WAR TAPES TO RELEASE DEBUT FULL-LENGTH ALBUM ‘THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE’ MAY 26 ON SARATHAN RECORDS

“We call it heart-quaking doom pop,” says Neil Popkin of WAR TAPES, the downtown Los Angeles group who are set to release their debut full-length release THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE May 26 via Sarathan Records. “We’re pushing the envelope in a few different directions by trying to create something dark and intense while at the same time to achieve a loud and heavy rock element in our sound.  We feel very attached to bands that bring you somewhere else emotionally from where the music begins.  We’ve always been striving to break ground in those two worlds, both emotionally and sonically, and I think we achieved it on this record.”
 
The Continental Divide is a potent work, and the foursome–which features Neil Popkin (singer/rhythm guitarist), his sister Becca Popkin (bassist), Matt Bennett (lead guitar) and William Mohler (drummer)–has been raking in rave reviews since their 2006 live debut.  Post-punk.com declared, “In essence, War Tapes are pure…bombast with a knack for incredibly catchy melodies, dissonant guitar assaults drenched in reverb and a front man who can sing his despairing tales with a reckless sense of nihilism even when he's at his most vulnerable.” National media outlets have also taken notice, with Outburn magazine calling War Tapes’ music “some of the most sublime gloomy rock to emanate from Southern California since the late ‘80s.”
 
The early buzz on War Tapes has earned the band airplay on such tastemaker radio stations as BBC Radio 1 and Live 105 in San Francisco, while “Dreaming of You” was aired on NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly. The band has also played shows and/or toured with The Smashing Pumpkins, Tiger Army, Shiny Toy Guns, Moving Units, The Bravery, Longwave, VNV Nation and the Unseen.

The band formed just two weeks before an already booked first show in 2006, and began as a musical meeting of the minds which transformed the players. Becca, a classically trained pianist and guitarist, had never played bass, and William, a jazz-educated standup bassist and guitarist, had never played drums in a band before.  Becca brings to the table the influence of the catchy melodies and sing-along qualities of her favorite Britpop bands. Matt’s roots in punk give the band an energy and urgency which is integral to War Tapes’ live show. William’s metal, jazz, and rock background offers up a unique approach to the rhythm section, creating memorable rhythmic hooks. And Neil draws from his hardcore roots, bringing an aggressive intensity to the live set while setting the mood with his dark and brooding voice. Becca says their sound emanates not from their shared musical interests but instead from their diverse musical differences.

The Continental Divide — appropriately titled for a band that comes together from opposite ends geographically (Neil and Becca are from Boston, Matt is from Hawaii and William is from L.A.) –explores the emotional gamut from tortured love songs like “Dreaming of You” and “The Night Unfolds” to feelings of isolation in “All the World’s a Stage” to the air of anger and confusion in “Mind is Ugly,” creating a musical soundscape that conveys both impending emotional doom and romantic optimism.  “It’s about the struggle between your past and your present and the two sides coming together as one,” states Becca.  “The title felt heavy and very important.”
 
Four tracks on The Continental Divide (“Dreaming of You,” “Mind is Ugly,” “Start Again” and “She Lied”) first appeared on the band’s self-titled EP, released in September 2008 on the Seattle-based indie Sarathan, but were remixed for the full-length.  William, who co-produced the new record with Heroes and Villains, says, “For The Continental Divide, I wanted a bigger and clearer sound than our EP, but like our live show we wanted the record to be an emotional experience too. When it came time to mix, I knew we had to get Ryan Williams on board. From mix number one, we knew we had made the right choice and had created something very special. Ryan's mixes are exactly how we always wanted our music, so it was a very gratifying experience.”

“We couldn’t be more proud of our record,” concludes Becca. “We feel passionate about it and all we can hope is that other people will share that feeling.”

 

Adds Neil, “We want to work. We want to put the wheels on the road. We’re not going to sit around and wait for something to happen.”
 
 
The complete track listing for WAR TAPES' The Continental Divide is:
 
1. The Night Unfolds
2. Dreaming of You
3. She Lied
4. Start Again
5. Use Me
6. All the World's a Stage
7. Mind is Ugly
8. Rightfully Mine
9. Air Filled Romance
10. For Eternity
11. Fast Lane

 

 

www.myspace.com/wartapes
www.youtube.com/wartapeschannel
 

 
WAR TAPES’ The Continental Divide will be released May 26 on Sarathan Records
 
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For more information on WAR TAPES, contact:
MSO 818-380-0400
Alexandra Greenberg x223, agreenberg@msopr.com
Chelsi Schriver x231, cschriver@msopr.com