The Fire Apes

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 12 -- Net Music Makers (“NMM”) today announced the winners of its ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition and the beta launch of its Web 2.0 site. Congratulations go to the Fire Apes, winner of NMM’s Live Band competition, and the Funkdawgs, winner of NMM’s Virtual Band competition. NMM’s announcement of its winning bands, coincided with the beta launch of its next generation Web 2.0 music website, www.netmusicmakers.com , providing users with a personalized virtual studio connected to a fan-driven, multi-channel internet radio network.

The announcement was made today at the 34 th Annual International Association of Jazz Educators conference in New York City.

The Fire Apes (Charleston, South Carolina) is led by the vocals and songwriting of guitarist John Seymour, joined by Hugh Knight (Keyboards), Julian Volpe (Bass Guitar), and Tom Hamer, Jr. (Drums).

This British-inspired power pop band, with a ska-tinged kick, lights up every track with lyrics often reflecting political or literary themes, all penned by Seymour. Even the band’s name is derived from an essay by Loren Eisley about how a certain species that discovers something (like fire), gets incorporated into the whole society. The Fire Apes have released three albums, including A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Central Park Carousel, and The Fire Apes. For more information, visit www.thefireapes.com. - Net Music Makers

Many releases have one or two stand out tracks. With the Fire Apes latest EP release, I'd say out of 5 tracks, 4 of them are pure perfection. The only reason I don't say all 5, is that the odd one out is a slower track, but it's still a great track, it just doesn't seem to fit with the rest as tightly.

This is the Fire Apes third release, but is my introduction to the band, after hearing them on various podcasts. Can you hear me all you musicians out there, podcasts=huge exposure, at little or more usually no cost. The Podsafe Music Network is a good first stop, to get your music out there to podcasters, but the best way is to investigate some of the best music podcasts and email them, suggesting your music. Building a good relationship with a few key podcasts can work wonders for your exposure. Anyway, enough of my rant.

The EP opens with "Hey Kate", just a quintessential example of the perfect power pop song. At just under 3 minutes, it harkens back to the 60's when the catchiest and most popular songs only ever ran from 2 minutes 30 seconds, to 3 minutes. Yes there were exceptions to the rule, but just look at the huge output of some of the most prolific and creative geniuses like the Beatles, Small Faces, Kinks and the Who. The second track "If Things Don't Look So Good Today", whilst being slightly more mellow, has you hooked within seconds. "Only You Could Make Me Happy" returns to the more frenetic pace and just exudes great songmanship and sheer energy. The penultimate track "Killing Me From Inside", opens like a homage to the Beatles, Strawberry Fields and is an amazing track, but it just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the EP. Actually I don't think it doesn't belong, I think maybe it would have been better as the final track. "It's Over" is the track that finishes off the EP and again the song writing just shines.

If I were to have any kind of criticism, it's that the music is so difficult to buy. It's only available via one website and not available in any way as a digital download, which is a huge missed opportunity. Previous releases are available, so I'm hoping that this EP is just stuck in the works, waiting to be approved.

Conclusion : This is a band with a huge future. Power pop at it's finest and well worth picking up in what ever form you can find it. - Indie Launchpad

Many releases have one or two stand out tracks. With the Fire Apes latest EP release, I'd say out of 5 tracks, 4 of them are pure perfection. The only reason I don't say all 5, is that the odd one out is a slower track, but it's still a great track, it just doesn't seem to fit with the rest as tightly.

This is the Fire Apes third release, but is my introduction to the band, after hearing them on various podcasts. Can you hear me all you musicians out there, podcasts=huge exposure, at little or more usually no cost. The Podsafe Music Network is a good first stop, to get your music out there to podcasters, but the best way is to investigate some of the best music podcasts and email them, suggesting your music. Building a good relationship with a few key podcasts can work wonders for your exposure. Anyway, enough of my rant.

