NEW YORK, NY -- 11/03/09 --
"CHRISTMAS CHEERS," the eagerly anticipated
new album from ATCO/Atlantic recording group Straight No Chaser, has
arrived at all stores and DSPs today. The collection features a selection
of holiday-themed classics, reworked in the acclaimed a cappella group's
inventive and original style. The compilation is led by the brand-new
single "The Christmas Can-Can" and also features a studio version of the
YouTube hit "The 12 Days of Christmas."
Straight No Chaser is currently heralding the album's release with a major
U.S. tour (see below itinerary). The dates -- presented by Southwest
Airlines -- will continue through a December 23rd tour finale at Raleigh,
North Carolina's Progress Energy Performing Arts Center. As part of the
partnership with Southwest Airlines, Straight No Chaser will treat fellow
Southwest customers to surprise performances at airports across the
country.
"CHRISTMAS CHEERS" follows Straight No Chaser's smash debut, "HOLIDAY
SPIRITS," which reached #1 at both iTunes and Amazon.com upon its release
last year. Songs from both collections and more are featured in the
10-member group's upcoming PBS special, "Live In New York: Holiday
Edition." The concert -- filmed this past August at NYC's famed Angel
Orensanz Foundation -- will air throughout PBS' annual December Pledge
Drive (check local listings). A video for "The Christmas Can-Can" from the
PBS special can now be seen on the re-launched www.sncmusic.com. The newly
updated site also features exclusive photos, audio, videos, blogs, Twitter,
tour dates and much more.
Straight No Chaser -- who recently supported Barry Manilow's sold out
Hollywood Bowl solo concert -- will be appearing on QVC on November 25th,
with multiple appearances all through the day. What's more, the group is
scheduled to appear on the Christmas Day edition of NBC's "The Today Show,"
performing holiday favorites throughout the broadcast.
"CHRISTMAS CHEERS" highlights Straight No Chaser's trademark vocal sound
and unique musical approach, while also incorporating much of the energy
and enthusiasm of their celebrated live show. Recorded in SNC's home base
of Bloomington, Indiana, the album ranges from the hilarious "Christmas
Can-Can" (with lyrics by the group's Walter Chase) to a beautifully soulful
take on "O Holy Night." The 15-track collection also includes such holiday
classics as "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,"
"Jingle Bells," and many more. The SNC original, "Who Spiked The Egg
Nog?," was written by member Ryan Ahlwardt and Straight No Chaser's
producer, Deke Sharon.
"The last album was a little more traditional," says the group's founder,
Dan Ponce, "a little more what you might expect from an a cappella
Christmas album. With the new album, we took a few more risks, and there's
definitely a comedic element that weaves through the album. We wanted to
capture that aspect of our stage performance in our recordings."
Founded at Indiana University in the fall of 1996, Straight No Chaser's
goal was to expand the boundaries of the traditional college a cappella
group. From the start, they viewed themselves more like a local band that
just happened to use their voices as their instruments. As original member
Randy Stine comments, "We take the music very seriously; we just don't take
ourselves too seriously." In the process, they are reinventing the idea of
a cappella on the modern pop landscape.
In 1999, the graduating members of Straight No Chaser chose their
replacements, ensuring that the new tradition they had created would
continue on with successive generations of IU undergrads. Then, in 2006,
the unexpected happened -- Indiana University decided to host a reunion
concert for the original members. In honor of the event, Randy Stine
posted footage from one of their 1998 concerts online.
To the group's surprise, Straight No Chaser's version of "The 12 Days of
Christmas" -- interpolating Toto's "Africa" -- became the hottest viral
video of the holiday season, eventually receiving more than 10 million
views online. Among those millions of viewers was Atlantic Records
Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman, who tracked the group down and promptly signed
them to the label.
The birth of Straight No Chaser's second life is a story of talent, drive,
and some very good luck. But their goal remains the same as it was back in
their college days. As Stine says, "We want the audience to not miss the
instruments, be surprised by what we are doing, and in the end, appreciate
the songs in a whole new way."
Taking off from the runaway success of "The 12 Days Of Christmas," "HOLIDAY
SPIRITS" saw Straight No Chaser re-energizing holiday classics such as "The
Christmas Song," "Silent Night," and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
with their captivating and powerful vocal arrangements. Fueled by
appearances on "ABC World News Tonight," "CNN Headline News," and NBC's
"The Today Show," among others, the album spent 14 days in the #1 slot on
Amazon, and 5 days at the top spot overall on iTunes. The group's now
famous version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" peaked in the top 10 on the
Christmas radio chart and reached the top 15 at Hot AC. On their
first-ever headline tour in December 2008, Straight No Chaser sold out
shows across the country.
For up-to-the-minute news and information, visit www.sncmusic.com, and
www.myspace.com/sncmusic.
(TOUR ITINERARY BELOW)
STRAIGHT NO CHASER
ON TOUR 2009
NOVEMBER
3 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café
5 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
7 Milwaukee, WI Potawatomi Casino
8 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Café
11 Toronto, ON, Canada Queen Elizabeth Theatre
12 Belleville, ON, Canada The Empire Theatre
13 Montreal, QC, Canada Cabaret Juste Pour Rire
14 Schenectady, NY Proctor's Theatre
15 Buffalo, NY Center for the Arts - University at Buffalo
18 Atlanta, GA Center Stage
19 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre
20 Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall
22 Bel Air, MD Hartford Community College
27 Seattle, WA Benaroya Hall (Nordstrom Recital Hall)
28 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
29 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre
DECEMBER
1 Canton, OH Palace Theatre
3 Louisville, KY Brown Theatre
4 Piqua, OH Edison Community College
5 Indianapolis, IN The Murat Centre
6 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
7 Iowa City, IA University of Iowa, Hancher Auditorium
8 Iowa City, IA University of Iowa, Hancher Auditorium
9 Arkansas City, KS Cowley College
10 Bartlesville, OK Bartlesville Community Center
11 Junction City, KS C.L. Hoover Opera House
12 Lawrence, KS University of Kansas, Lied Center
13 Chicago, IL Park West
15 St. Louis, MO Harrah's VooDoo Lounge
17 New York, NY Nokia Theatre Times Square
18 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
19 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Theatre
21 Alexandria, VA Birchmere
22 Alexandria, VA Birchmere
23 Raleigh, NC Progress Energy Performing Arts Center
Contact:
Ashley White
Atlantic Records
212.707.2050
Ashley.White@atlanticrecords.com
Catharine McNelly
Atlantic Records
212-707-3069
Catharine.McNelly@atlanticrecords.com
