Those affiliations as well as tours with =Fall Out Boy, Hinder, Buckcherry, Papa Roach and others have made the band rising stars on today’s alternative metal scene. Originally known as Revelation Theory, the group began in North Andover, MA, where singer Rich Luzzi, guitarist Julien Jorgensen and drummer Dave Agoglia all attended Merrimack College. After graduation in 2001, they relocated to New York City to pursue their rock music ambitions.

A six-song demo that was released as an EP in 2004 started garnering Rev Theory attention and helped them win a deal with the EMI distributed Element Records. Their 2005 debut album, Truth Is Currency — produced by Grammy winner Paul Ebersold, know for his work with 3 Doors Down and Saliva — was released under the longer Revelation Theory name. A switch to Interscope Records for the recently released Light It Up — this time with producer Josh Abraham, whose credits include Limp Bizkit, Staind, Velvet Revolver and Slayer — found their moniker pared down to Rev Theory.

The group’s singles have hit the upper reaches of the Mainstream Rock chart, proving that these devoted hard rockers have an allure that sets them apart from much of today’s metal music. “We are not mainstream radio, but we do have a commercial appeal,” says Luzzi. “I honestly think we have a unique sound. It's hard rock with melancholic sound.”

The quintessential pop-rockers who have sold millions of albums worldwide — 13 million to be exact — have earned that distinction by consistently producing music with a signature blend of catchy riffs, hard-edged soul and gripping lyrics.

It’s the same formula that resulted in their breakthrough hit "Kryptonite" and that has once again propelled 3DD into the No. 1 chart spot with their first self-titled major-label release, the group's fourth studio album and what some consider their "most definitive."

“What it took was for us to take some real time off, go home, and then gather again as the band we know how to be,” says lead singer/songwriter Brad Arnold. “It was so appropriate to self-title the album because, after taking what amounted to almost a year-long break, we were hungry for each other’s company."

So hungry, the band rented an old farmhouse south of Franklin, Tennessee, where they would not only write songs, but also live together for a while. “The farmhouse was great because it became a wholehearted experience where we just focused on the writing," adds Arnold. "It was such a close-knit atmosphere, reconnecting us after we had been doing our own thing for a while. It set a cool mood for the entire record, writing out in the country around this fireplace in the basement. Just locking ourselves away and doing it.”

But then it got too cold, so the fivesome headed to Orlando to finish recording 3 Doors Down. The result: radio gems like the CD's first single, "It's Not My Time," the contemplative “Pages" and "Citizen/Soldier,'' a tribute to the National Guard that's been used on recruitment ads.

Hailing from the small town of Escatawpa, Missisissippi, 3 Doors Down formed in 1995 as a trio consisting of vocalist and then-drummer Brad Arnold, guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell. To beef up their sound, rhythm guitarist (and childhood friend) Chris Henderson came on board just before they landed a recording deal on Universal Republic. Ex-Puddle of Mudd drummer Greg Upchurch joined the lineup in 2005.

In 2000, they released their six-times platinum debut, The Better Life, which, in addition to "Kryptonite," included the mega-hits "Loser," "Duck and Run" and "Be Like That." All four songs dominated the Billboard charts for more than a year, earning Arnold the Pop Songwriter of the Year crown at the 50th Annual BMI Pop Awards ceremony.

Their 2002 follow-up, Away From The Sun, sold an impressive four million copies and produced such chart-toppers as "When I'm Gone" and "Here Without You," BMI's 2004 Pop Song of the Year.

In between, they issued the live EP Another 700 Miles, returning to the studio with 2005's Seventeen Days, which, like 3 Doors Down, also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Seventeen went platinum in its first week of release on the strength of radio smash "Let Me Go."

While demanding fans have kept these tireless road warriors on the stage playing more than 200 shows per year, the group's members still devote time to their homegrown organization, The Better Life Foundation, which has raised more than $2 million for local children’s charities since its inception in 2003, proof that these Mississippi boys have never lost their small-town identity.

With 3 Doors Down already destined to be the group’s masterwork, the quintet also offers proof that hard work and making plain ol’ good music really do pay off.

