RADIORADIO

RadioRadio
at Friends
208 E. Sixth St.
9 p.m., Wednesday

Local alternative pop-rockers RadioRadio are one of the few true locals to secure a slot in this prestigious festival. Each member in this act has worked in various well-known Tulsa bands, so this is one of the city’s true supergroups. The four members combine four very varied music tastes to create a kinetic and otherworldly pop-rock sound. - Tulsa World

By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
3/15/2008

Tulsa band RadioRadio is a hit at Austin’s South by Southwest


AUSTIN, Texas — Two facts to remember about this gargantuan annual music festival and conference:

1. Always arrive early to South by Southwest.

2. Expect anything.

Thousands upon thousands of musicians, fans and industry professionals rolled into downtown Austin on Wednesday, including some Tulsa acts and a covey of music-loving Oklahomans.

Several hundred musicians, including Tulsa band RadioRadio, revved up kickoff night of the festival and conference, which runs through Sunday. The event has been an Austin tradition since 1987.

RadioRadio played at Friends, one of 68 venues and 80 stages running in near synchronization, with more than 1,000 acts performing throughout the weekend. Yes, SXSW is huge.

Clad in a mod skinny black tie, crisp white button-down shirt, creased black slacks with suspenders and wing-tipped shoes, RadioRadio lead singer Greg Hosterman paused outside the club after his 40-minute set. His band stands out. But that’s part of his plan.

“We don’t have any illusions of being plucked from the stage and becoming instantly famous,” he said.

“We’re
here to parlay this into future shows here in Austin.”

Energetic bassist Paul Cristiano, similarly garmented in a pale sweater vest, olive button-down shirt and tie, agreed.

“We’re on the road a lot. We’ve made inroads into Kansas City, St. Louis, Dallas and Springfield—our goal is to network, to build off the momentum we’re feeling now.

“To be invited to play here is very prestigious.”

Sibling trio Hanson is the only other Tulsa band on the official SXSW roster this year. But several Sooner State acts and musicians with Tulsa ties will perform in other Austin shows and independent mini-festivals running in tandem with SXSW (such as RedGorilla Music Fest), including Junior Brown, Brandon Jenkins, Colourmusic, AM, The Effects, El Paso Hot Button, PDA, Congress of a Crow, Cheyenne and Edison Glass.

Music fans here are a fickle lot, and there are spontaneous moments that overtake audiences. During RadioRadio’s set on Wednesday night, people suddenly started breaking out cell phone cameras and camcorders, recording the moment and throwing themselves into the band’s rocking, David Byrne-esque vocals and distinctive, David Bowie-like rock grooves.

All of it happened in about five seconds — the crowd decided that it really liked RadioRadio.

“Everything happened just right,” Hosterman said after the show.

Throughout the night, clubs such as Emo’s percolated with Nashville’s girlfronted, young punk band Be Your Own Pet, while The Bat Bar filled for Pennsylvania singer-songwriter Daryl Hall.

At Friends, crowds swayed for the dissonant pop-rock of Athens, Ga., band The Low Lows.

In the audiences, Midwestern twang melded with English, German, Irish and Japanese accents. Revelers talked shop, trends and tattoos with people they’d never met before.

Everybody had a frontrow view of the kickoff of one of the most raved-about music events in the northern hemisphere. - Tulsa World

March 13, 2008 12:03 PM
By Tara Hall
LiveDaily Contributor
My favorite part of SXSW is the randomness of selecting acts to fill voids in the night. Sometimes it's the band name that gets me, other times it's the crowd reaction that draws me in.

For my first showcase of the 2008, I was drawn to this alt-pop quartet because we hail from the same Oklahoma town of Tulsa, known mostly for oil, Western swing and art-deco architecture, not so much for the small but worthwhile music scene.

RadioRadio [ tickets ] represented, rocking out from the opening notes of the first song with electric guitar screaming and a heavy bass presence that kept lead singer Greg Hosterman's hips constantly moving. Dramatic and engaging, the focused group moved seamlessly through several tracks off their full-length debut, "Watch'em All Come Runnin'." The song that clinched it: a bass-y cover of David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans" which might just rival a true Bowie performance. Impressive. "Bed Check," one of RadioRadio's original tunes, also caught my attention, partly for the reference to pioneer Tulsa radio DJ Jan Dean--who recently lost her battle with brain cancer--and her influential nighttime show of the same name that gave many local acts their only radio play. - LiveDaily

From there, I headed to Friends for part of the 9 o'clock performance from Tulsa stalwart Greg Hosterman and his band radioradio. Hosterman writes great, chunky, 3-and-a-half minute pop songs--think a ballsier Fray--he's an award-winning local artist there who would, in a perfect world, be successful on a much-bigger stage.

