a sneak peek of Art History here, and feel free to share it.
“clever hooks, melodies and phrases…remarkably well-constructed” - Paste
“Chicago new-wave aesthetes California Wives caught our ears…this morning.” – Pitchfork
“riding the ’80s nostalgia wave…’Purple’ and ‘Marianne’ are both great examples of why
[California Wives] deserves some attention.” – MAGNET
“California Wives are taking the indie-rock scene by storm.” – Seventeen“tricky to pin down but terrific to hear.” - Billboard
California Wives in Concert
9/12 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall (CD Release Show)
9/16 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
9/17 – Toronto, ON – Parts and Labour
9/18 – Buffalo, NY – Ninth WardTour Dates w/ Stars and Diamond Rings
9/20 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall 9/21 – Boston, MA – Paradise 9/22 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 9/23 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 9/25 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater 9/26 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle 9/27 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre 9/28 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse 9/29 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge 10/2 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall 10/3 – Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theatre 10/4 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe @ Old National Centre 10/5 – St. Louis, MO – Plush 10/6 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note 10/9 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck 10/10 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom 10/11 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room 10/12 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s Upstairs 10/13 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre 10/17 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues 10/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Mayan Theater 10/19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre 10/20 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Art History Tracklisting 1. Blood Red Youth 8. Better Home
9. Twenty Three |
“riding the ’80s nostalgia wave…’Purple’ and ‘Marianne’ are both great examples of why [California Wives] deserves some attention.” – MAGNET
“California Wives are taking the indie-rock scene by storm.” – Seventeen
Stream “Blood Red Youth” at the RollingStone.com premiere (Available to Post)
Download ‘Purple’ at Paste or at SoundCloud(Available to Post)
9/20 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
9/21 – Boston, MA – Paradise
9/22 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
9/23 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
9/25 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
9/26 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
9/27 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre
9/28 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
9/29 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
10/2 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
10/3 – Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theatre
10/4 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe @ Old National Centre
10/5 – St. Louis, MO – Plush
10/6 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
10/9 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
10/10 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
10/11 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room
10/12 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s Upstairs
10/13 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre
10/17 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Mayan Theater
10/19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
10/20 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Art History Tracklisting 1. Blood Red Youth 2. Tokyo 3. Marianne 4. The Fisher King 5. Los Angeles 6. Photolights 7. Purple
9. Twenty Three 10. The New Process 11. Light Year
“‘Affair’ favors slow-build arrangements and tightly woven grooves that will tempt even the most reluctant wallflower.” - Chicago Tribune “Band for 2011″ Download ‘Purple’ at the Paste premiere or at SoundCloud(Available to Post)
9/20 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
9/21 – Boston, MA – Paradise
9/22 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
9/23 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
9/25 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
9/26 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
9/27 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre
9/28 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
9/29 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
10/2 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
10/3 – Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theatre
10/4 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe @ Old National Centre
10/5 – St. Louis, MO – Plush
10/6 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
10/9 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
10/10 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
10/11 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room
10/12 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s Upstairs
10/13 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre
10/17 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Mayan Theater
10/19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
10/20 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
*All dates with STARS and Diamond Rings
Art History Tracklisting 1. Blood Red Youth 2. Tokyo 3. Marianne 4. The Fisher King 5. Los Angeles 6. Photolights 7. Purple
9. Twenty Three 10. The New Process 11. Light Year
California Wives Releases Debut Art History LP on 9/4
“‘Affair’ favors slow-build arrangements and tightly woven grooves that will tempt even the most reluctant wallflower.” - Chicago Tribune “Band for 2011″
Art History Tracklisting 1. Blood Red Youth 2. Tokyo 3. Marianne4. The Fisher King 5. Los Angeles 6. Photolights 7. Purple
9. Twenty Three 10. The New Process 11. Light Year
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Art History - Album Art
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