HIJK

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You're Upside Down, You're Funny

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Released: Jan 1, 2010

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You're Upside Down, You're Funny
3:29
464 plays
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Ba Na Na Na Na
4:07
214 plays
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Rest My Bones
3:50
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Mouthful Of Marbles
2:30
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We Are Free
3:27
155 plays

Total Plays: 36,377 / Plays Today: 1See All Featured ►

General Info

Genre: Indie / Progressive / Rock
Location Oakland, California, US
Profile Views: 62181
Last Login: 9/1/2011
Member Since 6/20/2004
Website hijkmusic.com
Record Label HIJK Music
Type of Label Unsigned
Bio
HIJK is a modern art-pop indie rock trio from Oakland, CA. Their music consists of "hyper late 90’s-style rock, full of addictive hooks and complex riffs" - (The Bay Bridged). The band was formed in 2007 and in August of that year, they released their debut full-length album, "The Pen And The Letter" which was met with positive reviews in the press and blogosphere. In early 2008, they created a campy DIY live action/stop-animation video for the song "Paper Boat" with their friend, producer, engineer, and film buff, Enrique Gonzalez Muller. Shortly thereafter, the video won the SF Bay Guardian independent film maker's contest and was put in rotation at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. Over the following year, Dave & Trevor took a break from playing shows to focus on other projects. Dave amassed a pile of new songs and Trevor created FourFour. All the while they continued writing and experimenting with drums & guitar. In the meantime, the cable channel, MYX TV, did a half hour special on the band for their accomplished indie music series, Visual Crunch. In 2009, Karl Tupper, the former bass player of Golden Birds and booker of the underground Berkeley venue Fort Oregon, joined HIJK on bass. The new lineup immediately locked in together. In March of 2010, HIJK released RINR♡. Recorded in a garden studio in Oakland, CA, the new EP is nimble, natural and fun. While only 5 songs and just over 17 minutes, the EP travels far and wide in its variety and texture. "You're Upside Down, You're Funny" is a beautiful pop song and the source of the EP's title, while "Ba Na Na Na Na" is a 4 minute-long love song with a 3 minute intro. Folks we've shared the stage with: Sloan, Mother Mother, Straylight Run, Cloud Cult, Cold War Kids, Heavenly States, Birdmonster, Hard-Fi, Diamond Nights, White Rose Movement, Scissors For Lefty, The Velvet Teen, Sabrosa Purr, Cex, and Rainer Maria amongst others...
Members
Dave Tsui (vocals/guitar), Trevor Wencl (drums), Karl Tupper (bass)
Influences
all the way...an impossible day, every way we'll be magical, with our eyes and our hearts all align. and we say...a million things in a day, and we play full of passion, with our eyes and our hearts all align. crashing waves...younger years to decay, in our graves...we're so far from that, with our eyes and our hearts all align.
Sounds Like
Texas Is The Reason, Minus The Bear, Silversun Pickups, Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, Bloc Party, Pinback, Spoon, Phoenix

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RINR♥ - CD
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Dave Tsui - vocals & guitar
Trevor Wencl - drums
Karl Tupper - bass

HIJK is a modern art-pop indie rock trio from Oakland, CA. Their music consists of "hyper late 90’s-style rock, full of addictive hooks and complex riffs" - (The Bay Bridged). The band was formed in 2007 and in August of that year, they released their debut full-length album, "The Pen And The Letter" which was met with positive reviews in the press and blogosphere.

In early 2008, they created a campy DIY live action stop-animation video for the song "Paper Boat" with their friend, producer, engineer, and film buff, Enrique Gonzalez Muller. Shortly thereafter, the video won the SF Bay Guardian independent film maker's contest and was put in rotation at the De Young Museum in San Francisco.

Over the following year, Dave & Trevor took a breather from shows to focus on other projects. Dave amassed a pile of songs and Trevor created FourFour. All the while they continued writing and experimenting with drums and guitar. In the meantime, the cable channel, MYX TV, did a half hour special on the band for their accomplished indie music series, Visual Crunch.

In 2009, Karl Tupper, the former bass player of Golden Birds and booker of the underground Berkeley venue Fort Oregon, joined HIJK on bass. The new lineup immediately locked in together.

In March of 2010, HIJK released RINR♡. Recorded in a garden yoga studio in Oakland, CA, the new EP is nimble, natural and fun. While only 5 songs and just over 17 minutes, the EP travels far and wide in its variety and texture. "You're Upside Down, You're Funny" is a beautiful pop song and the source of the EP's title, while "Ba Na Na Na Na" is a 4 minute long love song with a 3 minute long intro.

Folks we've shared the stage with: Sloan, Mother Mother, Straylight Run, Cloud Cult, Cold War Kids, Heavenly States, Birdmonster, Hard-Fi, Diamond Nights, White Rose Movement, Scissors For Lefty, The Velvet Teen, Sabrosa Purr, Cex, and Rainer Maria amongst others.

REVIEWS

“The songs on HIJK’s full-length debut, The Pen and the Letter, seem to flow effortlessly together like a well-planned symphony” - West Coast Performer

“It's rare for an independent rock band to put half as much time into an album” - East Bay Express

“A supremely successful partnership” - Amplifier Magazine

“Their easygoing, effortlessly upbeat sound smacks of radio play and heavy MTV2 rotation” - Albondigas

“110% into making unabashedly shiny, emotionally driven pop music” - The Bay Bridged

“The Pen and the Letter is made up of dark, yet poppy indie rock. It's melodic and catchy… full of sudden twists and turns that make the listening experience somewhat addictive” - Nascent

“Word of mouth is spreading about HIJK's live show” - SFist

“…they thrive on what we’ll call the three D’s — discipline, diligence, and attention to detail” - West Coast Performer

“The perky pop of [HIJK] is like the potato chips, lightly salted, and with a hint of vinegary dance-synth“ - Flavorpill

“highly varied and engrossing songs” - Super Seven

“Hell, if sleighbells are involved, can it not be wonderful?” - Birdmonster

“[HIJK] will be stirring the Bay Area for some time no doubt” - Smother Magazine

"Here is a great band that I would expect to hit it big, at least in the indie world” - Punk Rock Parents

“Silly name, promising band” - Devil In The Woods Magazine

"Tastefully delicate art pop" - SF Bay Guardian (Ezra Provost)

"Unexpected and expertly wielded... Fans of weirdo pop of all kinds, including art-, math-, indie-, and -punk, won't miss this one." - SF Weekly (Hiya Swanhuyser)

"Many of the songs evolve significantly as they go... layered with complex melodic passages that unfold over repeated listens." - The Bay Bridged