Thursday, June 25, 2009

WACKO JACKO BITES THE BIG ONE

Pittsburgh, PA (Reuters)- With the untimely demise of the "King of Pop", Michael Jackson, the young, relatively unknown rock group The Takeover UK are holed up in their compound/Head Quarters here in their hometown on the edge of Western Pennsylvania. The band, according to spokesman Charmaine DeLillo, are reeling from the news. "Each member of the band has the utmost respect and regard for Michael Jackson's music. He was the best singer, the best dancer, and at one point, the best-looking motherfucker on the block. We are saddened and dismayed to hear of his unfortunate and far too early passing. We ask for our privacy at this difficult time to mourn the loss of such a revered figure", said DeLillo.
The Takeover UK first collaborated with Mr. Jackson, or Wacko Jacko as they lovingly nicknamed him, on the previously unreleased B-side "Come Get Sum", which was to appear as the flip side of Jackson's smash hit, "Black or White" released in 1991. A controversy over the lyrics and artwork to the song forced Sony, Jackson's label, to replace it with a less sexually/politically offensive number. The two artists never collaborated again.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

fresh old shit

hey.. i wanna introduce myself.

I'm Derek, the new bassist of Takeover. It took me a while to post here because I wanted to feel like a member of the band first. I joined in February, I've been on a couple tours and had a few screaming matches with the guys. I paid my dues man... now I finally feel like a true member of the band. That said I wanna share a bit of myself. Believe it or not.. the guys in the band made me responsible for recording our upcoming release. I feel honored but I also hate them for it, I'll be going deaf at a young age.

So I'm not gonna lie, I'm "trying" to find optimism in the world of music. I truly believe that our current day industry is the biggest pile of horseshit in the world. I hope you are with me. At the end of the day I just want peace in my heart. I want songs with longevity. Did you notice that modern pop singles are hot when they're first released, and 2 months later it's considered "old, or outdated?" Why is that? I'll tell you.. there's no passion put into the songs anymore. All the wrong assholes are in charge of everything. We could really use some radio play but we're gonna do honest work until we get there. That means no fucking people over.. I thought of breaking the law or burning certain venues down, that won't help, it will only put me in jail and then the band won't do shit. fuck getting press for doing stupid shit. I'm over that idea.

People know me as being a close minded person who only listens to 60's girlgroups.. That's kinda true. So I guess my point is.. don't fall into an unsacred path. Here's some shit to move your soul, if it doesn't then keep watching till it does.

Here's a song that I just adore lately. it was written by Carol King and Gerry Goffin. performed by the beautiful Dusty Springfield. this crazy bitch used to throw plates back stage before performances to relive stress. I love it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PKXE5qvJ3E

mwa
-love derek

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Drought is Over

Well, we're about 80% done with our first song("Across the Car") of what will hopefully be our next release. We've been recording in Derek's basement for the last three weeks in an attempt to get something a little more homegrown. It's sounding pretty good--and by good I mean bombastic.

It's a hell of a driving song. No, not driving guitars, I mean it's the kind of song that'll sound best with a red left arm slung out of the drivers side window, while you're on your way home from work. I'm excited to see how people react to it. We've never done anything like it before.

"Golden Age" is on deck and although we've been playing it since last Christmas, it's going to be nice to finally get it on wax. . . or silicon, or whatever. I'll keep you posted.

Luv,
Nic

New SpringWidget

Monday, June 8, 2009

GUNNIN' FOR THAT #1 SPOT

Not too long ago I asked you dear readers to request a song of ours on Sirius/XM radio. Well I'll have you know, you did well!
This past weekend we reached #15 on the AltNation Weekend top 18. From all of us, I'd like to extend a very sincere thank you to every one that emailed a request for "Ah La La". It worked!

Being the insatiable, avaricious lot that we are, obviously we want that #1 position. And I hope you can help again. This time, in addition to personally emailing a request for "Ah La La" by The Takeover UK, if you could email as many friends as you can and tell them to do the same. If they've never heard us, by damn, turn them onto us! I don't mean to start some shitty chain letter. Nothing bad will happen to you if you don't, I assure you. We don't wield any such magical, karmic powers. But if we could climb even higher, perhaps even to the top spot, well, life would be sweet not only for us, your humble entertainers, but also for you. Just knowing what power you hold in determining what is popular can be a mighty swell feeling. So please go forth, ye mighty power brokers of pop music justice, and request away.

Please send your requests for "Ah La La" by The Takeover UK to :

AltNation@siriusxm.com

Any and all help is appreciated immensely. We're at #15, but let's get it. Let's get high..er!!

In other news, we'll be taping a few songs for the FOX music show FEARLESS TV later this week in New York. I'll keep you posted on when it will air. Oh well, I'm off to the studio (aka Derek's basement) to record some guitars for a new song.
Keep on the lookout here in the near future for a new feature. I promise you it will be entertaining.

Later,
Mark

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

I'M A BELIEVER

The other day I bummed a cigarette to a guy on the street. He thanked me politely. As I walked away, he turned to his friend. "Usually I hate Anglo-Saxons, but he was actually nice". WHAT??!! First off, I don't think I'm even Anglo Saxon. My family is originally Irish and Russian. I'm not quite sure what denotes an Anglo Saxon. I'd look it up, but I really couldn't be bothered. Really, that's not the point. As for this wonderful fellow's ethnicity, it was wonderfully vague. Greek? Armenian? I don't know and I don't care. But I thought the whole thing was bizarre and funny at the same time. I don't know why I felt the need to share that with you. Moving on...

So here we are in New York. We filmed a video on the subway last night for "Don't Wait Up". The G line to be exact. We spent quite a bit of time rehearsing with 25 or so extras. Thanks to all those who helped out. Hopefully it'll turn out great.

As for now, I'm in the back of Monster Island, the same place we made our album. We're finishing up a song, "Hellbound and Heavensent". We started it a few weeks back while we were on tour. This song is actually the very first song we wrote together as a band. Which reminds me...

The summer of 2004: The Takeover UK has just formed. We decide to spend 4 or 5 days together in Ocean City Maryland at a friends apartment. We drive down in a Jeep Cherokee. Instead of sunny days at the beach, it rains the entire time. Rather than basking under the warm mid-Atlantic sun, we sit on our friend's porch and play guitars and sing, the rain sloshing down.
One night we head out to the honky-tonk boardwalk to busk. Within the first ten minutes a drunk runs to the ATM and hands us $80. We're ecstatic. "We're gonna make a G this week", we boast to one another. The next night we make $3.47. Busking doesn't seem to be the road paved in gold we thought it would be. But we do write a song. And we learn how to harmonize together to boot. Oh and I contracted scabies from sleeping on the friends couch. How I'm the only one that managed to contract such a dastardly thing, God only knows. That was 5 years ago. I'm much better now, thank you very much. Took care of that in one fell swoop to the doctor's office. Why am I sharing this? You don't need to know this.

Anyways, we're happy to let you know there will be loads of new songs by the end of the summer. Just get ready to enjoy yourselves.
Later,
Mark