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THE LUXURY:
A fast-growing Boston rock upstart, rallied behind the songs of frontman/guitarist Jason Dunn. For such a new band (formed in fall 2005), the history is thick and the music is quickly garnering critical acclaim (see PRESS) and spreading nationally (13th most added record in the US when sent to radio). The Luxury's sound ranges from fast-driving barn-burners (Seven Stories) to epic singalongs (Rockets and Wrecking Balls), varying from tune to tune but retaining a central focus - the song's the thing, and any group planning any kind of longevity had best bypass gimmicks and hype and plan on making some music worth remembering. That's the short version. The Luxury Timeline:  Spring and Summer 2005 - The End of An Era - Jason Dunn's group, The Halogens, is falling apart after years of hard work, considerable progress, and some great music made. All the usual reasons are in play - bad feelings, bad management, no money, and the overall sense of doom that permeates such an atmosphere. After moving to Boston from cold but comfortable Burlington, VT in 2001 to pursue his musical ambitions, Dunn is far from giving up... but what now? The new record is taking shape, it sounds wrong, and there is "absolutely no way that lineup was going to tour a new record together" (Dunn). Enter Dave Duncan, WFNX DJ and host of "British Accents", a radio show that features the best of UK rock and the bands in the US that sound like they're from the other side of the ocean. Duncan contacts Dunn and offers him a spot in a one-off cover band he's putting together for the 6th anniversary of his radio program, to be called "Fauxwaysis" in a solid attempt to lift his spirits. Jason meets up with former Baby Strange members Kris Ehrig, Hugh Wyman and Jay Horvath, and FNX DJ Paul Driscoll on drums. The band performs to a sold-out crowd at the Middle East club in Cambridge, MA. Afterwards, when the dust clears, the thought of forming a REAL band comes to the table, ex-Halogen Steve Foster is called in on drums, and the unreleased Halogens material is reworked with a fresh new attitude, under the working title "The Luxury". Fall 2005 thru Spring 2006 - An All Too Brief Era - The debut show, headlining TT The Bear's Place (also in Cambridge) on a August Saturday evening, is a huge success. Progress is made on the to-be-debut record. However, due to years of a grinding touring schedule, the ex-Baby Strangers (Hugh, Kris and Jay) have no interest in slumming it out on the road with another band, no matter who or what. So, it appears, this lineup isn't going to work. Summer 2006 - A Band Takes Shape - Dunn and Foster spend the summer re-organizing the debut album and searching for new counterparts among the amazing pool of talent in Boston. Jason, a multi-instrumentalist, is deep in the middle of an audio engineering program and takes it upon himself to "re-record every track on the record my damn self, in case we don't find anyone, because there is no way this record isn't coming out." Enter Daanen Krouth (lead guitar).  Through mutual acquaintances, the band sets eyes on and sets about recruiting Krouth. Already a member of the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra and Monolith, Daanen is spread thin but latches onto the music immediately. His classic approach to the guitar adds a whole new level to the band's sound and dynamic - plus, the boy can sing. Most excellent. Daanen blends into the new Luxury sound like Bailey's Irish Cream in a cup of morning coffee. During this time, fill-in musicians include Chris Pappas of the Everyday Visuals, Glenn French and Chris Barrett on keyboards, and Ryan Peters of The Halogens on bass. Fall 2006 - A Record Takes Shape - Through absolute divine providence (and the internet), Justin Day (bass) is located. Again, a man with more projects than feet, Justin too latches onto the Luxury's evolving sound and is soon punching holes through studio speakers in a way Foster and Dunn never expected to see again after the departure of Ryan Peters (Halogens). And it JUST SO HAPPENS that Justin plays in a group called Gutta with a ridiculously (we mean it, ridiculously) talented guitarist called Brooks Milgate, who is secretly a mindblowing keyboard player (see Hey Now Morris Fader). To everyone's astonishment, this motley crew feels completely solid after just a few rehearsals. Winter 2006/2007 - It's freezing outside, but The Luxury charges through the process of recording This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things in Dunn's growing home studio. Nearly all of Dunn's replacement tracks are replaced by the wizardry of Milgate, Day and Krouth, and a fantastic record is taking shape. A CD Release weekend is booked at TT The Bear's Place, where the band played their debut a year and a half previous. Glenn French and Kelly Davis (Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra) are called in for guest appearances on piano and backing vocals, respectively, and the record retains some of Ehrig and Wyman's original guitar tracks for a full, bombastic sound that echoes the talent, vision, and enthusiasm of the project as best as can possibly be done with a studio recording. Feb 23/24, 2007 - The CD Release Weekend is a smash. The band is featured in every major print publication in the Boston area as well as the three major rock stations, selected as a featured artist on WBCN, and the results are clear. Sold out on night 1, filled up nicely on Night 2, the weekend features some of Boston's best rock bands in support of this new album's release (for a list of those forever friends of the band, with links, check out the gig history page under SHOWS - look for the release parties). The Boston Herald predicted "one of the best two-night parties of the young year", and the weekend delivers. March 2007 and beyond - The Luxury is expanding their touring itinerary to include all feasible locations in the Northeastern US, and sending discs to college radio stations nationwide, as well as the UK. April/May 2007 - The Luxury enlists the help of The Planetary Group to send the record cross-country to 300 radio stations, over 150 of which immediately pick up on the disc and latch on to "Seven Stories", the indisputable first single. The disc debuts as the 13th most added disc in the nation (just behind Nine Inch Nails), and enters the CMJ Music charts shortly thereafter. Want to hear more? You will. - The Luxury, May 29, 2007  |
