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"Radio-friendly power pop with a razor-sharp riff attack"

7k
The Gig
Hollywood
by Albert Vega

Material:
Falling just this side of pop-rock, 7k dishes out a potent breed of catchy hooks, interesting breaks, and huge choruses. From FM ballads to pounding rock, the four-piece rarely lets up its tongue-in-cheek approach, which includes ripping on Scientologists, Orange County upbringings and A-list high-schoolers. Despite the songs’ bratty lyrics, Garvin and company thread the line between radio-friendly songwriting and punch-in-the-gut blowouts that appeal to listeners on both ends of the rock & roll spectrum.

Musicianship:
Few bands have a rhythm section as powerful as 7k’s. Especially hard-hitting during its up-tempo blasts, Rivera and Bermoy create a charging urgency that bowls over a crowd. Add [David Neil Black’s] razor-sharp riffs, and an impressive wall of sound is created. Of equal importance are the foursome’s use of vocal harmonies, which adds a sheen to what would otherwise be standard fare.

Performance:
Any luster these musicians lacked in their onstage banter was made up for with heaps of energy and confidence in their music. A brethren of VH’s Michael Anthony, Rivera injected his delivery with an attitude that accentuated the act’s barrages. Filling his frontman shoes well, Garvin belted the sugary choruses with infectious vigor. Unpretentious and irreverent (i.e., using “masturbate” as a primary lyric), 7k showed that while this act may not take themselves seriously, they do place importance on execution.

Summary:
7k’s power pop runs the gamut from mid-Nineties alternative balladry to full-blown arena-sized assaults. At their peak (case in point, “Suburban Alien”), the four-piece have all the makings of a rock powerhouse, complete with giddy-female and fist-pumping male fandom. At times, however, their lyrical territory seems to play to an underage crowd. While the humor isn’t lost, it may be better suited for bands a bit younger that don’t posses 7k’s musical chops.
- Music Connection, 2004


"7k's knick knacks and apparel"

Last year when we stumbled upon 7K and had a chance to talk with Jeff Garvin front man for the band, we knew they were a band that had longevity. Only a year’s gone by and they’re back for more with their sophomore release, which includes a bonus DVD. “Knick Knacks and Apparel” conjures up perfection and class of a great Indie act named REM.

Melodic power chords, riveting hypnotic vocals with precision by Garvin gives birth to the next generation in the history of 7K. I am a headbanger by heart but also get mellow at times and I latched onto the likes of Cat Stevens so there is nothing I would not give a chance. 7K falls in the genre of high profile alternative without the screams of most alternative bands. The guitar by David Neil Black is Santana-like but also has the drive to take it home. “Make It Up” will be in regular radio rotation if it’s not already, the song pulls no punches as it delivers highs and lows, but the charisma in Garvin’s voice draws your attention and makes you an instant fan.

Disc II: The DVD was recorded at Hogue Barmichael’s Orange County Newport Beach, California 2006.
Watching the DVD I can’t but help seeing that Garvin has the crowd in his hold. The musicianship is excellent yet Garvin still holds the key for success of 7K. The stage is quite small so there’s not a lot of mobility but 7K make the best of it and Rivera starts feeling it during “Make It Up” as he rocks the stage with his body motions and pounding bass lines. The band leaves the stage after a thirty-minute set, coming back for one encore “Ministry of Pretense” which seemed to be the most powerful song of the night.

-Brian Rademacher

http://rockeyez.com/reviews/cd/7k/rev-7k-knickknack.html - rockeyez.com


"Through the Windshield - 4 Stars"

7k excites fans every time they step on stage. The L.A. based band was formed by Jeff Garvin in 2001 along with high school musical partner and bassist Carlos Rivera Jr. Their music is clear cut electrifying with amazing songwriting skills and vocals reminiscent of Ed Kowalczyk of Live. 7K plays a style of alternative hard rock at a level of Live that is unique with Garvin setting high standards as a pronounced vocalist.

