Four Fifty One

It must be strange to be a buzz band; one day you're playing for crowds of 20, and seemingly the next you're all over the place. The four guys in Four Fifty One should know. "Some good stuff's happening," vocalist Drew Robinson said as the band was practicing in late October; that may turn out to be quite an understatement for he and his bandmates (drummer Yanni Gianaros, guitarist Chris Frazier and bassist Marquis Hudson). 2006 is shaping up to be the year they broke through.

Four Fifty One has had quite the fall so far. They've found themselves burning up college radio and the blogosphere; a Google search of their name brings up dozens of mentions and positive words about their personal brand of indie rock. They've performed their song "Socks and Shoes" on Veronica Mars, as The Unwashed. Another track, "Nagolove," was featured on XM Radio's Radar Report in late October. Now The Maryland band is awaiting the physical release of their self-titled album (it's already available on iTunes) and playing a lot of shows. On Halloween they've got a feature slot at Club Midway for CMJ in New York City, and they'll be heading out on the Upshot Energy Tour just a couple of days later. That's a lot for four college-aged (as in, freshmen) guys to have on their plates all at once, right?

"It's pretty crazy, to be honest," Robinson admitted. "A few months ago we were just a few guys touring around with a little van." Now the band is getting major attention, has gotten a deal with Mophonics and recorded with a respected producer in Adam Moseley (The Cure, Nikka Costa).

"The sky's the limit, as they say."

The band's members are young but they've been around as a unit for a while. Robinson and Gianaros have been playing together since the ninth grade; Frazier and Hudson joined in a few years later. That personal history may be what keeps them humble. The four band members come across as a bunch of guys who enjoy what they're doing and are kind of surprised that so many people are noticing it. A CMJ slot aside, they're still playing smaller venues with their friends in the crowd, Robinson said; they were getting ready to play a local Halloween party the weekend before their coming-out in NYC. The early attention doesn't seem to have gone to their heads. "Fortunately, we can still walk in public without people tearing our clothes off," Robinson joked.

A busy year -- with more dates to come in 2007 -- aside, Four Fifty One say they're in all of this for the right reasons. They just like to play music, Robinson explains, and they hope that other people like what they do too.

"It's as simple and as complicated as that." - Two Way Monologues

Mophonics Records, the independent label arm of music production company Mophonics, announces that Mophonics artist Four Fifty One is embarking on the UPSHOT “Smallest, Most Powerful Mobile Music Venue,” which hits Austin, TX on November 3rd and travels through college towns (Fayetteville, Pittsburgh and New York) through November. The tour is sponsored by UPSHOT—the industry’s first energy shot—and organized by LA-based brand communications agency 86theonions.

Said Michael Frick, Founder and Creative Director, Mophonics, “We’re very excited and honored that 86theonions chose Four Fifty One to partner with UPSHOT on this tour. Four Fifty One’s sound is independent, unaffected and energetic—qualities that mirror the UPSHOT brand.”

The UPSHOT “Smallest, Most Powerful Mobile Music Venue ” will stop in the following cities:

AUSTIN: Friday, November 3 through Sunday, November 5

FAYETTEVILLE: Wednesday, November 8 through Saturday, November 11

PITTSBURGH: Wednesday, November 15 through Thursday, November 16

NEW YORK CITY: Saturday, November 18 through Tuesday, November 21

Since Four Fifty One joined the Mophonics label in 2006, the Baltimore, MD-based band has appeared on The CW’s hit show “Veronica Mars,” secured a slot at the CMJ Music Festival in New York, and has won Round 1 of the Zig-Zag Live Fall 2006 Band Competition. The group has also had a song featured on the NFL on FOX, and will have its track “Naglolove” featured in an upcoming episode of “Friday Night Lights” on NBC. With a style described as “British invasion meets California surf rock,” Four Fifty One cites creative influences from artists as diverse as Wilson Pickett, The Doors, and Joy Division. The band consists of vocalist Drew Robinson, drummer Yanni Giannarros, guitarist Chris Frazier and bassist Marquis Hudson.

Four Fifty One’s debut record was recorded by Dust Brothers studio chief, Adam Moseley (The Cure, Nikka Costa, John Cale) and released by Mophonics Records. It is available for purchase at iTunes and FourFiftyOneBand.com.
- Digital Pro Sound