Birmingham, UK foursome reach for the epic and the dramatic, with soaring guitars and John Tierney's deep, expressive voice conveying the grand gestures that are inherent in the material. We hear rock star potential in this big-sounding and good-looking unit whose music is tailor made for an arena setting.
MUSIC CONNECTION
Great Britain’s UXL show intensity and good melodic instincts that is beyond their ages, some of them just barely touching the twenty-year mark.
UXL’s songs weigh heavy in their lyrics and music. There is a majestic air in their melodies and vocals that harkens of classic metal bands while infusing a modern vitality in their tunage.
The band brings powerful rock with a very gentle touch, combining influences of legends of rock as the early Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, but also U2 and Pearl Jam. Some songs breathe the AOR tradition, others sound surprisingly innovating and very young.
UXL - Can I Dream Again? (Mab Records)
Taking Zep as a template, and sharing the same black country roots, they deliver a listenable set of songs. Crafted well and having paid their dues, UXL are authentic rockers. . After supporting legendary rockers Magnum recently their live credentials have been boosted considerably. Overall, athemic stuff that bears repeated listenings.
Swarming over the brow of a hill like the goblin armies out of Lord of the Rings, the songs of UXL are big on epic touches and sweeping sentiments. Embracing the likes of Marillion, Pearl Jam, Yes and even ‘80s ambient movie scorer Vangelis, the Birmingham foursome go large on everything. But from the power ballads to the slick rockers – all fuelled by the bluesy growl of frontman John Tierney – the band sound like they mean every note.
OVERPLAY
WHAT A DEBUT - PASSIONATE ROCK AND ROLL
I was sensatioanlly surprised at the subtle beauty of this debut. The initial hard-hitting rock and roll is finely balanced with the melody and vocal skill; reminding me of Free or Led Zeppelin. I am still infatuated with this album.
Play.com Review by Woolwichman
INCITE MAGAZINE REVIEW
UXL – Can I Dream Again?
The album itself is of the highest quality, from the intro you are taken in with a piece of orchestral majesty that builds in atmosphere until the title track Can I Dream Again? For me I couldn’t find a low point here, UXL are indeed destined for great things.
Review by Andrew Wenlock for Incite Magazine
http://www.incite.co.uk.tt
GET READY TO ROCK
UXL aren't about the packaging. They're a rock band. A band influenced by rock heavyweights such as Zeppelin, U2, Maiden and the Peppers. None of this lightweight indie stuff that seems so prevalent at present.
They've got a great 'meaty' sound, delivering remarkably mature melodic rock, and in lead singer John Tierney they have a vocalist of rare talent.
TOXIC PETE
'Can I Dream Again?' by the exceptional UXL is, without a shadow of a doubt, a mighty fine piece of work - it really is a genuinely superb release that deserves massive success. This band is special and they must, must, must be on the verge of getting massive recognition and reaping the rewards for their hard work, superb musical expressionism and stunning composition.It really don't get much better than 'Can I Dream Again?' by the brilliant UXL.
Magnificent stuff!!
Birmingham's new young guns UXL delivered a short but impressive set with songs taken from their debut album. Highlights included the new single and opener 'Can I Dream Again?', which instantly made the crowd take notice, especially with the distinctive vocals of John who came across as a hard edged Chris Isaacs.
UXL are a band that are going places. John's voice is huge and shouldn't be possible in an 18 year old, PJ's guitar while not flashy is very effective and doesn't overpower any of the songs (which is harder than it sounds), Paul's drumming is always solid and occasionally inspired and Dan's bass-lines hold the songs together and, along with his keyboard skills, shows a great deal of musiciality. If you have the opportunity of seeing these lads live catch them while you can, they will be good in stadiums, but they will be fantastic in a club.
This single from Midlands based UXL shows a maturity beyond their teenage years, both in songwriting and performance. Guitarist/singer John as an emotive voice which carries that ability to 'catch' a tune and add a twist to its delivery. The U2-influenced single ought to chart if there's any justice.'
UXL have had some very exciting developments in Asia
and have recently taken on representation in this territory. All enquiries for UXL in Asia please contact:
Caroline Chia
EastWest Entertainment Group Ltd
query@eastwestentgrp.com
UXL supported legendary rockers Magnum on the UK leg of their European Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow Tour 2007.
