Night Riots

When Crystal Castles collaborated with Robert Smith to produce the track “Not In Love,” we donned our favorite black cloaks and declared the opposite of the track.

Now, we’ve just become privy to PK’s cover of the track, and once again, we have to tip our hats. Exclusively on NYLONGuysMag dot com, and for your ear holes, enjoy this rendition and dance around your room in private. - Nylon Magazine

When Crystal Castles collaborated with Robert Smith to produce the track “Not In Love,” we donned our favorite black cloaks and declared the opposite of the track.

Now, we’ve just become privy to PK’s cover of the track, and once again, we have to tip our hats. Exclusively on NYLONGuysMag dot com, and for your ear holes, enjoy this rendition and dance around your room in private. - Nylon Magazine

PK are one of those young acts with the gift of sounding timeless and established, like they could've opened for David Bowie in 1981 or Death Cab for Cutie in 1999 or Foster the People in 2011. So it makes sense that they're now jamming a (freely downloadable!) take on Crystal Castles' and Robert Smith's 2010 reimagining of "Not in Love," a 1983 New Wave classic by Platinum Blonde.

"Our cover of 'Not in Love' is actually a cover of a cover," PK tells us. "We'd never seen that done before so we thought it would be interesting to put our spin on it. Plus Travis' voice has drawn comparisons to The Cure's Robert Smith before and we thought it would be interesting to pay homage to him with our version of his cover."

Dig it, download it, share it, and keep an eye on PK. - PUREVOLUME.COM

California's PK have their indie-powerpop sound so thoroughly developed it's not even funny. Fortunately the group has smiled upon lovers of good music by premiering their new song "Berelain" right here, and offering it as a free download to boot. - PUREVOLUME.COM

California's PK have their indie-powerpop sound so thoroughly developed it's not even funny. Fortunately the group has smiled upon lovers of good music by premiering their new song "Berelain" right here, and offering it as a free download to boot. - PUREVOLUME.COM

California's PK have their indie-powerpop sound so thoroughly developed it's not even funny. Fortunately the group has smiled upon lovers of good music by premiering their new song "Berelain" right here, and offering it as a free download to boot. - PUREVOLUME.COM

In honor of Halloween, check out this appropriately spooky video by the keyboard-driven San Luis Obispo, CA, rock band PK. For more information on the band, check them out on Facebook or on their official site. - ALTPRESS.COM

In honor of Halloween, check out this appropriately spooky video by the keyboard-driven San Luis Obispo, CA, rock band PK. For more information on the band, check them out on Facebook or on their official site. - ALTPRESS.COM

PK, the CA based band with a Euro sound, keeps dropping those tracks proving again and again why everyone's taking notice.

Download their latest single, "Seawolves" below and watch their latest video, "London" above -- stay up on all PK info including upcoming tour dates to support this band on the rise. - Pac Sun Music

Within the alley depths of Los Angeles the San Luis Obispo locals, PK took over Sunset Boulevard last night to perform at The Hotel Café. We pulled up to the venue realizing that we got there super quick giving us the perfect excuse to go kill some time at the world famous Amoeba Music record store down the street. After finally convincing ourselves not to blow all our money on music, we headed over to the venue only to realize something strange upon arriving; there was no front door… The entrance to the venue was actually through an eerie dimly lit alleyway that wrapped around to the back of The Hotel Café.

We entered and were instantly immersed in a room full of people socializing and getting ready for the night ahead. As Yellow Red Sparks finished up their set, PK was set to take the stage next… and when that happened the room instantly became jam-packed with people that seemed to appear out of thin air. The band wasted no time getting into their set and instantly raised the energy level in the entire room. Front man Travis Hawley’s voice elegantly carried throughout the venue and meshed perfectly with the band’s powerful driving sound. The crowd sang along to songs such as “London” and “Berelain,” then got a nice surprise when the guys found time to do a Crystal Castles cover song.

