Roman Candle (band)

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Roman Candle is a rock and roll band from Chapel Hill, NC. They released "The Wee Hours Revue" on V2 Records in June 2006. Band Members are Skip Matheny (vocals, guitars), Nick Jaeger (Guitars), Timshel Matheny (Keyboards, vocals), Logan Matheny (Drums), Jeff Crawford (Bass, vocals)

Contents

[edit] History

Roman Candle started playing shows around Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1997. Most early shows involved (current band members) Skip and Logan Matheny and various musicians from around town sitting in. Eventually a regular lineup formed, including Skip's wife Timshel on fender rhodes and farfisa. They sold over 400 copies of a self released cd of demos in 2000, and signed to Trevor Pryce's Outlook Music Company in October 2001. Their record "Says Pop" was released by Outlook in May 2002. They signed to Hollywood Records in early 2003, and began remixing "Says Pop" with Producer Chris Stamey (Whiskeytown, Yo La Tengo, R.E.M.). This record, The Wee Hours Revue was subsequently shelved by Hollywood records for 2 years. V2 records bought the rights to "The Wee Hours Revue" from Hollywood records in late 2005 and signed the band in early 2006. The record was released to widespread critical acclaim in June 2006 -- including praise from The Boston Globe, Pitchfork Media, and making Paste's Top 100 album's of 2006 -- They were no. 38. Editor of Paste (magazine) Josh Jackson even cited the album as one of the top 10 most overlooked albums of 2006. Even as late after the release as April 2007, Harp Magazine, journalist Mark Kemp named The Wee Hours Revue One of the best roots-rock records of the decade.

They toured the U.S. and England in 2006 and 2007, including a live performance on BBC radio 2. According to the band's website they are currently at work on their next record, "Oh Tall Tree in the Ear." The title is taken from Rainer Maria Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus.

[edit] Trivia

  • The band's original record label owner, Trevor Pryce is a Pro-Bowl defensive tackle (formerly of the Denver Broncos) currently playing for the Baltimore Ravens. Trevor was himself a DJ signed to EMI before beginning his NFL career.
  • The band took their name from a lyric in the U2 song "Promenade" off the Unforgettable Fire album.
  • During the time The Wee Hours Revue was being shelved by Hollywood, country singer Thad Cockrell, gave a copy of the record to BBC Radio 2 DJ Bob Harris (radio). He called the record, on the air, one of the best rock and roll records he'd heard in years. Harris has since invited RC to play on his show, multiple times.
  • When the band opened up for The Soundtrack of Our Lives, lead singer Ebbot Lundberg called them from the stage "the best opening act he'd seen in years."
  • When Skip and his wife Timshel graduated from UNC, they moved to Portland Oregon and worked as a forklift driver and a dishwasher at an art college (respectively).
  • Roman Candle members are known for having played on records and/or touring with various artists: most notably Chris Stamey, Thad Cockrell, Caitlin Cary, Keegan DeWitt, Patrick Park

[edit] Side Projects

Members of Roman Candle have produced / performed on the following records

  • Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell: Begonias (Yep Roc Records 2005) - performed on album, wrote "Waiting in June" which appears on album.
  • Patrick Park: Everyone's in Everyone (Curb Appeal Records 2007) - performed on album
  • Chris Stamey: Travels in the South (Yep Roc Records 2003) - performed on album
  • Keegan DeWitt: & the Sparrows (Dual Coast records 2007) - Produced and performed on album.
  • Members of the band have also performed on unreleased recordings by Ryan Adams, Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple, Thad Cockrell, and Otis Gibbs.
  • The band has twice toured nationally with the Indigo Girls.

[edit] Discography

  • Says Pop (Outlook Music, 2002)

[edit] External links