You ever hear those old recordings of the radio announcer trying to describe the scene when the Hindenburg went down? The “O! The Humanity!” guy?

Yeah. I feel a little like that guy right now.

SUGAR RAY DELIVERS “MUSIC FOR COUGARS”

JULY 21ST RELEASE ON PULSE/UNIVERSAL/FONTANA

SUMMER TOUR BEGINS JULY 24TH

“…the SoCal party dudes have picked the perfect season to return…their music has always been made for summer slacking, and breezy, beach-ready ditties like the first single, “Boardwalk” go down as smoothly as a frozen daiquiri.” – People Magazine

“MUSIC FOR COUGARS,” the long-awaited new cd by multi-platinum rockers Sugar Ray, is available July 21st from new label home Pulse/Universal/Fontana. This is the sixth release for the fun-loving quintet whose career has been marked by sales of over 12 million cds and a string of monster hits including “Fly,” “Every Morning,” and “When It’s Over.”

It’s been over five years since the band’s last release, and the boys have wasted no time packing their promotional schedule. Recent performances of “Boardwalk” could be seen on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, Live with Regis & Kelly and a special live outdoor performance on Fox & Friends, on the plaza of the News Corporation Building on Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue). Delighted fans crowded the entrance to the building as the band’s familiar sounds of summer flowed from the stage. Appearances on Extra, Spike TV, Sirius Radio’s The Pulse, The Wendy Williams Show, Fox Good Day LA and Fox Good Day NY are among the many bookings thus far.

In addition to multiple television appearances, the virtual world is celebrating the band’s release in a big way. AOL will be premiering the album with a full stream this week as well as a slideshow of the band’s all time favorite cougars. Sugar Ray will join Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, and many other rarified artists with their own dedicated iTunes essentials playlist. Napster will be featuring playlists curated by the band of their favorite songs; Amazon will include the album in their popular deal of the day program, and Amie Street will be featuring a free giveaway of “Closer” from the new album in a dedicated email.

In keeping with Sugar Ray’s good-time, party-all-night vibes, “MUSIC FOR COUGARS” captures the band’s signature summery, upbeat sounds–infectious island rhythms, funky hip-hop grooves and irresistible melodies, once again blending their own unique pop/rock cocktail. Lead single, “Boardwalk,” is a catchy gem, with Mark McGrath’s sweet raspy vocals more assured than ever.

Other tracks include the dance-’til-you-drop “She’s Got The …(Woo-Hoo),” a percolating mix-up that never stops; “Love is the Answer,” a mid-tempo, sun-kissed anthem to romance and a surprise reggae-inspired remake of the Phil Everly penned/ Eddie Hodges recording of the pop smash “(Girls Girls Girls Are) Made to Love,” featuring Collie Buddz. The entire cd is pure classic Sugar Ray with a totally modern feel.

Recorded at Pulse Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Pulse founder/label head and acclaimed producer Josh Abraham, and Luke Walker. “MUSIC FOR COUGARS” features guest appearances by Rivers Cuomo, Donovan Frankenreiter, Josh Freese, Dean Butterworth, Wayne Jobson and Tim Pagnotta, in addition to Collie Buddz.

Sugar Ray launches the release with a tour that kicks off this week. Please see dates listed below.

Band lineup is:

Craig “DJ Homicide” Bullock: DJ * Stan Frazier: drums * Murphy Karges: bass guitar * Mark McGrath: vocals *Rodney Sheppard: guitar

Tags: Apocalypse, Mark McGrath, mike errico, Sugar Ray, Tallboy 7

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 10:44 am and is filed under Just Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.