-Lynn Barstow, PD for 101X Austin,Tx - 101X FM Austin, Tx

"...Of course it wouldn't seem right to have an Edge show without a true hometown band on the bill. After all, The Edge is still the lone commercial bastion for local music on the radio, and with that in mind they've invited Failsafe and RadioRadio to the party as well. Both bands are admittedly staples on The Edge's Homegroan show on Sunday nights and have also landed songs in the regular daily rotation.

Everyone should be well aware of RadioRadio by now. The band has graced the cover of Urban Tulsa, was a headliner on this year's NewVo concert series and appeared at the "Night for Jan" benefit concert a couple of weeks ago. In fact, the band even wrote and performed a new song, "Bed Check (Beaming Love)," for the show and donated all money from the limited-run CD-single sales to Jan's medical fund."

-Gary Hizer
- Urban Tulsa

“...One of those emerging bands that premiered itself at Dfest last year is the local, and now wildly popular, alternative rock group, RadioRadio, named after Elvis Costello's anthemic protest of corporate radio. According to bassist Paul Cristiano, "as a new band, you're always looking to make a big first impressions. Dfest certainly provided that" for RadioRadio.”

-Siara Jacobs
- Urban Tulsa

Sexy Bass | King Thief & RadioRadio
Written by Laura Hamlett
Friday, 01 February 2008

PLAYBACK:stl & Mutiny Productions present Sexy Bass Night
featuring King Thief, Northside's Sweet Revenge, RadioRadio & John Boy's Courage
Blueberry Hill's Duck Room
Sat., Feb. 23, 8 p.m. | $10, 21+

We here at PLAYBACK:stl consider it our mission to scour our world and bring you the best new music, independent, unsigned, imported, or otherwise. We've been writing about our passions for nearly six years now, and putting together shows and events for almost as long. Last September, we were proud to bring you a longstanding dream of ours, the PLAY:stl Music Festival & Conference.

Four of the 90 bands that played the fest will be coming together for a very special show at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room on Saturday, February 23. We're calling it Sexy Bass Night, simply because we find bass very, very sexy; it makes us move, as do these four acts. King Thief and RadioRadio in particular really help us get our groove on, so we thought we'd tell you a little bit more—in our words and theirs—about why you really need to be in attendance.

If you've been to a local show in the past couple years, you've undoubtedly seen King Thief. They used to be called Ultra Blue, before they signed with Shock City Records and released The Inferno to the world. Oh sure, they've changed a bit—matured, if you will. "Our music has gotten more dramatic and theatrical," says ruby-throated, mohawked frontman Brooks Bracken. "It is definitely darker now, too."

Case in point: The Inferno, 11 songs of darkness and despair, the state of today's world as reflected through the mind and lyrical skills of Bracken. "Every song on the album is about a person's life that starts somewhere and ends in a much darker place," he says. "Everything falls apart in every story. I also like to tie morbid historical events with the way I feel about certain parts of the world today. So there is a lot of that on the record, too, such as the Salem Witch Trials (‘New England Hellcat') and the trial and execution of Mary Queen of Scots (‘The Queen')." (This writer recommends keeping all sharp and otherwise dangerous objects out of reach while listening to the deliciously addictive King Thief debut.)

Whereas the songs of Tulsa's RadioRadio also deal with conflict and confrontation, the good guys generally prevail. In 2006, the band released its first CD, a sexy, groove-filled Watch 'Em All Come Runnin'. In 2007, three of the band's five members departed within weeks of each other, all for various reasons. This left vocalist Greg Hosterman and his writing partner, bassist Paul Cristiano, with the decision of rebuilding or moving on. Following some turbulence (hey, nothing worth its weight ever came easy, right?), RadioRadio reemerged last fall as a quartet: super tight, super slick, and fueled with fresh energy and determination.

"There has been a solid, consistent feeling of creative rightness with this lineup and the material it produces," says Hosterman. "We used the rise and fall and rise again of this project as a springboard for ideas. Bands are like mini lifecycles, and you can pull a lot from the relationships you experience within them. To me, the struggle of the rock band is a perfect metaphor for every other life struggle. It is something we know intimately and they always say, write what you know."

Since reforming, RadioRadio have been hard at work on new material. Thematically, Hosterman reveals, "You could say we are in to our old bag of tricks; ‘Marathon' and ‘Watch 'Em All Come Runnin'' [from the first album] explored our plight as unknown sometimes unappreciated troubadours. I think the starting point changes a little with the new material (which I'm sure is refreshing for the band), but it's really just all love and war."

As for what to expect from the Duck Room show, King Thief fans can rejoice in the high-energy show they've come to expect, along with some new music to keep things fresh. "The band's favorite song to play live right now is a brand new one called ‘Mr. Grim,'" says Bracken. "It's dark, moody, and very intense." Plus, hometown shows always come with hometown fans, a definite plus. "St. Louis fans are seriously the best. Our shows here have this incredible energy."

