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Relient K
Track List
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With Five Score And Seven Years Ago – Relient K’s fifth album in seven years and the follow up to 2004’s mmhmm, the band’s third consecutive Gold album – some are bound to ask, has the pop-punk band, ahem, matured a bit? Well, yes – sort of.... |

With Five Score And Seven Years Ago – Relient K’s fifth album in seven years and the follow up to 2004’s mmhmm, the band’s third consecutive Gold album – some are bound to ask, has the pop-punk band, ahem, matured a bit? Well, yes – sort of. While the new album isn’t chockfull of their characteristic puns and concludes with an 11-minute, 115-track tour de force entitled “Deathbed,” rest assured, Relient K has not lost its quirky sense of humor.
The first track, the a cappella vignette “Plead the Fifth,” for instance, is written from the viewpoint of an 19th century man with an outlandish conspiracy theory about Lincoln’s death and it features lead vocalist/guitarist/pianist Matt Thiessen using his mouth to simulate each instrument of a drum kit. “Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care,” which takes longer to say than to play, is a classic Relient K goofball aside. And while the epic “Deathbed,” which includes Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman on guest vocals, has a somber setting as its title implies, the masterfully woven tale of a man’s life and death brims with witty observations and aural ironies.
“I really love to not be serious all the time, even when I am being serious,” says Thiessen, who likens the band’s growth on Five Score And Seven Years Ago to Laffy Taffy. “It’s the same flavor but we try to stretch it a little bit. It’s still melodic, it’s still rock ’n’ roll, there are still a lot of dynamics. But at the same time, we’re trying to write a bit differently, lyrically.”
Indeed, the album is a departure for Relient K. In addition to the two story-songs that bookend the album, there are some love songs – and they’re happy ones. “I always write about what I’m going through and I can’t avoid the fact that I’m just really happy and there are some good things going on,” says Thiessen.
The elation is palpable on “The Best Thing,” which veers giddily between majestic piano flourishes and punked-out bliss delivered at breakneck speed. And the happy state of mind lights up the exuberant first single “Must Have Done Something Right” as well. “This song represents something that I've wanted to create for a long time,” explains Thiessen. “It’s not a political commentary or a tear jerking emotion-piece, it’s just a feel good, fun song. Written at 3 a.m. with a smirk on my face, the song turned out to be something that you can tap your foot and smile to.” Infatuation is viewed through a fisheye lens in “Faking My Own Suicide,” wherein the narrator (with a wink and a nod to the classic 1970’s comedy Harold and Maude) fantasizes about faking a suicide attempt to gain the attention – and affection – of his dream girl.
But Five Score And Seven Years Ago is more than an intriguing mix of light and dark humor. Tracks like “Devastation And Reform,” “Bite My Tongue” and “Up And Up” pick up where mmhmm’s “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” left off. Classic literature from Aristotle on has made much of the tragic hero undone by his one fatal flaw – but Relient K has always been more interested in the everyman who messes up in myriad smaller ways. “We’re all doomed to make mistakes and to try to recover,” says Thiessen. “But I prefer to look at it from the positive, and refer to it as a grace kind of thing.” Thus self-loathing is pushed aside in favor of redemption and the promise offered by each new day.
Five Score And Seven Years Ago marks Relient K’s first full-length album featuring bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck – although the two appeared on the band’s Apathetic EP, released in late 2005. With original guitarist Matt Hoopes and drummer Dave Douglas completing the lineup, Relient K is now a quintet with each of the members contributing vocals. The backing harmonies, stunning throughout, amp up the infectious “Must Have Done Something Right” and serve as an ironic counterpoint in “Deathbed.” But the biggest change was in the control booth.
Relient K recorded most of the album in Los Angeles with producer Howard Benson (Less Than Jake, My Chemical Romance, the All-American Rejects). “I was honestly pretty nervous,” confesses lead guitarist Matt Hoopes, “We’d never really worked with any other producer beside Mark Townsend – he did everything from our first demo, all the way up to the last album. But it was a good experience working with Howard.”
Benson quickly assuaged Hoopes’ jitters, creating a supportive environment and bringing a fresh perspective to the band’s music. When their tight recording schedule drew to a close, most of the band scattered to their respective homes for a quick break before the Nintendo Fusion tour. (Originally based in Canton, Ohio, the band now lives “all over the place,” as Hoopes describes. He and Schneck live in Nashville, Warne lives in Denver and Thiessen and Douglas remain in Ohio.) After L.A., Hoopes put Thiessen up at his place and the two worked in a Nashville studio with producer Townsend, where they recorded most of “Plead the Fifth,” “Deathbed” and “Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care.”
