FREEZEPOP

Freezepop was influenced by mostly bands from the 80s with fancy hair. also some current bands with fancy hair. The group composes liz enthusiasm (vocals), the other sean t drinkwater (synths, vocoder, guitar, vocals), robert john "bananas" foster (live "drums" and keytar), christmas disco marie sagan (synths, vocoder), and the duke of pannekoeken (retired, but still pops in from time to time). Freezepop has always been something of an oxymoron: embraced by both hipsters and nerds; serious about irony; and retro-futuristic. A synth band in a guitar videogame, singing pop songs about rock. And it all somehow makes sense when you listen to the music. Formed in Boston in the summer of 1999, Freezepop released two homemade EPs and started a DIY machine that would become one of their trademarks. Their debut album, 2000’s Freezepop Forever, was released domestically on their own label, Archenemy, as well as licensed in Europe by the Spanish indiepop label Elefant. Several more EPs followed, and in 2004, Freezepop put out their sophomore album, Fancy Ultra•Fresh. After nearly eight years of self-releasing their CDs, they partnered with Rykodisc/Cordless Recordings for their most recent album, Future Future Future Perfect. Their single “Less Talk More Rokk” was the iTunes #4 dance/electronic song of 2007, and the band swept the 2008 Boston Phoenix/WFNX Best Music Poll, winning the local categories of Best Band, Best Live Act, and Best Album. In 2009, the band released the Form Activity Motion EP and continued their rigorous touring schedule. They also celebrated their 10th anniversary but the milestone was a bittersweet one, as founding member Kasson Crooker, a.k.a. the Duke of Pannekoeken, retired from the band after farewell shows in Boston and Seattle. Remaining members Liz Enthusiasm and Sean Drinkwater sorted through a very short list of replacements, and now proudly welcome two new members to their fold, longtime touring member Robert John “Bananas” Foster and newcomer Christmas Disco-Marie Sagan. “The new members have pretty big shoes to fill; it’s a testament to the Duke’s talent that we basically needed two people to replace him,” says Drinkwater. The idea of expanding the band to a four-piece to achieve a more robust live sound had been on the table for a while, but it took a serious shake-up to actually get there. “We realized that we could reinvent Freezepop and return to these ideas that have kept popping up over the years, musically and visually,” says Enthusiasm. While the band has done well on college radio, repeat-charting in the CMJ Top 50, a key factor in Freezepop’s success has been that they have sought out licensing opportunities to get their music out into the world. A natural fit on videogame soundtracks, the band saw their following grow through songs in the cult music-based games Frequency and Amplitude, and then increase exponentially after appearing in several installments of the massively popular Guitar Hero series, Dance Dance Revolution, and Rock Band. Freezepop’s songs are also featured in television shows as diverse as Showtime’s drama The L Word, MTV’s The Hills, and the PBS children’s series Arthur. Freezepop have a strong connection with their fans and have toured extensively, playing energetic, fun, and chaotic shows throughout North America and Europe. Freezepop are currently writing and recording the follow-up to Future Future Future Perfect, in the hopes of a late 2010 release. Stay tuned