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Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!
Rock / Acoustic / Indie

"New songs posted! Goose Island WRIGLEYVILLE 8/9!"

Glendale Heights, Illinois
United States

Profile Views:  18436




Last Login:  7/6/2008
View My: Pics | Videos

   Contacting Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!

 MySpace URL: 
  http://www.myspace.com/facingwinter  

   Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!: General Info
Member Since3/9/2005
Band Websitefacingwinter.com
Band MembersJustin Birchard (vocals & guitar), Liam Doyle (bass) and Jeff Goluszka (drums & percussion)
InfluencesRadiohead, Elliott Smith, Sunny Day Real Estate, Modest Mouse, the Mars Volta, Bright Eyes, Two Gallants, Tool, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, Beck, 311, Smashing Pumpkins and many, many more ...
Sounds LikeAcoustic, passionate rock, blending melodic vocals, tight beats and intricate rhythms for an organic sound.
Record LabelSeven Sided Records
Type of LabelIndie





   Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Jul 20 2008 8:00P
Seven Sided Studio (RSVP limited seating) Glendale Heights
Aug 9 2008 10:00P
Goose Island (Wrigleyville) Chicago
Sep 6 2008 8:00P
Quenchers Chicago

Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!'s Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

Double Door Show a Huge Success! $2,150 Raised, Thanks To You All!  (view more)

First In-Depth Album Review of SEAS DRAIN INTO SPACE!  (view more)

brand new demo...  (view more)

BUY "Seas Drain Into Space" in mp3 form!!!  (view more)

New songs posted!  (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

   About Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!


Double Door Show a Success!
$2,150 Raised, Thanks To You All!


   Thanks to a massive team effort last night, together everyone helped raise $2,150 to fight cancer!

   We extend a huge THANK YOU! to each and every person who came out to Chicago's Double Door for the show.

   Facing Winter especially thanks Amy Aiello for directing and organizing like a master planner.
   She's also a phenomenal photographer:
   amyphotochicago.com
   Amy pretty much single-handedly put everything in motion for all aspects of this cancer benefit.

   Speaking of which, the majority of the proceeds will go to the Shannon Sperando Cancer Fund:
   www.shannonsperando.com
   She's been a blessing to work with throughout the whole process of planning this event.

   To help spread the support nationally, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Prevent Cancer Foundation:
   www.preventcancer.org

   We'd also like to thank Cara Carriveau of 101.9-FM The Mix (Chicago) for emceeing the event from start to finish.
   Befriend Cara: myspace.com/caracarriveau
   And listen to her web radio show: carasbasement.com

   You can find a handful of last night's photos of these kind folks here at the Facing Winter MySpace, on the Photos page.
   Here's a link directly to the album (make sure you are logged into MySpace first):
   http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=10954936&albumId=2126858

   So five bands played last night during the Benefit (Amy will have photos up soon), and people bought hundreds of $2 raffle tickets. Here are some of the prizes won by the happy donors:

An HD radio
Signed music memorabilia by Stone Temple Pilots
Signed drumstick by Filter
$100 Lynfred Winery gift certificate
Fellowes PS-79CI paper shredder
2 tickets to Tony and Tina's Wedding
2 tickets to Second City
T-shirts and other clothing
Band merch from event performers

   It's satisfying that so many people came out and supported these various causes. The effort is truly appreciated.

   From the Facing Winter perspective, we played a 35-minute set of mostly more rockin' tunes:

Moonshine
Tightrope
Idle Threats
Killshot
New Explosion
All For Profit
290
Colorful

   You can stream album versions of "Moonshine" and "Killshot", among others, on the main page at myspace.com/facingwinter.
   We might have some video from the set up soon, if we're lucky.

   Oh yeah, Facing Winter is finally on YouTube:
   YOUTUBE.COM/FACINGWINTER

   We just started making videos, so there's only four items up there right now, including Cara Carriveau's segment on NBC-5 (Chicago), promoting last night's Double Door show.
   As soon as we get any decent-enough concert footage, we'll have some live tunes up there.

   Below are two examples of what we've thrown together in the last week.



