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A Brief History of All Things Playboy Velveteen Playboys proudly welcome you to the Cosmic Lounge, a musical and philosophical place to which only this band of musical geniuses and whacked-out personalities can take you. The brainchild of lead singer Paul Souza and guitarist Anthony Nichols, Velveteen Playboys are Boston’s own “super group†of eclectic musical talent. Their rich history in musical styles, ranging from New Wave to cabaret, the Beach Boys to burlesque, big band to heavy metal, led them to recruit the best of the best for Velveteen Playboys. Enticed by the promise of making music that will stand the test of time, the band quickly formed: classically trained, 3-time Boston Music Award-winning bass guitarist Tim Archibald; composer and brilliant lead guitarist Scott Miller; evocative keyboardist and composer Micah Sheveloff; and featured drummer Mike Malinin, who has had some success with a little trio called the Goo Goo Dolls. All their musical influences combine with the guiding force of their own, brilliant originality. The resulting fusion is a lush, melodic, powerful and unique sound that can only be described as Cosmic Lounge music. Velveteen History, 101 Velveteen Playboys is no accidental collection of musicians. Paul Souza, Tim Archibald and Scott Miller had played together for years in the five-man band Beat Surrender, considered one of Boston’s greatest live bands of the early 1990s. An onstage force of nature combining the sensuality of Michael Hutchence and Jim Morrison with the manic energy of Joey Ramone, Souza and his bandmates mesmerized legions of fans. With a New Wave sound that was heavily influenced by R&B, Beat Surrender was among the most acclaimed Boston groups of its time. Miller’s leads, which stand up to any of the mega-million-selling bands of the day, played off of Archibald’s intricate, yet rocking, base lines. A major label record deal met an untimely fate when their A&R rep lost his job in one of the many mergers that ravaged the music industry in the waning years of the last century. Diverging lives eventually led Beat Surrender to part ways in the mid 90’s, with Souza and Archibald recording side projects here and there. Filling an endless catalog of songs composed and recorded, the musical wine cellars of Souza, Archibald and Miller were just waiting to be raided and updated. In the meantime, Souza met his “dark side†doppelganger, Tony Nichols, the hard-rocking founder of the critically acclaimed metal band Meliah Rage, in the mid 90s. A classically trained guitarist from a musical family whose sense of composition and song structure reflect his background, Nichols had a genius for heavier things. Both men 6-foot-4 giants, Souza and Nichols combined on the ‘90s hard rock band, Cactusland, whose album video, “Deadline,†received major label interest. The duo teamed up on a side project, Lackluster, in 2001, composing music and lyrics that would inspire the concept of, and several songs for, Cosmic Lounge. Nichols and Souza again teamed up in 2003 for a reunion of Meliah Rage, who had released three albums with Epic. The band’s 2004 release, Barely Human, was rated as the best metal album of the year by at least one prominent metal reviewer. Keyboardist Micah Sheveloff of the Voodoo Jets had pitched in on a few songs in Souza’s and Nichols’ side projects, and Souza immediately recognized a musical kindred spirit in Shevalov’s melodic, dark and evocative style. Sheveloff quickly rose from a hired gun to a critical member of Velveteen Playboys. As for the drummer, Souza bonded with Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls just like most rock stars bond – over a mutual love of running and baseball. The two met in the late 90s on a fluke. A former world-class high jumper and an elite track coach, Souza hit it off with the marathon-mad Malinin, himself an ultra-distance runner. Rather than talk about music, the two talked about running. But, naturally, the conversation eventually returned to music … and baseball … and running… and back to music. Malinin’s drum tracks laid the foundation for the recording of Cosmic Lounge. But verbal effusions cannot adequately describe Cosmic Lounge. The only way to enter the Lounge is to experience it, courtesy of Velveteen Playboys. For more information on Velveteen Playboys, visit www.velveteenplayboys.com. To contact the band, write to velveteenplayboys@hotmail.com or call 508-397-7984. Check out the artist's website: http://www.velveteenplayboys.com Track List: 1. Tangerine 2. How To Live 3. 'Til The End Of The World 4. Time Of Our LIves 5. Brian's Song (Endless Summer) 6. Last Girl On Earth 7. Dark Side Of Love 8. Into The Light 9. Lose Your Love 10. Lonely Guy Other Genres:
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