The Bright

The Bright

Objects of My Affection

The sextet spread out between Dallas and Fort Worth continues to demonstrate its scary knack for delivering a series of songs that would feel right at home in heavy rotation. Anchored by TCU grad Julie Lange's warm, lovely voice and the interlocking rhythm section (bassist Miguel Fair and drummer Robert Yahne), these sleek tunes sound as though they cost about 20 times what they did. There are undercurrents of angst (Deep Fall) and flickers of '80s guitar pop evident (the gloriously retro 10 Hearts might be one of my favorite songs of the year) throughout the record, which, in a just world, would catapult this outfit to a high-profile career. By Preston Jones - Fort Worth Star Telegram / DFW.com

The Bright, which counts TCU grad Julie Lange among its ranks, performs Friday at Dallas' House of Blues to celebrate the release of new album Objects of My Affection.

Preston Jones is the Star-Telegram pop music critic, 817-390-7713 - Fort Worth Star Telegram / DFW.com

CD Review

Artist: The Bright

Album: Objects of My Affection

Grade: A -

Label: The Bright Music

Dreamy pop takes melodic rock for a wind-swept drive down an open road on Objects of My Affection, the second full-length disc by Arlington band the Bright. Tracks such as the intoxicatingly catchy "Over and Over" and the ethereal ballads "Diving for Stars" and "When I'm Lost" instantly draw the sonic parameters of this group fronted by captivating vocalist Julie Lange. For sheer punch, click over to "10 Hearts" and "Save the Night." This is beautiful, entrancing stuff. - Dallas Morning News

By Preston Jones
Posted 12:33pm on Thursday, Jul. 21, 2011

A clutch of local bands, including the Bright, the Monocles, the Nicholsons and the Virgin Wolves, are joining forces Saturday for a White Cane Productions showcase at Deep Ellum club La Grange. In addition to screening the videos for each respective act, the bands will perform brief sets.

"It's all in the true spirit of 'do-it-yourself' in the music business," says the Bright's Kell Curtis, "bands and companies bonding together to help each other's careers."

In addition to the videos and live performances, White Cane Productions will also offer a special preview of its documentary about the inaugural School of Rock Festival that took place in various Deep Ellum clubs and featured student performers from all over the Metroplex.

Here's a taste of the Bright's clip for its next single, Over and Over, from the new album The Objects of My Affection. - Fort Worth Star Telegram / DFW.com

Last Updated on Saturday, 30 July 2011 15:32
Written by Kelv Hellrazer
Saturday, 30 July 2011 11:50


From the ashes of Superstring, I recognised this troupes potential. Their e.p cover shouted semi-goth but the music was pure melody. It needed tweaking yes, but something jumped out at you. The talents of Julie Lange are obvious straight away then you dig deeper and Kell Curtis' edge like delights, Miguel Fairs hauntingly powerful bass fills and keys and superb production pop rock your ass into another dimension.
2008's "In Lucid Dreams" screamed we need to be in the UK on The Jonathan Ross Show and later with Jools Holland. I compared it to Tami Show, a little known Illinois band. Vocalist Julie Lange reminds one of Massey sisters. That was me tryin to get them into the AOR melodic rock market. "Cemetery Street" and "Almost Maybe" were the shizz on a most surprising debut that i thought couldn't be bettered.

2011 and "OOMA" opens up a whole new market for them. The musicianship of say Missing Persons is evident on pop supremo opener "Save The Night". Dale Bozzio type quirkiness in Julie Langes voice on a song that has mass appeal that Missing Persons lacked. "Deep Fall" is my song of the Year with just fabulous haunting keys from Eric Jenkins Bright's secret weapon and producer. Think Kate Bush, Amy Lee, Tori Amos with Bigger hair and ya got the amazing Julie Lange. With rythymic Zep overtones supplied by killler rhythm section of Taylor Tatsch, the aforementioned Fair and Robert Yahne.

