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More news coming soon to a web page near you! News Archives from Winter/Spring 2008:
Happy New Year, Friends and Fans! News Archives from Fall/Winter 2007:
All the News that's Fit to Print The London-based Merc clothing company has spotlighted The Handcuffs on their corporate website in their "Who is Wearing Merc" section. And indeed we are wearing Merc. Check out the link, by scrolling down on the page (smack dab in between Art Brut and the Casbah Club) on their site right here. And, closer to home, listen for Handcuffs songs from time to time, during Chicago Cubs baseball game broadcasts on Superstation WGN television. We've heard "All Shine On" and "Peggy Moffitt," both from our debut disc "Model for a Revolution," played during breaks in the action. And though the broadcasts originate in Chicago, WGN is on cable and satellite systems all over the world (which is why they're called a Superstation). So chances are if you're kicking back and watching the game on WGN in, say, New Jersey or Oregon or Spain or Germany, you may hear a familiar tune. We want to thank announcer Len and producer Pete for playing our tunes and for having great taste in music. Go Cubs!! The new Handcuffs T-Shirts will be unveiled any day now. They'll soon be available at shows and on the website, as well. Look for pics of the different styles and colors in the coming weeks. We're still being heard all over MTV on shows that include "Laguna Beach," "The Hills" (now being broadcast in a ton o' different countries, we've been told by friends and fans in a ton of those different countries), "Next" and "Pimp My Ride." Handcuffs music is also included in a new independent feature film shot right here in our hometown of Chicago called "RiffRaff," about the daily lives of lifeguards on North Avenue Beach. It's making the film festival circuit now and we can feel good things happening. A song or two will also be appearing in another film out of Hollywood called "Cougar Club" and featuring legendary actors Faye Dunaway, Joe Mantegna and Carrie Fischer, among others. As soon as we hear about release dates, we will keep you posted. And, a recent addition to Net Flix is "The Education of Shelby Knox," which features a handful of Handcuffs songs, as well as additional songs written by our own Brad Elvis. This is a Sundance and SXSW award winning documentary that also spent time on PBS's prestigious P.O.V. series. It's recommended viewing, not just because of our contribution to the soundtrack but because the subject matter is highly relevant and thought provoking. See it. Think about it. Have an opinion. Don't forget to check out the shows page to see where we'll be performing this summer. If you'll be in northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin, come see us at the Racine Harbor Fest on June 23 with one of the coolest rock chicks ever, Miss Joan Jett. Check out the shows page for details for this and other performances. And...we've posted new photos on the images page, so when you need a diversion, just click on the images page and there you go.
The Weather Outside is Frightful... Look and listen for more Handcuffs music on one of the most addictive, guilty pleasures on television. The second season of MTV's "The Hills" will soon be airing with plenty o' Handcuffs music featured. We're still getting masses of mail about our unreleased track "Gotta' Problem with Me," which was featured on an episode in Season 1 of "The Hills." You can listen and download it absolutely free for a limited time on our MySpace site. The Handcuffs can also be heard on reruns of Season 3 of MTV's "Laguna Beach" (as well as reruns and the DVD sets of "Laguna" Seasons 1 & 2). More television show placement is in the works. As always, we'll keep you posted. Our own Chloe F. Orwell has lent her vocal chords to a track on a brand spanking new CD of cool, original Chicago Bears football themed songs called "Bear Fight Songs," which will be in stores all over the place and online December 27 or thereabouts (in case you didn't know, the Chicago Bears may just be heading to the Super Bowl). The song is called "All Aboard," and it's a super fun, hip-hoppy, dancey and hook-filled song a la Gwen Stefani, Missy Elliot, Kelis and Black Eyed Peas. A departure from The Handcuffs, yes, but if you're not humming it after the first listen or two, you've definitely been hitting that old demon alcohol for too long. The song was co-produced by our own Brad Elvis along with Chloe and the mad genius writer of the song (and co-vocalist), Mr. John Steele. A MySpace site and website is in the works where you'll be able to check it all out. Our music video for "Can't Get the Girl" is up on YouTube for your viewing pleasure 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. And, for those in the Chicago area, you can see an actual broadcast of the video on the new giant screen plasma or HD television you get for Christmas on the year-end wrap up "The Otherside with Ken Mottet," the best video show you may never have seen, on CANTV (you'll have to check your local cable listings to find out what channel it's on and the specific times). The show will air Friday, December 29 at 7 p.m. with a repeat on Sunday, December 31 at 2 p.m. and again on Friday, January 5 and Sunday, January 7. We love Ken and his show and may just start a campaign to get him to run for president. He's THAT charismatic! We had a wonderful time on Thanksgiving Day in the studio with Razor and Di of the Razor and Die show on WLUW-RADIO in Chicago and we want to thank them for their kindness and hospitality and for having excellent taste in music. Thanks also for all of those who called in and offered to send over turkey dinners with all the trimmings. A special shout out to our friend, artist Mark Staff Brandl, who called the station all the way from his home in Switzerland, where he was listening online to our interview. Click on www.markstaffbrandl.com and check out his paintings. We can't even describe how incredibly cool they are, so you'll just have to see them for yourself. And last, but not least, singer Chloe and drummer Brad will be jetting to London in early January for a few meetings and interviews.
