Fueled by the overwhelming success of their first hit single “Zombie,” Dallas, Texas based Miser has officially made the leap from budding local talent to a blossomed national arrival. They have been dubbed a “glorified cover band,” a designation they can live with as they soak in the initial glory they have received from remaking the song made popular by The Cranberries in 1994. “Nobody wants to break on a cover” offers charismatic front man Coach. “We are supremely confident we have an arsenal of even stronger original material that will serve well in following up.” Remaking “Zombie” has simply provided a foot in the door that only extends itself to a minute fraction of the hundreds of thousands of aspiring musicians across the nation. That foot in the door has landed their single onto regular radio rotation in several top ten markets throughout the U.S. including Chicago, Houston, Detroit and Dallas; a city in which they have reached number one in spins on two separate occasions. The record continues to receive regular airplay across the nation in other markets such as Denver, Salt Lake City, St. Louis and Philadelphia. Their radio success is not the only accolade Miser has accepted.
2008 marked the second year in a row Miser was invited to Edgefest, an annual festival held by Dallas, Texas alternative rock station 102.1 The Edge (KDGE). Miser enjoyed the distinct honor of sharing the main stage with the likes of Filter, Blue October, My Chemical Romance and several other power house performers. “People ask me if I get intimidated sharing the stage with the big boys” replies guitarist Shannon Nedved. “I say hell no, we use it as fuel to further sculpt our own image. After all, WE are big boys now.” Shooting right out of the starting gate, Miser proved they were worthy of the big stage when Virgin Recording Artist, 30 Seconds to Mars invited them to open their Dallas stop in 2006. “Playing our first show ever with an act like 30 Seconds to Mars really set the bar high for us,” explains guitarist Mark Sims. “I don’t believe we have ever failed to deliver.” Being a band that prides themselves on their live show, they never pretend they were not influenced. Since their debut performance they have had the luxury of performing with other acts such as Saliva, Finger Eleven, Buckcherry, Three Days Grace and many more. Miser has made the best of these opportunities to improve upon their own performance and mature into a professional entertainment force.
The Miser sound blends appealing melody with aggressive undertones, a sound established on their debut, independent release Colors (out of print); now re-released nationally by ModArt/Caroline Records under the self-titled moniker. Nedved offers a classic example of his introverted perspective through an almost subliminal presentation of “melodic sprinkles” in opener “Zen,” all paving the way for a virtual explosion of tone and fury. Sims’s constantly fueled adrenaline and penchant for the dramatic are on display in groove laden songs like “Afterglow” and “Useless.” Coach explains, “We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel. We just want to send our message. The simpler the message, the easier it will be to understand.” That message speaks voluminously through his soft words and novelistic stories. All of this is rounded out by drummer Moe Martinez with his seemingly mathematic translation of the rhythm. His style blends artistic aptitude with an almost barbaric approach to percussion. “He is the most talented, most inspired musician I have ever had the privilege of working with,” adds Coach.
The essence of Miser is not simply their music, rather the cast. They are five gentlemen who enjoy creating music while never neglecting the other fine facets of entertainment such as building bonds with those who take the time to listen to and support them. Attending a Miser show is almost like a date with the band. They will wine you, they will dine you and they will wine you some more coming offstage, offering their presence as friends.
