1. The April Skies - Bergen, Norway In the world of indie pop one worships ones idols as if they were gods, and The April Skies from Bergen, Norway are indie in the most positive meaning of the word. They pay tribute to, refer to and honour their idols. They christen the band after a song by The Jesus & Mary Chain, they record the single “Three Minute Singles” and decorate the sleeve with 25 record covers – their favourites, their influences – everything from Joy Division, The Smiths, The Beach Boys to The Stone Roses. For them, pop music is nothing short of religion. And religion must be preached. Loudly and clearly. “Rise & Rise Again” could have been the song that The Go-Betweens never wrote, while “Three Minute Singles” is the final link between C-86 and Bruce Springsteen. “Three minute singles on seven inch vinyl, oh yeah, taught us more than we will ever know”, sings Alexander Unhjem. |2. The April Skies - Hershey, PA (Trademark owners) The April Skies are an indie/pop/rock band from Hershey, PA. Formed in 1988, the band takes their name from the classic Jesus and Mary Chain song. Fresh out of high school, the band gained notoriety in the early 90’s playing some of the biggest clubs up and down the East coast like CBGBs, 9:30 club, Chameleon Club, Maxwell’s in Hoboken and many more. The April Skies have been at it a long time and the longevity has paid off, they have shared the stage with some fantastic bands such as Live, The Innocence Mission, The Hold Steady and The Lemonheads and have had the pleasure of working with industry luminaries like producer Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Let’s Active), Jeff Feltenberger (The Badlees) and Tom “T-Bone” Edmonds (Lenny Kravitz). This isn’t a “garage band to rock superstars” story. The April Skies have demonstrated a tremendous amount of resiliency, undergoing lineup changes and an extended period during which the band decided to stop performing. But through it all, they’ve been there at the forefront of the regional alternative/indie rock scene. They were never forgotten. And now that they’ve been back at it since 2002, they’ve continued to earn high honors and respect for what they do by both regional and national press. They have been embraced by AAA radio and continue to find a home at college radio stations around the country. They have released several full-length albums, a pair of EPs and even a red vinyl 7” single – and have received generous sales as a reward for their efforts. They continue to play bigger and better venues to more and more people. Though the right record deal with a Major or big Indie label never came, the band continues to do what they do best on their own terms. The April Skies latest self-titled CD was released in June 2009 and is available on CDBaby.com, iTunes, Rhapsody and digital outlets everywhere. You can visit The April Skies at their official website: http://www.theaprilskies.com or on MySpace at http://myspace.com/theaprilskies. |
|
 | ||||||||||||
