Drawing on influences from alternative, progressive and popular music, Where Miles Become Meaning disregards and transcends the accepted boundaries associated with a debut alternative rock album, instead defying their youth by magnificently balancing driving guitars & percussion with Nate Miner’s delicate piano, reminiscent in parts to the likes of Something Corporate, Yellowcard & Death Cab For Cutie. When this finely tuned instrumental unit is intertwined with layers of contagious melodies and inspiring 3 part harmonies led by the soaring vocals of Matt Furstoss, the record takes a life of its own and leaves you pining for more.

The bands fresh and original sound is made even more unique by the fact that not only is the five-piece is made up of two sets of brothers in their early twenties, but across the record all five make a substantial vocal contribution.

Underwater Tiger cite influences ranging from Coldplay to Jimmy Eat World to Sigur Ros and fittingly deliver an album that showcases everything from the tearing, rock driven ‘Bones’ to the poetic and heart melting ‘Shipwreck Love’ to the beautiful lyrical composition of the slow burning ‘One November Night’.

Despite forming less than two years ago, drive, determination and the adoration of playing live has seen the band relentlessly tour the Northeast, and throughout 2010 and the duration of 2011 the Horseheads, NY rockers have taken their on-stage chemistry and high intensity live shows in almost every city in the region.

Not satisfied with this alone, Underwater Tiger have debuted three singles and four high octane music videos in that time, with anticipation for their debut full length offering continuing to grow all the time. Matt, Ron & Anthony Furstoss, Nate & Andrew Miner entered the Pyramid Sound Studios in Ithaca, NY to record Where Miles Become Meaning, putting the final touches on the record in January 2012. The album’s funding was thanks in no small part to the bands passionate, loyal and rapidly growing fan base, who raised almost $5,000 towards production of the album via an IndieGoGo.com fundraising campaign!

The band recently appeared on “Tuesdays with the Band”: a weekly 45 minute segment on WVBR 98.5 FM in Ithaca, NY. In further support of Where Miles Become Meaning, Underwater Tiger will be doing a series of short tours throughout the Northeast this summer, including a show at Jones Beach in front of a projected 4,500 music fans.

The release of Where Miles Become Meaning has seen the emergence of a superb debut album which is sure to launch Underwater Tiger into being one of the most talked about emerging talents of the year.

The 2012 Bamboozle Festival is a little over a week away, and Saturday’s headliner, Blink-182, has pulled out of its performance. My Chemical Romance is set to replace the band.

“Blink-182′s drummer, Travis Barker, required an urgent tonsillectomy with a recovery period expected to extend beyond the scheduled tour dates,” read a note on their official site. “The band apologizes for any inconvenience as a result of these cancellations and thanks their fans for their ongoing support.
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Though two upcoming dates at the Winstar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, have been rescheduled for September 13 and 14, the other six dates on their itinerary will not be rescheduled. Those dates include:

» 5/15 — Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena
» 5/17 — Manchester, NH @ Verizon Wireless Arena
» 5/18 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
» 5/19 — Asbury Park, NJ @ The Bamboozle
» 5/20 — Bethlehem, PA @ Sands Bethlehem Event Center
» 5/22 — Quebec City, CA @ Colisee Pepsi Arena

Refunds will be available for each show at the point of purchase, except for the Bamboozle gig, where no refunds are being offered. New Jersey natives My Chemical Romance have stepped into the breach and will take over Blink’s headlining slot at the May 19 Bamboozle gig.

“Blink-182 will be greatly missed, and all of us here wish Travis a speedy recovery,” the show’s promoters said in a statement about what would have been Blink’s debut Bamboozle appearance. Other acts on this year’s three-day Bamboozle roster include: Foo Fighters, Skrillex, Bon Jovi, Gaslight Anthem, Mac Miller, Incubus and DJ Pauly D.

The band is slated to kick-off a two-month European tour in June and at press time Blink’s Facebook page said those shows have not been affected.