"Carry On" is a monster only just losing out to "Deep Fall" in the smash hit single stakes."Hearts" reeks Petty and MTV 80s guitar work circa The Edge meets mark knopfler. From Curtis, "Charmed" is fantastic quirky pop a 2011 Missing Persons meeting Lena Lovich in a dark alley. "Catch My Love" is superb pop, driven by Eric Jenkins Keyboards whilst "Imagination Overload" is Blondie meets the sorely missed Shandi, possibly Langes premiere performance on this cd. Kate Bush style balladry of "Diving For Stars" is glorious as is follower "You Will Love Again"

Julie screams style icon whilst the band reach absolute pop perfection on this cd, lp of the year ...ye , ambulance chasers are gonna be a plenty comin ..nee naw. My new fave band and i sleep in my Bright t shirt

Kelv Hellrazer - www.renegaderadio.net

The momentum is building. North Texas musicians, all of whom shared in a tremendously dynamic 2010, aren't taking their foot off the gas for 2011. If anything, the metaphorical accelerator is being mashed to the floor. Aside from the acts listed below, the next year also holds new releases from Seryn, Analog Rebellion, Eisley, Centro-matic and American Idol finalist Casey James. Mixing the area's up-and-comers with its more established talents, here's a look at what to anticipate in the coming months. (It goes without saying that, save for the concrete dates, many of these are open to revision.)



The Bright, Objects of My Affection



Release date: April



The Bright, fronted by TCU grad Julie Lange and fresh off its appearance on "Big D NYE," is preparing to release the follow-up to the sextet's debut In Lucid Dreams. This self-funded sophomore album, recorded at Bass Propulsion Laboratories, debuted at a live "listening party" at Jack's Backyard in Dallas, where the band played the record in its entirety and polled the audience to select the first single.

By Preston Jones - Fort Worth Star Telegram / DFW.com

“Beautiful, stylish stuff that just might infiltrate your daydreams” - - Preston Jones, Fort Worth Star Telegram - Fort Worth Star Telegram

“One of the truly dynamic local bands with a shot at crossover popularity without giving any quarter.” - - Justin Press, Dallas Observer - Dallas Observer

“The Bright is on the edge of something fantastic and people are taking notice and showing support. With no weak spots on this CD, The Bright has earned a rare 10". - - “In Lucid Dreams” CD Review from Iceberg of Renegaderadio.net - Renegaderadio.net

“That strange collective with a penchant for writing the most radio-friendly songs this side of LA, we mean that in a good way” - - Dallas Observer - Dallas Observer

“An estrogen and testosterone musical smoothie” - - Gordon Keith, WFAA Ch. 8’s The Gordon Keith Show - WFAA Channel 8 Dallas/Fort Worth

“When something seems meant-to-be, things just sort of fall into place and happen when needed. This is the case for the Dallas-based pop rock band, The Bright.” - - Kaiya Morrison, LSU Tiger Weekly - LSU Tiger Weekly

Formerly known as Superstring, this Dallas-based band is making waves with dynamic vocalist Julie Lange singing out over a modern-rock sound that combines an alternative edge with a power-pop sensibility. Lange’s wide range at times recalls artists such as Garbage, Evanescence, the Cardigans, Sixpence None the Richer, KT Tunstall, Pat Benatar, and Tori Amos. But the band blends influences from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s to create a bold sound of their own.