“This truly is our defining moment as musicians," drummer Greg Upchurch concludes. "The writing, the recording, the level of collaboration was truly an all-around band effort. This CD is living proof of how good this band can be.”

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” As BMI Icons, Daryl Hall & John Oates will join elite ranks that include the Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

The effervescent popularity of Daryl Hall and John Oates’s magical collaborations springs from the duo’s devout passion for Philly soul and buoyant pop harmonies. Warmly accessible and expertly polished, Daryl Hall & John Oates’s smooth production utilizes undeniable hooks and innate contemporary lyrical sensibility. The resulting eight no. 1 singles, three double-platinum and two platinum albums catapulted the pair into pop superstardom; in 1987, Daryl Hall & John Oates became the #1 selling duo in pop music, according to the RIAA. Skilled songwriters, Daryl Hall & John Oates are both members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, together boasting 24 BMI Pop Awards and a catalog studded with 14 BMI Million-Air award songs, including “She’s Gone,” “Everytime You Go Away,” “Kiss On My List,” “Maneater” and “Sara Smile.” They have prompted a surge of interest and homage from a diverse bevy of new artists, who cite the pair as definitive influences. Restless creators, Daryl Hall & John Oates have spent much of the last decade touring throughout the world.

In addition to the Icon, BMI will recognize Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year during the evening, along with the recipient of the BMI Foundation’s John Lennon Scholarship. Pop Award winners from previous years include Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and Sheryl Crow.

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” The Bee Gees join an elite list that includes Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton, to name just a few.

Collectively, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb boast 109 BMI Pop, Country and Latin Awards. Barry received four BMI Songwriter of the Year awards; Robin shared two of these with him. The trio claims four BMI Song of the Year wins for “Night Fever,” “Too Much Heaven” and the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream,” which won in both the pop and country categories. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members have earned international industry accolades, including the prestigious Grammy “Legend” Award. Maurice Gibb’s passing in 2003 led to the Gibbs’ decision to cease performing as the Bee Gees, but their music lives on, enriching generation after generation.

In addition to the Icon, BMI will recognize Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year during the evening, along with the recipient of the BMI Foundation’s John Lennon Scholarship. Pop Award winners from previous years include Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, and Sheryl Crow.

For the four members of melodic hard-rock band Shinedown, life on the road has definitely landed them in the former category.

Indeed, after a solid 23 months of touring behind debut album Leave a Whisper (Atlantic), the group — singer Brent Smith, guitarist Jasin Todd, bassist Brad Stewart and drummer Barry Kerch — barely took enough time to do their laundry before hitting the studio for the follow-up, last year’s Us and Them. “We took two weeks off and then went right back into the studio,” affirms Smith.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based outfit, riding the crest of its ubiquitous radio single, “Fly from the Inside,” has garnered favorable comparisons to everyone from 3 Doors Down and Nickelback to Alice in Chains and Alter Bridge, but Us and Them (a pointed reference to the close relationship Shinedown has with its fans) finds them carving out their own identity.

“I had more to talk about on the second record,” Smith says. “There are so many songs about fans and the people I talked to, and their lives and their relationships. In a way, I feel like I took what they couldn’t talk about and hopefully I wrote down what they felt.”

Currently riding the nation’s highways, Shinedown found the time to deliver an iTunes EP in June (featuring two versions of recent fave “I Dare You”) and is gearing up for a fall tour supporting Godsmack and Rob Zombie. The constant nearness has turned the group into a close-knit family.

“It’s about a unity, a brotherhood,” says Smith, “and about sharing what we’ve all been through and being able to take it to the stage.”]]> 2006-10-15T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/533499 Artists, 3 Doors Down, AFI, Fall Out Boy, Gabriel, Peter, Kill Hannah, Kill Hannah, My Chemical Romance, Sounds, The, Musical Styles, Rock, Musicworld, On The Scene Mat Devine (vocals, guitar)

Dan Wiese (guitars)

Jon Radtke (guitars)

Greg Corner (bass)

“And I’m not running anymore, I’ll stand to face it all, I’ll fight for every breath/Until there’s nothing left of us“

“Believer” by Kill Hannah

A title could not be more apropos. Until There’s Nothing Left of Us, the latest offering from Kill Hannah, defines the blue-collar work ethic of this unique band, whose American spin on British modern rock reaches its apotheosis on their sensational new release. 