“This album’s about connections,” says Rod Thomas, the man behind UK’s buzz-heavy dance-pop outfit BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT about his debut album MAKE ME BELIEVE IN HOPE (The Blue Team / Aztec Records Ltd; release June 26, 2012). A theme central to BLBL, the concept of connections could not be more accurate, from connecting the electronic to the organic, the dancebeats to the storyline, as well as the artist connections who add guest vocals, production and songwriting input. “All the hook-ups were really organic which is why I think they worked so well,” he explains. Among the “connections” are Del Marquis of Scissor Sisters and Allison Pierce of The Pierces, renowned Grammy-nominated producer Andy Chatterley (Kylie, Kanye, Underworld), hiphop artist/producer/remixer Boom Bip (M83, Mogwai, Hot Hot Heat) and co-writer Jon Shave (Jessie J, Girls Aloud). But the album isn’t a ‘who’s who in pop music’ but a living, breathing collection of songs that’s equal parts dance floor anthems, powerful songwriting, intriguing storytelling, and a real appreciation of music.

“Make Me Believe In Hope comes from a real love of making music, and I feel extremely privileged to have spent the last few years doing that,” he explains. “These songs are about how people you meet or your surroundings make you feel more or less optimistic, and tease out different parts of your personality… how a chance encounter can fire up passion or self-belief, or how one city or landscape can open your mind to a hundred new things.” Recorded in London, Los Angeles, and New York, the album is an amalgam of stories and textures that Rod collected in his travels, creating a multi-layered tapestry that weaves intricate dance beats into the fabric of his storytelling.

From the lushly orchestral “Cry at Films” featuring Scissor Sisters Del Marquis (imagining life as a film where vital parts can be rewritten when they start to go wrong), to the broody ballad “Grace” (a breakup song told from the viewpoint of the one doing the dumping), to the shimmery midtempo “Moves” (lingering in a relationship that’s stuck in stasis), Make Me Believe In Hope takes you through emotions and mindsets while keeping you moving. The new single, the piano house-influenced “Waiting for the Feeling,” is “about having a lover who tells you all the time how much they care, but never does anything to show it,” he explains. “It’s all about recognising the point where you’ve had enough and something has to change. It’s not about being a victim / being hard done by, just understanding that something’s not right, what can we do about it.” The visually arresting video for the track itself carries a storyline of its own as well. He explains, “The video kind of plays around with the idea of connections between people – with the sport element, and the waiting room – how aggressive or passive a connection can be, and how distant you can feel right next to someone.”Unlike most dance music whose sole intention is to get you to move, BLBL’s music makes you think as well. “I love ‘90s dance music and sample-based tracks,” says Rod. “I adore Ace Of Base. But I also love songs with storytelling lyrics and a melody that runs throughout. The two aren’t exclusive. Dance music doesn’t have to be disposable. Just because music is made with machines doesn’t mean it can’t have soul.” Rife with songs whose vocals complement the music perfectly, Make Me Believe In Hope contains two stunning singles that established Rod as one of the brightest new hopes in British pop music. The first single “Love Part II” was called “Kylie-class euphoric pop” by The Times while CityLife deemed it “a euphoric, giddy fizz-bomb of a track that practically combusts in excitement.” The angst-ridden “Disco Moment” which, as ArjanWrites praises, “packs heaps of dancefloor drama that is vividly put into words by the pop crooner” while About.com chimes that it’s “a haunting and compelling slice of poptronica… It’s painful, gorgeous, and worth your attention.”

“Waiting For the Feeling” video http://youtu.be/63be1vu88TE Or click to watch

Originally starting out in South Wales, Rod began as a folk artist with guitar in hand. “I began within my means,” he explains. “The music was acoustic guitar-led, with a few beats around it. I didn’t know how to programme and I had very little equipment. I began experimenting with a loop pedal and samples and gradually got to a prototype of the music I wanted to make – melodic pop for dance floors.” But when his management company sent one of his idols, hiphop producer Boom Bip, some of his demos, not only was a collaboration born but also his new direction. Flying to Los Angeles to work with him, Rod and Boom Bip spent two weeks working on tracks. “One was ‘A New Word To Say.’ I’d written it as a bluesy acoustic song and Boom Bip helped me turn it in to a big, shiny electronic production. That’s when I knew I had found my sound.”

Make Me Believe In Hope was recorded in London, L.A. and New York, and was co-produced by Rod Thomas with Andy Chatterley (Kylie Minogue, Kanye West) and Jon Shave (Jessie J, Girls Aloud). It will be released on June 26, 2012 on Aztec Records.