The best part of PK’s performance had to be their ability to express how much they love playing their music. It could be seen in the band member’s interactions on stage by smiling at one another or throwing their arms over each other. The band still has the sparkle in their eye of their passion to play, which is often lost in many bands. As their set came to a close it was easy to see how truly grateful the band was for everyone’s support and wished everyone a goodnight. Once they stepped off stage we got a chance to congratulate Travis on a great performance and were lucky enough to get a nice sweaty handshake out of it. After we congratulating him, fans swarmed the band topping off a great night for not only the fans but for the band as well.

PK has more shows coming up this month. Check em’ out here! Oh and be sure to get your free download of “Seawolves” premiered right here! - Pacsun Music

PK is back with two new tracks they released in the last month, with “Seawolves” being released only days ago. If you have only been recently following BtB, then you probably don’t know that PK’s “London” was featured on our first edition of Best You Never Heard, released back in September 2010.

Anyways, I love the upbeat rock sound of PK, it reminds me of the early sounds of The Killers, before they released Sam’s Town back in 2006. Here’s “Seawolves” and “Berelain”, not sure which I like more as they both have catchy vocals and upbeat fun rock sounds. - Before The Bigs

PK is back with two new tracks they released in the last month, with “Seawolves” being released only days ago. If you have only been recently following BtB, then you probably don’t know that PK’s “London” was featured on our first edition of Best You Never Heard, released back in September 2010.

Anyways, I love the upbeat rock sound of PK, it reminds me of the early sounds of The Killers, before they released Sam’s Town back in 2006. Here’s “Seawolves” and “Berelain”, not sure which I like more as they both have catchy vocals and upbeat fun rock sounds. - Before The Bigs

What’s the best show you’ve played?
Travis: We opened for Aerosmith in front of 10,000 people. That was the biggest, and then the best shows have been our hometown shows where we just pack it out and kids are ripping off the walls and stuff like that.

What bands do you think you sound the most like?
Nick: I know we get a lot of Strokes, Killers, the Cure, which is funny, but we definitely have some influence from them, as well, I’d say.

What’s the worst disaster you’ve ever suffered onstage?
Travis: At our CD release, it was the last song, our encore, everyone’s going nuts. So I tossed my guitar on the ground and was like, “I’m just going to go stage-diving for this last 30 seconds of the show,” and so I went to go dive and I just dove straight into a hole in the crowd and landed on my head. Luckily, they scraped me off the ground and shoved me back on the stage, and I played the last couple of notes. We’ve had a bunch of guitar swinging hits to the head, too. A lot of blood and lights being broken, but that was probably the worst one so far.

What kind of vehicle do you use to get to gigs?
Nick: We have a 15-passenger van and trailer. The van has been modified by Travis on the inside. It has submarine bunks in it, a flip-down LCD screen, it’s kind of pimped out. The trailer has sinks and cubbies in it, kind of the standard.

What’s your favorite way to relax?
Nick: Hot tub with tons of babes.

Is there any music you can’t stand?
Nick: The over-processed, Autotune Ke$ha-style stuff, I’d say, probably kills me a little bit.

How about a guilty pleasure?
Nick: Taylor Swift.

Travis: And Hall and Oates.

What are your vices on the road?
Nick: We like to camp, we like to do a lot of outdoors stuff. We probably drink pots of coffee in the morning to get ourselves going, that’s one of our vices, as well as sleeping. The occasional drink now and then.

by Evan Serpick - Rolling Stone

They are PK! No, it’s not an acronym--for those of you wondering. Namesake inspired by the main character in Bryce Courtenay’s novel The Power of One (read it!), PK is a post punk new wave band based out of San Luis Obispo, California. The members include: Travis Hawley (vocals), Matt Depauw (guitar), Nick Fotinakes (guitar), Mikel van Kranenburg (bass), and newest member Rico Rodriguez (drums). Travis, Matt, Nick, and Mikel all grew up in a small Central Californian town together, and having nothing else to do, they learned how to play music together. Just a year ago, they acquired a new drummer, and Rico joined the band. These childhood friends gave college the old college try, decided it wasn’t for them, and dropped out of their universities in order to make music a full-time effort.

