We play kelly's olympian tonight, it will be our last show in Portland, Oregon for some time. Come out and have a drink and listen. Hugs
Look at our new sonic Bids page:
www.SonicBids.com/TheHugs
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Kelly's Olympian
We play kelly's olympian tonight, it will be our last show in Portland, Oregon for some time. Come out and have a drink and listen. Hugs
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Doug Fir Lounge Tomorrow Night
The Hugs play The Doug Fir Lounge tomorrow night W/ We're From Japan!
Go to MySpace.com/WeAreFromJapan
to hear
Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm $8 advance, $8 day of show. Seeya then!
Hugs
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Photo's By Melanie Brown (2007)
Check her out at: www.MelaniBrown.com
We play The Know tomorrow night 1776 and Rex Arms and many other bands. Starts at 7pm! BEBE!There!
Danny
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Funny Old Press On The Hugs
"The Hugs reminded me of a lot of things right off the bat. Danny Delegato (Vocals/Guitars) looked very similar to a young Ben Kweller with his floppy ears hat. In the sound department, The Hugs fall into the category of The View, and The Kooks. The difference is that The Hugs hail from Portland, Oregon instead of the United Kingdom. It was no surprise later that I find out that the band is heading off to England for a handful of shows in order to break out in the U.K. before coming back across the pond. One of the shows they will be playing with The View incidentally. It was interesting to see Danny thrash all over the stage and manage to pull his microphone stand apart."
"In stark contrast, Portland’s The Hugs tore through their set with reckless abandon; when frontman Danny Delegato broke a guitar string on the fourth or fifth song, the only surprise was that it took so long. Sporting underage “X” marks on their hands and looking like they just had their braces removed, the band played with the sloppy confidence of a much more experienced, drinking-age (and drinking) band. They literally wore their British Invasion influences in the form of Rolling Stones and The Who apparel; ironically, the John Entwistle-style bass parts came from Stones hoodie-wearing Brendan Welch. Delegato and fellow guitarist Nicholas LoCascio form a yin-yang duo, with Delegato’s flailing, yelping and feedback-shot guitar throttling contrasted by Welch’s more controlled approach. With charisma, talent, boyish good looks and a freshly-inked recording contract, these kids are on the verge of a jump in exposure."
The Hugs will play Dante’s in about 20 minutes, but at the moment they’re huddled together out front, standing on tippy-toes with craned necks to see around the club’s large, pierced and tattooed bouncer. Oregon’s stringent liquor laws keep the high-school-age Portland quartet from entering the club to watch openers the Foxtrots take cracks at a largely seated, not-quite-ready-to-rock crowd. The Hugs don’t seem to mind.
The OLCC might treat the Hugs like second-class citizens, but the band’s collective foot is already in the music industry’s metaphoric door (in England, at least). The band has garnered the attention of some pretty important U.K. music-biz movers and shakers, including James Endeacott—the A&R guy and 1965 Records founder who is credited with discovering the Strokes and the Libertines. Reportedly, he’s close to signing the Hugs.
But this isn’t England, this is Dante’s. Once they’ve been given the green light, the band hustles into the venue like a group of thirsty claim-jumpers, untangling cords and hollering impenetrable teen-speak. Each stylistically disparate member looks vaguely like daytime television’s idea of a rock-’n’-roll persona: the well-groomed twee kid, the smoking psychedelic kid, the Converse-clad “alternative” kid. Frontman Danny Delegato is the Guns N’ Roses-era caricature, his oversized sleeveless shirt and cowboy hat dwarfing his boyish frame. When asked to check his mic, he lets out a howl that dovetails into a squeal.
Despite the band members’ extreme marketability, the Hugs’ live set is hectic and loose, with songs losing structure and Delegato’s vocals disintegrating into Mark E. Smith rambles or Paul Westerberg screams (though I’d forgive him for not catching either reference). Drummer Kelly McKenzie absolutely kills—probably the most entertaining member of a very entertaining band—even if his thrashing can’t keep the rest of the band from wandering into the occasional rock-’n’-roll disaster. He tries repeatedly to end the band’s seemingly endless final song (which came complete with dangerous mic-stand-wielding and a Hendrix-style collapse or two) with little success.
The Hugs’ onstage theatrics prove the band has chops to match its natural talent (it’s hard to believe these are teenagers), but the members still show their age when it comes to songwriting. I leave the club without remembering any specific song—and hoping the Hugs’ development doesn’t suffer as the band rushes forth to become the next big thing.
CJ (WW)
Before they actually sign to London's 1965 Records (home of UK hypesters the View), local band the Hugs are self-releasing their own album tonight. The self-titled effort by these teenage Anglophiles shows a band wise beyond their years, and one keen on producing bouncy pop songs heavy on the hooks and melody. Spoiler alert! Here is the future of the Hugs, as told by me, the Miss Cleo of indierock fortunetellers. Their powerful British connections make them superstars overseas and darlings of the British press. Soon they develop a row with another band—oh, let's say Razorlight—and someone calls someone else a "bloody wanker." They play Glastonbury and the Carling Weekend, and the whole thing spirals out of control after a trip to Ibiza with Pete Doherty and Liam Gallagher. Enjoy it while you can, boys. EAC
Fresh out of high school, The Hugs commanded the attention of two of the biggest and most respected names in the British music industry. Roger Sargent and James Endeacott flew out to Portland from London just to witness the garage/pop-rock band, returning home poised to sign and manage the group of teens.
