Biography
Imagine a band that combined everything you liked about rock n’ roll. With songs that would be equally at home on an Austin Powers soundtrack or a Tony Hawk skateboarding video game. From the retro-hip of the mid-60s to the alternative edge of today, The Superficials have mixed their favorite ingredients in a rock n’ roll blender and created an utterly fresh brand of music that can only be described as superficial.
Josh Millman and Michael Page are the main ingredients in this “soup”. Each one is a standout singer/songwriter in their own right, yet their collaborative efforts have created a buzz around this Lennon/McCartney-esque partnership. Seamlessly sharing the lead vocal responsibilities and acting as co-frontmen, Millman and Page have an undeniable chemistry that breaks the confines of the traditional band lineup.
The Superficials’ debut album “oldschool” was lauded for it’s "chiming guitars, buoyant melodies, and sweet harmonies” and its “lushly tuneful gems that linger in the mind” (The Oregonian). The band’s sophomore effort “Everybody’s Girl” received even more critical acclaim. “Simply put, one of the finest indie pop CDs you’ll hear in 2004. Grade A and extremely highly recommended!” (Not Lame Records). “The new CD from Portland, Oregon's The Superficials has it all. Everything from Elvis Costello pop sense to Jellyfish harmonies, as well as the new wave energy of The Knack, which shows just how versatile and talented this band is! An awesome debut from one of the most promising new acts of 2004!” (popbang radio)
Hot on the heels of “Everybody’s Girl”, The Superficials released their third full-length album "Superbia" in November 2005. Millman and Page once again reveal their consistent high standards of songwriting and production excellence- this time adding an even modern sound and relevance to their material. With yet another collection of instantly memorable, hook-laden songs, the indelible voice of The Superficials is loud and clear.
Who’s hearing it? "I need to get into band management because these guys have it…Every song is a hit…They f…in' rock!" (Liz Wilde, national radio personality ). And she’s not the only one who thinks so. "The Superficials kicked my royal butt with their own brand of hard paced originals, cool guitars, and non-stop stage action, great great band indeed!” (Two Louies Magazine). Budweiser seems to thinks so too, having sponsored them as Oregon’s True Music Live band for two years running. Brian Blair of the Oregon Music Guide said “If someone were to tell me that Portland, Oregon’s The Superficials was their favorite band, I wouldn’t be surprised.” With a devoted if not rabid fanbase spreading the word, The Superficials are popping up on radio stations, movie soundtracks, websites, and mp3 playlists from Seattle to Spain.
http://www.superficials.com/
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So you’re sitting in a bar. Maybe it’s a dive in the rust belt with sticky floors. Maybe it’s a watering hole in the Bible belt with stock car fenders hanging from the walls. Or maybe it’s one of those places where you need a belt to get in, where people come to “see and be seen.” But for whatever reason, you’re there, enjoying a beverage, be it a $10 martini or a $2 can of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
All of a sudden, you hear music. It sounds familiar, but you know you’ve never heard it before. You investigate. Soon, you’re in a room full of people watching a band, a scenario you’re no stranger to. However, there’s something different about this crowd. You can’t seem to figure it out. The folks are from many different walks of life. Are they relatives? Friends? Surely not all of them. Some are wearing khakis. Some are wearing Stetsons. They are old and young…chic and geek…and they’re all singing along. You decide to stick around for a just a little bit, maybe 10 minutes or so.
An attractive fan makes their way to the bar for a drink. You realize that it’s the perfect icebreaker when you ask: “Who’s the band?” and they respond: “The Superficials.”
As you chat, you learn that the band is made up of songwriters from Nashville. They’re somewhat new as a whole, but each of them have been performers for a while. As the conversation breaks from time to time, your attention reverts to the stage, and you notice how much fun the band seems to be having. Even the between-song banter is amusing, as they entertain the audience with anecdotes about everything from flat-sharing in London to hand-fasting in Seattle. You like their sound, but it’s hard to categorize. You feel that almost any prefix put in front of “Rock” or “Country” would do…Folk, Alternative, Classic, Whatever. Eventually, the 10 minutes you planned to stay turns into an hour, and the group is doing their closer.
You meet the guys while they’re packing up. Sure, they look like musicians, but they also look like the sort of fellows you could just hang around and listen to old vinyl records with. After all is said and done, with your name scrawled on the mailing list and a CD in your hand, you ask yourself one last question:
“Why haven’t I heard of The Superficials until now?”
You don’t have a good answer, but it doesn’t matter.
You had a great time.
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