The aura that surrounds the band is shocking which is hard to find in music these days. Each and every song has a glow of sensation that is riveting. The way Garvin sings holds your attention as the guitar playing of David Neil Black sets the mood. Black’s playing is in the mold of Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as he plays melodic guitar holding that perfect note with precision. The band has released two prior EP’s before releasing this full-length debut CD “Through The Windshield.”

The opening track “The Wrong Mistake” rips apart the simplest of alternative tunes and shows what the band has achieved in only a short time. The arrangement throughout the CD is superb; it’s a miracle that no other band has stolen material from 7K. The production is top of the line being produced by Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket. “Who Dies First” will give you memories of past John Fogerty tunes. Rockeyez has never received a CD of this quality from an independent band like 7K. We do receive some amazing releases but nothing in the mold of 7K. These guys are a freak of nature, they are sensational.

- Rockeyez.com


"Through the Windshield - 4 Stars"

7k excites fans every time they step on stage. The L.A. based band was formed by Jeff Garvin in 2001 along with high school musical partner and bassist Carlos Rivera Jr. Their music is clear cut electrifying with amazing songwriting skills and vocals reminiscent of Ed Kowalczyk of Live. 7K plays a style of alternative hard rock at a level of Live that is unique with Garvin setting high standards as a pronounced vocalist.

The aura that surrounds the band is shocking which is hard to find in music these days. Each and every song has a glow of sensation that is riveting. The way Garvin sings holds your attention as the guitar playing of David Neil Black sets the mood. Black’s playing is in the mold of Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as he plays melodic guitar holding that perfect note with precision. The band has released two prior EP’s before releasing this full-length debut CD “Through The Windshield.”

The opening track “The Wrong Mistake” rips apart the simplest of alternative tunes and shows what the band has achieved in only a short time. The arrangement throughout the CD is superb; it’s a miracle that no other band has stolen material from 7K. The production is top of the line being produced by Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket. “Who Dies First” will give you memories of past John Fogerty tunes. Rockeyez has never received a CD of this quality from an independent band like 7K. We do receive some amazing releases but nothing in the mold of 7K. These guys are a freak of nature, they are sensational.

- Rockeyez.com


"Lost Suburbanites rescued by OC Rockers 7k on "Knick Knacks & Apparel"

When was the last time we heard of an unsigned rock band ballsy enough to record an entire album—or in the case of Orange County modern rockers 7k, a feisty six song EP/Live DVD package—that didn’t have one friggin’ whiny, self-pitying or angry love song? Who have the guts to unabashedly declare their new collection a “call to action” for several generations of spiritually and emotionally unfulfilled people?

Corey Manske, the band’s new drummer (who the three other members credit for driving 7k’s vibe to a new, higher level), says the whole point of Knick Knacks And Apparel is to inspire people to get up off their asses and do something with their lives. “Not only are we trying to inspire you to do something,” he explains, “but we’re warning you that if you just sit around, you’re wasting your life.”

Over the past few years, the band has been off their duffs quite a bit, doing hundreds of shows while building a loyal following that extends from famed OC clubs like Hogue Barmichael’s in Newport (where the DVD was shot) to L.A. hotspots like Key Club, The Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco and the Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona.

They’ve also been championed by Dean Dinning, bassist for Toad The Wet Sprocket, who produced their early Eps The Glovebox EP (2003) and Ferocious Pop (2004). With Knick Knacks And Apparel, they’re becoming nationally known thanks to an aggressive college radio promotional campaign and a growing myspace fan base.

Don’t let lead singer and rhythm guitarist Jeff Garvin’s Flock of Seagulls-spiced blond and black mop of hair, eyeliner, leather pants and skeleton key and dragon tattoos on his arms fool you—his literate lyrics are just possibly this generation’s answer to Elvis Costello and his voice has always impressed guitarist David Neil Black (a Jimmy Page fanatic) as Robert Plantish in passion and intensity.

