The Effects
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"The Effects"

Article from the Oklahoman ...
By George Lang
Static

Last month at Dfest, ducking out of blast-furnace heat of downtown Tulsa to get dinner at Tsunami Sushi before stalking bands until the streets rolled up, I ran into Julie Porter from the Oklahoma Film and Music Commission, who was having dinner with The Effects. I'd heard the Tulsa band's music before, but Porter's sales pitch indicated that this group had undergone massive transmogrification — from promising power-pop band to riff-tastic beasts released to feed on Dfest and trample the masses underfoot.


"They sound like Led Zeppelin before they were Led Zeppelin," Porter said. And that can be a wonderful thing or a recipe for ripe cheese — too many bands have gone the Zep route only to sound like a Lenny Kravitz-like compendium of '70s stadium-rock tics and larynx-shredding hysterics — but Porter is in the business of promoting the state's culture, not misrepresenting it. I met bassist Chase McGillis, told him to get in touch the next time they drove south, and hoped I would soon be hearing a band that understood the difference between imitation and inspiration.

The Effects — McGillis, singer-guitarist Joel King, drummer Dalton McNaughton and guitarist Jeff Krantz — are inspired on "And It Is...," a beautifully rendered hard rock album that shows considerable expansion and maturity since the band recorded an EP with Killers producer Jeff Saltzman and got several of their songs licensed for MTV shows. The full force of "Desert Rain" and "Zeus" proves The Effects learned how to fully deploy monster riffs in the service of good melodies.

"Our sound was really just starting to change and develop," McGillis said in a phone interview from San Antonio. "What happened was, after that EP came out, we just were constantly writing — me, Jeff and Joel — and we really started to hone our sound and figure out who we were. We got a little bit heavier."

Figuring out who they were meant not assuming someone else's identity. McGillis said that they didn't want to make the Wolfmother mistake, referring to the Australian hard rock band that is almost impossible to listen to without hearing wide swaths of Black Sabbath — the kind of co-option that could prompt Tony Iommi to consult his attorney.

By the time the band entered a Lexington, Ky., studio with producer Duane Lundy, they had road-tested many of the songs and allowed them to evolve naturally, but King said some of the more involved and intricate songs required more gestation.

"Some of them did — "Zeus" took a long time," King said. "The ones that have a lot of different parts and stylistic changes took a little longer. We'd take some hard blues riffs and put something Beatle-y over it, and try to build on each thing."

This Saturday in Norman, the Effects will turn Opolis into their own intimate stadium. But don't go expecting a tribute band — The Effects are crafting their own sound based on only the best templates, and know better than to edge too close to the hammer of the gods.

I have seen the future of rock 'n' roll and its name is Metronomy. This London trio echoes Heaven 17 and other '80s synth-pop bands but sounds far more human than machine on songs such as the frequently remixed "Heartbreaker." - the Oklahoman


"the Effects at Sticky Fingerz"

The Effects have been praised as an "eight-legged groove machine of the highest order" by MTV's Buzzworthy. It's a surprisingly accurate description, especially coming from a soulless corporate cog machine. For the curious or doubtful, a taste of the audio/video offerings at the band's website could whet the appetite for an economical Thursday outing. Think 1970s ass-shaking sweat rock. The Effects' songs invoke a T-Rex-White Stripes-Neil Young-ish vibe, with a splash of the Black Crowes at their heaviest. And featuring a lead vocalist whose pipes range from simply carrying melodies to delivering solid primal screams. The Effects are independently seasoned road warriors to boot, claiming 200 gigs in '06 alone in the U.S. and Canada. They've shared bills with the likes of Kings of Leon, Cowboy Mouth and Velvet Revolver, and have played festivals such as Austin's South By Southwest and the ever-so-aptly-named Mobfest in Chicago. Special guest Anxiety opens the show. PP."

- the Arkansas Time


"No Escape"

Tulsa World Article (No Escape) by Jennifer Chancellor

The Effects take a much-needed break for CD release party


It couldn't have been scripted better.

In a Beatles-esque scene that could have been pulled from the seminal comedy rock mockumentary "A Hard Day's Night," popular, lovable local rock band The Effects just can't seem to escape anything.

"This place looks better than a lot of the places we've slept in," joked lead singer Joel King during a recent photo shoot-turned beer run in downtown Tulsa.

