The Limousines
Encyclopedia
The Limousines are an American indietronica
band based out of California
's San Francisco Bay Area
. Made up of multi-instramentalist/producer Giovanni Giusti and
songwriter/vocalist Eric Victorino, the duo formed in 2007 and has since gained
international fame, thanks in part to the release of their singles "Very Busy People"
and "Internet Killed the Video Star". Their first full-length album, Get Sharp
, was released July 27, 2010 to critical acclaim. On December 13, 2010, the band officially signed with Dangerbird Records
.
, Eric Victorino was first introduced to Giovanni Giusti after a
mutual friend of theirs had played Victorino a remixed Jay Z album that Giusti had produced, dubbed The Bloody Album.
Victorino later emailed Giusti, expressing his enthusiasm for the music Giusti was making
and they began a regular correspondence through the internet
. At the time, Giusti was home in California
's East Bay
area, where he was attending a music
and visual arts
college. The two eventually began sending each other ideas for what would later become the music of The Limousines; with Giusti sending beats
to Victorino and Victorino sending lyrics
and melodies to Giusti. Through this collaborative process, without ever meeting face-to-face, they managed to construct multiple songs.
The pair finally met in person for the first time while they were at The Panda Studios in Oakland, California to record their songs "Scrapbook 1998" and "New Year's Resolution
." Individually, they had been working on their own separate musical endeavors while, at the same time, using The Limousines as another type of creative outlet. Though, as The Limousines, they had digitally composed many demo tracks, which they posted on their band's Myspace
and Tumblr
sites, but had yet to release any physical product.
Aaron Axelsen, a music director from Bay Area radio station Live 105, received The Limousines' "New Year's Resolution" demo and played it on his weekly, Sunday evening radio show, Soundcheck. This, coupled with the airplay that Michael Solari, a promotions director at another Bay Area radio station, Channel 92.3, gave "Very Busy People", helped further spread word about The Limousines and greatly increase the band's already growing fanbase. Eventually, "Very Busy People" was picked up by Sirius XM satellite radio, even before the band signed a single song deal with Universal Republic
for the song, and became a frequently played track on the station's Alt Nation
channel. The song was the seventh most requested song for the year 2009 on the channel's Alt-18 Countdown.
By late 2009, The Limousines had independently released their first official collection of songs; a dual 7" white vinyl EP entitled Scrapbook
, featuring four songs originally available only as MP3 demos: "Scrapbook 1998", "Plans Are Just Coincidence", "New Year's Resolution", and "ithinkican". Though the band was still unsigned, they had been in contact with record labels. However, without having practically any other songs written and with high industry expectations to do a full-length album in a short amount of time, which they were unable to do, they weren't ready to make any deals.
The band continued writing and promoting their music and on June 17, 2010, they announced that their debut album would be entitled Get Sharp
.
In December 2010 Dangerbird Records officially welcomed The Limousines to their roster. Also in December 2010, the song "Internet Killed the Video Star" reached #1 on the Sirius-XM Alt-18 Countdown. Their growing success and new contract also earned them a feature article in issue 24 of alternative scene magazine Substream Music Press, published for April/May 2011.
The band toured as main support for Neon Trees
in May 2011, spanning the midwest and east coast of the United States.
For the week of May 2, 2011, MTV
began featuring the band on MTV Push Week, a promotional segment aired in between shows.
In May 2011, MTV
featured the music video for "Internet Killed the Video Star".
The band began a North American tour in support of The Sounds
in October, 2011, with the final show of the tour scheduled for November 22, 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In November, 2011, the Sounds announced that they will be touring Europe with the Limousines in early 2012.
Inspired by a great video idea the band had for their song "Internet Killed The Video Star", they enlisted the help of family and friends and went to work on creating their first official music video
. On June 23, 2010, The Limousines released the video on their official YouTube
channel.
Still without a record label to help back them, Victorino and Giusti officially released Get Sharp on July 27, 2010, through Orchard City Books & Noise. The album was made available in Hot Topic
stores nationwide and on Amazon.com
, iTunes
, Myspace
, Spotify
and through various other music outlets. Pre-ordering for the 12" vinyl LP of the album began on December 27, 2010, with the first 500 copies autographed by the band. It was officially released January 6, 2011.
Indietronica
Indietronica is a music genre that combines indie, electronica, rock and pop music. Typical instruments used in indietronica music are electronic keyboard, synthesizer, sampler and drum machine...
band based out of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. Made up of multi-instramentalist/producer Giovanni Giusti and
songwriter/vocalist Eric Victorino, the duo formed in 2007 and has since gained
international fame, thanks in part to the release of their singles "Very Busy People"
and "Internet Killed the Video Star". Their first full-length album, Get Sharp
Get Sharp
Get Sharp is the debut album by electro-pop group The Limousines. It was released on July 27, 2010, through iTunes and Hot Topic on indie label Orchard City Books and Noise. The album features the songs "Very Busy People" and "Internet Killed the Video Star".-Track listing:...
, was released July 27, 2010 to critical acclaim. On December 13, 2010, the band officially signed with Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records is an independent record label located in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Jeff Castelaz and Peter Walker in 2004, the label is home to artists across the globe, as well as part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. Their small roster of artists has enjoyed international...
.
History
In 2007, while in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Eric Victorino was first introduced to Giovanni Giusti after a
mutual friend of theirs had played Victorino a remixed Jay Z album that Giusti had produced, dubbed The Bloody Album.