Five Score And Seven Years Ago is an ambitious follow-up to mmhmm, Relient K’s first joint Gotee Records/Capitol release, which debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200 and at #1 on the internet chart in 2004. It has subsequently been certified Gold as have the band’s previous two albums, 2003’s Grammy-nominated Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do and 2001’s The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. Propelled by the success of mmhmm and its two Top 20 singles (“Be My Escape” and “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been”), the band has toured incessantly, hitting the road with bands like Good Charlotte, Simple Plan and MXPX and landing a main stage slot on the 2005 Vans Warped Tour, and logging a slew of television appearances, including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as well as MTV’s “TRL,” “Hard Rock Live” and “Summer on the Strip from Las Vegas.” Yet Relient K (yes, named for the Reliant K automobile, which Plymouth manufactured in the 1980’s) relishes its relative anonymity. “We’re still under the radar, nobody knows who we are,” says Thiessen gleefully. Mmhmm, given the promise of Five Score And Seven Years Ago, that may change.
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4/23/2010 - Gotee Records’ Relient K: The First Three Gears (2000-2003) Hits Retailers This Week
Relient K’s 51 song, three-disc set, Relient K: The First Three Gears (2000-2003), became available at retail stores and digital retailers worldwide on Tuesday April 20, just days before the band opens for Paramore on “The Spring Tour.”
With a whopping 51 songs, including five rare bonus tracks, the compilation is a three-disc set of the first three Relient K albums, RELIENT K, THE ANATOMY OF THE TONGUE IN CHEEK (GOLD EDITION/RIAA certified gold), and TWO LEFTS DON’T MAKE A RIGHT BUT THREE DO (GOLD EDITION/RIAA certified gold), and includes hits like “My Girlfriend,” “Sadie Hawkins Dance,” “Chap Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry” and more. Digital outlets such as Amazon and iTunes® will additionally include three music videos ("My Girlfriend," "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry," "Pressing On").
After returning from a recent string of dates in Japan, “The Spring Tour” with Paramore and Relient K will kick off in Knoxville, Tenn. on April 26 and wrap in mid-May.
Relient K’s current single “I Don’t Need A Soul” is currently No. 4 on the Christian Rock radio charts, with "Therapy" going for adds at the Christian CHR format on April 23.
Relient K has been making the real thing since 1997, when Thiessen and Hoopes formed the band in high school. In the decade since, they’ve released five full-length albums (three are certified Gold), five EPs and a Christmas record. They have toured the globe, and racked up several hit singles, a Grammy nomination, two Dove Awards and performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’ Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live. The Los Angeles Times has praised Relient K for “its smart blend of punk pop and power pop, weaving together influences as diverse as the Beach Boys, Blink-182 and Fountains of Wayne” while Spin noted, “Few bands play punk-influenced modern rock as proficiently.”
For the most current tour dates and all information on Relient K, please visit:
www.relientk.com
www.myspace.com/relientk
www.twitter.com/relientk
Apr 26 2010 7:00P Knoxville Civic Coliseum Knoxville, Tennessee
Apr 28 2010 7:00P John Paul Jones Arena Charlottesville, Virginia
Apr 30 2010 7:30P Trump Taj Mahal - Mark G Etess Arena Atlantic City, New Jersey
May 1 2010 1:30P Meadowlands Sports Complex East Rutherford, New Jersey
May 3 2010 7:00P The LC Amphitheatre Columbus, Ohio
May 4 2010 7:00P DeltaPlex Grand Rapids, Michigan
May 6 2010 7:00P Rockford MetroCentre Rockford, Illinois
May 7 2010 7:00P i Wireless Center Moline, Illinois
May 8 2010 7:00P WestFair Amphitheatre Council Bluffs, Iowa
May 10 2010 7:00P The E Center of West Valley Salt Lake City, Utah
May 12 2010 7:00P WaMu Theatre Seattle, Washington
May 15 2010 7:00P Rabobank Arena Bakersfield, California
May 16 2010 7:00P The Joint Las Vegas, Nevada
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3/5/2010 - Gotee Records to Release Relient K: The First Three Gears (2000-2003)
Relient K fans are about to get more than their money’s worth when Gotee Records releases Relient K: The First Three Gears (2000-2003) on April 20th at retail stores and digital retailers worldwide.
With a whopping 51 songs, including five rare bonus tracks, the compilation is a three-disc set of the first three Relient K albums, RELIENT K, THE ANATOMY OF THE TONGUE IN CHEEK (GOLD EDITION/RIAA certified gold), and TWO LEFTS DON’T MAKE A RIGHT BUT THREE DO (GOLD EDITION/RIAA certified gold), and includes hits like “My Girlfriend,” “Sadie Hawkins Dance,” “Chap Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry” and more. On top of all that, the iTunes® version includes three music videos ("My Girlfriend," "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry," "Pressing On").Gotee is also offering an exclusive pre-order through musichristian.com.
With the title track from their critically acclaimed project, FORGET AND NOT SLOW DOWN continuing its success on Christian CHR radio (currently #11) and "I Don't Need a Soul" recently going for adds at both Christian rock (currently #18) and mainstream rock radio, Relient K will spend some time performing in Japan in early April, and then opening for Paramore in late April through mid May.