Magnum achieved wide acclaim in the UK and Europe including many chart successes and their famous opening of the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington alongside ZZ Top, Bon Jovi, Marilion and Metallica.
Tumbleweed Productions is currently in production on its film project, 'Girl 23' and UXL's 'Beautiful Today' will be featured in the opening and closing sequences. 'Girl 23' is an offbeat rom/com and will be screened at this year's Cannes Film Festival in May.
'They're big on emotions, bigger on vocal harmonies and have a pretty massive pop rock production. . .the act has become one of the most talked about new bands in the UK.'
'Birmingham band UXL is a fine-toned combo featuring three brothers and their mate Dan Clark. John Tierney has an excellent voice that manages to sound familiar at the same time as providing original character. Paul's drums are spot-on, but of course being a guitar mag, it was PJ's guitar that caught our attention: cutting,precise chord work, huge at times and airy when necessary. . .fine driving rock-pop with a hint of U2 about it.'
'Stunning vocals, raw guitars and punchy drums. . .they capture the spirit of wide, sweeping accessible rock ideal for stirring festival audiences and contemporary radio listeners alike. . .this material could be massive Stateside, it is destined for major attention.' MUSICIAN MAGAZINE
'If you were travelling through the US and heard these guys were in the Billboard top 40 you would not be at all surprised, melodic rock that the likes of many of the US huge names produce.' MANILLA MAGAZINE
'A band destined for greatness. . .they have a massive sound, play remarkably mature melodic rock, and in 18-year-old singer John Tierney have a vocalist of rare talent.' GET READY TO ROCK
'A distinctive identity throughout, with quality vocals and musicianship at the fore. Great band to see live, almost regardless of your tastes.' RYAN'S GIG GUIDE
'Hard-hitting and heart-warming, UXL make music that penetrates your brain like a sidewinder missile. And when you set your sights as high as they do, it's not hard to hit dead on target.' OVERPLAY
'They're not your average Blink 182 copyists, eschewing the norm in favour of a more epic, prog approach.' NME
'UXL display songwriting abilities far beyond this young band's tender years, both in lyrical, musical content and structure - some bands never attain that level of professionalism and maturity after years of playing the circuit. This is a band worthy of your immediate attention!' BLACK VELVET MAGAZINE
'They sound like U2 meets Led Zep. . .A major deal can't be far away.' THE VOID BBC
TO RECEIVE ALL THE LATEST UXL NEWS AND INFO PLEASE COMPLETE FORM BELOW
Young British rock band UXL are made up of the three Tierney brothers John, PJ and Paul from Birmingham and long time friend Dan Clark from Wolverhampton.
Their music has been compared to many of the rock heavyweights but UXL are essentially a melodic rock band with an epic sound. They can also do controlled minimalistic, pop-rock, semi-acoustic and just about everything in between - sweeping, accessible rock with pop sensibilities.
A few years have passed since the teenage brothers decided that they were going to be in a rock band and remarkably the youngest brother is still only nineteen, yet they’ve packed an extraordinary amount of experiences into their time together which began with the usual things familiar to bands everywhere. Lots of rehearsing, recording demos, sending off demos, getting gigs, playing to three people audiences (two mates and the manager), dealing with eccentric sound engineers and loading unreliable vans in the early hours.
From friend’s birthday parties, to sticky carpeted pubs to clubs and festivals, the live scene is where UXL are particularly strong with their trademark epic approach being central to their live performances. The early days saw them play to over 20,000 people at Sandwell Festival, record an acoustic session at the BBC studios, and meet Metallica's FOH sound engineer the legendary big Mick Hughes who described UXL's frontman John Tierney as having 'one of the most powerful voices he had ever heard.' In later days, UXL were invited to support Wishbone Ash at Cambridge which was hailed as a great success and valuable experience for the young band. Slots at Barfly, Cambridge Rock Festival, Birmingham Arts Festival, In The City Manchester, as well as many radio acoustic sessions and interviews followed.