Hosterman also builds on the energy. "The actual recording of all that music writing requires a Herculean effort of scheduling and funding to be realized. We are in the throes of that process now; it generates a lot of positive energy in the band. That energy spills over and should be evident in the upcoming live performances."

Being a part of the St. Louis scene, as any musician will tell you, has its ups and downs. We're not a major hub for labels, promotion or industry; as such, it's often perceived as being harder to gain attention, to stand above the crowd. King Thief, however, sees the merits of our scene; says Bracken, "St. Louis is filled with a lot of great musicians. Real players. I think the originality aspect is only getting bigger and better."

In just two visits to our town, RadioRadio's Cristiano is thus far impressed. "In your neck of the woods, you have bands like King Thief, Go Van Gogh, Northside's Sweet Revenge, Lapush—they're all very good, and they're rock, for God's sake. Real rock 'n' roll! I'm not even from St. Louis and that's just off the top of my head, so that tells you something."

A fellow outsider looking in, Hosterman sees a mystique we locals all too often overlook. "We feel legitimized when we come to St Louis," he says. "Paul has directed everyone in the band to 24 Hour Party People as required viewing. It's a film about Manchester and the music scene there during Tony Wilson's reign as purveyor of all things hip and cool. I think all young bands are looking for that place where they can be received as they should be. St. Louis is our Manchester, and you, PLAYBACK:stl, you are our Tony Wilson." | Laura Hamlett
- Playback Stl

Tulsa’s RadioRadio regroups in the nick of time.
By Matt Fernandes

The way bassist Paul Cristiano tells it, his band, RadioRadio came dangerously close to canceling their appearance at this weekend’s PLAY:stl festival.

The Tulsa quartet recently lost half their membership when the drummer and guitarist could not commit to the rigorous touring schedule that their future likely holds.

We’re working in a new lineup with really seasoned players,” said Cristiano, adding that it wasn’t easy setting up the new lineup.

Knowing that they had the St. Louis Playback festival coming up, Cristiano and lead singer Greg Hosterman scrambled the jets. They found a drummer (Paul Sanders) relatively quickly, but experienced extreme difficulties in finding a guitarist who could play the material the way they wanted. After an exhaustive multi-state search, Cristiano and Hosterman found their man at the very last moment, which is to say just a few weeks ago. “It was beyond the last minute,” Cristiano said.

Cristiano said that both the new drummer and guitarist floored him with their ability while being relatively unknown in town.

Tulsa is full of strip malls and cover bands,” said Cristiano. But there’s also a good music scene here and you usually know everyone. It was so refreshing to find out that I don’t have to rely on the same set of people in the scene to find quality musicians.”

Look for some 1970s and 80s pop influences in their sound with some electronic effects and samples included in the live show. Cristiano counts as influences My Bloody Valentine, David Bowie, Cheap Trick and, of course, Oklahoma’s The Call.

The band has released one LP, “Watch “Em All Come Runnin’,” out last year. It is filled with dancy, bass and drum driven numbers. It’s urban and industrial, reminiscent of Depeche Mode, but a little more rocking. There are plenty of effects and it will be interesting to see how they pull it off live - especially with the new band members.
- Playback Stl

JUNE 18, 2008
Never Say Die
RadioRadio reestablishes its identity with Alarm 1 Alarm 2

BY G.K. HIZER

When sitting down with three quarters of RadioRadio last week to discuss the band's new disc, I had to rewind the clock a bit and look at the past twelve months to fill in some gaps. What was perhaps one of the most promising and anticipated pop acts in Tulsa (some even considered it a local "supergroup," to the chagrin of most of the band's members) came apart at the seams when three fifths of the band bowed out.

Needless to say, that left a number of unanswered questions in the minds of local music fans, including speculation on whether or not the band would be able to continue.

"The thing was," bassist Paul Cristiano explained matter-of-factly, "the last show we played with the last lineup, it had taken up to 11 months to get to that point. When we played with Gravity Kills (at the Cain's Ballroom in June 2007) it was by far our best show as a band. After that it was over."

"Yeah, good job guys," vocalist Greg Hosterman chimed in. "We finally nailed it and now we're hanging it up."

Most bands would have thrown in the towel when facing a similar situation and, with all due respect, many people expected that from RadioRadio. After all, this was the band that made its live debut to rave reviews at DFest 2006 on the big stage, and less than a year later it had deflated.

Nevertheless, Hosterman and Cristiano did their best to pick up the pieces, utilizing Greg's brother, Ben Hosterman, to fulfill outstanding obligations like DFest 2007 and picking up occasional acoustic gigs to keep the RadioRadio name alive while pondering their future.

While Hosterman readily admits it was a "proverbial wind out of your sails" experience, his musical counterpart's straightforward explanation of the situation leaves no doubt about the intentions of the band.

