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Oct 2, 2007
Hanson Interview, Reviews
Ten years later, Hanson brothers have grown up
CONCERT REVIEW | And so have the fans, who still can't get enough catchy pop
October 1, 2007
BY KYLE KOSTER kkoster@suntimes.com
A sold-out crowd partied like it was 1997 with Hanson Saturday night at the House of Blues.
Ten years after "MMMBop" got stuck in America's head for the first time, Isaac, Taylor and Zac have matured and evolved while remaining comfortable in their past.
The 25-song, 115-minute performance was heavy on audience participation. A mostly young, strongly female crowd was happy to oblige, faithfully belting out a chorus or clapping in rhythm at the brothers' request.
"We're going to go back in time a little bit here," Isaac, 27, said while introducing "Minute Without You." Looking genuinely pleased at such strong backup vocals from the crowd, he playfully offered, "I take it you guys knew that one." http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/poprock/581931,CST-FTR-hanson01.article
These days, the members of pop-rock trio Hanson are all married, with four children between them (yes, you read that right). But in the brief period between their preteen beginnings and their grown up responsibilities, Hanson had themselves some fun. Mild, freakishly polite fun -- but fun nonetheless. "Truth be told, sure we met girls," recalls Isaac Hanson, now 26. "On the road? Absolutely. In fact, I met my wife on the road. But in a debaucherous sense, no. In a rational, 'I like to have fun and this is my life, let's make the most of it' way? Sure."
Nobody in Hanson can remember a time before the group dominated every aspect of their lives. Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson played their first show at an arts festival in their native Tulsa, Okla. in 1992, and released their first album three years later. "It develops from something that you really thought was cool and enjoyed, because you listened to '50s and '60s songs and memorized them after about the second or third time you heard them, into something that is a full-grown, fully developed, psychotic passion for music," is how Isaac describes the brothers' evolution from living room harmonizers to serious musicians.
Or, as Taylor Hanson, 24, puts it: "We really don't know what normal is."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/chi-0928_m_hansonsep28,0,4640783.story
Hanson Wraps a Decade into a Complete Sound
The boys in Hanson, who gave the world the sugary and infectious "MMMBop," are all grown up now.
Weekend Edition Sunday, September 30, 2007 · Hanson's "MMMBop" was all over the radio in the summer of 1997. The trio and its mega-hit were enormously popular among teenage girls, but Hanson was different from the other "boy bands" of the time: It wrote its own material and still does. Just about everything else about the band has changed, though — even "MMMBop."
The Hanson brothers are in their 20s now. They run their own label, 3CG Records, and they're on tour again behind their new CD, The Walk.
At first listen, it appears that the band has eschewed their pure-pop past for a more rock-leaning sound, but drummer Isaac Hanson suggests that Hanson "aggressively tried to take the previous 10 years worth of material and wrap it up into one complete sound."
While guitarist Taylor Hanson has always been Hanson's primary songwriter, he says that the group works in a spirit of collaboration.
"I think one aspect of this band that's so unique — because we all write — is that it pulls the records into a more eclectic place."
Yet on The Walk, the band aimed to push its creativity by recording live in the studio and limiting its "colors," according to Taylor Hanson. By imposing these restrictions, Hanson wanted to see how its influences could jell in a more confined environment.
The band has a great sense of humor about its early image. The initial criticism and ridicule of Hanson's sugary-sweet pop songs and androgynous appearance (if only for its members' young age) culminated in a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring the band itself with Will Ferrell and host Helen Hunt holding Hanson at gunpoint, forcing the trio to endlessly listen to "MMMBop" until insane.
"You know what? We've always been proud of what we've done," Isaac Hanson says. "It's hard to complain when you say, 'We're gonna go to the clip where Helen Hunt and Will Ferrell are on Saturday Night Live making fun of your song.'"
It's also a testament to the staying power of the band and its fans that Hanson has looked past its initial pop-culture success and found stable ground. The group's core audience still includes teenage girls, but other listeners have found much to enjoy in Hanson's sound, which has much in common with Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel and even Radiohead. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14809006&ft=1&f=1039
Posted at 09:48 pm by Psychomike
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Sep 27, 2007
If you could resurrect one fad from the 1990s, what would it be? The Macarena? Grunge flannel and worn-out jeans? Beanie babies?