Now living in London, The Hugs have signed a deal with 1965 Records and Columbia UK. Their debut album is being recorded with Liam Watson (who recorded White Stripes’ “Elephant”) and the band is working with Gus Van Sant for their first music video.
The Hugs is a fitting name for this ambitious group of starry-eyed, still-wet-behind-the-ears Portland teenagers.
Only months removed from their high school graduation, the Hugs apparently caught the attention of prominent British rock photographer Roger Sargent in 2006, after band frontman, err frontkid Danny Delegato pursued him on Myspace. Delgato's persistence paid off and the band will spend this spring recording in London, under the supervision of their label, UK-based 1965 Records.
The Hugs produce a young yet confident British invasion sound reminiscent of the Kinks, the Stones and contemporaries Arctic Monkeys and the Libertines. Virtually leap-frogging Portland's indie rock rat race, these kids are rumored to be talking with state-side major label Sony/Columbia. Not bad, huh?
The Hugs are the band that you wish you were in during high school. Or college. Or right now for that matter. Visceral and earnest, their songs are further along than their playing, and that's a good thing. Everything from the Velvet Underground to the Kinks to early Pavement is here, all being written by chaps young enough to yet worry about declaring a major. Unless, of course, it's declaring which major label they want to sign to, in which case the lucky winner is London-based 1965 records. Not quite a household name yet, the label is the lovechild of James Endeacott, formerly of Rough Trade records, who had the foresight to sign another young and eager band called the Strokes a few years back. Can the Hugs embrace their future as garage rock's next big thing? I, for one, sure do hope so. AY
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
I like Sweden & Klickitat Band Camp A Lot!
This band is from Stockholm Sweden and they are really somethin'...Listen to "This Heart Is A Stone" and if you have good taste your eye brows will rise. Sweeeeet? We are slowly but surely finishing our second LP at Klickitat Band Camp. Go to www.KBCrecords.com for info on how to be the coolest musician in the world and hear some great songs by great bands. Go Shay Scott! www.MySpace.com/AcidHouseKings
Danny Delegato
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Hockey
The Hugs relate to these guys, check them out. A new band from Portland, Oregon with lots of funk and soul. Great lyrics, and very hooky. Go Hockey!
Danny
Top to the tops
If you're like Letterman and I, you like great top ten lists. Well here's a great site that has amazingly fascinating top 10's, 20's, 25's, whichever. It's called listverse.com and speaking for myself, it's responsible for many sleepless nights. It's updated everyday and there's a list in every category one can think of. Now I know "Oh a site with a bunch of lists, sounds boring." can be an easy thought process, so here's a little list of some lists...
10 bizare cases of mass hysteria
10 most evil children
10 memorable talk show appearances
10 amazing movie endings
10 cheeses you should try
10 most over rated books
30 failed technology predictions
15 1980's tunes for the mornings
10 mysterious people
Here's a picture of a couple mysterious people..
Their story, at Listverse.com
These lists were just a few of, maybe hundreds! I don't know I haven't counted. It's a great site though and you can learn so much, so check it out.
-Nic
Friday, May 1, 2009
Elling
Hello Movie Fans,I recently watched and enjoyed the movie titled Elling. It takes place in Sweden of all places and is about two men who move into together who have a bit of trouble in life. They can't get out of the house! The movie is a very captivating film full of surprises and a great ending and a good musical sound track. Elling is a movie that is unpretentious, charming, quirky, original, and largely making its points indirectly. It's the kind of film that creeps up on you and leaves you smiling, the kind of film that keeps spinning around in your head days after it was seen, its insights bubbling up like fresh spring water. Check it out!
Danny Dee
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Joy Of Living
I have been reading this book lately and it's proved to be pretty good. It connects science and the mind with some rich text on thoughts, personal well being, the mind in general and how it operates. It's a great book because A.) It explains a lot about meditation B.) it is beautifully written C.) it has lots of advice and information on how the human mind functions. I suggest if your looking for a book to truly escape in this could be your match.
We play tomorrow night in Portland at Berbati's Pan with cool bands! Cool?
DANNY DELEGATO
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
My Favorite Drummers (Kelly Mckenzie The Hugs)
I've always been asked who my favorite drummer was and I've never answered with a single person. I think For every genre there is a drummer that I like the most. I happen to think that most music is incomparable to "quality" due to everything being SO different. Anywho, these are some:
Jazz:
Art Blakey-He's really good at keeping things traditional...sort of. He was involved with some pretty major jazz players at the time where reform was the thing. He kept his toms all floppy(technical term) and was really hit really hard. Check out the album "Night at The Birdland". . .
