Razorlight

From Free net encyclopedia

Razorlight is an Anglo-Swedish band formed in the summer of 2002 around 22 year old singer/writer Johnny Borrell. Their sound is perhaps best described as post punk New Wave music stripped-down to the acoustic as opposed to the synthetic.

Their lineup is as follows:

Former member:

Christian (Smith) Pancorvo - drums (2003-2004)

Their debut album, Up All Night, was released on 28 June 2004, reaching number 3 in the UK album charts on 4 July. The critical reception was generally reasonably good, receiving good reviews from NME, Q magazine and Billboard, although they were also accused of lack of imagination and unoriginality for allegedly borrowing ideas off other influential bands. They appear to polarize opinion. NME wrote that the album "bristles with passion, energy and, most importantly, amazing songs", while they were described by another as "nearly everything wrong with rock and roll today". Their fans, though, embrace the music for its usage of layering simple melodies to achieve their token multi-layered, catchy, and easy-going compositions.

Frontman Johnny Borrell gained widespread controversy and varying proportions of incredulity and surprise when he appeared to liken himself to 1960s legend Bob Dylan, quipping "If Dylan's making the chips then I'm drinking the champagne". This led to suggestions of self-promotion. This statement was taken out of context however as Borrell was comparing his and Dylan's first albums, not their overall career. The band became very popular on the London music scene when they arrived earlier in the year. Large demand caused the band to play extra shows, including a 7,000+ capacity gig at Alexandra Palace. The album was heavily marketed in the UK, which led to an almost equal explosion in the use of the term "hyperbole" with regard to the band's prospects. However, the album is now recognized somewhat as one of the pre-eminent albums of a 2004 which included success by bands in the same vein including The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, and Kings of Leon.

On the band's 2004 release, Up All Night, Johnny Borrell recorded his phone number into the track called "Vice". The number is (supposedly) 07761 010233.

Razorlight have been frequently compared to the aforementioned bands, sometimes unfavourably as impostors, and at other times as extenders of the growing back to basics rock scene.

Up All Night was re-issued in April 2005, including the new and previously unreleased single "Somewhere Else" which peaked at Number 2 that month, giving them easily their biggest hit single so far, in their short career.

In July 2005, the band performed at Hyde Park, London, as part of the Live 8 series of concerts. However, the band has come under fire for not donating their extra revenue to charity. Razorlight claims that due to their "fledgling status", they're unable to make such a commitment. [1]

They also appear as themselves in The Mighty Boosh, in Series 2 in the episode 'The Priest and The Beast'.

Razorlight supported Oasis in December 2005, at their gig at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

On April 3rd 2006, they streamed a new song from their new album on their website, from around 1800 BST to 1900 BST. According to NME.COM, it was called "Pop Song 2006".

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