gypsy fly

Artist Information

Biography

Tommy2K - Lead vocals, Guitars
Ash - Drums
Jimmy James - Bass

BIO

Gypsyfly first formed in 1998 in the city of Chicago. Since then, they have done allot to stay active in the Chicago music scene. They have played at the Vans Warped Tour, the Tweeter Center, the Marcus Amphitheater, the House of Blues. They also have headlined such staples in Chicago the Metro, and the Double Door. They had more than three singles played on 94.7 the zone ( a prominent station in Chicago). They have been featured in radio contests by both 94.7 the zone and Q101 (101.1 FM), where they were chosen as the local band of the week and performed at the House of Blues (94.7the zone). They also had a single “Young Again” prominently displayed on the Q101 website all week. Their music is also widely available for digital download on sites like I tunes, Rhapsody, Sony connect, Yahoo music and many others. They also recently received an honorable mention from Billboard for their song “Young Again”. It can be seen in the photo part of their website, along with other credentials. Breathing Air, was released February13th 2007. It has had a single “All You Needed” played on Q101 (101.1. fem. Chicago). They also have been featured as band of the week on Fearless Radio.com and played live on the New music Binge Radio show on multiple occasions. A good amount of songs from Breathing Air have been played on their station. They were featured in the Chicago Sun-times for the CD and received more positive press. They finished a new music video for “I Wanna Get Off” which was shot in the City of Chicago by staff from Fox Television. It debuted on JBTV Chicago shortly after.

Their new album titled Silver Or Lead was released to positive reviews. A single from their album was played on ESPN 1000’s the Waddle and Silvy show. They were also featured on the Q101 website for their Up and coming band contest that was sponsored by Old Style. Silver or Lead has also had allot of radio play by various local, college and national stations. They are currently playing concerts in support of it while they finish their new music video for “Play With Fire”.
the video can be viewed here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-iwQ6TZaR4

Instrumentation

Tommy 2k - Lead vocals , Guitars
Jimmy James - Bass , vocals
Ash - Drums , vocals

Discography

GYPSY FLY (full length) - 1998

FIVE MINUTES (e.p.) -2000 released at Tower Records stores and garnered airplay on Chicago's 94.7 the zone

PINK LAVENDER (full length) - 2003 released at Tower Records (Tower Records.com), Cd Baby.com and singles Pop Song, Just Us, and Butch Cassidy recieved airplay on Chicago's 94.7 the zone courtesy of James Van Osdol. It was also put on 35 different online music services available for download including Napster, and I-tunes

LABELED (e.p.) - 2005 released this summer. single Disappear recieved airplay on Chicago's 94.7 the zone courtesy of James Van Osdol. It was released at Tower Records (Tower Records.com), CDBay.com, and is headed for release with many online music services for download

Breathing Air - 2007 (full length) 12 hook filled songs under 34 minutes

Silver or Lead - New full length out November 24th 09

Links

• MySpace

Audio

• Intro
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• Silver Or Lead
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• Play With Fire
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• Waiting for Sorry
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• Pass Me the Dynamite
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• You Don't Know Me
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• Don't Worry
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• Forever
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• The Day Night Ended
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Lyrics

• Don't Worry

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Review of EP Labeled [+ Show ]
  

  Before and while listening to each band I review, I always think that it is rather essential to kn...
  Before and while listening to each band I review, I always think that it is rather essential to know the artists behind the music. By reading the bios of bands, the point is given to me right off the bat, as most of the press kits review the formation of the act, the act's biggest shows/triumphs, and any perseverance’s these musicians have established in events that have obstacled their goals. Gypsyfly is definitely a band with one of the better descriptions I have read. While the "overcoming trials" aspect seems to take the most precedent role in their description, Gypsyfly eventually summits their bio with the concept that this band is at its most creative and most productive in the present. Knowing that this band has had its share of dirt on their hands and sweat on their foreheads, I was ready to hear what had evolved from three friends just messing around on instruments.
  
