First off, we're super excited to announce that "CopCar" is being played on XFM and BBC Radio 6 over in the UK!
Secondly, we released the "CopCar" Coloring Book/EP on Monday night and it was one of the most amazing nights of our collective lives.
Here are 2 photo galleries if you weren't able to attend.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amaries/sets/72157622013952380/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indierocklance/sets/72157622016107992/
Also, here's a really sweet write up from the stellar photographer above, Lance Cozett:
http://nashvilleforfree.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/scene-report-heypenny-ep-release-show/
Scene Report: Heypenny EP Release Show
Mercy Lounge’s 8 Off 8th series is usually a pretty good value. It’s
free, for one, which is always nice. The fact that there are 8 bands
playing means that if you aren’t into one, they’re gone in 3 songs and
one of the others might strike you better. It’s a bummer for youngsters
that it’s 21+ with no exceptions (unless you’re in a band playing that
night, perhaps), but that’s a necessary evil in keeping it free.
Lately, though, 8 Off 8th has been at the top of its game. Last
month’s Nashville Cream cover shows were fun, the Road to Bonnaroo
shows were total madness, and last night’s Heypenny EP release show was
one of the absolute best CD release shows I’ve ever been to.
Like usual, I misjudged the start time for the show and missed
Matthew Perryman Jones and got to Mercy Lounge just as Cheer Up Charlie
Daniels was starting off. The band decked out the inside of Mercy
Lounge with imagery pulled straight from their video to Cop Car. Three
robots were hung from the ceiling over the stage (yes, they did manage
to get those things up there),
a smaller robot with a beer in hand
sat at the edge of the stage and the walls were covered with blown up
illustrations from the coloring book that comes with the EP.
I was so distracted by what was going on around me that I barely
recognized that Cheer Up Charlie Daniels was playing a Heypenny cover.
In fact, every band that night played a Heypenny cover, usually
“CopCar” or “Oh No” and usually pretty much by the book, with the
notable exception of a spooky rendition of CopCar by experimental space
rocker Mikky Ekko. That was just one of the nice little touches that
made this show something different and gave it continuity. Sometimes at
these 8 Off 8ths, the bands are all so different that they don’t make
sense went put next to each other. And certainly the ballsy
instrumental rock of The Biv is a hell of a lot different from sweeter,
folksier songs by Natalie Prass and Madi Diaz, but I loved hearing
these covers. Especially the one by Coral Castles, the lone
non-Nashville band of the night. Coral Castles hails from Chattanooga,
TN and drove up specifically to play 4 songs at Mercy (Heypenny singer
Ben Elkins gave them an extra song for the distance).
As a bonus, Coral Castles gave out free copies of their EP. Bands,
if you want to win over people at a free show, give them a free CD.
Trust me. It doesn’t hurt that their frentic keyboard driven indie rock
blew most of us away, but the free CD was nice too.
In addition to all the music, the band managed to recruit some
pretty talented artists to color the giant coloring book pages,
including frequent The (Rabbit) contributors Casey Pierce and David
Hellams. They didn’t manage to get artists for every canvas, but the
ones that were getting painted came out really well. I was impressed
and I already knew how talented these cats were coming into the show.
Amazingly, Heypenny drummer Aaron Distler told me that the show only
came together over the past two days. The fact that they managed to
organize all of this and pull off in style is impressive. They must be
some kind of event planning superheroes to get this thing together.
They even had time to put together new costumes, which looked like they
were hot as hell.
When Heypenny did that marching band procession through the crowd
during the Road to Bonnaroo show, they set a bar for themselves that I
thought they would have a damn hard time surpassing. But they matched
and exceeded my expectations last night without any problem at all. In
Nashville, we’re so saturated with music–particularly live music–that
sometimes we all forget what it’s like for a show to be an event. We
need more shows like these to get us all out of that rut.
–Lance
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http://www.ilikemusic.com/indie/Heypenny_Copcar_EP-7388
By releasing their Copcar EP available from July 27th 2009, on
Guerrilla Music, Heypenny are plotting to plant themselves permanently
in the hearts of UK music fans. With their staccato indie-pop sound
this won't be a difficult task. To hear Heypenny is to love them.
Each song they do is brought to life through their imagery and
videos. The Copcar video epitomizes everything an independent music
video should be - Low on budget and high on personality. After the
snowballing popularity of their Parade video on YouTube, it was clear
that a standard had been set for their future efforts, and again
they've again stepped up to the plate; the theme this time is robots,
the outfits are phenomenal!
When performing live they're no plug in and play sort of band. Live
shows are treated with the same level of attention as their music,
artwork, and visuals, and in true Heypenny style they also have themes
running through them. Their current show is based around the marching
band idea from their Parade release, including dramatic stage
entrances, brilliant costumes, and even a live marching band.
Created from the bedroom project of vocalist/keys man Benjamin
Elkins, who self-released what was essentially a solo album (Use These
Spoons) in 2006 to many nods of approval in blog world. His full 4
piece band was finally born when he moved to Nashville and teamed up
with bassist DJ Murphey whose dance moves developed Heypenny's
performances into an explosive live show, winning them fans across the
Chicago, New York, and London.
I think there may be something in the water in Nashville, while
already established as the American home of country music, there's also
a thriving and competitive alternative scene co-existing in the state
capital. Of this scene, Heypenny stand head and shoulders above their
peers. To be fair, with the effort and style they deploy into
everything they do, they stand taller than most bands ever could.
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http://movinginstereo.org/category/heypenny/
In this ADD era I live in, music videos are a thing of the past. I
can’t focus long enough to sit through one. When a new song is
unleashed first in video form, I’ll open the video and pop open a new
tab to get on with things. Until this evening…
Still Nashville’s best kept secret,
Heypenny, are
gearing up for the Cop Car EP.
(released yet?) The video presents a fresh, new rendition of
Cop Car. To me, it’s an improved upon version than
the demo. Simply watching the video you can get a brief idea of what Heypenny are capable of in recorded and
live form. This band is the feel good hit of the summer. Release an EP or a full length and the feel good band of ‘09.
This band is poised to explode. If they don’t, it would be a shame.
A waste. They are one of the best things going now in the world of pop.
Their live show is fuckin’ electric. And most importantly, a carefree
and fun time capable of being enjoyed by ALL.
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http://www.dieshellsuit.co.uk/article_detail.asp?rID=3913
7/10
Sounding like a cartoon is beaming into your brain by way of your ears,
Copcar is the colourful and springy title track of this EP from
Tennessee quartet, Heypenny.
Though they make take inspiration
from the likes of Devo, their light-hearted tone on this EP is more
akin to Chicago’s indie-popsters, Ok Go.
Second track, Oh No
beams in this time like a sitcom episode complete with a chorus that
sounds like audience interaction with chant’s of “Oh no, don’t do it!”.
In a different direction, last track
Emperors New Clothes
has wistful tones where the wandering vocals from singer and
keyboardist Benjamin Elkins take on the guise of David Bowie. There are
certainly a few things to keep the ears open and mind absorbed here!
by Sofi Eln
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