Maxïmo Park

Tags: seen live , indie , indie rock

MaxÃ¯mo Park are an indie rock band from Newcastle, England. The band consisting of Paul Smith (vocals), Duncan Lloyd (guitar), Archis Tiku (bass guitar), Tom English (drums) and Lukas Wooller (keyboards), the band has drawn comparisons to Northeastern counterparts The Futureheads, as well as Franz Ferdinand, Pulp and Bloc Party for their addictive musical style and direct, edgy rock-pop sound. The band originally formed as a four-piece in 2000, demonstrating versatility in a variety of musical genres, before Smith arrived as vocalist in 2003, signalling a new chapter in the life of the band.

After releasing 300 copies of two of their songs, the band was discovered by, and eventually signed with, independent label Warp Records in 2004, releasing their critically-acclaimed debut album A Certain Trigger" in May 2005. Widely described as one of the best British albums of the year, the album helped the band develop a strong and diverse fanbase both in the UK and abroad, and also earned them a nomination for the coveted Mercury Music Prize. Three songs from the record, Apply Some Pressure (re-released), Graffiti and Going Missing, reached the Top 20 in the UK music charts in 2005. MaxÃ¯mo Park also contributed a song titled Wasteland to the War Child album Help: A Day in the Life, midway through that year. The final single from A Certain Trigger, I Want You To Stay, was released in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2006.

MaxÃ¯mo Park's second album, Our Earthly Pleasures was released on April 2, 2007. Singles included Our Velocity, Girls Who Play Guitars, Books From Boxes and Karaoke Plays. In August 2008 Paul Smith announced that the band had finished recording their third album and were looking for someone to produce it. It is expected for release in early 2009.

As a result of their rapidly increasing popularity both in the United Kingdom and overseas, 2005 also proved to be a highly exciting year for the band from a touring perspective, with a number of successful tours of Europe, as well as supporting The Bravery in the United States and performing a number of sellout shows in Japan and Australia. While performing across Europe at the Glastonbury and Lowlands music festivals and the Carling Weekend, their enormous success in the United Kingdom was confirmed through their place as support for Kaiser Chiefs on the NME Rock and Roll Riot Tour, and their appearance at the XFM Winter Wonderland shows in London in December of 2005. In a similar vein, the band headlined the NME Awards Tour in the UK, featuring Arctic Monkeys, Mystery Jets and We Are Scientists, and expanded their presence in Asia by performing in Thailand as part of the Rock 100 Festival in Bangkok.

The The National Health Songfacts reports that Maximo's Park fourth album relates to the state of society at large: "The nation is out of control," said Paul Smith, "and the record is about taking back control, and being a force for change in your own life. It can't speak for everybody but it has its eyes and ears all around us. Our songs are built on empathy. I would hope it's as vital a music as people would want to hear." The National Health will be released June 11, 2012.

The band also enjoys playing in their hometown, Newcastle. In early 2007, despite global success, they decided to play in three small venues and price tickets at only Â£5. These venues were The Head Of Steam, The Cumberland Arms and The Cluny. The band also headlined Freevolution 2007, a free outdoor music festival in Newcastle/Gateshead sponsored by Orange phones. 'Read more on Last.fm'. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.