  
  The first track on the press kit page is titled "Young Again", which immediately brings to mind the thoughts of going back to the simpler or better days of my youth. I am captivated by the crisp mixing of Jimmy James' bass as he plays one smooth line that is just the right tough of ska and punk rock. When the drums and vocals kick in, my foot begins to tap. The background vocals that soon appear and continue throughout the song are not meant to be perfect pitch harmonies. Instead, the "wah ohs" are used in a more carefree sing along type of light, kind of like those songs that everyone sings when you're at a drunken party. Being that I read about the band's travels from creation to present, the lyrics of this song come across as genuine, without losing their ability to start a mosh pit. My favorite aspect of the song would have to be the breakdown, where the ban d establishes its songwriting with some distorted rolled vocals, a piano hook, and a shout along lyric. The final repetition of the final chorus fades rather fast, while I'm still ready to rock, so I move onto track 2...
  
  
  "4 Deep" begins with ambiguous sound, ala "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd. Vocals and guitar then sneak in at me from the right speaker only, hinting at the signs of the full blown rock sound in short time. Once again, the lyrics seem to throw back to the band's personal journey, which seems to come to life through my own experiences in a band along with the story-like content of the song. I can definitely see a lot of potential crowd shouting lines in this song, especially the whole "1,2,3" lyric (people love to sing numbers). I also enjoyed the short and sweet solo that promoted the rock roots of the band with its accents and musical movement. I also like how the track concludes; almost hinting at a final chorus to pop right back at me, but instead it simply fades out quickly.
  
  
  "Disappear" a features element that worked in the previous two songs and puts them all together once again. The distorted vocals in some parts of the song bring in a punk influence, along with the chanting "fight fight" background vocals. The sturdy bassline with its fills keeps the rhythm flowing as the guitar also chugs along. The guitar features small leads and parts that embellish the heaviness of the tune, which really makes it the most rocking track out of all three of the songs available. The lyrics seem more vivacious in this song as well, as they are matched with a different sense of wording. The drums could even be a little louder in the mix, as they bring across a great energy that is probably huge live.
  
  
  So what's my final thought on Gypsyfly? Well, if the band wanted to get the story of their hardships and achievements out through their music...well then mission accomplished! The lyrics really come across as a story rather than a set of words thrown together that sound cool. The possibilities of a live show definitely promote the idea of crowd sing-alongs and moshing. If anything, this band seems to be about having a good time regardless of what has (and will continue to) be thrown at them. With their chins up, these guys look at the past and realize what it has taken to become who they are. With this mix of maturity and rock, Gypsyfly offers something for both the audience and themselves.

• Local CD Review [+ Show ]
  

  Local CD Reviews Posted By IE On 1st February 2006 @ 11:39 http://illinoisentertainer.com/2006...Local CD Reviews
  Posted By IE On 1st February 2006 @ 11:39
  
  
  http://illinoisentertainer.com/2006/02/01/local-cd-reviews-3/#more-355
  
  
  Named after Jimi Hendrix and Curtis Mayfield references, Carol Stream-based Gypsy Fly sound nothing like either legend. Their third release, the EP Labeled, is your typical surprise-free rock record, layering basic melodies and simple harmonies over straightforward rock. The strongest track is “California” (yes, another California song), which is driven by a strong bass line and more creative vocals. ([13] www.gypsyfly.net)
  – Carter Moss
  

• Review of Breathing Air [+ Show ]
  

  Gypsyfly’s 12-song Breathing Air is pure pop rock that values style over substance. Each song is beg...Gypsyfly’s 12-song Breathing Air is pure pop rock that values style over substance. Each song is begging to be remembered through repetition of its sing-along choruses, which are usually the song title (for example: “I Go, You Go, We Go”). The vocals, delivered at times with a nasal sneer, mostly overpower the instrumentation, which seems to be a modern update to The Monkees. The repetitious vocals “on and on, on and on” from the opening song “I Wanna Get Off,” set a early precedent. (www.gypsyfly.net)
  – Jason Scales

• Feature in Sun-times (Chicago) [+ Show ]
  

  Not many bands can say they started out on the 'Jenny Jones' show March 6, 2008Recommend ...
  