Elvin Jones-Elvin played mostly with John Coltrane but, as with most jazz musicians that stayed arounds, he had his own band. He's all over the place. Literally! He'll play in really wierd time signatures. I you know what I'm talking about, a 3/4 beat is really hard to switch up and still keep a groove that seems "catchy" but he finds a way some how. He does things that you would never have thought to do and it's really inspiring to listen to. I don't really know the best album to check out but he's really famous so don't worry, you'll find him.
Rock:
John Bonham-Well, he was who I usually refer to when asked who my favorite drummer is. Me, being like everyone in middle school at that time, was really into Led Zeppelin. I got the "How The West Was Won" DVD and watch his 13 minute drum solo over and over. I was taking lessons and I told my teach that it was going to get a lot easier for him cause I really just wanted to sound like him. He's really smart musically to make sure that he's as much the main event as the rest of the band (not an easy task) but keep time like a pop drummer would. Everyone says,"You NEED to heard Moby Dick", which is his shining moment but "When the Levee Breaks" is my favorite song.
Ringo- OK, so not everyone gets Ringo. Sure he could be looked at as a simpleton surrounded by musical genius' but I think that's why I like him. he was very involved with the recording process (or so I read) and I think he was a smart guy. There are songs that you listen to and you can hear that he lets loose and plays a little more out there. He thought of the drums as another instrument instead of an accompaniment to music. I'm pretty sure you've heard all that there is but She Said, She Said is a really good song for drums.
Jason Shwartsman- Not a lot of people know that he was in Phantom Planet, the band that sang "California" for the OC theme. I think that band gets a bad rep because of that.
They have really good pop songs that are really driving and cool in a way that they don't sound like a really big band...although they were. Plus Jason is really F-ing good. I was also surprised to hear that he wrote California and many other songs for the band. Again, really smart about playing to the music and poking out when appropriate. Listen to the song "By The Bed", "Making A Killing" or "The Happy Ending".
Hope you check em' out. Bub Bye
Kelly-
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Earth Day Success!
Though the drive to Molalla was hell due to being stuck in "Tulip Fest" traffic, with no air conditioning, in the beaming sun... It was worth the wait and pain. The students at Molalla High were great fun to talk to and they did a great job providing a whole days worth of fun, as well as providing environmental awareness. I took home 3 trees myself tonight! Add that to the, I think it was something like 22,ooo new trees were planted in Portland today? Take that Seattle!! Anyway, the band and I can't thank all of those involved enough. Thanks! - Nic/The Hugs
"The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery - not over nature, but of ourselves." -Rachel Carson
The Hugs are releasing TWO ALBUMS!
Hello Fans/Friends/People/Huglets
We all know it's been a long time coming but The Hugs are surely now announcing the track listings for TWO ALBUMS worth of Hugs songs. These are songs we recorded with Shay Scott @ Klickitat Band Camp. To Preview these songs you can go to www.Virb.com/TheHugsGoWild + www.MySpace.com/Danny Delegato + www.MySpace.com/TheHugsGoWild
The self titled Debut Album out June 23rd, 2009 exclusively via web and at shows, track listing below!
1.) Palm Trees
2.) North
3.) Say Wait
4.) Those Girls
5.) What We Are
6.) Shoe Swappin'
7.) Wonderful You
8.) Idyllic Gardens
9.) Do As I Do
10.) To Glenburnie
11.) Hawthorne High
12.) All Smiles
13.) Dinosaurs Weren't Real
14.) Feel Noise
15.) Your Orbit
16.) You Gotta Shake, Shake, Shake
17.) Focus The Future
The Hugs 2nd LP titled "Go Wild" out in Fall 2009!
1.) She Was High
2.) Go Wild
3.) Never Gonna Live, Never Gonna Die
4.) Keep It
5.) Frozen Frogs
6.) Damn Toes
7.) Yesterday
8.) Midnight Dream
9.) In Love
10.) The Years Have Shown
11.) Florida Girl
12.) Come Close
13.) Ego's
14.) Dreams
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Good Idea?
Day-Dreamin'I was sitting and thinking at a park in NW. I got an idea of a Portland park concert. Ten or twelve bands, a PA and a permit (probably) and pick a date. There are a lot of cool bands in Portland that could make a day like that pretty cool. I don't know, maybe I was just day-dreamin'.
Kelly-
Summer's A Comin'
Hey Portland folks,
It's sunny out! Take advantage of it: Toss a Frisbee, swim, run around! Let your inner child run wild.
We're playing at Camp Rainbow tomorrow. We've heard that there is usually a lot of people coming out but the more the merrier. See you'all later.
Kelly-
Newly Painted Gibson Melody Maker
Hello Friends,
My very lovely girl-pal painted my 'Gibson Melody Maker' about about a month ago. It's looking pretty sharp. It has vines, flowers, rumpelstiltskin, orange hugs, PDX logo, and much more. Look below:
Danny Delegato
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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