The road-weary band was in town for one day, and took a much-needed break from the 200-plus gigs it performs each year in cities from Chicago to Omaha to Nashville to Minneapolis.

The quartet was here to prepare for the release of its first full-length, southern rock-tinged new album, which celebrates all things gloriously rock 'n' roll. It will throw a party on its release date, May 30, at Plan B bar in downtown Tulsa.

The guys posed roguishly on a deserted hotel balcony. An alarm echoed in the background.

A short Asian man in a blue paper chef's hat ran out to shoo the band from the scene. The foursome scampered down a ladder and across road construction into a cool, dimly lit dive named Orpha's Lounge that blasted hip-hop music from a jukebox.

"This is way more exciting than our last Tulsa photo shoot," laughed guitarist Jeff Krantz, referring to a shoot a month or so ago that ended with them posing outside of the historic Cain's Ballroom venue — and being part of a two-page spread in Spin magazine that highlighted Tulsa music.

"This is way more eventful than most days on the road," agreed King except for that one time, earlier this year, when the band was touring with indie rock act Ludo, he remembered. The band van broke down in the middle of the night on an abandoned stretch of Illinois highway in temperatures hovering at 10 degrees below zero, where band members huddled for hours, stranded and shivering, until help arrived.

Yeah, that was definitely worse.

Probably.

The bar grew eerily quiet as afternoon regulars reluctantly welcomed the youthful interlopers.

The crew meekly made their way toward the bar and sat four abreast.

Pinned between a middle-aged man — who was lamenting a possible 20-year prison sentence — and the band's drummer, Dalton McNaughton, bass player Chase McGillis ordered a draft beer. Nicely.

A man in a shirt that proclaimed "SECURITY" menaced nearby with his pool cue.

This is a band more comfortable with college crowds than admitted convicts. But the members still managed to relax and strike up conversation.

This summer, it will open for bands such as Shinedown at Milwaukee's gargantuan Summerfest music festival, to crowds numbering into the thousands.

It also will play at this year's Dfest music festival in July — the fourth time for the band to perform at the showcase. That's a rare feat for any band.

Someone at the bar asked if the guys are famous. The quartet laughed. They raised their drinks in appreciation.

"What is famous?" Krantz said later. "To have your CDs on sale at Best Buy? Our dream is to just make albums and tour."

King agreed. "We didn't choose this life on the road, it chose us. It's what inspires us. It's do or die."

At the bar, conversation eventually wandered back to The Effects' upcoming album release show.

Names were added to guest lists. Group photos were snapped.

"Besides," Krantz laughed. "If things don't work with the band, we always have Orpha's." - Tulsa World


"SPIN (Tulsa Rock City)"

The Effects
myspace.com/theeffects

This quartet may look like sleepy tight-pantsed extras from Dazed and Confused, but, like Kings of Leon, don't let the treads fool you- they rock hard. In 2006, the Effects played about 200 dates and didn't slack off in 2007, either: They crammed in an EP produced by Jeff Saltzman (the Killers) and as-yet-unreleased album And It Is... - SPIN


"MTV' Buzzworthy Music From 'Kaya'"

While watching this week’s episode of over-the-top “rockudrama” Kaya, you may have had your ears pierced (or re-pierced) by the quasi-Southern rock stylings of The Effects. Their song “Rite Of Passage” was featured in one of the, say… six or so scenes where Kaya was being a spoiled, cray-cray-cray-zay, ungrateful little diva-in-training. But enough about the TV rockers, let’s talk about the non-celluloid type. Hailing from the rock hinterland of Tulsa, The Effects are an overwhelmingly hirsute eight-legged groove machine of the highest order. Don’t believe us? Listen to their stuff on their MySpace page; we defy you not to get your box rocked and your soul saved in the process. Oh, and catch up on this week’s episode right here. - Tamar Anital (MTV)


