DATE: FEBRUARY 13, 2013
FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/TODD BRODGINSKI/AARON FETERL
RIVAL SONS’
ACCLAIMED ‘HEAD DOWN’ ALBUM
(****FOUR STARS IN THE UK’S MOJO AND GUARDIAN****)
TO ARRIVE IN STORES MARCH 19
VIA THE BAND’S NEW AFFILIATION WITH
CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS
BAND TO PERFORM MARCH 7 ON ABC-TV’S
“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!”
AT 11:35PM/10:35PM CT ON ABC
FIRST SINGLE “KEEP ON SWINGING” HAS BEEN #1 FOR FOUR STRAIGHT
WEEKS ON THE ACTIVE ROCK RADIO CHARTS IN CANADA

“…he [singer Jay Buchanan] has developed a raw-throated delivery to match guitarist Scott Holiday’s
stomp-fuzz riffs, their partnership bearing fruit on this third LP. A set of chest-beating grooves (Keep
On Swinging), post-psychedelic exuberance (Until The Sun Comes Down), lyrical spirituality (Run
From Revelation) and jam-fuelled wig-outs (Manifest Destiny Ptl and 2), Head Down sounds highly-
charged and fresh, likely to delight fans of Queens Of The Stone Age and Humble Pie in equal
measure.”
–Phil Alexander, Mojo [four stars], January 2013
Coming on the heels of their success and critical acclaim in the U.K., Europe and Canada, America’s own RIVAL SONS have announced their third album HEAD DOWN will arrive in stores in the U.S. on March 19 via their new affiliation with Century Media Records. Ahead of the in-store date, the soulful, maximum-blues-infused hard rock band will perform Thursday, March 7 on ABC-TV’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at 11:35pm/10:35pm CT on ABC.
Reaching #1 on the Rock chart in 2012 in the U.K., HEAD DOWN has already garnered the Long Beach, CA group four-star reviews (including Mojo and the Guardian) overseas as well as magazine covers and the “Breakthrough Artist” award at the 2012 Classic Rock Awards show in London. In the tradition of American artists like Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty, The Strokes and Kings of Leon who broke overseas first, RIVAL SONS have become a substantial presence in England and Europe, headlining their own shows and opening for Guns N’ Roses and AC/DC, among others. On top of this, the album’s first single “Keep On Swinging” has been #1 for four straight weeks on the Active Rock Radio Charts in Canada. They’ll perform “Keep On Swinging” on Kimmel.
The video for “Keep On Swinging” can be seen here: www.vevo.com/watch/rival-sons/keep-on-swinging/GBA631200133.
On the live front, RIVAL SONS—Jay Buchanan (vocals), Scott Holiday (guitar), Robin Everhart (bass), Mike Miley (drums)–are now in the midst of a headlining Canadian tour after which they have dates set in
Chicago (2/18), Des Moines (2/19), Denver (2/21), Las Vegas (2/23) and a confirmed performance at this year’s SXSW Music Festival.
In the recent Jimmy Page cover story in Rolling Stone, David Fricke writes about Page’s affection for the group, saying, “[Jimmy] Page is fully engaged in current music; he enthuses about recent London shows he’s seen by Muse and a young American blues-rock combo, Rival Sons (12/6/12).”
RIVAL SONS also recently premiered their new music video for “Until The Sun Comes” on NME.com. The video, directed by Simon Gesrel–protégé of Academy Award-winning director Michel Gondry (White Stripes, Bjork)–can be seen here: http://www.nme.com/news/rival-sons/67582.
About RIVAL SONS:
RIVAL SONS are a raucous, maximum-blues-infused, hard rock band which explodes with the rhythm and roughness of some of the greatest rock acts of all time. From a self-released full-length album Before the Fire and EP (self-titled), to the strength of their live performances, the band gain major attention everywhere they play. Early accolades included a stint opening up for legends like AC/DC and Alice Cooper, several USO shows with Kid Rock, and a televised performance in the pit at The Indianapolis 500. The Huffington Post even dubbed RIVAL SONS as “one of the top 5 bands to watch” during 2010’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. RIVAL SONS’ full-length Earache debut, Pressure & Time, was recorded in Los Angeles and released worldwide in May 2011. The record quickly charted in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and beyond. And by the time RIVAL SONS embarked on their first full length headline tour of Europe in November 2011 they’d sold out every UK show, as well as gigs across the continent. The album was voted No.2 Album of the Year by Classic Rock Magazine. In 2012, they released Head Down, achieving greater success and acclaim.
DATE | CITY | VENUE | |
Wed | 2/13 | Kingston, ON | Marchant Tap House |
Thu | 2/14 | Ottawa, ON | Mavericks |
Fri | 2/15 | Toronto, ON | Lee’s Palace |
Sat | 2/16 | London, ON | Norma Jeans |
Mon | 2/18 | Chicago, IL | Schuba’s |
Tue | 2/19 | Des Moines, IA | Wooly’s |
Thu | 2/21 | Denver, CO | Marquis Theatre |
Sat | 2/23 | Las Vegas, NV | Vinyl @ Hard Rock |
More Praise For RIVAL SONS’ HEAD DOWN
“…Rival Sons are doggedly establishing themselves as a vital force for the modern age…the
Californians’ third album is a riotous carnival of Zep-saluting riffs, sunkissed psychedelia and
irresistible hooks, with the band’s soul, funk and blues influences thrust joyously to the fore…If you
thrilled to the Black Keys’ El Camino, it’s time to meet your new favourite band.”
—GUARDIAN (UK), September 13, 2012 (4-out-of-5 star review)
“You know the guys who complain today’s rock doesn’t hold a candle to the ’70s stuff?
They haven’t heard this.”
—USA TODAY, November 13, 2012
“There’s a soulfulness and strut which puts them in a different league.”
—UNCUT (U.K.) August 1, 2011
“Balls-to-the-walls blues-rawk!…undeniable.”
—NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, October 7, 2012
“Bluesy, ballsy and real.”
—AOL’s NOISECREEP.COM, November 12, 2012
“…they sure as hell are a good time.”
—PENTHOUSE, February 23, 2013
“This is a band of storytellers and Head Down is their manifesto…”
—VINTAGEROCK.COM, December 17, 2012
“Jay Buchanan uncorks a quavering vocal over Scott Holiday’s buzz-bomb guitar playing and Michael Miley’s barely controlled bashing of drums…it sounds like something Jimmy Page’s pre-Zeppelin band, the Yardbirds, might have done…‘A’ grade.”
—CAMPUS CIRCLE, November 14, 2012
“The grooves are deep and the vocals are of the chest-beating variety…”
— MUSICRADAR.COM, December 6, 2012
“Rival Sons give rock ‘n’ roll a much needed kick in the ass…It’s as timeless as it is tough, and it’s everything rock music needs and more…”
—ARTISTDIRECT.COM, December 4, 2012
“…hard rock band that explodes with rhythm and roughness similar to some of the greatest
rock acts out there…the CD oozes energy of epic proportions led by the powerhouse single,
‘Keep on Swinging'”
—GUITARINTERNATIONAL.COM, November 6, 2012
For more information, check out:
www.rivalsons.com
www.facebook.com/rivalsons
twitter.com/#!/rivalsons
www.youtube.com/user/RivalSons
MSO Press Releases & Assets:
www.msopr.com/n/client-roster/rival-sons
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For more information on RIVAL SONS please contact:
MSO PR
818.380.0400
Mitch Schneider, mschneider@msopr.com
Todd Brodginski, x239, toddb@msopr.com
Aaron Feterl, x237, aaron@msopr.com