Would Reebok pumps return to the scene?
Hanson, the popular ‘90s boy band, known for its three long-haired members and their big 1997 hit “MmmBop,” is trying to make that comeback with its current “The Walk” tour.
Thank goodness it’s not ‘90s-style overalls.
Tonight at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Music Hall, Hanson will be performing songs from their latest CD, The Walk. Out of 40 dates, Pittsburgh will be the eighth stop in Hanson’s most recent tour.
For those who haven’t thought about the three crooning cuties since puberty, Isaac Hanson, the oldest of the brothers, explained there is “no question that the band has evolved and grown up a lot” since its “MmmBop” days.
The music still maintains a lot of familiar qualities, Hanson said, but the newest CD is “more groove-oriented” and shows the band’s more aggressive side.
Not only is Hanson’s music less “bubble gum,” but the group itself is fighting for a pretty grown-up cause.
After a recent trip to Mozambique, Africa, the Hanson brothers decided “to do something tangible with [their] tour to further make fans aware of what [they’re] passionate about,” Hanson said.
The group partnered with TOMS shoes in an effort to fight the poverty and AIDS epidemic the brothers saw on their Africa visit. At every stop of Hanson’s tour, TOMS shoes will be selling footwear to concertgoers. And with every pair purchased, TOMS shoes will send a pair of shoes to a child in Africa.
“It’s just one step in the right direction,” said Hanson about the partnership. “No pun intended.”
The Hanson brothers also incorporated African influences into their recent album. The Walk includes several tracks that feature actual recordings of an African children’s choir. (Much like performers Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel, who rejuvenated their careers by borrowing African musical styles and techniques.)
Hanson got chills when he first heard the children sing. “I was struck by the amount of hope despite their circumstances of extreme need,” he said.
The consistent theme of the CD is “searching for hope in difficult circumstances,” Hanson explained.
To make even more of an impact, each day they have a scheduled show, the three Hanson brothers take a one-mile walk around each of the concert venues with their fans.
“We like to get out there with fans and talk to them and tell them what we’re passionate about,” Hanson said. “We want to encourage action, not just awareness.”
http://www.digitalduke.duq.edu/article.asp?id=1553
Drummer Zac Hanson said he and his band of brothers, Isaac and Taylor, aren't embarrassed at all by their 1997 bubblegum smash, even though they've matured significantly as artists. "We're not one of those bands that tries to run away from its past," Zac said in a phone interview promoting Hanson's Thursday show at Carnegie Library Music Hall in Homestead. "I'm proud of 'MmmBop.' I know it's what made me who I am today. I know it's the first song many people at our shows ever heard from us. I know they want to hear it now. I also know it would be insulting to fans if you brushed that off, like so many bands do. "Be proud of what you write," Zac said. "Be proud that fans love it." The 21-year-old Zac also is understandably proud of Hanson's new CD, "The Walk," and the trio's iTunes-only track, "Great Divide," which has raised money and awareness to combat the AIDS crisis in Africa. The 14-cut "The Walk," with its three bonus tracks, is a poised and eclectic mix Zac feels summarizes the band's growth. "Our first album was influenced by Motown and early R&B. Our second album had more of a gospel-blues sound, with a gospel choir and Jonny Lang helping on guitar and John Popper blowing on harp. Our last album was a lot more acoustic, singer-songwriter sounding. A little mellower," Zac said. Released July 24, the new disc brings a soulful, at times raw energy http://www.timesonline.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2305&dept_id=478564&newsid=18849001
The Hanson brothers might appear to be good role models for today's youth, but don't look to them for nutritional advice. Zac Hanson divulged his favorite on-the-road meal is a toss up between Lucky Charms cereal and Easy Mac.
"Being on the bus can kind of be like a college dorm room. It's not always about what's good for you," said Zac, who will be appearing with the other two Hansons tonight for a concert at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
But those expecting to see girlish boys singing bubble-gum pop will be in for a surprise. Ten years after the three Hanson brothers hit airwaves with "Mmmbop" and became the butt of gender jokes, they are now grown family men (all are married and Isaac and Taylor have children). This year, they released their fourth studio album. "The Walk" is a heavier rock-inspired compilation that is the first to be completely produced and released under the Hansons' own label, 3CG Records.