After touring relentlessly through the two years that followed their 2003 Atlantic debut, For Never & Ever (which featured the smash single “Kennedy"), the band dedicated six months to conceptualizing their sophomore effort with intense songwriting and constant demoing. After having a lifetime to write their first album, it was, admittedly, a challenge. But they’ve beaten the odds before.

No one sounded or looked like them when they first broke free from their art school roots, peddled their independently produced records at shows and local stores, conquered skeptics and built a loyal fan base. Their sound had no precedent in their hometown of Chicago, yet its influence would launch a subculture there and spread far beyond to others that would follow their musical and visual leads. Back then, they had a ferocious DIY-mentality, creating their own merchandise, passing out fliers in the snow, maintaining their heavily trafficked website and more. They still do.

With the final mixes for Until There’s Nothing Left of Us, they knew they had given all they had to this music.

And you can hear it - in the passion and poetry, the candor of their lyrics, the physical impact of their beats … all the elements that prompted Billy Corgan to hail them as “the future of Chicago rock” resonate here. Easily described as the bridge between the Killers, AFI, Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, this band owns John Hughes movies, worn out mix tapes and a comprehensive understanding of what came before them. Their sound is at once familiar and refreshingly original, showing undeniable growth by taking chances in a world where most art is being played safe.

While Kill Hannah had cut Forever Never & Ever far from home in sunny Los Angeles, Until There’s Nothing Left of Us was conceived and created back home in Chicago during the dead of winter. That, according to Devine, stamps every second of the album with a distinctive energy.

“Everything came from the stimulation I get from this place,” he insists. “I live in view of the entire skyline; the trains literally circle me. It’s almost like the city itself envelops me. Like any metropolis, it can be dark at times, but super romantic too. From nine to five, it’s absolute chaos, and then after six o’clock it’s completely desolate. At the lakeshore it might be totally placid and serene, and in the next minute these crazy waves crash in and freeze as massive piles of jagged ice. In a way, our music is like that too. From track to track on this record, and even within each song, we have moments of triumph and then we have moments of creepy romance.”

As the countdown for delivering Until There’s Nothing Left of Us began, Devine set off alone, exploring his city and finding magic in places that had somehow escaped his attention – a tiny Gothic church, for example, amidst the towers that loom over Michigan Avenue. Each detail stirred ideas – word paintings, a snippet of melody – that he’d record on his voicemail.

Soon the band gathered at friend/local drummer Garrett Hammond’s home studio and began taking all of their demos apart. “We’d rehearse and develop and record every single part,” recalls guitarist Dan Wiese. “Every note and every word got re-evaluated several times before everyone was satisfied.”

After wrapping up their intense pre-production, they hit the studio with Chicago native Johnny K. With a catalog that includes producing bands like Disturbed and 3 Doors Down, he seemed like an unusual choice for Kill Hannah. “But we wanted to experiment,” Devine explains. “My personal tastes lean toward European and 80s influences, and Johnny is known for doing straight-ahead rock or metal. In Chicago terms, it’s like we’re North Side and Johnny is, as he calls himself, a ‘South Side knucklehead’.” It was, of course, a perfect match.

They began by finding common ground as Johnny seconded their enthusiasm for the Cure, Peter Gabriel and the Psychedelic Furs. The plan, then, was to at once expand and refine their sound without losing the primal instincts that have driven Kill Hannah from the start.

“We love our first album and stand by it, but we also know that the most consistent criticism it received was that it didn’t have the raw energy that we have when we play live,” Devine says. “On the new album, we’ve got the harmonized vocals and electronics and sophistication that are so much a part of what we are, but Johnny’s perspective helped us to also bring that dynamic side of our show to the table too.”

If you’re lucky enough to have seen them live on tours with the Sounds and H.I.M., or headlining their now legendary shows at the Metro and across the country this summer, you’ll know immediately what all of this means.