The charismatic co-founder of 7k (with bassist and old pal from L.A. County High School For The Arts Carlos Rivera) quips, “My function is to drive home the core message of the band, which is to electrify people to live the unlived life within them. There’s an epidemic of forfeited dreams in our generation – people who sell out their true self for more apparently pressing obligations – jobs, family, drugs, you name it. There’s always this tension between the person you’re supposed to be and the person you are being. Our songs address the reality that the more you can get those circles to overlap, the more positive impact you can have.”

That theme is driven home on two key 7k tracks that perfectly define the band’s riveting songwriting acumen. “Who Dies First?” from 2005’s Through The Windshield, their first full length album (which was produced by Black, enjoying his true “Jimmy Page” moment), was inspired by Garvin’s dark high school fantasy of an unnamed character who goes on a Columbine style shooting spree. The sequel to that song, “Suburban Desperado” from Knick Knacks and Apparel is a cautionary tale starring a man named Jim Vickers, who survives the attack but lives his whole life in fear—only to wake up one day to realize he wasted his life by not pursuing his dreams.

“The lyrics during the bridge depict Vickers standing over his wife with a gun, contemplating a horrible, desperate move,” says Manske. “It’s about subtle satisfaction and terrifying tension wrapped together. The song has a great arena anthem chorus, a progressive bass intro that typifies the eclectic genius Carlos brings to 7k, and a definite Police vibe in the middle. ‘Suburban Desperado’ really clues the listener in on who we are.”

Knick Knacks And Apparel also includes the blistering “Stark Raving Calm,” which was written about personal traumas in Garvin’s own life but, he says, “really applies to anyone who has experienced the mounting tension that can turn the mild mannered guy-next-door into a monster. It’s urging people to stop it before it gets that far, to express that frustration through creativity rather than violence or self-destructive behavior.” Brilliantly twisted story songs aside, 7k’s philosophy of life can be summed up in the chorus of “Make It Up”: “Make it up / put it out / that is what / this is about.” The singer adds, “Essentially, we’re saying, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t worry about success, just do what you were born to do.”

A lot of this heavy philosophizing came to Garvin when he read The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield (well known author of The Legend of Bagger Vance), who expounded upon the creative struggle and what stops people from doing the work they were born to do and achieving their dream. “His ideas resonated almost like a religious experience,” Garvin says, “and I wanted to share that message with everyone. Regardless of whether you’re a movie or rock star or a waitress, you have a duty to use your talent to create.”

But that doesn’t mean that 7k can’t take a breather from all that responsibility - new music weekly.com


"Lost Suburbanites rescued by OC Rockers 7k on "Knick Knacks & Apparel"

When was the last time we heard of an unsigned rock band ballsy enough to record an entire album—or in the case of Orange County modern rockers 7k, a feisty six song EP/Live DVD package—that didn’t have one friggin’ whiny, self-pitying or angry love song? Who have the guts to unabashedly declare their new collection a “call to action” for several generations of spiritually and emotionally unfulfilled people?

Corey Manske, the band’s new drummer (who the three other members credit for driving 7k’s vibe to a new, higher level), says the whole point of Knick Knacks And Apparel is to inspire people to get up off their asses and do something with their lives. “Not only are we trying to inspire you to do something,” he explains, “but we’re warning you that if you just sit around, you’re wasting your life.”

Over the past few years, the band has been off their duffs quite a bit, doing hundreds of shows while building a loyal following that extends from famed OC clubs like Hogue Barmichael’s in Newport (where the DVD was shot) to L.A. hotspots like Key Club, The Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco and the Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona.

They’ve also been championed by Dean Dinning, bassist for Toad The Wet Sprocket, who produced their early Eps The Glovebox EP (2003) and Ferocious Pop (2004). With Knick Knacks And Apparel, they’re becoming nationally known thanks to an aggressive college radio promotional campaign and a growing myspace fan base.

Don’t let lead singer and rhythm guitarist Jeff Garvin’s Flock of Seagulls-spiced blond and black mop of hair, eyeliner, leather pants and skeleton key and dragon tattoos on his arms fool you—his literate lyrics are just possibly this generation’s answer to Elvis Costello and his voice has always impressed guitarist David Neil Black (a Jimmy Page fanatic) as Robert Plantish in passion and intensity.