Since then, they have worked their asses off and seen some great results. PK has opened up for Aerosmith and was recently in the running to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. Not to mention their fan base is ever growing with almost 4,000 likes on Facebook. Their first album, Into the Roaring, was released in January of 2010 and can still be downloaded for free on their bandcamppage! The catchy album kicks off with the single “London”, which the band created a self-produced and self-directed music video for. You can watch it here! Into the Roaring was heavily influenced by lead vocalist Travis’ adventures overseas, and the band would say travel and life in general is a huge influence on their music. Inspiration is everywhere. “Stop and look around.”

Having punk roots but influenced by a wide range of music from various genres (i.e.Stevie Ray Vaughan, ‘70’s rock, The Killers, The Strokes, and Bruce Springsteen), PK’s sound is hard to tack to the wall. This band is able to masterfully combine fun hooks with introspective lyrics.When asked, the members of PK admit that they play music (and have made it full-time) because they love being creative everyday. They call tour “The Eternal Slumber Party” and never want to grow up. However, if PK was nonexistent in some alternate reality, what would the guys be doing? Matt would play minor league baseball, Mikel would be traveling, Rico would become a kick boxer, Nick would be your neighborhood garbage man, while Travis can’t picture life without pursuing music.

Either way, PK’s message is to enjoy life, their motto:“If you work hard, you can do anything!” They stay true to these words. Instead of viewing fame negatively, the band strives for it. Someday they want to be playing larger than life concerts, reaching thousands, millions of fans. However, they refreshingly retain a do-it-yourself attitude. PK is unsigned, and they aren’t necessarily looking for a label--they have been able to achieve so much without one! In mid-August, the boys wrapped up a summer West Coast tour, playing their final show at Rock City Studios. Different from the current trend of indie bands with lackluster performances, their stage presence is memorable, energetic, and fueled with gumption. They don’t just stand there.

For these last two months, PK has been recording a new E.P. to follow up from their f full length, and its projected debut is Oct. 28th. Next week on Oct. 13th, the first single from this new batch of songs, “Berelain”, will be released to eager fans accompanied by a music video. Also, in these upcoming six months, the band plans to play tons of shows anywhere they can, and in Spring 2012, release more music. Above all, PK hopes to continue communicating to their fans. Currently, they update their Facebook and Twitter with upcoming shows, fun questions, and anything else that documents their journey as a band. These guys aren’t losing steam: they approach music and life with intense energy, seizing every opportunity and moment (and they encourage you to do the same!). PK makes music you can smile, dance, and relate to. Over the phone they belted out Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself.” Maybe we can expect a cover in the future? In the end, this band will continue to work hard and do great things in the realm of music.
By Melissa McElhose

Here's a link to PK's latest single 'Berelain'- www.purevolume.com/pk - The Common Eclectic

Who: This Templeton, California, band broke up after high school but restarted when the
members dropped out of college two years later. “We realized real life sucks and got back together,” says guitarist Nick Fotinakes.

Sound: Amped-up pop in the mold of the Killers, with vocals that sound like a Prozac’ed Robert Smith.

Slow Tempo: The band’s debut, Into the Roaring, took a while to record. “We had to go in spurts, because we were broke,” says singer Travis Hawley. “We’d work our asses off, record in L.A., then come back to save money to go back.” - Rolling Stone

Opening for Nothing is PK, who reminded me of Jane’s Addiction as I sat listening to their potent, all-too-brief, five-song EP Casting Shadows. Ripping guitars, crystalline vocals, harmony choruses, frantic pacing—these guys are tight! - Glen Starky

Opening for Nothing is PK, who reminded me of Jane’s Addiction as I sat listening to their potent, all-too-brief, five-song EP Casting Shadows. Ripping guitars, crystalline vocals, harmony choruses, frantic pacing—these guys are tight! - Glen Starky

I remember finding an old Ouija board in my parents' garage one day and thinking to myself that I could never use it for anything, ever. But apparently it works well for deciding on names for a rock band. At least that's the case with PK, a band from San Luis Obispo County, CA, who claim that they don't even have an explanation of what PK should mean.

