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Press
On the heavy side of pop, Sandbox Kings attack their instruments with determination and feeling, as dynamic beats pound out of the speakers. Ringleader Branko Hodzic's voice may lack the hard edge of a metal singer, but the emotional side comes through nicely. Much like frontmen for old-school bands such as XTC, Duran Duran, or ABC, his voice melds with the music, balancing out against, say, the snap of the snare or the pounding of the bass. Together, the sound creates a heartfelt pop - soft enough for the lasses, and hard enough for the lads. The title cut contains some interesting rhythmic moments as well - a quick break and heavy-muted strumming on a guitar, a dreamy chorus with a descending lead guitar, along with some neat production tricks. In fact, overall production is just splendid. For those in search of intelligent, well produced pop, check out Sandbox Kings at www.sandboxkings.com - NYRock.com
On the heavy side of pop, Sandbox Kings attack their instruments with determination and feeling, as dynamic beats pound out of the speakers. Ringleader Branko Hodzic's voice may lack the hard edge of a metal singer, but the emotional side comes through nicely. Much like frontmen for old-school bands such as XTC, Duran Duran, or ABC, his voice melds with the music, balancing out against, say, the snap of the snare or the pounding of the bass. Together, the sound creates a heartfelt pop - soft enough for the lasses, and hard enough for the lads. The title cut contains some interesting rhythmic moments as well - a quick break and heavy-muted strumming on a guitar, a dreamy chorus with a descending lead guitar, along with some neat production tricks. In fact, overall production is just splendid. For those in search of intelligent, well produced pop, check out Sandbox Kings at www.sandboxkings.com - NYRock.com
SANDBOX KINGS "Wonderfall ...
Article from:The Washington Post Article date:December 24, 2004
The longer you listen to Branko Hodzic's boyish tenor and fanciful lyrics, the larger the heart plastered on his sleeve appears to be. The frontman for the local group Sandbox Kings doesn't merely come across as an incurable pop romantic -- he sounds more like the sort who couldn't be happier with his condition. Take "Pleasure Playground," for example. The song appears near the end of the CD "Wonderfall" and pretty much sums up the prevailing mood (yearning innocence) and the musical atmosphere (colorfully swirling pop- rock). "Take me back to pleasure playground, where imaginations run free," Hodzic croons. "Sandbox kings, seesaw queens . . . we're dethroned as we've grown, the magic's lost 'cause we forgot how to dream."
Hodzic, however, hasn't forgotten. "Day Dreams," "Sleepwalk," "Wonderfall" -- there are lots of songs here that allude to altered states of mind and heightened emotions. The CD's title track, in fact, is one big amusement park metaphor for a romantic plunge: "A muscle man / Bald and tan / Guards the gate /Points to a sign / That the line is a three-hour wait / With his suspicion he stops my admission / All I want to do is to take a swim in those eyes / Wonder why."
Collaborating almost exclusively with drummer Frank Bohle, Hodzic demonstrates plenty of versatility -- on guitar, keyboards and other instruments -- while cleverly orchestrating his dreamy scenarios. And along the way, some of his more curious sonic touches briefly bring to mind a pair of older sandbox kings: Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks.
-- Mike Joyce
"SANDBOX KINGS "Wonderfall ..." The Washington Post. Washington Post - The Washington Post
SANDBOX KINGS "Wonderfall ...
Article from:The Washington Post Article date:December 24, 2004
The longer you listen to Branko Hodzic's boyish tenor and fanciful lyrics, the larger the heart plastered on his sleeve appears to be. The frontman for the local group Sandbox Kings doesn't merely come across as an incurable pop romantic -- he sounds more like the sort who couldn't be happier with his condition. Take "Pleasure Playground," for example. The song appears near the end of the CD "Wonderfall" and pretty much sums up the prevailing mood (yearning innocence) and the musical atmosphere (colorfully swirling pop- rock). "Take me back to pleasure playground, where imaginations run free," Hodzic croons. "Sandbox kings, seesaw queens . . . we're dethroned as we've grown, the magic's lost 'cause we forgot how to dream."
Hodzic, however, hasn't forgotten. "Day Dreams," "Sleepwalk," "Wonderfall" -- there are lots of songs here that allude to altered states of mind and heightened emotions. The CD's title track, in fact, is one big amusement park metaphor for a romantic plunge: "A muscle man / Bald and tan / Guards the gate /Points to a sign / That the line is a three-hour wait / With his suspicion he stops my admission / All I want to do is to take a swim in those eyes / Wonder why."
Collaborating almost exclusively with drummer Frank Bohle, Hodzic demonstrates plenty of versatility -- on guitar, keyboards and other instruments -- while cleverly orchestrating his dreamy scenarios. And along the way, some of his more curious sonic touches briefly bring to mind a pair of older sandbox kings: Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks.
-- Mike Joyce
"SANDBOX KINGS "Wonderfall ..." The Washington Post. Washington Post - The Washington Post
Discography
Wonderfall (2004)
Secrets (2010)
Rock the Red "Washington Capitals Goal Song" (2010)
Photos
Bio
Often known as the band behind the Washington Capitals’ goal song “Rock The Red,” The Sandbox Kings’ career has been quite a journey. After years of dedicating themselves to finding the right lineup, the right sound and even the right time to release their music, they finally scored big after radio station DC101 selected their song as the Caps’ goal song.
“The reaction people have when they find out it was us who created the song is phenomenal,” said frontman Branko Hodzic, who penned the song with drummer Brian Mulroney. “Everyone has been very supportive and they are very intrigued by the band. It’s validation for us as musicians.”
This “validation” not only spurred the band to start writing and recording but actually resulted in a new record entitled “Secrets,” which was recently released in the summer of 2012 on iTunes and select online retail sites. Referring to the album as “a tribute to those who serve our country, love, awakening, and just realizations that life is passing by” by Hodzic, the band’s sophomore effort certainly delves deeper into more serious issues than the group’s debut release “Wonderfall,” which was critically-acclaimed by the press.
In fact, hailed by The Washington Post as “demonstrating “plenty of versatility -- on guitar, keyboards and other instruments,” The Sandbox Kings’ debut release essentially put them on the Washington DC music map.
Now, several years since their first album, the band is ready to “rock” once again with a regional tour planned in support of “Secrets” and many special engagement performances planned to celebrate the release of their sophomore album. However to Hodzic, his focus is still on the fans, “we knew that we had to continue to keep our fans happy with more than just new materials but with new ideas and sounds that would take us and our listeners to a whole new level,” he said.
With an impressive new album, plans for upcoming shows and a sincere dedication to the people and places that brought them to where they are now, it seems that the “secret” to The Sandbox Kings’ success won’t be a mystery for long.
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