New Album Title Track Released!

Hi all, 

Today we release the official name of our upcoming record as well as a teaser track that bears the same name. New Interface (A design with friends for the future) will be the title of The Wandas' new record. 



As we interact with our constant, ever present, changing environment we will always need a 'New Interface' to aid in our development. This is true in everything from new technology to people working in accord towards a better future for us all. The idea was inspired by the futurist Jacque Fresco and his book 'The best that money can't buy: Beyond politics, poverty, & war' 

Enjoy and please share. 

https://soundcloud.com/thewandas/01-new-interface

First track off new LP Released

Hi All,

This is the first song we're releasing off the new album. It also happens to be the first Wandas' song with no lyrics. It's called Hood River Blues

 

The backstory: We played a fantastic show in Seattle and had the next two days off; well deserved after our 14 shows in 14 days trek cross country! Our friends from Audiosocket recommended we take the scenic route and park at a campground site on Hood River, which borders Washington state and Oregon. After crossing an extremely narrow bridge, we pulled into the campsite for the night. The scenery was breathtaking. Within minutes of parking, I (Keith) grabbed my guitar and notebook, and headed towards the river. Below is a photo taken by Marc Lovely through a log, as I'm writing this song. The song is appropriately called "Hood River Blues." Hope you enjoy. Please share this link with your friends, download and enjoy! 

 



We will be releasing more songs off the new album every Wednesday until its release. 

https://soundcloud.com/thewandas/09-hood-river-blues

the WANDAS featured on USA TODAY Blog & Podcast

The Wandas were included with some good company in this week's USA TODAY'S 'Pop Candy' podcast. A section of the publication dedicated to "unwrapping pop culture's hip and hidden treasures". Along with tracks from She & Him and Battles, our new tune Do or Die which is off of our upcoming self-titled album (pre-order here) due out Aug 30th, is featured in the podcast.

Here's what USA Today had to say about "Do or Die"

I can't get tired of this one -- and after the first chorus, I couldn't get tired of singing it, either. The Wandas may remind you a bit of early Wilco, although they hail from Boston. Look for the band's self-titled record Aug. 30. - Whitney Matheson - USA TODAY

You can stream the entire podcast below which features about 30 minutes of new music.

Pop Candy podcast: June 21, 2011 by popcandy

 

Cheers,

Ross

Welcome Hype Machine Visitors - Download Album For Free

Someone just pointed out that "Thank You Note" is in the top 100 on Hype Machine. It's always nice to see music spreading to new listeners.

You can download theWANDAS entire album New Wave Blues, featuring Thank You Note from smirp. Simply click here and set your price to download the entire album. If you don't have any dough, set the price to $0.00.

If you haven't seen the video for Thank You Note, it was featured on FUSE TV on demand last month, you can view it below.

 

Friends of Fort Point Channel

Hi All

Our friend Danielle McNally recently got us involved in the Friends of Fort Point Channel, a nonprofit organization committed to making the Fort Point Channel an exciting and welcoming destination for all of Boston’s residents, workforce and visitors.

The Fort Point Channel is home to residents, artists, offices, well-known cultural and Harbor destinations, a growing Harborwalk and much more. Though still undergoing a dramatic change, the Channel is already emerging as a virtual "Boston Common on the Water" and one of Boston’s best places to live, work and play.

All of Friends of Fort Point Channel's events are FREE and open to the public! Events are held seasonally and include the Annual Flower Give Away, Annual Taste of Fort Point Channel,Waterfront Summer Concert Series, Pumpkin Pageant, Northern Avenue Christmas Tree Lighting, and much, much more!

Visit their website for more information and if you'd like to get involved,

please contact:

Danielle McNally
Marketing and Events Associate
Friends of Fort Point Channel
212 Northern Avenue, Suite 304W
Boston, MA 02210
Phone: 617-451-9239
Mobile: 207-838-9137
Fax: 617-451-0496
Email: Events at friendsoffortpointchannel.org

Thanks and hope to see you at one of the many events this summer!