Justin's Performance/Music Video of Facing Winter's "Pocket of Change" (7/3/08)


From the new album "Seas Drain Into Space"
Preview the new album: facingwinter.com/listen.html



--------------------------------------------


Facing Winter's Practice Performance of "Killshot" (7/2/08)


From the new album "Seas Drain Into Space"
Preview the new album: facingwinter.com/listen.html



   Next up for Facing Winter is a show at Goose Island Wrigleyville Brew Pub (at Clark and Addison, Cubs fans!)
   Official site: gooseisland.com/pubs/wrigleyville.asp
   Metromix review: http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/brewpub/goose-island-wrigleyville-wrigleyville/142011/content
   Go Cubs!

   After that will be a show at Quenchers Saloon in Chicago (quenchers.com) on Saturday, September 6th.
   Stop by the FW MySpace and facingwinter.com for updates every now and then.

   In other news, the official music video for "Moonshine" is now in post-production. It will be released in late summer/early fall.
   We finished shooting a few weeks ago. It's being directed and produced by our buddy Chad Headley:
   myspace.com/roadkillvp4life


   Thanks again to everyone who supported the Benefit Show, including the Double Door (doubledoor.com) and the other bands (Mer, Munroe, Chemist vs. The Computer, and David Costa Is Dead).

   And thank YOU for reading this all the way to the end! Holler!





NBC-5 Chicago Cancer Benefit Promo 7/4/08
Segment features Cara Carriveau of 101.9-FM The Mix in Chicago. Broadcast on Friday, July 4th, 2008. Copyright NBC-5 Chicago.








NEW ALBUM REVIEW:
"Seas Drain Into Space"


By Matthew Potts
July 2, 2008



"Seas Drain Into Space", the first full-length album from Facing Winter, invites its listeners deep into the unpredictable world of a 21st-century indie band. Each of the 12 songs lends a different light to illuminate the album's story and the character of the musicians behind it.

1. Moonshine - The album kicks off with its best candidate for a single. "Moonshine" is a tune which quickly sounds familiar. With warm guitars, a pleasing meter, upbeat lyrics, and a sunny melody, the listener may prepare for an 'easy Sunday drive' kind of album.

2. Soul Note - But hold on, "Soul Note" has an entirely different emotional complexion.  With moodier guitars and more introspective lyrics, the album takes a turn to explore the difficulties of finding inspiration in the face of desolation. The message encourages the artist to persevere. A first-time listener, who may struggle during parts of track two, should heed the same advice. 

3. Slowpoke - More upbeat, but keeping with the sense of struggle, "Slowpoke" is utterly catchy. Anyone who is habitually tardy finds in the song a perfect chorus to repeat whilst chasing the slippery bouncing ball of daily life. It features Justin's nifty dual-instrumentation, using his guitar as a percussion instrument while strumming. In less-capable hands this technique might come off gimmicky. However, the song stands (or rather runs) on its own two legs, exerting remarkable appeal relative to its technical difficulty. Liam and Jeff take full advantage of the song's rhythmic backbone and jam nicely off Justin's lead.

4. Pocket of Change - From the race to catch up with the world, the album moves into the struggle for survival as a modern musician. "Pocket of Change" is a carefully-worded narrative about a female songwriter who can't get a break. It offers a not-too-subtle criticism of the popular music industry and pop consumers themselves. Poignant lyrics and articulate hand percussion compliment a sweet and simple melody. The flesh-and-blood appeal of this track is hard to deny.

5. Killshot - This track begins with a moaning/mourning guitar in stark contrast to the warm guitars of the previous song. After 17 seconds, a brave composition emerges. The rhythm, utterly strange, delivers a sense of urgency unattainable in any standard meter. The artist appears to cease his destiny, and the album's transition into ass-kicking mode begins. Liam's bass asserts itself and a fuller rock sound awakens anyone who had started sinking into the couch. 

6. New Explosion - This tune begins with Justin's gritty strumming, drawing the dirtiest possible grunts out of his moody Gibson. Garage-rock anger resonates, then shatters the dingy room -- a blissful sense of freefall replacing it. The rockin'est of what Facing Winter does is harnessed in this 'title track'. It goes by a different name than the title of the album, but it makes mention of 'seas draining into space', and it seems to bespeak the essence of the album: the artist's life is stood upon its head, darkness swarms, but then gets annihilated, blown away by some new explosion, and is replaced by utter radiance. 'Things are gonna fall apart, and that's when you find out who you are.' Jeff's relentless drumming and Liam's steady bass free up Justin to deliver a knockout punch with his euphoric progressions and sugar-sweet "oo" "oo"s. If you don't tap your toes during this one, you should seriously have your tappers checked.

