By: Lori K. McLean
Parade of Lights Just Like Falling in Love
One thing you learn really quickly in this business is to listen to the buzz. The buzz tells you what hot new band is worth tracking down when you’re surfing the net for your next download. It informs you what concerts you should drive two hours out of your way for.
Telling you which ones are important enough to grab your tickets in advance and gather your friends at the local venue so that you can check them out on a Friday night.
The buzz is the first thing you listen to when waiting for the next big thing. All that considered, recent buzz is building about ambient rock band Parade of Lights.
A group that is promising to be the next success story born out of the lights and glitter of the thriving Las Vegas music scene.
Surprisingly enough, the hot Nevada heat has brought us numerous successful bands over the last few years that have managed to break through onto the rock/pop airwaves at a variety of levels. We’ve heard from The Killers and Panic! At the Disco to The Cab, Escape the Fate and The Higher – and Parade of Lights is gearing up to be the next band to contribute to the sound of Sin City.
Click to Listen to Parade of Lights’ Song “Other Voices”
The group came together in 2006, when members Ryan Daly (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Matt Frey (Keyboards, Samples, Vocals), Anthony Improgo (Drums) and Randy Schulte (Bass, Vocals) formed the band Polus in Los Angeles. After releasing a four track EP, the guys went on hiatus and began working separately on other projects – Daly touring with Hello Goodbye, Frey working with 30 Seconds to Mars and Improgo drumming for Metro Station.
Daly, Frey and Schulte rejoined to form Parade of Lights a couple of years later with Mike Nielsen on sticks, and dropped a well-received three track EP that garnered a surprising amount of success for an independent release – songs of theirs were even featured on MTV, VH1 and E! Entertainment Television’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” In January 2010, the band and Nielsen parted ways just as Improgo became available after the disbandment of Metro Station, allowing the original foursome to reunite once again.
Parade of Lights (Right to Left) Randy Schulte, Anthony Improgo, Randy Schulte and Matt Frey.
Since then, the band has been hard at work, playing multiple regional venues throughout the Southwest and California and even recently winning the MIX 94.1 “Band Battle for Bite of Las Vegas.” Their new single “Just Like Falling in Love,” is currently on-sale with further tracks on the way. There are talks of a college tour in the works and even rumors about the possibility of some eventual mainstream touring dates on a more national circuit.
The band’s creative, lyrical sound, their smooth, catchy melodies and their solid musical skills create a strong collection of material that will quickly draw a wide and eclectic audience, and undoubtedly help Parade of Lights rise to new heights. This talented group of men will surely climb straight to the top and stay there…making waves with every new track.
Check out Parade of lights at www.facebook.com/paradeoflights or www.myspace.com/paradeoflights.
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