Zac, 21, the youngest of the three who often bore the brunt of late-night talk show jokes, spoke to the Trib p.m. about the new album tour and Hanson's trip to Africa last year. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/tribpm/s_529697.html
"If history has a way of repeating itself, Hanson will vanish from pop music in short order."
That's what the 1998 edition of "MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide" had to say about Hanson. Back then, the sibling trio was a hot commodity with the middle-school crowd following their bubblegummy hit "MMMBop" and big-selling album "Middle of Nowhere." But in the nine years since that less-than-optimistic forecast, Isaac, Zac and Taylor Hanson have stubbornly refused to shuffle off to Teenybopper Hasbeenland.
Now grown-up - well, in their 20s, at least - Hanson has released their seventh studio album, "The Walk," on their own independent label and will be at the Carnegie Library Music Hall in Homestead tonight. On the phone from Westbury, N.Y., last week, Taylor Hanson explained that the group he and his brothers formed in 1992 in their hometown of Tulsa, Okla., was bound to be more durable than, say, a Menudo or a 98 Degrees, because they weren't cobbled together by an image-obsessed producer. http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/09_27_hanson
Posted at 02:23 pm by Psychomike
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Sep 11, 2007
Hanson crosses "Great Divide" with anonymous airplay
Listeners tuning in to Chicago alternative rock station WKQX (Q101) on August 9 heard a catchy, guitar-driven track called "The Great Divide," followed by an announcement that the song was produced by a "mystery artist." It quickly became the most-requested song on the station and was put into power rotation by the programming department.
After three weeks of speculation, a DJ finally revealed the secret: The band behind the alt-rock hit was none other than Hanson, a trio of brothers best known for their pop-rock song "MMMBop," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1997.
Q101 program director Spike, who masterminded the scheme, said the band has come a long way in the past 10 years.
"I've always liked Hanson and kept listening to them after 'MMMBop,' and after seeing them a while ago I realized they had become a different band," Spike said. "It really hit me how good they were." He realized the band still had the baggage of its old image to contend with, and that it wouldn't be an easy sell. "I told all the DJs, 'I want you to hear this song before I tell you who it is,' and when they heard the song, they all dug it. They were initially nervous to play it, but they were blown away by the positive reaction." MORE HERE: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070907/music_nm/hanson_dc
Posted at 11:14 pm by Psychomike
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Aug 7, 2007
The Guvernment, Toronto - July 31, 2007
By JASON MacNEIL - Special To Sun Media
 |
 Zachary, left, Isaac and Taylor Hanson played The Guvernment on Tuesday night. |
Ten years ago, three teenaged brothers collectively known as Hanson had a song that made teenage girls and a majority of twentysomething males scream but for totally different reasons. The former couldn't get enough of the song and the latter simply couldn't take any more of it. Now, ten years on, Hanson is making those now twentysomething females shriek and scream with much the same radio-friendly pop formula.
The group's approximately 95-minute set Tuesday evening at The Guverment was an acoustic affair but inside the intimate and sophisticated venue one could cut the estrogen, er, electricity with a knife. Touring in support of their brand new album The Walk, the trio of Zac, Taylor and Isaac Hanson opened things up with the percussion-fuelled ditty Great Divide off the new record.
With all three seated, there was little in the way of showmanship or working the stage among Hanson. Yet the campfire-like melodies to the early songs was more than enough to have the crowd in the palm of their hands. Georgia seemed a bit run-of-the-mill but things steadily picked up with Strong Enough to Break from 2003's Underneath as the ladies cheered every note and sang damn near every lyric.
"It's been too long since we played for you guys," singer and pianist Taylor Hanson said early on before also stating it had been a while between acoustic gigs. And while there were some tracks that seemed a tad neutered by the absence of electric guitar, singer and guitarist Isaac Hanson held up his end during the somewhat groovy, Collective Soul-like Deeper and Look at You.