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8/18/2009 - tobyMac's Winter Wonder Slam 2009 Slams into the Holidays Featuring Talents of Relient K, B. Reith and Stephanie Smith
GRAMMY ® Award winner, TobyMac slams into the holidays once again as he headlines his popular Winter Wonder Slam 2009 Tour, also featuring the talents of: Relient K, B.Reith and Stephanie Smith. For the first time ever the tour will head to the West Coast as well as making its way to New York City, Fairfax, VA, Pittsburgh and numerous other cities across the states.
The tour continues its tradition of giving, as Winter Wonder Slam teams up with the U.S. Marine Corps to help with their Toys for Tots campaign. Toys for Tots aims to provide tangible signs of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas. Music fanatics will be encouraged to bring an unwrapped gift to the event as Marines will be on site to collect toys at every venue. Each year, Winter Slam produces multiple sell-outs and sets records for the amount of gifts collected for Toys For Tots.
This will be the fifth year that TobyMac has brought his highly energetic show to the holiday season to crowds across the country. This family reunion show is one that keeps bringing people back for more each year sharing the true meaning of Christmas.
For further details on Winter Wonder Slam 2009, please visit www.winterwonderslam.com or www.tobymac.com.
With over 10 million career scans, GRAMMY ® Award winning album "Portable Sounds,” recently certified GOLD by the RIAA, is TobyMac's latest studio and highest solo debut ever on the Billboard Top 200 chart (No. 10), which hit No. 1 on SoundScan’s Contemporary Christian Overall chart in its first week as well. All three of TobyMac’s solo projects have received numerous GMA Dove Award nominations as well as GRAMMY nominations. In addition, "Momentum" (2001) and "Welcome to Diverse City" (2004), both were awarded RIAA Gold Certification. Along with sold out tour dates, back-to-back radio hits, being named the GMA Dove Award’s 2008 Artist of the Year, and R&R’s Christian CHR Artist of the Year in 2007, TobyMac was also nominated for a 2007 American Music Award as Favorite Inspirational Artist. His song “Ignition” was also recently chosen to play during the 2009 Superbowl as The Arizona Cardinals entered the stadium in Tampa, FL.
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12/16/2008 - Relient K on The Tonight Show Tuesday, December 16th
Catch Relient K performing on The Tonight Show tonight, Tuesday
December 16th. The Tonight Show airs at 11:35pm ET / 10:35pm CT on
NBC.
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10/28/2008 - Gotee Records Rings in the Holiday Season with New Christmas Tunes from Relient K and House of Heroes November 18th
(Nashville, Tenn.) October 27th, 2008 – Relient K and House of Heroes bring their musical festive tidings to this year’s Christmas season on November 18th via digital music stores with three brand new holiday songs and an animated music video from Relient K, as well as label mates House of Heroes offering up their rendition of the classic “Silent Night”.
The three songs from Relient K will include “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “O Holy Night,” and “Silver Bells,” with an animated music video for the song “Sleigh Ride” coming as well. The Christmas anthems will be added to the platinum-selling band’s 2007 album, Let It Snow, Baby…Let It Reindeer, and upon purchasing online the customer will given a unique code and directions to download the additional three tunes. Fans can also anticipate extra gifts from Relient K upon purchase, including exclusive photos, downloadable wrapping paper, and a few other bonuses.
House of Heroes brings their powerhouse pop sound to “Silent Night” which is also available at all online music outlets on November 18th. The band, whose most recent album The End Is Not The End was delivered via digital stores, has seen an incredible response with the release making it to the #6 spot on the iTunes rock chart and #42 on the overall chart, with a #1 radio hit single and over 1 million plays on their MySpace page.
Relient K, who has toured with the likes of Switchfoot and Good Charlotte, has a GRAMMY nod, and three RIAA-certified Gold albums to their credit. The pop-punk band has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” with their video for “Must Have Done Something Right” receiving airplay on mtvU, MTV Hits, FUSE's "Steven's Untitled Rock Show," Nickelodeon's The N, IMF and Music Choice. Relient K is comprised of lead singer/guitarist/pianist Matt Thiessen, lead guitarist Matt Hoopes, drummer Ethan Luck, bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck.
House of Heroes’ discography includes a 2005 self-titled debut and the re-release Say No More in 2006. Prior to signing a record deal with Mono Vs Stereo/Gotee, the band released an indie project What You Want Is Now (2002) to much critical acclaim and a large grassroots following. On the tour front, House of Heroes has opened up for the likes of Filter, Silverchair, Relient K, and MxPx, as well as full-blown tours with acts including Spoken, The Evan Anthem, Last Tuesday, Dropping Daylight, Love Arcade, and Kids In The Way. The band is Columbus-Ohio natives Tim Skipper (guitar/lead vocals), A.J Babcock (bass/vocals), Colin Rigsby (drums/vocals), and Jared Rigsby (guitar/vocals).
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