User:Celticbhoy23/sandbox
Towers | |
|---|---|
_press_shot.jpg) Left to right: Alan Gavin Galloway, Kevin Carlin, Brian Hamilton, Chris Stanfield | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Motherwell, Scotland |
| Genres | Indie-rock, Post-Rock |
| Years active | 2001 – 2009, 2012 – present |
| Members | Alan Gavin Galloway Chris Stanfield Brian Hamilton Kevin Carlin |
Towers are a Scottish rock band from Motherwell. It consists of Alan Gavin Galloway (vocals, guitar), Chris Stanfield (guitar), Brian Hamilton (bass and synth) and Kevin Carlin (drums and programming). The band has released one studio single - Clarion Call.
Music
[edit]Towers are noted for their use of guitar-based indie rock combined with electro beats and synth. When asked about the importance of place in his lyrics, founding member and song-writer Martin Henry stated: "I guess in some small way I’m trying to give post-industrial Lanarkshire a place in culture."[1] Although heavily influenced by the alternative rock music of the 1980s and 1990s, De Rosa's sound also references other sub-genres of music, with elements of slowcore, Scottish folk and electronic music. In recent performances De Rosa have used more synthesisers and drum machines in their live set, their sound moving away from the guitar-based rock of their debut material towards a fusion of electronic and traditional styles.
Line up
[edit]Towers was formed in 2010 and were the incarnation of two previous bands. Chris Stanfield and Brian Hamilton played together in Small Green Table. Alan Gavin Galloway (previously of Emer) joined the lineup All of the band members come from Motherwell
History
[edit]Early work and Mend (2004-2007)
[edit]De Rosa signed in 2004 to Lanarkshire label Gargleblast Records, run by Shaun Tallamy & Andy Miller. It was following the release of their debut single ("Camera"/"All Saints Day") in August 2004 that they first attracted interest from DJs including the late John Peel and Steve Lamacq. De Rosa was a three piece in 2004-2005, the permanent members being Henry and drummer Neil Woodside, with James Woodside and Chris Connick sharing occasional bass duties. The band spent the rest of 2004 and most of 2005 recording their first album, Mend. The album was recorded by Andy Miller. Miller had been a friend and mentor of the band since their earliest rehearsals. The use of Chemikal Underground’s recording studio led to the Glasgow label releasing Mend under licence from the band's original label.
Released in the UK on 19 June 2006, Mend was voted #16 in British music magazine Mojo's top 50 albums of 2006...
"The kind of parochial majesty you might encounter if The Pixies reworked The Go-Betweens "Before Hollywood" for a documentary about the social history of Lanarkshire..."[2]
With James Woodside (bass) and Chris Connick (guitar) joining as permanent members after the completion of Mend, the four piece De Rosa spent many months touring and promoting the album. They embarked on tours supporting Scottish indie bands Mogwai and Arab Strap in Autumn 2006, and completed their first headline tour of Europe in April 2007.
Prevention and break-up (2008-2009)
[edit]The second De Rosa album, Prevention was released by Chemikal Underground Records on 2 March 2009. Once again the band worked with Mend producer Andy Miller at Chem 19 recording studios in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Guest musicians on the album include Barry Burns of Mogwai and Robert Johnston of Life Without Buildings. The cover artwork features a portrait of De Rosa painted by Glasgow writer and artist Alasdair Gray.
De Rosa toured in the UK and Europe in support of Prevention in spring 2009, and supported Doves on their UK tour dates in April. The band, however, announced that they were breaking up in June 2009, stating, "To all who listened, Unfortunately De Rosa has come to an end. If you liked our music or came to see us play then we'd like to thank you all. Goodbye, De Rosa."[3] In 2011, vocalist and guitarist Martin John Henry released a solo album, entitled The Other Half of Everything on Gargleblast Records.
Reunion (2012-present)
[edit]On 14 February 2012, the band announced that they had reunited, and that they would begin recording new material. They performed their first show at Kid Canaveral's Christmas Baubles on 14/12/13[4] receiving positive reviews.[5]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- Mend (2006)
- Prevention (2009)
Singles
[edit]- "Camera" / "All Saints Day" (August 2004)
- "Camera" / "Amy’s Song" (June 2006)
- "Father’s Eyes" / "Evelyn" (November 2006)
Other releases
[edit]- CHEM 087 CD+DVD (August 2006)
Chemikal Underground’s anniversary compilation. Includes the De Rosa track "Cathkin Braes".
- Ballads Of The Book (March 2007)
Compilation featuring collaborations between Scottish writers and musicians. Includes "Steam Comes Off Our House", a collaboration with Michel Faber
- Appendices 2008 (2008)
A project where a free specially written and recorded song was given away free by MP3 download on the first Monday of each month of 2008. The result was a complete download only album of original songs.
References
[edit]- ^ http://www.chemikal.co.uk/artists/de-rosa/
- ^ Mojo Magazine, June 2006
- ^ http://www.facebook.com/wearederosa
- ^ http://www.kidcanaveral.co.uk/home/2013/blog/christmas-baubles-iv-announcement-this-many-boyfriends.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Pollock, David (16 December 2013). "Edwyn Collins, gig review". The Independent. London.
External links
[edit]
Category:Musical groups from Glasgow
Category:Scottish rock music groups