  Not many bands can say they started out on the 'Jenny Jones' show
  
  March 6, 2008Recommend
  
  BY KYLE KOSTER Staff Reporter
  You’ve heard this story before. High school kids in art class dreaming of being rock stars and ditching their colored pencils for Fender Stratocasters and drum kits. This was the origin of the Carol Stream-based alternative rock band Gypsy Fly.
  
  But from there, the tale takes a sensational, made-for-daytime-TV turn.
  
  “I think our music is sarcastic; there’s lots of down-in-the-dumps but done with a positive light that gives hope,” says Gypsy Fly guitarist Tommy2K. “We like to leave the vehicle open and don’t want to have it come down too heavy on people.”
  
  
  “We played the ‘Jenny Jones Show,’ ” laughs guitarist Tommy2K. “They had a band of the week or Chicago house band of the day. They called us on a Wednesday and they wanted us to tape on Friday. We’re 16 years old and sitting in the back of the dressing room with a Sharpie, trying to whittle our songs down to 15-second sound bites.”
  
  The members of Gypsy Fly had been told they’d be playing two of their songs, only to find out five minutes before taping they’d have significantly less time to shine. Tommy2K and the guys pulled it off, though, jamming on national television when most of their classmates were sweating over their parallel parking.
  
  A decade later, the makeup of the band has changed, but their devotion to rock-driven power pop has remained. And their iron will to practice has never wavered. Every Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. for the last 10 years, Gypsy Fly has gathered together to hone their skills.
  
  “I can’t remember the last time we missed a practice,” Tommy2K says. “It seems like every time we’ve gotten a big break, there’s been, like, two days’ notice. So we make sure we’re prepared.”
  
  One of those big breaks was playing Warped Tour stops in Milwaukee and Chicago. There, the group’s raucous live energy endeared it to fans looking for unabashedly to the point melodies. As Tommy2K explains, it’s a sound that’s come together from a variety of influences.
  
  “I’m a real huge Cure fan, and the other guys like different styles, but we kind of said we’re going to do something different and fuse them together,” he says. “It might take longer, but we made a conscious effort to have our own writing style.”
  
  One of the obstacles the band faces is not fitting cleanly into one particular category or genre. They’re parts of Rancid, parts of Sugarcult and parts of the Living End. While the record labels might want one specific sound throughout a catalog, the members of Gypsy Fly are adamant on keeping their sound true to who they are.
  
  “I think our music is sarcastic; there’s lots of down-in-the-dumps but done with a positive light that gives hope,” Tommy2K says. “We like to leave the vehicle open and don’t want to have it come down too heavy on people.”
  
  Gypsy Fly recently shot a video for their single “I Wanna Get Off” with Lou Hinkhouse, who has previously worked with the Smashing Pumpkins. They plan to start recording a new album late in the summer and hope to have it completed by next winter.
  
  Paramount to their success will be translating the energy of a Gypsy Fly show to the energy of a Gypsy Fly disc.
  
  “I think we are a live band,” Tommy2K says. “I like playing a lot of places in Chicago and bringing a lot of intensity. The key is having that enthusiasm shine through on the record.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  with Room 101 and Bully in the Hallway
  
  9 p.m. Thursday
  
  Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee
  
  Tickets, $7
  
  Call (773) 489-3160
  
  

Setlist

All Originals - 45 min. to 1 1/2 hrs.

Songs

1. I Wanna Get Off
2. Flash Flash Photograph
3. All You Needed
4. I Go You Go We Go
5. If You Follow
6. Breathing Air
7. It Doesn't Matter
8. The Finish Line
9. Disappear
10. Silver or Lead
11. Play With Fire
12. Pass Me the Dynamite
13. Waiting For Sorry
14. Don't Worry
15. My Heart Caves In
16. Your Gonna Get It
17. Forever

Basic Requirements

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