While the stage setup was a bit strange with drummer Zac and Taylor at times playing with their backs to each other, equally strange was the trio briefly leaving the stage following a mere six songs. After each performed a solo tune, with Isaac Hanson getting the biggest reaction for With Your Love, the group returned for more of the same melodic, safe pop rock of Go and that signature track whose title begins with "M" and ends with the word "bop."
As much mileage as Hanson received from that song whose title will go unmentioned, the band's sense of melody, and particularly their innate harmonies, is what makes songs such as Go and Penny and Me work better than they should at first glance. Hell, you can tell a group is in sync when they not only sing in harmony but, judging from their sweaty faces, basically perspire in unison.
Although Hanson dished out some songs they hadn't played in a while, such as Yearbook, along with some roots-y efforts like a cover of Never Been to Spain, the trio saved their punchiest songs for the end, with This Time Around seeing half the crowd singing the refrain while the other half delivered a different lyric. And following the set closer Lost Without Each Other, the trio took the time to thank their fans, including hopping up on speakers to shake hands with those in the balcony.
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/H/Hanson/ConcertReviews/2007/08/02/pf-4387096.html
Posted at 10:40 pm by Psychomike
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Jul 29, 2007
Walking ‘The Walk’: Hanson brothers have matured – as musicians and as men
Put the Hanson brothers, Taylor, Zac and Isaac, in a room with 50 other people, and it’s clear the three are the smartest guys in the room.
They are in a darkened bar in downtown Tulsa — their “secure undisclosed location” that serves as a rehearsal space for the tour to support the band’s the new album, “The Walk.”
Zac seems detached and sits in a chair a little outside the group. Isaac — a little bleary-eyed from staying up with his 3-month-old — is reclined in a black Armani shirt on a leather couch, an occasional half-smile on his face.
Taylor leans forward intently, his hair brushed back from his angular face, and talks about his kids, Hanson’s art and its place in the music business, Africa, AIDS, poverty and Tulsa.
Oh, and by the way, there’s the new album, “The Walk,” released Tuesday.
“We’re pretty proud of it,” Isaac said. “We feel like we fi nally took all the last few records that we did and kind of, in some form or another, actually put them all together into one place.”
They are two studio albums into their careers as independent artists and one into their new lives as global activists.
In fact, the interview veered more toward the three brothers’ AIDS charity work than to the album.
It’s a far cry from “MMMBop.”
The tabloid stories about childhood star meltdowns thankfully never materialized with Hanson.
Since those halcyon days when their pictures were on every magazine cover and young, screaming girls stalked their every move, the Hansons have grown as artists and as men.
All three are married, and Isaac and Taylor both have children.
The group has become a critically acclaimed indie act whose trademark three-part harmonies have blossomed into a mature, recognizable worldly sound that, while still recalling the Jackson 5, speaks as much to their pop genius as it does to their considerable musical talents.
“The Walk” kicks off with an intro (“Ngi Ne Themba” — Zulu for I fi nd hope), followed by “ Great Divide,” a driving, sweeping and bright affirmation of hope in the face of despair, poverty and insurmountable odds. The song was initially released in November on iTunes as a charity effort to raise funds for an HIV unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa.
The album swings and pops with 1970s soul, something aided in no small part by co-producer Danny Kortchmar, “who worked with Billy Joel and John Henley,” Taylor said. “Don Henley,” he said, realizing his goof. “I said John.”
The three laugh.
“It’s his brother,” Isaac said, “John Henley from the Eagles.”
Supertramp’s “The Logical Song” bleeds out of “Running Man,” and “Blue Sky” has a redemptive and moving feel to it that makes it almost gospel.
“The Walk” is an optimistic record, even if that optimism rises in the face of adversity.
“Artistically and emotionally, I think the best word to use is actually hope,” said Isaac, when asked what “The Walk” represents.
“This record is a hopeful record, and not necessarily always in a purely optimistic sense, but in a sense of searching for hope.”
The Hansons headed to Africa with a Tulsa fi lm company while in the midst of recording “The Walk” at their Tulsa studio. They spent time at an orphanage fi lled with children left parentless by AIDS. Many of the children are themselves infected as well.
The band’s stay is documented in podcasts released via iTunes detailing the making of the album, interspersed with clips from their time in Africa.