"At first it was a real downer," said Cristiano. "But I knew if Greg and I stuck it out, that as bad as it seemed at the time, it could equally be just as great because we still really believed in the record and believed in the songs."

With that mindset, the songwriting partners set out to redeem what they had started and right their course, despite anyone else's expectations.

"If you're going to make it in this business, you have to have a thick skin," Hosterman told me. "And the concept of this band was mine and Paul's from the start. We started in the parking lot at Garden Ridge, conceptualizing the songs and the band, so it really wasn't that difficult to..."

"It was just back to square one," Cristiano interjected.

"The thing that was difficult about it was that you felt like so much time had passed and so much energy had been exerted," Hosterman continued. "But in graphic design we always say 'When you screw it up, it's always easier the second time around...'"

Armed with a renewed sense of purpose, Cristiano and Hosterman started on their quest to find the right players to complete the band as they originally envisioned it and continued to write music to keep the creative process flowing.

Turned Back On

RadioRadio (v2.0) made its live Tulsa debut at RocBar 18 (now closed) on October 6, 2007 and having been at the show, I'll admit to being a little skeptical myself. While new guitarist Jay Hunt and drummer Paul Sanders filled the gap, the band was still a little raw and missed a few beats.

During the course of the past eight months, however, the group has tightened up considerably and become perhaps more of a "band" than its first incarnation ever appeared to be. Now reacting to each other instead of to musical queues, the group is still less polished, but has a more seat-of-your-pants approach that is essential to a band's live persona.

As an observer, I see RadioRadio as a completely different animal. While the band members don't take the music any less serious, it's obvious that they are now beginning to enjoy the live gigs and are approaching them with more of a "rock show" attitude than a "performance" oriented mindset. Case in point: at more than one show, including a pivotal showcase at SXSW in March, the normally stoic Cristiano has actually been seen flashing a wide grin, perhaps remembering why he originally joined a rock band to begin with.

With the past now behind them and an equally promising future ahead, the group has a new EP ready for release this weekend. And while the title cut, "Alarm 1 Alarm 2," may have originated before the collapse of the group's original lineup, it's still very much a reflection of the current band, especially when considering its evolution.

"That song went through a lot of iterations before it became what it is today, but Jay had a lot to do with that, even though that was the first thing we decided to work on," said Cristiano.

"It's hard to remember exactly how that process went, but the song was completely different," Hosterman explained. "The verse was different and then the chorus got rethought and then Paul's wife said 'I like it, but it doesn't really speak to me.' I went home the next day and was like, 'I'm going to rethink it. I'm going to rewrite it..."

"It's interesting to me," Hosterman reflected, "because I was listening to the song today and it feels like the crux of that song is somebody paralyzed, not able to move forward and then having these wake up calls. I just think that's interesting as an analogy to the rise and fall of this band, that the wake up calls -- they're also sort of revelations that this is what has happened and this is why it happened."

"Ultimately, it's sort of internalized. To me, what have I got to do to fix and change it?" Hosterman continued. "So the author of the song sort of takes ownership of his own plight and I like that about it. I like that it's, in a small way, sort of analogous to the M.O. of this band - that we forge ahead."

While some may fear that the band's evolution strays from the sound and vibe of the debut disc, that's not the case. While Cristiano admits to "loosening the screws" a bit, the new EP is a logical progression from Watch 'Em All Come Runnin', both sonically and lyrically. Perhaps the only difference is that the band wears its influences a bit more prominently on its sleeve; from the INXS derived dance and funk beat of "BBC" to the nearly gothic-electronic, Joy Division-esque feel of "I, Computer."

Throughout all the songs, however, the common thread of the EP is a man (or band) in survival mode, which comes across most blatantly in the ballad "Ghost" with a chorus refrain of "Never going to give up the ghost, never give it up..."

That's exactly what we're witnessing with RadioRadio, a rock band with a "never say die" attitude that is moving forward with more conviction than ever.

Although the past eight months may have seemed quiet on the home front, the band has actually played more shows than it did in the 11 months of its previous incarnation. It has been playing out of town (including SXSW in Austin, St Louis, Kansas City and Memphis) and has found time to produce a new EP with Nathan Brandt at the producer's helm. Mixing and mastering from the production team of Brad Mitcho and Wayne Morgan not only solidified the band's signature sound, but symbolically serves to ties up any loose ends in the transition of the band.

On Friday night, June 20, all the hard work comes to fruition as RadioRadio holds the CD release party for Alarm 1, Alarm 2 at the Blank Slate. Stateside and My Solstice will open the show and cover is only $7 at the door. If you've been wondering exactly would happen with RadioRadio, this is your best opportunity to see why it's a new beginning (as opposed to the beginning of the end) for what is still one of Tulsa's most promising pop-rock bands.

I'll see you at the show!

-G.K. Hizer - Urban Tulsa