The boys in the Bright serve up a diverse array of guitar-driven sonic landscapes for Lange to work with, making for an album that is uniformly strong throughout. The songs are catchy, but they rock, too. Lange delivers stunning power to a cover of Led Zep’s “Kashmir,” but shines just as brightly on dark rockers like “Cut Me Loose” and “Serpent,” and melodic gems such as “Leave You Wanting” and “Cemetery Street.” Why a major label has yet to sign the Bright is a mystery. - Greg M. Schwartz

The Bright’s Mix of alt-rock edge with power pop grandeur and charismatic vocalist Julie Lange is a winning formula. The production value here is superb. The band’s cover of “Kashmir” is epic." - esdmusic.com, Best Albums of 2008 / CD Review - esdmusic.com

Thursday, Jan. 01, 2009
Today's performers make music, and their own buzz
These days, performers are not only creating songs, but also their own marketing strategies.
By PRESTON JONES
dfw.com

The Bright

The Bright wrote and recorded a theme song for a forthcoming video game and has had its music featured on MTV. The Bright


Of all the embattled, entrenched industries in America, few have weathered more public criticism and financial blows than the music business.

The slow death of relatively fresh-faced, multi-platinum pop acts, the rise of illegal downloading and the agonizingly inept response by major labels to new technologies have dramatically and permanently altered the landscape for established and emergent acts alike.

But the promise of a rock star career isn’t necessarily out of reach.

Although the major labels (only four — EMI Music, Sony BMG, Warner Bros. and Universal Music Group — remain standing, in various states of disarray) are increasingly betting on standard bearers like U2, the Rolling Stones and Madonna to shore up the bottom line, there are still acts being signed, such as Fort Worth’s Green River Ordinance or Forever the Sickest Kids, who are having modest success.

These bands can benefit from immediate access to producers, studios, marketing departments and touring apparatuses, but there’s also the specter of possible termination hanging in the background.

Taking charge of one’s own career and potentially bypassing the world of major labels entirely is becoming easier and cheaper every month. Social-networking sites such as Facebook, Imeem or MySpace; low-cost software like GarageBand; and previously uncharted avenues of exposure — Apple iPod commercials, placement in prime-time TV shows or making a splash on YouTube — combine to create multimedia outlets for musicians.

Multiplatform approaches are blossoming into bona fide springboards that can, if nothing else, help sustain a band or fling one into the mainstream. The road to success may include soundtracks, commercials and movie trailers — witness the rise of eclectic indie star M.I.A. from buzzy blog favorite to Grammy contender on the back of her single Paper Planes gracing ads for the comedy Pineapple Express.

In a Dec. 24 article, The New York Times’pop critic Jon Pareles pondered the notion that the long-accepted way of not only breaking out but making a living in the music industry was fast becoming obsolete.

"Musicians have to eat and want to be heard, and if that means accompanying someone else’s sales pitch or video game, well, it’s a living," Pareles wrote.

Steering the course

Steering your own ship is also advantageous in an increasingly wintry economic climate, one that has seemingly affected everyone from major corporations to mom-and-pop ventures. Musicians are susceptible, too, which makes the concept of "alternative delivery" appealing and timely.

According to David Peisner, writing in Spin magazine’s January issue, "digital piracy and corporate shortsightedness have combined to siphon an astonishing 43 percent of the industry’s business since its high point in 1999." That’s a gobsmacking figure, particularly when you consider that a decade later, the hobbled music industry continues to shed jobs, cast about for viable digital profit centers and try to reap some of the profits enjoyed by the concert side of the business.

As the new year dawns, icons and indie acts must consider embracing new technologies and techniques, with plenty of hard work and a bit of luck, to get their music heard.

Texas artists are as well positioned as any to capitalize on the rapidly changing music industry, seizing opportunities as they materialize. For instance, North Texas-based the Bright, which has been featured in multiple MTV shows, including its popular reality series The Hills, is working on the title track to a forthcoming video game and has signed a deal to write music for a motion picture, all without the support of a major record label.

It was Dallas-based Cyberathlete Professional League, a free online gaming league, that provided the Bright with its initial break. The group’s lead singer, Texas Christian University grad Julie Lange, says that after the Bright wrote and recorded a theme song for a forthcoming video game, doors began opening.

"It worked out so well, and we were able to get a lot of other opportunities," Lange says. "Having a record deal doesn’t mean anything — you have to create your own buzz."