“One of the other things that stood out to me,” said Isaac, “was the grandmother who was giving out the formula, taking care of 12 kids, six of whom were children of her own children who had died. Both parents.”
“She also had the (AIDS) virus,” Zac added.
The Hansons’ corollary goal is to help raise awareness of AIDS cases in Tulsa through their work in Africa. And it’s not a one-time thing either. The brothers plan to return to the continent for more charity work.
While Africa’s stamp is on this record, Tulsa’s is, too.
The video for the ballad “Go,” —Zac’s premier singing lead —shows the drummer climbing down a fire escape from a burning Philtower in downtown Tulsa.
Other parts of the video were shot on the Arkansas River and on the metal pedestrian bridge on Riverside Drive.
The album’s cover art shows the trio walking along a sand bar near the river with an oil refinery visible on the back side.
The band returns to a Tulsa stage Oct. 3 at Cain’s Ballroom.
With the pop success of new-soul groups such as Maroon 5—a band Hanson helped discover—the time seems ripe for another round of Hanson.
Increasing that sense of right-time, right-place is the fact that the old school structure of the recording industry is on the decline. Now is a great time to be an indie recording artist.
Hanson’s plan is simple. The guys exploit the Internet and iTunes (weekly behindthe- scenes podcasts led up to the album’s release) to feed their fans, while also focusing on traditional media.
It’s not necessary to throw millions of dollars at a Hanson recording, Isaac said, and their indie status encourages restraint and economy. It’s a direction in which the entire music industry is headed.
“For us , it’s about evolving with the times, not just purely relying on the first week’s chart position,” Isaac said.
It’s all about the journey and “The Walk” is about taking not just another step, but a bold one. And, remember, these guys are only in their 20s.
“We’re not running,” Taylor said. “We’re not hesitating. We’re just confidently placing one foot in front of the other as a band.”
“And,” Isaac chimed, “having a good time, too.”
http://www.tulsaworld.com/common/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleID=070728_8_H1_spanc58616
Posted at 08:26 pm by Psychomike
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Jul 25, 2007
Hanson:The Tour Rolls Out
Hanson takes 'The Walk' across America
July 25, 2007 03:07 PM
LiveDaily Contributor
Pop/rock band of brothers Hanson [ tickets ] just released their fourth studio album and hit the road last weekend for a North American tour.
The first leg of the trek resumes tonight (7/25) in New York City and will stop in Toronto before heading to West Hollywood, CA, next month for two shows at the Viper Room. In September and October, the band will roll through the East and South. Details are listed below.
The Hanson brothers--guitarist Isaac, lead singer/pianist Taylor and drummer Zac--shot to fame 10 years ago with their smash, teeny-bopper hit "MmmBop." Now they're all grown up and garnering critical acclaim for their music, which U2's Bono has called "genius."
Hanson's latest album, "The Walk," was released yesterday (7/24) on the band's own 3CG label. The set, co-produced by Danny Kortchmar (Billy Joel, Eagles), was inspired in part by the brothers' trip to South Africa and Mozambique, where they recruited children from a local orphanage to form a choir.
One song that features the choir, "Great Divide," was released in November in honor of World AIDS Day. Profits from the download-only tune are forwarded to the Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto, South Africa, according to a press release. "Great Divide" is streaming at Hanson's MySpace page.
http://livedaily.com/news/12522.html
Yesterday saw the release of The Walk, the 7th studio album from Hanson. Yes, that Hanson. Over a decade has passed since "MMMBop" hit the airwaves, and now the Hanson boys are all grown up into men. Men who rock!
Gothamist sat down with Taylor Hanson recently to discuss crazy fans, drag queens, and raising kids. Tonight he and his brothers play Webster Hall.
What's some of the craziest fan behavior that you've encountered over the years?
We've had a lot of people get tattoos. People will get a tattoo on their ankle or hip, and one particular fan had a larger than life sized image of my face tattooed on her back. She was very proud of it and would show it off in public, but creepier than the tattoo itself was the whole vibe that went with it. It's one thing to get a tattoo and it's an entirely different matter to cover your entire back.
At this stage, everyone in the band is married and you and Isaac even have children. How has this change affected your music and does that come through on the latest record?
