Illinois // The Cobbs // Gentlemen Christ // Ugh God December 13, 2008

Staggered Works & Siren Records Presents:

ILLINOIS
(Bucks County) Riding on a tractor of six strings, banjo samples and an extended metaphor comes Illinois, a band from Bucks County, Pennsylvania whose music conveys the Hopper/Rockwell-sequel imagery of their home, a timeless place of raw emotion, where little league children still ride their bicycles in the street and the first girl you kissed is now your wife. The true history of Illinois is a mystery. What historians have pieced together is that originally, Chris “Arch” Archibald began recording ideas so he wouldn't forget them and that those ideas became songs.

Illinois lore has it that Arch had been playing in bands with bass player Martin Hoeger for some time, but the two had never put together the ideal group to play Arch’s one hundred-plus song catalog. Thus, Arch and Martin developed a plan (one which would turn out to be quite successful) to pry long time friend (and drummer) JP Kuyper away from his top secret job with the Bolivian government using only a tuna fish sandwich and a soft pretzel.
It turned out that all Arch and Martin needed was the tuna fish sandwich. Fortuitously, one week later, Arch dropped cheez whiz onto that very same unused soft pretzel. The meeting of the cheez whiz and the soft pretzel caused a delicious aroma to waft forth from the newly created subatomic structure. Enigmatic guitarist Dru Lee did what any of us with a heightened olfactory system would do–he followed his nose. Although over a thousand miles away, Arch, Martin, JP and Dru found themselves in Illinois.
Music snobs who care, have put the group in hallowed company. "The lyrical depth of the Kinks sauteed with the musical overtones of the Flaming Lips and John Spencer Blues Explosion reduction!" gushed one. "Sorry, its more Beta Band meets GBV meets Ralph Stanley" countered another. Regardless of your leanings, and whether you’re happy, mellow, drunk or confused, Illinois plays beautiful music that makes old loves new and the green grass grow. See you on the stereo.

THE COBBS (Philadelphia, PA)
Following the history of The Cobbs takes a bit of a roadmap. This Philadelphia-based group began as Ty Cobb, a fitting name for a band with members named Ryan Cobb and Paul Cobb. It comes as no surprise that the estate of the legendary baseball player from which the band's name was taken took legal action against our indie musicians, forcing the band to change their moniker to Mad Action. After two releases under the Ty Cobb name and several as Mad Action, they took a couple of years off to complete their latest collection of rock greatness, Sing The Deathcapades. Just to add another new direction on the band's map, they changed names once again, this time to The Cobbs. Their current incarnation includes Ryan and Paul Cobb, along with Chris Coello, and Maxwell Lee.
The prolific fuzz-noisemaking duo was conceived in early 2000. Humming with the hiss of cheap recording equipment, Ryan and Paul compiled a 20 track record entitled TROPHIES FOR LOVEMAKING! on there own Mad Action Records imprint. Every analog note of every analog song was recorded in their modest studio nestled in the basement of their parents suburban home.
Following “Trophies,” in 2002, the pair released a follow-up ep entitled 7y Co66, on Black Rebel Motorcycle Clubs Abstract Dragon imprint. The limited pressing of only a few hundred copies gained critical aclaim with the British press. Unfortunitly, the name was now out there and the Ty Cobb estate came a knockin’. The moniker Mad Action was born.
In 2004, Ryan and Paul Cobb signed to LOOG/Polydor records and immediately released 2 ep’s entitled “Teac Attack” & “Just Like Fresh Air”. A total of 18 songs spread over half an hour, that manage to take in folk, rock, sea shanties, blues, country, and punk in a scattershot approach that is as exhilarating as it is eclectic. Again, the Cobb brothers gained rave reviews in the British music press. A full length record entitled “And Begin” followed.
In 2007, after temporarily touring and taking care of drums and guitar duties in the band Mazarin, Ryan and Paul then re-surfaced with the record “Sing the Deathcapades.” This home-grown, DIY rock & roll outfit is currently working on a new record. Yet, somehow in between recording their own records, they have also managed to lend their production skills to many other musicians. Over the past several years, the recording duo has produced/engineered acts, such as BRMC, Kasabian, Brother’s Movement, Bottom of the Hudson, Peasant, War on Drugs, and BC Camplight.

GENTLEMEN CHRIST (Bucks County) The music is largely "indie" rock in spirit, but not afraid to explore the darker side of glam rock, metal, shredding and blues. With the occasional acoustic guitar and worth-listening-to lyrics, Gentlemen Christ will traverse the highs and lows of mood through music.

UGH GOD

Doors @ 7:00PM // Music @ 7:30PM
ALL AGES

More Information: staggeredworks.org // myspace.com/swphiladelphia

Official Website: http://staggeredworks.squarespace.com/shows/