Discography

2008: And It Is...
2007: the Effects EP

Photos

Bio


In 2003 Rock 'n Roll looked terminal without any hope of thriving again. In a small town in Oklahoma a band rose from the ashes to give a pulse back to a dying breed. The Effects story is one that has been told before, but not in times like these.
The Effects started with Joel King in a basement. The singer began just like his idols before him, playing wherever and whenever he could. Writing, recording, and performing around Tulsa, the Effects developed a strong fallowing. Hitting the road across the country in 2005, Joel met the second piece of the puzzle in Des Moines, IA. A classic rock guru, cut from the same cloth, born with a guitar in hand named Jeff Krantz. By 2006 Jeff had moved to Oklahoma and the Effects were touring 200 dates a year. Joel and Jeff, along with bassist Chase McGillis and drummer Dalton McNaughton headed to California to record their self-titled EP with producer Jeff Saltzman (the killers, the black keys, the sounds). The buzz was building on this grass roots project with placements on "the Hills" and "Kaya" on MTV as well as a write up in "SPIN" magazine. But the reputation of the Effects was not made on any recordings. The live rock show is their bread and butter. They have shared the stage with Kings of Leon, the Roots, Phantom Planet, the Toadies and many more. In 2008 they put out "And It Is..." independently, while playing festivals like SXSW, Summerfest, Dfest, Mobfest, and Dewey Beach promoting the album. In October of 08' Joel and Jeff decided to relocate the Effects to Nashville, TN when Chase and Dalton decided leave the group.
Within a few weeks of being in Nashville, the Effects found drummer Aaron Spraggs. From Kentucky, Aaron had rode to Nashville on his motorcycle only a few months before. His rock solid playing has taken the group to another level. While the official bass position has not yet been filled, the Effects have a whole herd of friends who love to fill in. In the spring 2009 the Effects got the wheels spinning once again. They hit their big markets in the midwest and a few festivals dates. In June they were asked to play a USO tour of military bases in Iraq and Kuwait. For two weeks they entertained our troops in 130 degree weather. They were honored to go and took plenty of pictures and video which are viewable online.
Currently the Effects are living and working in Nashville on new recordings and other business opportunities. They will be taking the rock show on the road this fall in support of some new tracks exclusively online. There is much more to come from this classic rock 'n roll outfit known as the Effects.

Spin Magazine
"This quartet may look like sleepy tight-pantsed extras from Dazed and Confused, but, like Kings of Leon, don't let the treads fool you- they rock hard. In 2006, the Effects played about 200 dates and didn't slack off in 2007, either: They crammed in an EP produced by Jeff Saltzman (the Killers) and as-yet-unreleased album And It Is..."

MTV Buzzworthy
"The Effects are an overwhelmingly hirsute eight-legged groove machine of the highest order. Don’t believe us? Listen to their stuff on their MySpace page; we defy you not to get your box rocked and your soul saved in the process."

Arkansas Times
"Think 1970s ass-shaking sweat rock. The Effects' songs invoke a T-Rex-White Stripes-Neil Young-ish vibe, with a splash of the Black Crowes at their heaviest."

Urban Tulsa
"The Effects have a sound that travels well across airwaves"

Tulsa World
“Those guys are saving rock ’n’ roll in this town. It’s the best rock band I’ve seen in years.” - Jeff Martinson, Owner of The Blank Slate in Tulsa, OK

the Bulletin - Emporia State University
"straight up, no frills rock and roll" - The Bulletin - Emporia State University

The Collegian - University of Tulsa
"Judging by the crowd at The Venue, which earlier were lined up to get in, it appears that The Effects have been able to tap into the veins of young listeners. If every stop they make at every venue looks like this show, their hard work may pay off. Unlike out-of-touch politicians, these musical candidates seem to have the youth vote."

*Bands the Effects have Performed with
Kings of Leon, the Roots, Phantom Planet, the Toadies, Zappa Plays Zappa, Shinedown, the Silversun Pickups, The Kentucky Headhunters, Cowboy Mouth, Hanson, Velvet Revolver, The Burden Brothers, Ingram Hill, The Stills, Blue October, Cage the Elephant, American Bang, the Whigs, and Limbeck.

*Placements
1 song in WB's "Everwood"
5 songs in MTV's "the Hills"
2 songs in MTV's "Kaya"
2 songs in the motion picture "the Embryo"
Music Featured on Miller Highlife Website

*Festivals Played
SXSW, Summerfest, RedGorilla, NEMO, Dewey Beach, Dfest, Mayfest (tulsa), International Pop Overthrow(NYC), Mobfest, and Bluebird Fest.

*Colleges Played
University of Oklahoma
Kansas State University
Texas A&M University
University of Wisconsin - Mil