7. Colorful - Here's a song that has been in Facing Winter's catalogue for some time now, waiting to have its potential fully realized. Take special note of the drums. By the end of the song, you can actually hear the hi-hat catch fire. Jeff underwent double Tommy John surgery twice over the past 15 months in order to finish the tracks for "Colorful". Probably the album's hardest-rocking song, its vivid textures do justice to awesome car accidents and near-death drowning experiences.

8. Death Confronts - This one takes the rock factor down a full two notches. A song with both a bright and dark side, the jaunty acoustic melody of the verse -- at first -- seems ill-suited to the song's name. However, in the chorus, this confrontation with death is theorized. There is a rich drama within it: a dialogue between the life-affirming feelings of love in the verse, and the cold embrace of death in the chorus. This is not the easiest listen on the album, but those who invest their attention will be rewarded. It is a fascinating musical exploration of the theme its title suggests.

9. Campfire - A more mellow song, "Campfire" possesses a much more homogenous character than the previous tune. It is warm and true. Where "Moonshine" stands alone as a single, this song may be a more complete piece of music, at least as it is recorded on this album. Where "New Explosion" could be the future, "Campfire" is both past and present. The warmth of Justin's guitar reigns, with perfect compliment from each of the other instruments, bass, drums, and vocals. The maturity of the lyrics is a testament to Justin's arrival as a complete songwriter. This song will retain relevance as long as any song on this album. In exposing new listeners to Facing Winter music, this track should be at or near the top of the list.

10. All For Profit - The rollercoaster quality of the album continues into its final quarter. From the warmth of a campfire, listeners get cast out into the cold rain of injustice. "All For Profit" mixes serenading guitars with whining ones, all over the top of a contagious rhythm. It's giddy-up rock 'n' roll with a steady venting of anger, imparting to its listeners what it feels like going up (the) creek without a paddle, let alone a boat. 

11. Bad Idea - A ballad, track 11 showcases Justin's impressive vocal abilities. Sad and happy, with excellent storytelling, a beautiful melody, solid instrumentation, and some engineering polish on the back end, the 'waiting game' of the song utterly flies by. This "Bad Idea" turned out to be a truly excellent idea for a song, and a highlight of this album.

12. Drift - As the album reaches its concluding track, the listener likely doesn't know what to expect. A lonely guitar introduces itself and lets the supporting cast enter in behind it. The song is born of a single thought and builds layer-by-layer as detailed in the lyrics. Beginning as a dedication where the musician struggles to express his love in a way other than music, he succumbs and uses music to get the job done.  Then it goes on to embody a radically different sentiment. For the listener who persists through all 12 tracks, and all of track 12, there appears to be a moral of some kind. A flurry of vocal tracks overlay the basic melody in the final minutes of the song, and while it's difficult to dissect the meaning and formulate a coherent message, the feelings are explicit:

Love is born, grows, dies, and out of its death, there is hope it will be born again. The thread of the original verse melody never disappears, but around it the whole universe seems to change twice.  The song and album end suddenly to a fan's dismay perhaps, but perhaps it is the perfect ending to an album fraught with surprise.

Final Thoughts - With a mixture of warmth, disenchantment, recklessness, frustration, and epiphanic joy, few listeners will be able to find some chorus that doesn't take hold. For its honesty, originality, and variety, this album sets itself apart from industry standards. For the quality of songwriting, the warmth of the guitars, its steady rhythm section, and the fact that it is Facing Winter's first full-length effort, "Seas Drain Into Space" is an impressive achievement.


....









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BIO:

   Facing Winter is an acoustic-rock trio from West Chicago, Illinois. The group's passionate sound is crafted by three long-time friends whose thoughtful songs appeal to many audiences.
   Some say the band sounds like a blend of Elliott Smith, Radiohead, and Sunny Day Real Estate. Facing Winter's music combines inviting vocals and crisp guitars with an earthy rhythm section for a textured, yet simple sound.
   The trio's frontman is Justin Birchard [MySpace], whose melodic voice and guitar are complimented by bassist Liam Doyle [MySpace] and drummer Jeff Goluszka [MySpace]. They've been together since December 2003.
   The foundation of Facing Winter will always be friendship, with a love for music.