UXL’s memorable live performances caught the attention of legendary rockers Magnum who invited them as support on the UK leg of their European Tour. The tour incorporated nine top UK venues and UXL had an amazing response from the crowds and reviewers. Last summer saw UXL on the on the road again after being invited to tour Switzerland, Germany and Czech Republic.
UXL's debut album 'Can I Dream Again?' was recorded at M2 at Mad Hat Studios in Wolverhampton and released on the independent Mab Records label. Producer Mark Stuart has worked with some of the most influential people in rock music including Phil Lynott, Steve Lillywhite and Robert Plant. The album attracted widespread impressive reviews from magazines like Music Connection, Metal Hammer, NME and Guitar & Bass Magazine. Classic Rock Society Magazine commented, 'Every now and again you come across something that really makes you sit up and take notice. . .It really shouldn't be this good. These guys deserve to be huge.' Following these reviews, UXL began to have widespread radio airplay in the US with the track 'Make It’ reaching number 4 in the Indie charts. The President of Canadian Music Week invited UXL to play at CMW in 2008, Canada's largest entertainment event. Performing on the Amnesty International stage in Toronto, the band caught the attention of EastWest Entertainment Group based in Asia who is now looking to promote the band in this territory.
The past few months have seen UXL back in the studio writing, recording and producing some fantastic new material and then it will be back on the live circuit once more.
2009 promises to be a very important year for UXL.
Hey guys, I have forgotten to say, I have got last week your UXL shirt. Thank you so much, now I need only a new ticket for a concert with you.;o))) Bye Peggy, have a nice day
check out our podcast on itunes 'jason and zoe in the milk bar' - recent guest s have include local musicians artists and performers also DEREK FORBES original bass player from SIMPLE MINDS and LEEE JOHN from imagination check it out http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319640823
“Friday night at BASE STUDIOS in Stourbridge we film
bands and musicians who come down to play the OPEN MIC and we
make promotional videos for FREE. Just turn up at 7pm to play the OPEN MIC. Filming begins at 7pm.
There's always a crew there. The Bar opens at 7pm too and if you want more
people in your video then bring a crowd down with you (It makes your videos
look better)” - Nick
Interview: Camera: Andy Watts
Music clip Director/editor/camera: Nick J.Townsend
Just dropping by to say Hi and see what you’re up to and how you are doing.
As always, wishing you well. Stay positive, productive & purpose driven.
Peace
Michael
YES! I do too, but I can't breathe, I can't sleep and my head is throbbing....I went to the Pharmacy last night and she hooked me up, so I hope with these meds I can get to feeling better. I am not coming in this afternoon to work. We might actually do that. Send a text my way and remind me, if you don't mind. I'd love to do that! We are SOOO loving our vacation time and love being around people too. the extra money we made from taking those paid surveys online helped out so much!! you should really do them too; i mean, hey, the extra money comes in handy, right? i guess you'll have to type the link into internet explorer or whatever, but here it is:
www.surveyblingbling.com
anyways, so, I will see you next Tuesday. Have a great day!
YES! I do too, but I can't breathe, I can't sleep and my head is throbbing....I went to the Pharmacy last night and she hooked me up, so I hope with these meds I can get to feeling better. I am not coming in this afternoon to work. We might actually do that. Send a text my way and remind me, if you don't mind. I'd love to do that! We are SOOO loving our vacation time and love being around people too. the extra money we made from taking those paid surveys online helped out so much!! you should really do them too; i mean, hey, the extra money comes in handy, right? i guess you'll have to type the link into internet explorer or whatever, but here it is:
www.workforblingsurveys.com
anyways, so, I will see you next Tuesday. Have a great day!
Hey.Just to let ya know if you have any gigs coming up I'm still doing gig photography for only £30(not for too much longer though).Also doing portraiture/promo and documentary.I've added some new examples recently so have a look to see if you like it.Let me know if ya want owt doing.Cheers.Thanks for the add if I havent said so before.
how has thee been in the longest time...?;0 weve been sat out, pointing upwards and squinting at t he big ball of fire in the sky..the sun i think they call it;) btw _add us below to facebook...but keep it on the hush, hush:)
now I need only a new ticket for a concert with you.;o)))
