Posted on: January 24, 2010 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 2

“The Mistake,” the first video from Chicago-based rock band AM Taxi’s upcoming Virgin Records debut album, We Don’t Stand a Chance, will premiere this Saturday, January 16 on MySpace. The debut CD comes out on June 2010, just prior to the band hitting the road for this summer’s Warped Tour, starting June 24 through August 15. AM Taxi are one of the few groups booked for the entire prestigious concert series prior to releasing an album.

The band was formed in the Windy City almost two years ago—with the encouragement of Sublime producer Miguel Happoldt—by longtime bandmates and pals, singer/songwriter Adam Krier, drummer Chris Smith and bassist Jason Schultejann, releasing a pair of EPs before getting signed to EMI’s Virgin Records label.

Recorded in Austin, TX, with renowned producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Patty Griffin, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead), AM Taxi’s major label bow, We Don’t Stand a Chance, offers a variety of different styles, from old-school punk to world beat and modern pop. “The Mistake” is a heart-on-the-sleeve confessional that recalls the Replacements, while “Fed Up” is a Springsteen-by-way-of-The Hold Steady classic rock raver, “Dead Street” sports a Police-styled world beat and “Sharissa” a Clash-esque reggae rhythm.

“I try to write songs about things people can relate to,” says vocalist/guitarist Krier. “For me, the best music, at the end of the day, is therapeutic. It’s just classic rock songwriting with present-day arrangements.”

With favorites like Pacific Northwest Nuggets-style garage bands like the Wailers, the Sonics and Paul Revere and the Raiders, as well as the British Invasion bands, soul greats Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, Two-Tone bands The Specials and the Selecter along with alt-country acts Wilco and Ryan Adams, AM Taxi take their inspiration from non-stop touring, with songs like “Dead Street” and “Shake, Rattle and Stall” capturing restlessness of life on the road.

“Our goal is to take that hour and let people get away for a little bit,” says Adam. “And if they dig what we’re doing, maybe they’ll check out some of the stuff that influences us.”

AM Taxi will tour the States prior to Warped Tour with dates to be announced soon.

2 People reacted on this

  1. “AM Taxi take their inspiration from non-stop touring, with songs…”

    Actually it should read AM Taxi takes with an ‘s” at the end,
    There is only one AM Taxi making it a singular.

    You wouldn’t say “the US army take caution…”
    You would say “the US army takes caution…”

    Nu-skool journalism seems to negate old school grammar.
    Kind of silly.

    AM Taxi is nominated for blah blah
    NOT AM Taxi are nominated

    get with it

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