Chicago, Illinois’s TUB RING today released SECRET HANDSHAKES on The End Records. Produced by keyboardist Rob Kleiner, the 14-track album is the band’s fifth full-length effort and is musically more diverse than ever. It was recorded and at Electrical Audio and Kleiner’s own Studio Edison.
Bassist Trevor Erb says of the album, “There's an overall vibe and sound to this record that I haven't felt or heard before. In the span of 14 tracks we've created a party. Every song takes you in a different direction and you're not going to walk down any beaten paths. It's exciting, and it's got a vibe to it, like no other.”
Examiner.com said of the album, “The band’s latest LP, Secret Handshakes, threatens to expose Tub Ring to a whole new, wider audience—which isn’t really a bad thing—due to the devil-may-care inclusion of blatant pop hooks and melodies into the mix.” CMJ sang praises of Tub Ring’s eclectic sound, “Tub Ring's high-energy, enthusiastic punk/ska/surf-rock is, at times, reminiscent of a rock opera and, at others, sounds like an underground death-metal rager. The band is certainly loud, sometimes angry and often rowdy.” Absolute Zero concurs, “Tub Ring are not just weird and wonderful, they are clearly a band way ahead of the current musical curve.”
Tub Ring recently offered fans a free download of “Flash” via Chicagoist and debuted their stop-motion “Flash” video (featuring illustrator Gris Grimly) on Altpress.com earlier this month.
The band kicked of a string of tour dates with a hometown record release show on August 28 at Subterranean, and is hitting select cities in the midewest and beyond.
TUB RING on tour:
9/01 Madison, WI @ The Frequency
9/02 Dekalb, IL @ Ottos
9/04 Springfield, IL @ Bar None
9/05 Lansing, MI @ Mac's
9/06 Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter's
- Mose Giganticus supporting all dates
Tub Ring, which includes Kleiner, Erb, and vocalist Kevin Gibson, will be adding more dates throughout the rest of the year. Kleiner and Gibson’s arcade-inspired indie-pop band, Super 8-Bit Brothers, will also be performing a few dates this fall, including an appearance at Dragon*Con 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia on September 3.
