Music
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June 18, 2003 – Pamela Anderson kicks off a rivalry between the U.S. and Canada today by selecting Chicago band pinch as the second of three finalists for Jam with Pam, an online music contest to find the best unsigned band in North America. The contest's first finalist, Canada's Counterbalance, will compete against pinch for a chance to play at Rolling Rock Town Fair 2.0 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this August, and have a CD professionally produced in Los Angeles.
Jam with Pam is a collaboration of PamTV, Pamela Anderson's Internet production company, and beer.com.
"The music was just as good this month as it was in the first round. I listened to great songs but pinch's sound just really caught my attention," said Pamela Anderson. "I can't wait to hear what's up in the June round. So, I encourage music lovers to keep voting on www.jamwithpam.com."
More than 300,000 music lovers visited the site and over 900 songs have been submitted to www.jamwithpam.com in April and May. One more "Six Pack" winner will be announced in July to make up three finalists, from which Pamela with help from a panel of celebrities will select a grand champ. The contest closes June 30, 2001.
The May 2001 "Six Pack" included, in order of votes: pinch, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Silverseed, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada; Squeezetoy, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Blaq Lily, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Lava Baby, New Jersey, USA; and PoorMarqus, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
"The quality of music submitted to beer.com's Jam with Pam contest has been fantastic. We knew that outstanding talent existed in the many unknown bands across North America and that they just needed a showcase opportunity like Jam with Pam to get a chance to be heard by fans at Rolling Rock Town Fair 2.0," said Aidan Tracey, general manager, beer.com.
It was the song "18 Proof" from pinch's debut CD Running on Fumes that earned the band a spot in May's "Six Pack" and became "Pam's Pick" for this round. All Chicago natives, the band comprises of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Frankie Ferro; drummer TJ Levin; bassist Bobby Settles; and, lead guitarist Chris Skogs. The band members have been living and playing music together for two years and have performed at music festivals and local clubs in Chicago.
"I'm excited about the possibility of the Jam with Pam contest opening the doors to some national and international opportunities," said Frankie Ferro, lead vocalist, pinch. "Winning this round is a reassurance to us that we're doing the right thing and that we are in the right field."
Just for voting, one music lover of legal drinking age will be chosen to attend Rolling Rock Town Fair 2.0, all expenses paid, and accompany the winning band to their recording session in Los Angeles, California.
- nyrock.com
I want to start off by saying that most bands in this day and age of indie rock are happy if they put out a 3 or 4 song CD. Pinch has put out a 11 song CD that, for the most part, kicks some major ass!! I will draw some comparisons, but that aside, this band does deliver the goods. They have songs that are, with out question, radio friendly, but they also have the individuality as a band to stand on their own.
Ok, let’s deal with radio friendly. Track 1, "Up & Down," is the title track and single, no question about it! You can feel it as soon as you hear it. This song has that strong melody that takes your mind off of what ever it was that you were thinking about. Yes, I did hear a bit of Peter Garrett (Mid Night Oil) in lead singer Ferros’ voice, but that didn’t take away from how great the song is. The same can be said about track 4, "Fakeit," another stand out and a single, and track 5, "Exit Wounds," might have you thinking Matchbox 20.
So is this a cover band or what? No, what they are is a band that has put together a sound that is their own, but at the same time, they have brought together the best of both worlds. It’s no question that Pinch is radio friendly, it’s kind of like something you have heard, but at the same time, it’s something new.
If you get the chance, check this band out. If you listen to Q101 or WXRT, there is no question that Pinch is the band for you. It’s only a matter of time before this band takes the big step, and when they do, we won’t be seeing them at the Double Door, we will be seeing them on MTV. OK lets be fair, MTV 2, but hey, at least they won’t have to talk to Carson Daly! - ChicagoGigs.com
Discography
Running on Fumes (2002)
Up and Down (2003)
Damaged Goods (2004)
The Other Side of Sweet (2006)
Photos
Bio
With their hard-hitting and anthem-filled music, 'life number nine' continues to prove they are the best kept secret in the industry. The band, originally named ‘pinch’, was formed by lead singer Frank Ferro and bass player Bobby Settles in 2002. With early success and recognition, the band searched for the right line up to move forward with. After the addition of guitar players, Mark Sawalha and Joe Smith, the band defined their sound and 'life number nine' came to life. Since the inception, the band has been leaving audiences mesmerized with their powerful music and high energy performances.
With the special gift to effortlessly write and create, the band has recorded three full-length albums and four EP demos. The singles ‘no win’, ‘dead end girl’, & ‘the longest lie’ were featured numerous times on Chicago commercial rock radio stations Q101 WKQX, WXRT, and WZZN. Fueled by the success of their albums and their loyal fan base, the band landed a coveted slot on the Ernie Ball Stage of the Vans Warped Tour. This gave the band the push they needed to prove they could rock with the best national acts. As a result of their new found exposure, the band competed in the national "Jam with Pam" North American Music Search sponsored by Beer.com and Pamela Anderson. Of the thousands of bands that entered, they were one of three to make it to the finals. Despite a vote of approval from Pam herself, the band finished as the runner up. However, the contest helped bring their music to the masses and people took notice. Invitations to showcase their music at the prestigious music conferences followed. The band participated in the College Music Journal (CMJ) conference in New York and MOBfest in their hometown Chicago. While showcasing in New York, the band caught the eye of Hugo Ferreira of the band ‘Tantric’ (Maverick). Impressed with the music and talent, Ferreira offered to produce their next demo. With a surplus of new songs, the band headed to Louisville, KY to collaborate with Ferreira. The end result was a three song demo that featured Ferreira singing backup vocals and a new song written during the three days of recording.
The band took some time off to write and redefine themselves in ’05. In late 2006, life number nine independently recorded and released the EP "The Other Side of Sweet." From the beginning, the disc was met with rave reviews from various music industry insiders. The band continued to write and record throughout the year. The new material was featured at every show and fans couldn’t get enough. In December of 2007, the recording was complete and the band walked away with 11 new songs. The release of their new album is set for July 2008.
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