New Videos!
YOUTUBE.COM/FACINGWINTER


Pocket of Change
Justin recorded this one D.I.Y. style when he was bored at work.





Killshot
From a practice from July 2nd... getting ready for the Double Door show.








Scientists
Late night jammin at Abigail's in Chicago









   Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!'s Friend Space (Top 25)
Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG! has 3774 friends.
 Facing Winter Street Team 


 amy aiello photography 


 Double Door 


 MTP 


 Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire 


 Them Damn Kids 


 Tree 


 Smooth Yet Psychedelic..... 


 Sean 


 ~- aLi - * 


 *-*kma*-* 


 KITTY 


 Joey O. hero to the people 


 Almost Chad 


 Alison 


 Sterling 


 JD_Funk 


 dan 


 space.....E 


 Malloukie 


 Courtney 


 ABIGAIL!The History Of "85-? 


 Shannon 


 Just Me 


 Cara Carriveau 





Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!'s Friends Comments
Displaying 50 of 317 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
John Sleezer





Jul 6 2008 11:40 AM

Hey FW
Cool songs
Rock on
Peace JS
MUNROE





Jul 6 2008 8:48 AM

Great job last night guys.
Julio Gomez





Jul 3 2008 8:54 PM

yall are the best friends any band could have. see you so soon.
j
Justin Flanagan





Jul 2 2008 4:29 PM

Thanks alot guys. I really like the songs. Im gonna try an make it out there saturday. Lookin forward to seein you guys live. Peace.
Malloukie





Jul 1 2008 8:15 AM

Hello musical babies! I wanted to wish you all the best this weekend at your show! I wasn't able to get anyone to cover my shift that night so I'm stuck working....boooo! But if you guys want to stop by Schuba's afterwards..I'll probably be there til stupid late (unless I get cut early, which would be such a blessing)
All the best,
M
ComfortZone Records





Jun 30 2008 12:04 PM

Justin- Thanks for the hospitality! Your band sounded great. Your place was a good place to see a band. I thought I would need earplugs but it sounded good in there.
*-*kma*-*





Jun 28 2008 8:28 AM

hey thanks!! I love ur new cd it was worth the wait for sure.
Facing Winter * Benefit Success! * NEW BLOG!





Jun 26 2008 11:44 PM

amy aiello photography





Jun 23 2008 7:12 AM

loving your new demo - has a very Elliott Smith feel to it :D
Micah Olsan





Jun 23 2008 6:12 AM

two of the guys in my band live in the chrystal lake area, and we have been hoping to play around there more. we should definately swap some shows.
Dan and Leland





Jun 12 2008 7:24 AM

hey guys. checked out the tunes yesterday. very cool stuff. looks like we'll be playin' goose island together in august? hope that's confirmed, cause you guys sound great!

cheers
d
Kickplate





Jun 8 2008 7:53 PM

Good luck at Double Door...you're gunna love that place!!!
amy aiello photography





Jun 6 2008 10:29 AM

http://www. ticketmaster. com/event/040040AFAA452DA8?artistid=1229025&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

You're on ticketmaster, boys :)
JD_Funk





Jun 3 2008 9:57 PM

updated
Photobucket
♥Nikole





Jun 3 2008 12:02 AM

Hey Fellas! How are you? I hope all is well! I just stopped by to listen to your songs && Check out the new pictures! I love them both! Keep rockin out guys! Love you!! Hugs&&Kisses~Nikole
John Sleezer





Jun 1 2008 3:11 PM

Hello F W
I hope all is well
Thanks for the re add after the red xs incident
Rock on and keep up the good work my friends i wish you all the best
Peace John Sleezer
JD_Funk





May 30 2008 7:30 PM

GHTV-FWtemplate
amy aiello photography





May 30 2008 8:22 AM

chadley's already beginning to talk about the next music video!! ha ha :)
Malloukie





May 26 2008 6:27 AM

Love the pics you guys put up from the shoot! Had a blast working with you guys. Hope the rest of filming has gone well.
Can't wait to see the final product!
amy aiello photography





May 24 2008 9:35 PM

SO mad at my schedule.. the shoot looks like SO much fun so far! see you tomorrow after I wrap the art gallery shoot - shouldn't take too long; maybe til 1pm or so :)
Almost Chad