MTV, VH1, WLUW, KROQ And speaking of MTV, Handcuffs' music was also a staple of the hit series "The Hills," the original Laguna Beach spinoff that's just as juicy as Laguna. We received a ton o' fan mail about our song "Gotta' Problem with Me," which was among half a dozen Handcuffs tracks played on various episodes of "The Hills," so we promptly placed the previously unreleased song on our MySpace page and made it available for a free download. Go there and get it while it lasts. It will rock you. Look for drummer Brad Elvis in the interview segments of a VH1 special celebrating the top 100 songs of the 80s (the 80s are back, you know. Hello, leggings and stripes and synthesizers) coming up in October. A rock music archivist, historian, record collector and all around master of wit, Brad was asked about various hit songs from that era and insiders say he was funny as f**k during the hour-long inquisition. We have no idea which bits and pieces of drummer Brad's interview the VH1 people will choose to show, but we'll keep you posted. Word has it that the special is going to be five hours long and will probably re-run more times than you can shake a drumstick at. The fabulous Razor and Di of the equally fabulous Razor and Die show have been spinning songs from our debut CD "Model for a Revolution" on radio station WLUW in Chicago. The show airs Thursdays from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. central time at 88.7 on your FM dial (in Chicago) or online at www.wluw.org. Their music repertoire is great, and WLUW has a reputation for being one of the most cutting edge radio stations in the country (hey, maybe the world), so tune in and turn on. The Handcuffs will be guests on the Razor and Die show on Thanksgiving Day, where we'll be chatting, helping spin some of our favorite songs and possibly even cooking a turkey. Don't forget to keep listening to Rodney Bingenheimer's (the legendary Rodney on the Roq, who has broken everyone from the Sex Pistols to Blondie to Hole to No Doubt) show on KROQ-RADIO in Los Angeles, which airs Sunday nights from midnight until 3 a.m. Pacific time; 2 am. - 5 a.m. Central time (it is so worth staying up for); 3 a.m. - 6 a.m. Eastern time; and during your Monday morning routine over in Europe (listen to it on your PC). Rodney has been playing The Handcuffs for many months on his show, and we've been in excellent company. Other artists played regularly are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Cloud Room, the New Pornographers, the Raveonettes, Morningwood, the Arctic Monkeys, the Subways, Graham Coxon, Blondie, Agent Orange, Belle & Sebastian, The Vines and many more cool bands from all over the world. Listen in the Los Angeles area at 106.7 FM or anywhere in the world on line at www.kroq.com And last, but not least, we want to pay tribute to our dear friend and fan Sterno, who succumbed to cancer on August 8, 2006 after a brave year-long battle. Sterno was a wonderful teddy-bear of a guy who supported the Chicago music scene more than anyone we have ever met. He loved music, loved going to big concerts as well as intimate shows and was a huge supporter of our band The Handcuffs, our previous group Big Hello (which could be called the pre-cursor to The Handcuffs), and hundreds if not thousands of other independent bands throughout the city and the nation. Not only would we see his smiling face in the audience at our shows, but we would run into him at almost every show of local or nationally touring bands that we attended, wearing his trademark purple pointy stocking cap, his analog snapshot camera in tow. He was smart, sensitive, creative and just an all around lovely guy (who also happened to work as a pediatric surgical nurse - how's that for saintly?). Damn we miss him. Rest in peace, dear boy, rest in peace.
Handcuffsapalooza The Hills are Alive with the Sound of The Handcuffs France, Spain, the U.K. (sort of) and L.A.
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