The EP opens with "Hey Kate", just a quintessential example of the perfect power pop song. At just under 3 minutes, it harkens back to the 60's when the catchiest and most popular songs only ever ran from 2 minutes 30 seconds, to 3 minutes. Yes there were exceptions to the rule, but just look at the huge output of some of the most prolific and creative geniuses like the Beatles, Small Faces, Kinks and the Who. The second track "If Things Don't Look So Good Today", whilst being slightly more mellow, has you hooked within seconds. "Only You Could Make Me Happy" returns to the more frenetic pace and just exudes great songmanship and sheer energy. The penultimate track "Killing Me From Inside", opens like a homage to the Beatles, Strawberry Fields and is an amazing track, but it just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the EP. Actually I don't think it doesn't belong, I think maybe it would have been better as the final track. "It's Over" is the track that finishes off the EP and again the song writing just shines.

If I were to have any kind of criticism, it's that the music is so difficult to buy. It's only available via one website and not available in any way as a digital download, which is a huge missed opportunity. Previous releases are available, so I'm hoping that this EP is just stuck in the works, waiting to be approved.

Conclusion : This is a band with a huge future. Power pop at it's finest and well worth picking up in what ever form you can find it. - Indie Launchpad

In celebration of the holidays, 98X radio gal Amy Hutto and the seriously wild and crazy crew of "Local X" (Toker, Krazy Kev, Holly, and other loudmouthed smartasses) host the first annual "Local Xmas CD Release Party."

"This has been a project we've talked about since the beginning of the year," says Hutto. "I've always had a great relationship with Fusion 5 Studios. Those guys do beautiful work. This actually kinda started out as a joke ... 'Hey, let's get some local bands to do some Christmas music!' Things really fell into place, fortunately."

A Very Merry Local X-Mas, Volume 1 features renditions of holiday classics and original pieces by punk/emo/metal band Handgun Sonata, power-pop four-piece The Fire Apes, proggy rock duo The Tens (with a guest vocal performance from former quench singer Kally Knight), Carolina soul/rock act The Soul Mites, hardcore metal group Belligerent, alt-rockers Moonless Moth, rock duo The Diesel Brothers, and punk/pop band Steve Hit Mike.

Hutto pitched the idea to audio engineers Jordan Herschaft and Jeff Leonard of Fusion 5 Studios several months ago. They thought it had great potential — not just for the radio station's weekly local show, but for the studio, the bands involved, and the scene itself.

"Fusion 5 have been great to work with," Hutto says. "They sponsor the show every week. Jeff and Jordan put a ton of hard work into this in their spare time. They recorded one song per band for free over the period of a couple of months. It was hard to decide who the bands were going to be on it, partly because of all the lineup changes and breakups that happen. We want to try and do this every year. We've already received some positive feedback and requests from listeners."

Curiously, the comp kicks off and ends with covers of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and recorded in 1971 with the help of studio producer Phil Spector and the Harlem Community Choir. Handgun Sonata's version detours into wildly different "metal" territories while The Soul Mites version keeps it pretty tight and faithful.

The Tens' version of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" — originally sung by deep voiced vocalist Thule Ravenscroft (better known as the voice of "Tony the Tiger") — is swingin' and dynamic, with convincing stuff from guest singer Kally Knight. The Diesel Brothers go all '80s metal (with a drum machine and two electric guitars) on the funny "How the Bitch Stole Christmas." Belligerent croak their way through "Grandma Got Run Over By My Tour Bus" (based roughly on the hit by Elmo and Patsy Shropshire). Moonless Moth's chunky "Jingle Bells" clocks in at under two minutes. Steve Hit Mike's "What Happened to Santa?" is a rock anthem original, while The Fire Apes' polished version of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" is tight and melodic.

"The experience was valuable in that it showed us how much is actually involved in recorded and releasing an album," Hutto adds. "It can be very difficult, so we appreciate what bands go through even more now."

The all-ages CD release party kicks up at the Music Farm at 7 p.m. on Sat. Dec. 9. The $10 cover includes a free copy of the compilation disc. A portion of the proceeds will go to help the Lowcountry Food Bank.

" We'll have lots of other giveaways on site, as well as the Lowcountry Food Bank on hand," says Hutto. "They always need some extra help this time of year, so this is for a great cause. We encourage everyone to come out to the show and be supportive."
- Charleston City Paper

In celebration of the holidays, 98X radio gal Amy Hutto and the seriously wild and crazy crew of "Local X" (Toker, Krazy Kev, Holly, and other loudmouthed smartasses) host the first annual "Local Xmas CD Release Party."

