Hector On Stilts was our Grand Prize winner in our Sonic Bids/Fresh Produce2
contest. Their song, "Tongue Tied" was picked by our panel of
judges over all the others.
Alternative-pop wunderkinds, Hector On Stilts (HOS) always tip handsomely,
taste the wine first and arrive at shows in their very own limo.
If their ride is allegory for the band's grand style and rich sound,
the intensely melodic pop of their sophomore release, "Same Height
Relation," is proof. Produced by Grammy-nominee, Andres Levin, of
Afro-Cuban ensemble, Yerba Buena, "Same Height Relation" cruises
through cinematic anti-epics ("Winterland," "Rhyme Like
Me"); bittersweet alt-pop ("Heart In Your Hand," "Tongue-Tied")
and salsa-spiced New Wave ("Annie," "Squares Into Circles").
Cousins Jeb and Clayton Colwell harmonize with the clarity and conviction
of taller Everly Brothers and the band's enigmatic humor fuels a live
show that's part rock, part discotheque, and just a hair 80's prom.
Jeb and Clayton are carrying on a family heritage of music for the masses.
Their fathers were co-founders and songwriters for the Pepsodent-fresh
glee club, Up With People, who were performing at Super Bowl halftimes
before Janet Jackson had her first training bra. Jeb's theatrical instincts
undoubtedly derive from his grandfather, the late actor Anthony Quinn.
However it was the senior Colwells who passed onto their sons a legacy
of people-pleasing music and an unending fondness for the sweeter, "poppier"
side.
The cousins began performing together as teenagers at local coffee houses
and brothels in their dusty hometown, Tucson, Arizona. Mixing what one
early review affectionately called "lullaby pop" with a genetic
proclivity for zany performances, HOS soon cultivated a following from
Tucson to Seattle. Expanding eastward, HOS settled in Pittsfield, Massachusetts,
drawn by the contrasting appeal of its proximity to New York City and
a surplus of parking. Soon after unpacking, HOS added a proper rock rhythm
section in the form of Roger Mason (bass) and John Brodeur (drums). The
choice was easy: Rog toured with Skeleton Key as their trash percussionist;
John is a pop luminary in his own right, having fronted popular Albany,
NY outfit, The Suggestions. A super-group was born.
Hector On Stilts' distinct power pop, vocal harmonies and onstage (and
off) antics quickly earned the newly minted quartet a bicoastal fan base
that included Men At Work front man, Colin Hay (a "childhood hero,"
Clayton confesses). After HOS shared a bill with Hay in Pittsfield, the
80's star invited the band back to Los Angeles to co-write and recorded
an early version of "Same Height Relation" opening track, "Taxi."
HOS has also appeared with the Bloodhound Gang, Jupiter Sunrise, Sonya
Kitchell, Yerba Buena, The Winter Pills, The Tubes, ZOX and others. Not
limiting themselves to musical collaborations, Hector On Stilts was the
first band in the Storefront Artist Project (www.storefrontartist.org),
a group intent on turning the once moribund ex-GE company town of Pittsfield
into the Brooklyn of the Berkshires.
HOS has also earned numerous accolades including a 2005 "Be Heard"
Scholarship from BMI and Performing Songwriter Magazine (For Same Height
Relation track, "Tongue-Tied"), a "Best Pop Band"
nod in the Albany Metroland "Best of 2005" issue and a feature
on National Public Radio's "Open Mic."
"Same Height Relation," is available now.
----
"One of the top bands out with a huge buzz to boot." -Skope
Magazine
"Led by the dead-on harmony singing of cousins Jeb and Clayton Colwell,
HoS has churned up a perfect little pop disc with "Same Height Relation."
It's chockfull of great vocals and melodies with a big ol' pile of ear-catching
hooks. Oh yeah, some great playing, too. This is the kind of pop music
that you'll be singing for weeks after you hear it." -Albany Times
Union
"Hector on Stilts have charisma, talent, and smoldering good looks,
all of which are well-known prerequisites for a fabulous pop band. The
duo�s brand-spanking-new disc, 'Same Height Relation,'
is highly recommended." -Metroland Newsweekly "Best Pop Band"
(Best of the Capital Region 2005)
"Bopping through the new 'Same Height Relation,' it's impossible
not to swoon to at least six or seven tunes." -Providence Phoenix
"Their harmonies will make you swear that you are floating on air."
-Tucson Weekly
"Good wholesome fun with some porn mixed in." -Jeb Colwell,
Hector On Stilts
Buy H.O.S.
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