I don't know if it's directly affected the music. It's changed our lives a lot in the sense that we have a whole different set of dynamics every day, whether we're on the road or making a new record. More than anything, it just makes every moment that we're living much more packed and full of activity.
Years from now, should we expect some sort of pan-generational Hanson super group?
I like the idea of a super group. My kids are pretty musical in their own way, so I think only time will tell.
How do you start off with introducing your kids to music?
The first thing I introduced my son to were bands like The Beatles, Queen, and Nick Drake. Just great, classic music. If Mozart is supposed to make babies think better, than I'm sure Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles sure can't hurt.
The Beatles, Queen, and Nick Drake all had their careers touched by tragedy. What do you do when your son asks, "Where's Nick Drake now?"
You know, that's not really the first thing a four year old asks, so I haven't really had to handle that one yet.
http://gothamist.com/2007/07/25/taylor_hanson_m.php
When Hanson is performing, there are certain things you can expect: killer hooks and harmonies, an overwhelmingly female audience, crazed screams, gifts being tossed onstage, and at least one fan throwing themselves at the band and getting escorted out by security.
Saturday night at Avalon was no exception, as brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac spent two hours satisfying a capacity crowd ecstatic about the band’s return from a three-year absence.
Not so predictable, however, was a stripped-down, acoustic version of the band’s 1997 monster hit “MmmBop,” a host of material off its forthcoming album, “The Walk,” and audience members being asked to perform vocal parts originally recorded by an African children’s choir. http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=1012808&srvc=edge
What starts as child stardom often ends in jail sentences, rehab stints and ill-advised reality TV shows.
But the brothers of pop/rock trio Hanson, who play Avalon Saturday, have avoided the fate of so many other child stars by keeping the focus on their music.
“It’s been the real drive, the passion for our music that has really forced us to not be corrupted by some of the pitfalls,” said 24-year-old Taylor Hanson from the brothers’ studio in their hometown of Tulsa, Okla. “It’s really because of such a conviction, a belief in what we do, that we’ve pushed back a lot of the traditional things that bands self-destruct on http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=1012248&srvc=edge
Posted at 08:16 pm by Psychomike
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Jul 5, 2007
HANSON DO SECRET SHOW
Under the alias Sacred Fools, pop band Hanson performed a "secret" semi-acoustic concert on Friday, June 29th, at Hollywood's Hotel Café – which has a 200 seat capacity.
The concert was described as an intimate and laid back show (drummer Zac set up his own drum kit), and lasted about an hour. The brothers were said to leave the stage and sit out in the audience during solos, and stayed away from their poppy former hits – including their breakthrough "Mmmbop."
Most of the songs performed on Friday were from the trio's upcoming studio album 'The Walk' (expected to be out on July 24th), and covers from some of rock's classics – including Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Teach Your Children," Joe Cocker's "Feelin' Alright," the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'," and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine."
During the concert, the brothers were joined on stage by their songwriting partner Jason Nesmith (formerly of Gilby Clarke's Kill For Thrills) for some of the band's new songs. http://music.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1324974.php/Hanson_play_%93secret%94_show_at_Hollywood%92s_Hotel_Cafe
Tickets are now on sale for the bands July Boston and NYC shows:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/787227
The group Hanson's new album release "The Walk" works "in spades" as it spawns a flash-back – flash-forward style of music, lyrics and presentation that proves to be an existential combination of the best of creativity and multiplicity of worlds and multiple feelings. Their music makes sense. That ini itself is rare and unique! It is real yet edgy. Their music has meaning. And their music brings home a solid rock sense coupled with actual meaningful and identifiable, yep folks "identifiable", lyrics that allows you to be taken along with them on a ride through the minds and senses of their songs. The neat thing is that anyone, young or old who likes sound, hard-hitting, ground biting - good old rock and roll music will appreciate this straight forward presentation. Their music simply and honestly plays well…… extraordinarily well…… to a huge and ever-expanding spread of music aficionados'!