I guess it could stand for anything you wanted. Porn Kings? Pretty kittens? Paper kites? You could go on and on, really. I mean, what's the meaning behind U2? There's probably some logical explanation there, but I don't have the luxury of interviewing Bono anytime soon (although I wouldn't mind, really).

But back to PK. Creating a buzz throughout San Luis Obispo County isn't stopping the longtime friends who went to school together. They are obviously a tight-knit group, who have gone through success and failure, and good times and bad. For example, taking a sailboat to the Oceano Dunes for a photo shoot, shattering light bulbs, or hitting ceiling fans and hitting people in the face with guitars? These are things that great friendships are made of.

PK's members are Travis Hawley (vocals), Nick Fotinakes (guitar), Matt Depauw (guitar), Mikel Van Kranenburg (bass) and Kevin Menesez (drums). They have been playing music together since high school and since then have played in venues not only in San Luis Obispo County, but also a little farther up north. Fans have caught them at venues in San Jose and San Francisco, often being the main support for a local band respective to those Northern California cities.

They aren't doing too badly for a band that basically works for themselves. Their sound has been compared to bands such as The Killers and The Strokes. PK has merchandise available online, has an official band bank account, and even travels to places in their own van, with a trailer to go with it. An EP, titled "Casting Shadows", was released in 2007, and a follow-up mini-LP is set for release in fall of this year. Expect a full-length album in early 2010. - Kathrine Bryan

I remember finding an old Ouija board in my parents' garage one day and thinking to myself that I could never use it for anything, ever. But apparently it works well for deciding on names for a rock band. At least that's the case with PK, a band from San Luis Obispo County, CA, who claim that they don't even have an explanation of what PK should mean.

I guess it could stand for anything you wanted. Porn Kings? Pretty kittens? Paper kites? You could go on and on, really. I mean, what's the meaning behind U2? There's probably some logical explanation there, but I don't have the luxury of interviewing Bono anytime soon (although I wouldn't mind, really).

But back to PK. Creating a buzz throughout San Luis Obispo County isn't stopping the longtime friends who went to school together. They are obviously a tight-knit group, who have gone through success and failure, and good times and bad. For example, taking a sailboat to the Oceano Dunes for a photo shoot, shattering light bulbs, or hitting ceiling fans and hitting people in the face with guitars? These are things that great friendships are made of.

PK's members are Travis Hawley (vocals), Nick Fotinakes (guitar), Matt Depauw (guitar), Mikel Van Kranenburg (bass) and Kevin Menesez (drums). They have been playing music together since high school and since then have played in venues not only in San Luis Obispo County, but also a little farther up north. Fans have caught them at venues in San Jose and San Francisco, often being the main support for a local band respective to those Northern California cities.

They aren't doing too badly for a band that basically works for themselves. Their sound has been compared to bands such as The Killers and The Strokes. PK has merchandise available online, has an official band bank account, and even travels to places in their own van, with a trailer to go with it. An EP, titled "Casting Shadows", was released in 2007, and a follow-up mini-LP is set for release in fall of this year. Expect a full-length album in early 2010. - Kathrine Bryan

In categorizing books by Library of Congress code, PK describes works related to Indo-Iranian languages and literatures. PK is also an abbreviation for psychokinesis, Pakistan and penalty kick. In the music world, PK is a San Luis Obispo–based (by way of Santa Cruz) quintet fusing anomalous and varied time signatures, vocals akin to a softer version of Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba, and a savvy use of breakdowns and bounding beats.