Ross's iPod featured in Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Worcester, MA newspaper, Telegram & Gazette is running a feature on what musician's are listening to. They chose to examine Ross's iPod to see what he was rocking out to. Check out an excerpt from the article below or read the entire article here.

“New Wave Blues”? The title of the theWANDAS’ new CD sums the band up nicely. Both poppy and emotional, the veterans of the Worcester and Boston music scenes cut straight to the core with gorgeous harmonies, startling earnestness, and a sense of indie pop cool that makes the band one of the more fun local listens.

 

We're looking forward to reading more on some of the featured artists.

Read the entire article here

More Shows & FUSE TV

Hey Guys,

It's been a quite a whirlwind for us over the past few months. We finished up a great tour, are back in Boston playing our usual circuit of MA, RI, & NYC shows. We have some good shows coming up; most notably our Gig this Friday at Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square. For those of you who have seen us there in the past, you know it's always a fun time. Get there early as the show starts at 9pm and there is only one supporting act. Be sure to stay up to date in the Tour Section.

We just got word that the Thank You Note video has been picked up by FUSE TV on Demand and will be featured for the month of July. That means you can pull it up whenever you want for the entire month. FUSE TV is free for most cable providers so if you have cable you probably have FUSE TV. We don't have cable so we'll be coming to your place to watch it. And for those of you in the video, there's nothing cooler than firing it up casually at a party and pretending you didn't know it was on.

That's all for now. We've got some other tricks up our sleeve that we'll be unveiling in the coming months.

See you at Tommy Doyles,

Cheers,

theWANDAS

 

Tour - Day 17 - Atlanta GA

We had a solid 5 hour drive ahead of us from Charlotte NC to Atlanta GA yesterday, so we headed out in the afternoon. The trip moved along pretty smoothly until the last few miles. Atlanta was exploding with people yesterday. Aside from the normal activity, it was national record store day and there were a few record stores right in the area that we were playing. There were also a bunch of other events going on in Atlanta that had the streets flooded with people. It took us 45 minutes just to make it the last half mile.

When we finally got there, it was a mad house trying to park. The lot behind the venue was completely full with a line going in and out because of all the night life activities. We had the bus double parked while we unloaded our gear. This wasn't ideal for the people trying to get through the lot, but we managed to get in and out pretty quickly. 

The next task was trying to find a parking spot anywhere in Atlanta. We were jammed up with so many cars around us by the time we were moving we were in a bit of a frenzy. Brent was hopping into the back door of the bus while Ross was running up to the front door to hop in. After Brent stepped in, Ross pushed the door shut on his way to the front. Instantaneously Brent shrieked out in pain. The door had gotten jammed shut on his finger and was actually stuck in the door. Ross popped the door open from the outside to let Brent loose. Before we could see what finger it was we thought we were going to have to cancel the show if not go to the emergency room. The door had caught the tip of Brent's right middle finger and almost certainly broke it. Luckily (if you can call it luck) you don't need to use your right middle finger to play guitar. Anything on his left hand would have been a disaster and his thumb or index finger on his right had would have been equally as bad.

After soaking his hand in some cold beer-cooler water, we rigged up a splint made out of the side of a swiss army knife and tape, found a parking spot and got ready to play the show. Rock & Roll. After settling in at the Star Bar and enjoying our free Keystone Light beer, we could tell right away it was going to be a great night. The event was put on by Team Luis which is headed up by a promoter in Atlanta who really knows his stuff. The lineup was great including local favorites Y-O-U and Athens' own Radiolucent (both put on killer shows) and the club was packed.

theWANDAS at Star Bar in Atlanta GA

We went on second  and the crowd was primed up after a night of enjoying the beautiful Atlanta weather and atmosphere. We had a great time playing and were covered in sweat after the first 30 seconds. They don't call it Hotlanta for nothing. After the set we made a bunch of new friends & fans. Including a bunch of people who were working across the street at an outdoor Scion demo who heard the music and came in and got the whole crowd dancing. We definitely owe them one for their enthusiasm. We couldn't have asked for a better time in Atlanta.