The Bright has an album, In Lucid Dreams, under its belt, which Lange says is less about baiting major labels and more about having something to hand music supervisors and talent scouts searching for the next soundtrack for commercials for Outback Steakhouse, Jaguar or Apple iPods.

"If a record label were to come to us, I think it’d be a great thing," Lange says, "but until then, we’re not going out and beating the streets for a record deal. We’ve had a lot of friends, musicians, who have been signed and their careers are no longer in existence."

Mr. 'Independent’

The Bright isn’t alone either: Lewisville native Brad Skistimas, a singer/songwriter who performs as Five Times August, has built a successful career — earning airplay on all four major TV networks and HBO and a national distribution deal — with little outside help.

"I started Five Times August when I was 18," says Skistimas, who is 25. "The idea was to get a label and go that route like so many artists, [because] when they start out, they think that’s the way things are done. As I accomplished more and finally got myself to a point where I was meeting with labels and talking to them, I realized how much I had accomplished on my own. I just decided to stay the route I was going because I was getting things done the way I wanted to get them done."

Working with only one other person — his manager, Kelly Vandergriff — Skistimas has built a network of fans (he has racked up more than 16 million "plays" on MySpace) and an impressive retail presence. Five Times August’s appropriately titled 2007 album The Independent was the first record to receive national distribution in Wal-Mart stores, and his most recent album, Brighter Side, secured nationwide distribution in Best Buy, Borders and F.Y.E. stores.

Of course, these achievements come with a price.

"I’ve been doing this 24 hours a day since I was 18 — that’s how much effort it takes," Skistimas says. "You have to know the business side of it and really figure out; there are so many opportunities you can make for yourself."

Even established, critically acclaimed musicians such as Texas troubadour Robert Earl Keen are moving from the world of major labels to utilizing the Web for the next stages of their careers. He recently released a live album, Marfa After Dark, as a free digital download on his Web site ( www.robertearlkeen.com) and placed his extensive back catalog in the iTunes Store. The longtime singer/songwriter says technology has proved quite useful.

"I’ve always thought the Web was the musician’s greatest friend; the trick is figuring out how to use it properly," Keen says. "For me, it gets a lot of info out there that, pre-Web site, you’d have to figure out where you’re going to publish this. If you feel like you’ve come to the end of the road on any project, you can stick it on the Web site, and there it is. I love that aspect of it."

The traditional route

They may be reeling, but the major labels aren’t going away anytime soon.

"The traditional route still exists, and it’s still the fastest way to become a superstar," says Steve Knopper, a Rolling Stone contributing editor and author of the forthcoming Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age.

"There are fewer and fewer of those slots than ever. The flip side is it’s easier for bands who are small to stay small and . . . still be able to play because they have many more promotional outlets than they ever had and they can do it themselves easier than they ever did."

In the future, Knopper says that the music industry may simply be scaled down, and function less as cultural gatekeepers.

"If they can turn themselves into more of a holding company, they may survive," Knopper says. "I think there will always be a need to transform a Beyonce into a megastar, but it’ll be a megastar who will sell 2 million records instead of 10. The business is diminishing."

None of the artists interviewed thought a major label deal — despite the potential for more exposure and financial backing — was essential to building a successful career.

"It’s taken a little bit more time for us — we’ve been together three years now — [but] these opportunities that we’ve been able to conjure up are things that friends of ours that have been signed haven’t had," says Lange of the Bright.

Five Times August continues to thrive, Skistimas says, because he’s willing to make sacrifices — he jokingly mentions days when label support "would be easier" — and to keep breaking barriers.

"I set out to prove to myself and other people that it’s possible to make a living doing it completely unsigned and independent," Skistimas says. "We’ve accomplished a lot."
Preston Jones is the Star-Telegram pop music critic, 817-390-7713 - Fort Worth Star Telegram Jan 2, 2009