PK might also stand for “polite kids,” as these youthful lads are generous behind the scenes with fans and fellow bands, which is part of why their T-shirt and hoodie slogans of “I’m For PK” feel less like “I Like Ike” and more like “I Like Good Music.” Aside from a brief hiatus last year, PK is going on five years together, and the band released its debut five-track EP, Casting Shadows, in late 2007. Joybot, the Record Winter, the Sound of Orange, Dominck Adam, Brian G and Forgive and Regret also perform at this all-ages show.
- Claire Young

In categorizing books by Library of Congress code, PK describes works related to Indo-Iranian languages and literatures. PK is also an abbreviation for psychokinesis, Pakistan and penalty kick. In the music world, PK is a San Luis Obispo–based (by way of Santa Cruz) quintet fusing anomalous and varied time signatures, vocals akin to a softer version of Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba, and a savvy use of breakdowns and bounding beats.

PK might also stand for “polite kids,” as these youthful lads are generous behind the scenes with fans and fellow bands, which is part of why their T-shirt and hoodie slogans of “I’m For PK” feel less like “I Like Ike” and more like “I Like Good Music.” Aside from a brief hiatus last year, PK is going on five years together, and the band released its debut five-track EP, Casting Shadows, in late 2007. Joybot, the Record Winter, the Sound of Orange, Dominck Adam, Brian G and Forgive and Regret also perform at this all-ages show.
- Claire Young

It’s still Friday, Jan. 7, (see “Better late than never?” Jan. 14) and my friends and I are just leaving Lena Rushing’s art opening at Linnaea’s Café. We’re drawn across the street to Downtown Brew by the siren call of rock’n’roll! Okay, not really. Actually, the Brew’s Chicken Alfredo Pizza and Chicken Quesadilla are calling us, and dammit, we’re listening.


CROWD SURFING!
An unidentified guy launches himself into the seething mosh pit, drifting across the crowd and knocking off my flash diffuser…crushed under the feet of 300 angst-ridden teenagers.
PHOTO BY GLEN STARKEY
After stuffing our faces, we head downstairs where Cure-sounding PK is releasing Into the Roaring, their first full length CD. It’s an all-ages show, and the T-shirt I’m wearing is older than some of the kids in here. Even on the over-21-only side of the club I see guys with peach fuzz … 21 never looked so young!


DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION!
Three unidentified kids do the hokey pokey, then they turn themselves around.
PHOTO BY GLEN STARKEY
Jason and Amber are behind the bar, slinging drinks, smiling, and pouring a line of whip cream-covered shots that a trio of Poly Dollies swallow up, leaving cream dripping down chins and on noses. It’s like the freaking money shot from some X-rated video.

My pals Emily Sullivan, Jen Anthony, and Steve Myrick are staying as far away from the mosh pit as they can get, but I throw back a shot of courage, grab my camera, and charge into the fray. Pushing my way through sweating teenagers, I make it to the stage, snap a shot of lead singer Travis Hawley, then duck as some kid launches himself off the stage and onto the waiting hands of the crowd. I get one more shot before the crowd knocks off my flash diffuser, lost forever and crushed under the feet of 300 angst-ridden teenagers.


WHIPPED CREAM MONEY SHOT!
A trio of Poly Dollies decimate a trifecta of whipped cream-covered shots.
PHOTO BY GLEN STARKEY
Retreat! Retreat!



With what remains of my camera hoisted overhead, I limp back to the safety of the back bar, complaining about how loud it is and how I forgot to bring my usually present earplugs.


NEVER TOO OLD TO PARTY!
Emily Sullivan, Steve Myrick, and Jen Anthony get into the spirit. Woo hoo!
PHOTO BY GLEN STARKEY
Readers, look up at the headline above. You know that part about “we conquered?” Okay, I lied! Beaten and battered, Emily, Jen, Steve, and I slink off into the blessedly quiet, adult-filled night.

Glen Starkey takes a beating and keeps on bleating. Contact him at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com. - New-Times