Being creative is generally normal, to a great degree, however, being entertaining doesn't make an artist or group special, it makes them more human and more approachable. Hanson absolutely has this "human attribute" ………which is a singularly intrinsic exception in the music industry among artists. That is the artistic exception that makes them great across the board! They are safe and comfortable within their musical and entertainment skins. They understand the elements of their creative and artistic environment, and they can, and do, cross the transom of "style" and entertain a broad spectrum of serious as well as occasional listeners.
http://www.rosenmusicgroup.com/id28.html
Posted at 11:24 am by Psychomike
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Jun 27, 2007
Hanson Contest For The Walk
Help Hanson spread the word about their new album The Walk and be entered in a contest for them to write a song about you!
“We have some of the best fans in the world and we want to reward them for what they always do which is spread the word about our music, by making them the subject of that music itself,” said Zac. This contest is all about spreading the word through banners you can place on your personal websites. Hanson.net will provide you with special banners to place on you MySpace, FaceBook, Live Journal, or other personal websites. Every time someone clicks on your unique banner, you get another contest entry and you improve your chances to be the winner of a song written about you! Here’s how the contest works: 1. Sign up to be a user of Hanson.net (registration is free - if you are already a member, just go to your account page)
2. After you sign up you will receive a personal Hanson.net contest URL, as well as several banners.
3. Pick a banner.
4. Follow the instructions with the banner to link it to your personal Hanson.net contest URL, and every time someone else clicks on your banner it will give you an additional chance to win (subject to conditions)!
See the official rules for details.
The Grand Prize winner will be chosen at random from the final pool of entries. In addition, we will have prizes for second and third places
Second Place (5 winners): Each winner will receive a pair of concert tickets and a meet and greet for The Walk Tour.
Third Place (5 winners): Each winner will receive an ipod shuffle with The Walk album already loaded for you.
As a thank you, everyone that registers will be emailed a digital download of the personalized song written about the winner once it is completed.
Isaac Hanson: “Being independent is about doing more for our fans and building a stronger connection directly with them. We hope that this special contest will excite everyone that is a part of it.”
Posted at 09:29 pm by Psychomike
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Jun 1, 2007
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HANSON ON HOWARD STERN, HANSON TAKING THE WALK, OH YEAH!
Many people have taken pops at Hanson over the years, but that fact that they can sell out a show over seven years since they last played the UK speaks volumes. Just recently Bono described on CD:UK that Mmm Bop was the work of genius and this time next year when they come back and do a full on live show, they may just reach those heights again and be seen as the band that kick started the whole Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch and Busted phenomena of pop acts with guitars. |
Not quite so pretty and somewhat less squeaky than before, the '90s weirdest boy band, Hanson, are back again in their grown up incarnation, with another album of extremely pleasant pop/rock, The Walk.
Their career will always be overshadowed by their first release Mmmmbop, one of the most perfect pop singles ever released, and there's no getting around that. There's nothing that good here, but unlike previous offerings this is not a patchy album.
They seem to have come to terms with the fact that they are always going to produce smooth, mellow music and they can't run away from that. The Walk's single, unified sound mixes slightly slurred pop vocals, close harmonies and rock (not indie rock, not soft rock, not hard rock, just plain old rocking rock).
They find great form on the opener, Great Divide, with its South African choir and echoes of gospel hymns and Motown classics. Been There Before reminds me (God help me!) of Billy Joel. I would like to be able to add "back when he was good" but I am afraid I cannot. Perhaps the subject, a paean to the band's musical influences, bolsters this unwilling comparison given Joel's love of evoking nostalgic feelings in his audience. Even if it does sound like Billy Joel it works somehow - for a start it's very much more heartfelt than most of their love songs. http://www.musicomh.com/albums/hanson_0407.htm
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Posted at 12:39 pm by Psychomike
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Apr 8, 2007
Isaac Hansons' New Inspiration
The oldest member of the all-brother band Hanson welcomed his first son into the world as his wife successfully gave birth in Tulsa, Okla.
People magazine reported that on Tuesday, Isaac Hanson and his wife Nicole welcomed their new son Clarke Everett into the world in the singer's hometown in Oklahoma.
The child comes just months after Hanson wed the new 22-year-old mother last September.
A statement from the 26-year-old singer said his new 8-pound, 12-ounce son would undoubtedly be a continued source of inspiration for him.
"His birth was an inspiration and I know that his presence in my life will continue to inspire me," he said.
Posted at 01:21 pm by Psychomike
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