LAUGHING OUTLAW RECORDS & MANAGEMENT


		LONG HARD LOOK EP Mood Elevator $7.95 AUD Customers outside Australia don't pay GST

FEATURING CHRIS PLUM AND BRENDAN BENSON

New Album Due In Early 2004

Christopher Plum and Brendan Benson have formed another sensational pop band entitled "Mood Elevator". It's the same line-up as Brendan Benson and the Well Fed Boys - but rearranged and with a different sound, therefore, warranting a new name for the project. These guys aren't new to the scene...they've toured with large acts like the White Stripes and Beth Orton.

Chris and Brendan have an intertwining musical history dating back to their high school days in the Royal Oak suburb of Detroit, Michigan. They had become fast friends based on their mutual love for recording on cassette and listening to DC straight-edge hardcore. SmartBomb became the duo's first collaboration, with a healthy number of gigs played around Detroit and neighbouring Canada.

But high school ended and the two had to move on to pursue their individual musical paths. After college in Michigan, Chris left for Colorado to play in a few bands and Brendan went to California to record the album "One Mississippi" with Virgin Records. After doing their respective stints in each region, life just seemed more appealing back home. Coincidentally, they both returned to the Royal Oaks suburb of Detroit on the very same day! It wasn't long before they picked up where they had left off. Chris had been writing tunes and Brendan wanted to produce them with his new studio gear. Brendan recorded and produced five of Chris's songs, then six more and the next thing you know, Mood Elevator was born. The first release, "Listen Up!", in the summer of 1999 was composed with many local musicians to add flavour to each tune. The album has a slight pop sensibility to that of XTC and The Beach Boys with some drums fills not unlike The Who.

Chris rounded up some other old high-school buddies: Eric Pott (bass), Loren Guzik (drums), and Aric Karpinksi (keyboards) to play gigs as a band. Mood Elevator toured during 2000, developing a fairly large following in the northern mid-west region. But soon after, Loren moved away to Chicago and Aric left to play in another Detroit band. By 2001, the directors of the Detroit festival, "Mid By Midwest," asked if Mood Elevator would reform to play the event. The once casual band became more serious. Matt Aljian and Zach Shipps (both from The Atomic Numbers) filled the places of the two who had left. Brendan, who had previously been on the sidelines, was eager to play with the band as rhythm guitarist, rounding out the sound to reform as a complete band. After the festival, they continued on strong to play shows around Detroit, New York and Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Brendan's creativity had become revitalized through his experience playing live with the band. He felt the urge to complete the writing of his second record, "Lapalco" which was released in Australia on V2/Festival in 2002. Following up the release of “Lapalco”, Brendan’s obvious choice for a live backing band was Mood Elevator (a.k.a The Well Fed Boys). For the past year, the group has toured the world performing both Mood Elevator and Brendan Benson tunes. In between tours, the boys have been back in Brendan's studio recording their upcoming release "Married Alive".

Mood Elevator sips tea with Elvis Costello, discusses the longevity of pop music with XTC, chases chicks with the Kinks, trades guitar licks with George Harrison and windmills with Pete Townsend - at least they do in the wildest dreams of these pop-rock obsessed guys from Detroit. After hearing their new EP - which includes 'Long Hard Look' and 'Boycott', from their forthcoming Laughing Outlaw Records album, 'Married Alive' (due early 2004), plus 2 exclusive non-LP cuts, 'Samantha' and 'Holiday' - there’s every chance you’ll agree!

Track listing:

1. Long Hard Look
2. Boycott (radio edit)
3. Samantha
4. Holiday