New Fans of theWANDAS. Star Bar in Atlanta GA

We're heading to Jacksonville FL for our last show of the tour :(... sigh. However, we're really looking forward to the show because we have a bunch of friends and family who are going to be there, which will make it a great send off.

See you tonight in FL!

theWANDAS Music - Now Available on smirp

smirp is a new online distribution tool to help artists get their craft out to the masses. Following in Radiohead's footsteps, smirp allows artists to let their fans set their own price. You'll notice in the Download-Music section all of our music is now available through smirp and itunes. 

smirp was created by the same guys that brought you Flickaday; Ross's long time business partner Jeff Durand spearheaded the operation and used input from Ross & theWANDAS to craft a very artist friendly system. If you're an artist you'll most likely enjoy what smirp has to offer. If you just want to get your hands on our music, you'll find there's no easier way than smirp. 

Tour - Day 10 - Wilmington / Newark, DE

This was our most interesting day of the tour so far. We added this show last minute because another show fell through. The name of the venue we were playing at was called Bank Shots. We pulled up to the venue and it had the vibe of the bar that the  Blues Brothers play at in the movie. The bar was essentially on a concrete island in the middle of the highway. Locals call it the Fish Bowl because it's all glass. Although every single window in the place was broken, so the fish wouldn't have been too happy.

We pulled up and no one seemed to know who we were or what we were doing there. After parking in their lot for about 30 minutes while everyone cycled into their bathroom, the owner finally came out drinking a fresh Budweiser can in the parking lot and informed us there were actually 4 Bank Shots in Delaware, all under different ownership; it's just a popular name.

After breathing a sigh of relief because there was no PA at the Fish Bowl, we hurried up to the real Bank Shots with only 30 minutes to get their, get dressed, unload and setup our gear. We pulled up and were welcomed by the other band, Drunk Unkle,  who was playing that night. They were a great bunch of guys. Extremely friendly and helpful. They let us use their entire setup so we only had to bring in our guitars which was a huge time saver.

theWANDAS & Drunk Uncle @ Bank Shots in Newark Delaware

We were treated so well at the venue. The owner bought a bunch of our CDs, refused to let us pay for drinks and made us feel right at home. It was great playing with Drunk Unkle, they were an awesome cover band who really got the crowd going. They reminded the crowd time and time again to help us out and buy some of our merchandise; which they did in turn.

It is safe to say we will be back in Delaware; hopefully at Bank Shots...in Newark, that is..

Right now we're spending Easter in a Walmart parking lot, but it's a super Walmart so it makes it special. Happy Easter!

 

Tour - Day 9 - Danbury, CT

We decided to stay in Brooklyn for a little longer since we were only 90 minutes from Danbury, CT. Keith and Will decided to try to make a few extra bucks and do an acoustic performance on the streets of Brooklyn. They made some friends and even had another street musician jump in on guitar. It was a great way to wrap up our time in NYC. Check out the video below!

Then it was on to Cousin Larry's in Danbury CT. I must say, going into the tour I was most uncertain of this venue. Maybe it was the name, maybe it was my lack of familiarity with the location; I'm not sure what it was, however I couldn't have been more wrong. We pulled up and were greeted by a lively staff and group of regulars who were at the bar. We unloaded our equipment and then hit the bus for what has become our pre-show ritual; watching the Simpsons. The band who played before us Panda and Child knew our good friends in 28 Degrees Taurus from Boston, so we felt right at home.

We were the last act and went on around 12:30am. Since there was no one after us we were able to play extra long. We threw in a couple of old ones and even included an jammed out version of Why don't we do it in the road? The crowd was really digging it by the end and we were having a blast. It's safe to say we will be back at Cousin Larry's.