"This has been a project we've talked about since the beginning of the year," says Hutto. "I've always had a great relationship with Fusion 5 Studios. Those guys do beautiful work. This actually kinda started out as a joke ... 'Hey, let's get some local bands to do some Christmas music!' Things really fell into place, fortunately."

A Very Merry Local X-Mas, Volume 1 features renditions of holiday classics and original pieces by punk/emo/metal band Handgun Sonata, power-pop four-piece The Fire Apes, proggy rock duo The Tens (with a guest vocal performance from former quench singer Kally Knight), Carolina soul/rock act The Soul Mites, hardcore metal group Belligerent, alt-rockers Moonless Moth, rock duo The Diesel Brothers, and punk/pop band Steve Hit Mike.

Hutto pitched the idea to audio engineers Jordan Herschaft and Jeff Leonard of Fusion 5 Studios several months ago. They thought it had great potential — not just for the radio station's weekly local show, but for the studio, the bands involved, and the scene itself.

"Fusion 5 have been great to work with," Hutto says. "They sponsor the show every week. Jeff and Jordan put a ton of hard work into this in their spare time. They recorded one song per band for free over the period of a couple of months. It was hard to decide who the bands were going to be on it, partly because of all the lineup changes and breakups that happen. We want to try and do this every year. We've already received some positive feedback and requests from listeners."

Curiously, the comp kicks off and ends with covers of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and recorded in 1971 with the help of studio producer Phil Spector and the Harlem Community Choir. Handgun Sonata's version detours into wildly different "metal" territories while The Soul Mites version keeps it pretty tight and faithful.

The Tens' version of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" — originally sung by deep voiced vocalist Thule Ravenscroft (better known as the voice of "Tony the Tiger") — is swingin' and dynamic, with convincing stuff from guest singer Kally Knight. The Diesel Brothers go all '80s metal (with a drum machine and two electric guitars) on the funny "How the Bitch Stole Christmas." Belligerent croak their way through "Grandma Got Run Over By My Tour Bus" (based roughly on the hit by Elmo and Patsy Shropshire). Moonless Moth's chunky "Jingle Bells" clocks in at under two minutes. Steve Hit Mike's "What Happened to Santa?" is a rock anthem original, while The Fire Apes' polished version of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" is tight and melodic.

"The experience was valuable in that it showed us how much is actually involved in recorded and releasing an album," Hutto adds. "It can be very difficult, so we appreciate what bands go through even more now."

The all-ages CD release party kicks up at the Music Farm at 7 p.m. on Sat. Dec. 9. The $10 cover includes a free copy of the compilation disc. A portion of the proceeds will go to help the Lowcountry Food Bank.

" We'll have lots of other giveaways on site, as well as the Lowcountry Food Bank on hand," says Hutto. "They always need some extra help this time of year, so this is for a great cause. We encourage everyone to come out to the show and be supportive."
- Charleston City Paper

“Armed with melodies so contagious and lyrics with such deceiving depth one could envision the streets of Charleston bursting into song like a musical, The Fire Apes know the exact purpose of good pop music, and will be releasing a new five-song CD at the show.

Progressive yet reminiscent, the songs of John Seymour are the most charismatic creations around. The band also has a new lineup that includes Tom Hamer (formerly of Astrojet), Julian Volpe and Hugh Knight; The Fire Apes are back and better than ever.”
- Post & Courier Preview (03/23/2006)

“Armed with melodies so contagious and lyrics with such deceiving depth one could envision the streets of Charleston bursting into song like a musical, The Fire Apes know the exact purpose of good pop music, and will be releasing a new five-song CD at the show.

Progressive yet reminiscent, the songs of John Seymour are the most charismatic creations around. The band also has a new lineup that includes Tom Hamer (formerly of Astrojet), Julian Volpe and Hugh Knight; The Fire Apes are back and better than ever.”
- Post & Courier Preview (03/23/2006)

The group's breezy, Brit-pop swagger, complimented with infectious melodies and intelligent lyrics, shot The Fire Apes to local stardom... “ - Post & Courier Preview (02/23/2006)

The group's breezy, Brit-pop swagger, complimented with infectious melodies and intelligent lyrics, shot The Fire Apes to local stardom... “ - Post & Courier Preview (02/23/2006)

