NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Atlantic Records) - Atlantic Records has announced the upcoming release of "MARVIN'S MARVELOUS MECHANICAL MUSEUM," the debut album from Tally Hall. The critically acclaimed collection - highlighted by the single/video, "
Good Day" - lands in stores nationwide on April Fools' Day.
The Ann Arbor-based combo will herald the album's release with a series of eagerly awaited live dates, including performances at San Francisco's annual Noise Pop festival and Austin's upcoming South By SouthWest extravaganza (see attached itinerary). Further North American tour dates, slated to span April and beyond, will be announced shortly.
Formed in 2002 at the University of Michigan, Tally Hall quickly built a name for itself as an inventive new rock outfit. Dressed in white shirts, with each member sporting a different colored tie, the band earned a devoted fanbase in Ann Arbor that soon spread throughout the Midwest. In 2005, Tally Hall independently released "MARVIN'S MARVELOUS MECHANICAL MUSEUM," which became a word-of-mouth success and critical favorite. "An unexpected treasure," raved the Boston Herald, while the Los Angeles Times praised the album for being "as conceptual as it is playful." The Detroit Free Press was especially effusive in regards to the homestate heroes, declaring "MARVIN'S MARVELOUS MECHANICAL MUSEUM" to be "a magnificent musical masterpiece... a vivid sonic array that, by design or happenstance, seems to reference every entry in the pop encyclopedia... This is pop patchwork at its best, and Tally Hall's flexibility is its path to a place both innovative and distinct."
Upon signing to Atlantic, Tally Hall settled into New York's Stratosphere Sound Recording Studios with co-producer Chris Shaw (Super Furry Animals, Ween, Weezer) to revamp "MARVIN'S MARVELOUS MECHANICAL MUSEUM" for a new national audience. The result is a collection that eschews stylistic parameters or genre conventions and presents nothing less than wide-ranging entertainment. The album excitedly moves from riffy rock ("Greener") to Broadway-inspired showstoppers ("The Whole World and You"), hitting such diverse sonic approaches as rootsy Americana, sunny Tropicalia, and spare electro-pop along the way.
Indeed, "MARVIN'S MARVELOUS MECHANICAL MUSEUM" represents a multidimensional body of work. For all of the album's euphoric moments, a sense of gravitas often comes through. Darker themes are explored, expressed in meditations on the surreal, interminable, and existential ("Ruler of Everything"). Intrigue and mystique remain ever present.
Tally Hall has already scored a wide range of high-profile TV exposure, including appearances on CBS' "Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson," MTV's "You Hear It First," and VH1's "Best Week Ever." "Good Day" - for which keyboardist Andrew Horowitz won the BMI John Lennon Scholarship Competition - and "Hidden In The Sand" were both included on episodes of Fox's "The OC," while the Caribbean-flavored "Banana Man" soundtracked a number of episodes of MTV's "The Real World: Key West." In addition, a cover version of the Killers' smash, "Smile Like You Mean It," was among the spotlight tracks on 2006's "MUSIC FROM THE OC: MIX 6."
The band has drawn national attention for its inventive videos, largely directed by guitarist Joe Hawley. "Banana Man" became a viral sensation, drawing more than 2 million downloads from albinoblacksheep.com. The release of "MARVIN'S MARVELOUS MECHANICAL MUSEUM" will be accompanied by "Tally Hall's Internet Show," a variety show starring, written, filmed, directed, and edited by Tally Hall, employing the band's music for ten ten-minute episodes.
Finally, in what is a fitting expression of Tally Hall's multi-colored musical aesthetic, the album's "The Whole World and You" will be featured in an upcoming national television commercial for Crayola.
For more information, including up-to-the-minute news, tour information, downloads, and audio/video streams, please visit www.tallyhall.com or www.myspace.com/tallyhall.
Tally Hall is: Rob Cantor (Yellow Tie - Vocals/Guitar) * Ross Federman (Silver Tie - Percussion) * Joe Hawley (Red Tie - Vocals/Guitar) * Andrew Horowitz (Green Tie - Vocals/Keyboards) * Zubin Sedghi (Blue Tie - Vocals/Bass).
TALLY HALL WINTER/SPRING TOUR 2008:
FEBRUARY
27 Phoenix, AZ Modified
28 San Diego, CA Beauty Bar
MARCH
1 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour
2 San Francisco, CA Noise Pop @ Rickshaw Stop
4 Portland, OR Roseland Grill
5 Seattle, WA Nectar Lounge
7 Provo, UT Velour
9 Denver, CO Hi-Dive
12-15* Austin, TX SXSW
17** Tulsa, OK Crush Lounge
18** St. Louis, MO The Bluebird
19** Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
20** Chicago, IL Schuba's (18+)
21** Chicago, IL Schuba's (All Ages)
22** Grand Rapids, MI Intersection Lounge
APRIL
5 Lansing, MI Mac's
6 Mount Pleasant, MI Rubble's Bar
* Appearing Saturday, March 15 @ the West Tent at Brush Square Park
(Chop Shop/Atlantic Records Showcase) and @ Buffalo Billiards
(Official Showcase)
** Appearing with The Spinto Band