The charismatic co-founder of 7k (with bassist and old pal from L.A. County High School For The Arts Carlos Rivera) quips, “My function is to drive home the core message of the band, which is to electrify people to live the unlived life within them. There’s an epidemic of forfeited dreams in our generation – people who sell out their true self for more apparently pressing obligations – jobs, family, drugs, you name it. There’s always this tension between the person you’re supposed to be and the person you are being. Our songs address the reality that the more you can get those circles to overlap, the more positive impact you can have.”

That theme is driven home on two key 7k tracks that perfectly define the band’s riveting songwriting acumen. “Who Dies First?” from 2005’s Through The Windshield, their first full length album (which was produced by Black, enjoying his true “Jimmy Page” moment), was inspired by Garvin’s dark high school fantasy of an unnamed character who goes on a Columbine style shooting spree. The sequel to that song, “Suburban Desperado” from Knick Knacks and Apparel is a cautionary tale starring a man named Jim Vickers, who survives the attack but lives his whole life in fear—only to wake up one day to realize he wasted his life by not pursuing his dreams.

“The lyrics during the bridge depict Vickers standing over his wife with a gun, contemplating a horrible, desperate move,” says Manske. “It’s about subtle satisfaction and terrifying tension wrapped together. The song has a great arena anthem chorus, a progressive bass intro that typifies the eclectic genius Carlos brings to 7k, and a definite Police vibe in the middle. ‘Suburban Desperado’ really clues the listener in on who we are.”

Knick Knacks And Apparel also includes the blistering “Stark Raving Calm,” which was written about personal traumas in Garvin’s own life but, he says, “really applies to anyone who has experienced the mounting tension that can turn the mild mannered guy-next-door into a monster. It’s urging people to stop it before it gets that far, to express that frustration through creativity rather than violence or self-destructive behavior.” Brilliantly twisted story songs aside, 7k’s philosophy of life can be summed up in the chorus of “Make It Up”: “Make it up / put it out / that is what / this is about.” The singer adds, “Essentially, we’re saying, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t worry about success, just do what you were born to do.”

A lot of this heavy philosophizing came to Garvin when he read The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield (well known author of The Legend of Bagger Vance), who expounded upon the creative struggle and what stops people from doing the work they were born to do and achieving their dream. “His ideas resonated almost like a religious experience,” Garvin says, “and I wanted to share that message with everyone. Regardless of whether you’re a movie or rock star or a waitress, you have a duty to use your talent to create.”

But that doesn’t mean that 7k can’t take a breather from all that responsibility - new music weekly.com


Discography

knick knacks and apparel (EP, 2006) with 7k Live in Orange County (DVD, 2006)
nationwide college radio airplay

through the windshield (2005)
debut full-length release

"the wrong girl" - rotation on SKY Channel 0155 in the UK and pulsrated.com

"ministry of pretense" - rotation on KUCI in Southern California

ferocious pop (2004)
produced by Dean Dinning

the glovebox EP (2003)
produced by Dean Dinning
"bombsong" (c) 2003 was played on KCRW in Los Angeles and KOMP in Las Vegas

Photos

Bio

7k’s powerful, infectious alternative rock “runs the gamut from mid-90’s alternative balladry to full-blown arena-sized assaults.”* The Orange County foursome have rocked audiences from San Francisco to San Diego to Phoenix & Las Vegas with adrenalized performances of their infectious, substantial rock songs. Their first two EP’s, produced by Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket, garnered interstate radio airplay, growing their fan base By 2005, 7k had developed a strong regional fan base and laid claim to a strong sonic identity with their debut full-length album, through the windshield. With their latest 2-disc EP/DVD release, knick knacks and apparel, the band is reborn, with a mission: to rescue lost suburbanites from the mundane trappings of life and inspire them to pursue the unlived lives within them

*Albert Vega, Music Connection June 2004.