“… Happily guitarist and songwriter John Seymour understands the need for variety and melodic invention, as the second song, ‘If Things Don't Look So Good Today' is a good jangly ballad, and 'Killing Me From Inside' features cello and Hugh Knight's keyboards. The vocals are well done throughout… the band has already released two full length CD's, which should be well worth checking out.” - Phil Suggitt

“… Happily guitarist and songwriter John Seymour understands the need for variety and melodic invention, as the second song, ‘If Things Don't Look So Good Today' is a good jangly ballad, and 'Killing Me From Inside' features cello and Hugh Knight's keyboards. The vocals are well done throughout… the band has already released two full length CD's, which should be well worth checking out.” - Phil Suggitt

“...The Fire Apes understand what the British pop invasion was about and yet transcend the past and merge it beautifully with the future...I highly recommend this CD to all serious power pop fans...Really GREAT stuff that should be WAY better known than it is!!! A+” - Jeremy Morris

“...The Fire Apes understand what the British pop invasion was about and yet transcend the past and merge it beautifully with the future...I highly recommend this CD to all serious power pop fans...Really GREAT stuff that should be WAY better known than it is!!! A+” - Jeremy Morris

“...The Fire Apes' A Perfect Day for Bananafish would have been a shoo-in for the Top Ten Honors [for 1997]...if I had known about it! From start to finish, this disc delivers the goods – original songs and a superb power pop version of Abba's “S.O.S.”... lots of jangly guitars...” - Eric Sorenson

“...The Fire Apes' A Perfect Day for Bananafish would have been a shoo-in for the Top Ten Honors [for 1997]...if I had known about it! From start to finish, this disc delivers the goods – original songs and a superb power pop version of Abba's “S.O.S.”... lots of jangly guitars...” - Eric Sorenson

Out now is another amazing release from the Fire Apes. This self-titled CD is a 5 song ep that has a little sampling of what makes The Fire Apes an exemplary power pop band. Awesome guitar-driven songs with great melody and energy are what's here. "Hey Kate" has all the elements of a top ten single. This ain't your typical retro power pop, it has the spirit of early Kinks and Beatles without any trace of slavish homage. "If things don't look so good today" is another excellent mid-tempo single as well. The sound of the band is also similar to Philly's IKE (The John Faye band). This release has just had me salivating for more. I hope they release a new full length album soon, in the meantime you can get tracks from the last two release "A perfect Day for Bananafish" and "Central Park Carousel" on itunes. Check out the links below, The Fire Apes Site has the entire album streaming, so you can try before you buy. - Powerpopahalic.com

Out now is another amazing release from the Fire Apes. This self-titled CD is a 5 song ep that has a little sampling of what makes The Fire Apes an exemplary power pop band. Awesome guitar-driven songs with great melody and energy are what's here. "Hey Kate" has all the elements of a top ten single. This ain't your typical retro power pop, it has the spirit of early Kinks and Beatles without any trace of slavish homage. "If things don't look so good today" is another excellent mid-tempo single as well. The sound of the band is also similar to Philly's IKE (The John Faye band). This release has just had me salivating for more. I hope they release a new full length album soon, in the meantime you can get tracks from the last two release "A perfect Day for Bananafish" and "Central Park Carousel" on itunes. Check out the links below, The Fire Apes Site has the entire album streaming, so you can try before you buy. - Powerpopahalic.com

The Fire Apes absolutely kill on their new EP. "Hey Kate!" and "It's Over" are nothing less than Power Pop classics with super catchy choruses and slamming power chords. What's really different about "Hey Kate!" is the way The Fire Apes contrast a reggae-flavored bridge between the chugging verse and a chorus that would make Rivers Cuomo blush. "It's Over" is an outstanding track with emotion-heavy lead vocals with just the right backing harmonies to keep it sweet in the ears. Watch these guys...they've got what it takes to be massive. - http://www.whitsbrain.com/

The Fire Apes absolutely kill on their new EP. "Hey Kate!" and "It's Over" are nothing less than Power Pop classics with super catchy choruses and slamming power chords. What's really different about "Hey Kate!" is the way The Fire Apes contrast a reggae-flavored bridge between the chugging verse and a chorus that would make Rivers Cuomo blush. "It's Over" is an outstanding track with emotion-heavy lead vocals with just the right backing harmonies to keep it sweet in the ears. Watch these guys...they've got what it takes to be massive. - http://www.whitsbrain.com/