Will's drums looking sharp on stage at Cousin Larry's in Danbury, CT.

Last night we were leaving the club around 2:30am and got pulled over for no real apparent reason; other than the fact we were pulling out from a parking spot and the cop didn't seem to appreciate us doing it in front of him. After a few minutes of running the license and registration, we were let off the hook and proceeded to a local diner where we enjoyed our 3am breakfast.

We're on the road to Wilmington Delaware right now for a show tonight at Bank Shots. Then we have Sunday and Monday off for Easter on the road.

See you in Deleware!

Tour - Day 8 - Brooklyn, NY

NYC Skyline from the bus

We pulled into Brooklyn around 5pm yesterday, hassle free. This gave us plenty of time to relax and walk around before the show. We always love playing in brooklyn. It's such a fun city and we have a lot of friends in the area. We went on at 11pm which was a perfect slot; just before local act Quiet Loudly. After we played, Ross, Keith, Will & Danielle  went out on the town with some old friends. Brent stayed behind to rest up because he has been feeling a bit under the weather.

theWANDAS at The Trash Bar in Brooklyn NY

It was a perfect night. Great music, good friends, beautiful weather and a lot of laughs. We didn't even get any parking tickets! The trip was capped off when we bumped into Nels Cline from Wilco this afternoon. Will chatted with him for a bit about is guitar playing and we were off.

It's off to Danbury CT tonight!

Rockin' for a Good Cause

Next time you go to see theWANDAS perform, not only can you feel good about the music, but you can feel good about making a difference in the world. For our upcoming shows in Cambridge, MA (starting at Tommy Doyle's on March 7th) we will be donating the profits from our CD sales to the Auroroville or bust project.

Ann & Ali are two women in their 20's who are sailing from the U.S. to India where they will be living and working 20hr/week in Sadhana Forest where there is an ongoing effort to restore near-extinct dry tropical forest and revive the dried land and its waters.


The will be working with many volunteers to re-create the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest indigenous to the area. This forest type is found only in Southern India and Sri Lanka and provides a rare biological richness due to its very high species abundance (over 1000 species of trees, shrubbery, and liana). The Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest is now close to total extinction as only 0.01% survives. This is a last moment effort to keep this very rich and beautiful Forest on Earth. Water conservation and soil management are central to the effort.

You can read all about their adventures at donate to their cause at AlternativeGradSchool.com. As always you can view all of our upcoming shows on our Tour Page.

New Wave Blues - Quickly Becoming Press Favorite

There's nothing more rewarding than recieving praise for creating something from your heart and sharing it with the world. Pasta Primavera, a Baltimore-based indie music blog gave New Wave Blues high marks.

[theWANDAS] just put out a new LP, New Wave Blues, and it’s teaming with pop melodies that send me overboard...

A pop sound reminiscent of the Beach Boys and Elvis Costello at times. The echoed vocals of Keith McEachern are the key. They can be fragile one second (”Please Come Home”) and down right infectious the next (”Bending Over Backwards”)...

New Wave Blues is a well rounded explosion of an album and The Wandas have just made my new favorites list.

Read the entire review HERE

Rave reviews from The Weekly Dig

theWANDAS were featured in The Weekly Dig this week and recieved high praise for their latest work New Wave Blues. Here is what they had to say:

The four-piece group The Wandas separate themselves from the large pack of Boston pop bands with a tightly designed, smart sound. Besides the production from Patrick Krief (of The Dears) and the mastering of Ryan Morey (The Stills, Arcade Fire), the vocals from Keith McEachern and friends are a delight.

Check out the matching harmonies of "Bending Over Backwards" or the falsetto on "Trepidation" for the ingredient that truly adds to the already focused formula. Expect this Berklee-bred band to do what many others have done: blow up. [David Day - The Weekly Dig]

It's always great to be recognized for your hard work and dedication. See you soon at one of our upcoming shows.