From the album’s triumphant, instrumental opening, “Life in the Arctic,” which defines the context for the epic tracks that follow, through the siren-like riff that drives “Believer,” the drum and bass-inspired beats and delicate chimes that surge into waves of massive guitars on “The Songs That Saved My Life,” the seductive blend of emotive melody and body-slamming beat on the anthemic, lead single “Lips Like Morphine,” whose chorus fans began chanting at shows within days of the song’s appearance on the band’s MySpace page (myspace.com/killhannah). This is how Kill Hannah sounds onstage when they play with a strength only achieved by feeding from the energy of their fans and serving it back with immeasurable intensity.

Mat Devine’s lyrics for “Love You to Death” reflect his familiarity with that place where tragedy and romance unite, a Shakespearean vision that’s conveyed powerfully in classic pop song format. “Scream” pays tribute to their hometown, whose grandeur and intensity are critical elements of Kill Hannah’s style. And “Sleep Tight,” improbably intimate, provides the perfect coda.

Until There’s Nothing Left of Us is everything that the band and the legions that follow them could have wished for. But it’s only the start of the next exciting chapter for Kill Hannah.

Website: www.killhannah.com

WE BELONG TOGETHER
Darnell Bristol
Mariah Carey
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Sid "Uncle Jamz" Johnson
Patrick L. Moten
Sandra Sully
Bobby Womack
ABKCO Music, Inc.
Ballads By Design Publishing
Hip Chic Music
Mister Johnson's Jams Music
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Mariah Carey
Island Records

YOU AND ME
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
G-Chills Music
Jude Cole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lifehouse
Geffen Records

John Lennon Scholarship winner Andrew Horowitz is congratulated by BMI Icon Brian Wilson at the 2004 BMI Pop Awards	Tally Hall keyboardist/vocalist Andrew Horowitz (seated far right)

"Good Day" was first honored in 2004 by winning first place in the John Lennon Scholarship competition, a program established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation that recognizes the talent of young songwriters between the ages of 15 and 24.

Horowitz was awarded a $10,000 scholarship during a special presentation at the 2004 BMI Pop Awards ceremony, sharing the stage with BMI Icon Brian Wilson and Pop Award winners 3 Doors Down, The Neptunes, Michelle Branch, Evanescence and many other big stars.

A native of Warren, N.J., Andrew Horowitz began piano studies at the age of five and was composing by age eight. In high school, he pursued private composition and piano studies with faculty at the Juilliard School. He also played in the New York Youth Symphony, led an active jazz quartet, musical directed for several musical theatre productions, and worked as a freelance pianist. He is a 2005 graduate of the University of Michigan with a double degree in Music Composition and English Language and Literature. His rock band, Tally Hall, is currently tearing up the Ann Arbor music scene with their full-length studio debut, Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum.

The Icon designation is given to BMI songwriters and artists who have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, whose signature three-part harmony has endured for more than three decades, joins an elite list of previous BMI Icons that includes Paul Simon, James Brown, Brian Wilson, Isaac Hayes, Dolly Parton and Carlos Santana.

The musical partnership of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash has produced some of the most timeless songs ever written, including "Marrakesh Express," "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Helplessly Hoping," "Guinnevere," "Teach Your Children," "Wooden Ships," "Dark Star" and "Just a Song Before I Go." The only American band of the original Woodstock era to have a societal impact rivaling that of the Beatles, Crosby, Stills & Nash has been called "the voice of an entire generation."

Hosted by BMI President/CEO Del Bryant and Los Angeles VP/GM Barbara Cane, the 54th annual BMI Pop Awards will recognize the writers and publishers of the most performed songs on U.S. radio and television from the past year. A Pop Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Publisher of the Year will be announced during the evening, as will the winner of the BMI Foundation's John Lennon Scholarship.

Pop Award winners from previous years include 3 Doors Down, Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, Shania Twain, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lauren Christy and Scott Spock of The Matrix, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Evanescence, Linkin Park, Vanessa Carlton and Sheryl Crow, among others.