Victorino later emailed Giusti, expressing his enthusiasm for the music Giusti was making
and they began a regular correspondence through the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. At the time, Giusti was home in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's East Bay
East Bay
-Places:In Canada:*East Bay, Nova Scotia, a small town in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia*East Bay , the east arm of the Bras d'Or Lake located in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton IslandIn the United States:...
area, where he was attending a music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
college. The two eventually began sending each other ideas for what would later become the music of The Limousines; with Giusti sending beats
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
to Victorino and Victorino sending lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
and melodies to Giusti. Through this collaborative process, without ever meeting face-to-face, they managed to construct multiple songs.
The pair finally met in person for the first time while they were at The Panda Studios in Oakland, California to record their songs "Scrapbook 1998" and "New Year's Resolution
New Year's resolution
A New Year resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. This lifestyle change is generally interpreted as advantageous. A New Years Resolution is generally a goal someone sets out to accomplish in the coming year...
." Individually, they had been working on their own separate musical endeavors while, at the same time, using The Limousines as another type of creative outlet. Though, as The Limousines, they had digitally composed many demo tracks, which they posted on their band's Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and Tumblr
Tumblr
Tumblr is a website and microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use. The site ranks as the 10th...
sites, but had yet to release any physical product.
Aaron Axelsen, a music director from Bay Area radio station Live 105, received The Limousines' "New Year's Resolution" demo and played it on his weekly, Sunday evening radio show, Soundcheck. This, coupled with the airplay that Michael Solari, a promotions director at another Bay Area radio station, Channel 92.3, gave "Very Busy People", helped further spread word about The Limousines and greatly increase the band's already growing fanbase. Eventually, "Very Busy People" was picked up by Sirius XM satellite radio, even before the band signed a single song deal with Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
for the song, and became a frequently played track on the station's Alt Nation
Alt Nation
Alt Nation is an Alternative rock radio station on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 36 , XM Satellite Radio channel 36 and on Dish Network channel 6036. Until February 9, 2010, it was on Direct TV channel 834.Alt Nation began back in 2002, when Sirius Satellite Radio launched...
channel. The song was the seventh most requested song for the year 2009 on the channel's Alt-18 Countdown.
By late 2009, The Limousines had independently released their first official collection of songs; a dual 7" white vinyl EP entitled Scrapbook
The Scrapbook EP
Scrapbook is an EP and the first physical release by electro-pop band The Limousines, It was released in late 2009 on dual 7" white vinyl gatefold with a passcode for an MP3 download. It was limited pressing of 500 hand numbered copies, the first 50 people who ordered were also sent polaroid...
, featuring four songs originally available only as MP3 demos: "Scrapbook 1998", "Plans Are Just Coincidence", "New Year's Resolution", and "ithinkican". Though the band was still unsigned, they had been in contact with record labels. However, without having practically any other songs written and with high industry expectations to do a full-length album in a short amount of time, which they were unable to do, they weren't ready to make any deals.
The band continued writing and promoting their music and on June 17, 2010, they announced that their debut album would be entitled Get Sharp
Get Sharp
Get Sharp is the debut album by electro-pop group The Limousines. It was released on July 27, 2010, through iTunes and Hot Topic on indie label Orchard City Books and Noise. The album features the songs "Very Busy People" and "Internet Killed the Video Star".-Track listing:...
.
In December 2010 Dangerbird Records officially welcomed The Limousines to their roster. Also in December 2010, the song "Internet Killed the Video Star" reached #1 on the Sirius-XM Alt-18 Countdown. Their growing success and new contract also earned them a feature article in issue 24 of alternative scene magazine Substream Music Press, published for April/May 2011.
The band toured as main support for Neon Trees
Neon Trees
Neon Trees is an American alternative rock band from Provo, Utah, with origins in Murrieta, California. The band received nationwide exposure in late 2008 when they opened several North American tour dates for the rock band The Killers. Not long after, the band was signed by Mercury Records and...
in May 2011, spanning the midwest and east coast of the United States.
For the week of May 2, 2011, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
began featuring the band on MTV Push Week, a promotional segment aired in between shows.
In May 2011, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
featured the music video for "Internet Killed the Video Star".
The band began a North American tour in support of The Sounds
The Sounds
The Sounds are a Swedish Indie Rock band. Formed in Helsingborg in 1999, the group's musical style has been compared to New Wave acts such as Blondie, The Cars, the Epoxies and Missing Persons....
in October, 2011, with the final show of the tour scheduled for November 22, 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In November, 2011, the Sounds announced that they will be touring Europe with the Limousines in early 2012.
Get Sharp
Recorded primarily in Giusti's home studio, with some vocals done alongside engineer Todd Cooper at Street Symphony Studios, Get Sharp was composed in the same fashion as their previous work together; with the two sending lyrics and music back and forth to each other and exchanging ideas until finally meeting to record in the studio. Pre-ordering of the CD started on June 28, 2010, and the first 100 to do so received an autograph copy. Included with the first 100 was a piece of writing significantly used during the album's recording sessions; on it was a Limousines stamp of authenticity.Inspired by a great video idea the band had for their song "Internet Killed The Video Star", they enlisted the help of family and friends and went to work on creating their first official music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. On June 23, 2010, The Limousines released the video on their official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel.
Still without a record label to help back them, Victorino and Giusti officially released Get Sharp on July 27, 2010, through Orchard City Books & Noise. The album was made available in Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
stores nationwide and on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, Spotify
Spotify
Spotify is a Swedish-founded, UK-headquartered DRM-based music streaming service offering streaming of selected music from a range of major and independent record labels, including Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group, and Universal. Launched in October 2008 by Swedish startup Spotify AB, the service had...
and through various other music outlets. Pre-ordering for the 12" vinyl LP of the album began on December 27, 2010, with the first 500 copies autographed by the band. It was officially released January 6, 2011.