“They mix in a smattering of power pop and alt country for an alternative pop-rock album that will defy your logical reasoning about what relatively unheard of bands are capable of accomplishing” Smother Magazine “Dave Matthews vocals over an indie pop canvas. Pastel Rain sounds like a sure fire hit you would hear on pretty much any radio station that plays the likes of Good Charlotte, Ryan Adams, Dave Mathews and all points in between” Ear Candy Magazine “Anthill’s second record is a quantum leap beyond its first. There isn’t a dud on this 8 song recording. A-“Tom Harrison Vancouver Province “A cross between Counting Crows, Coldplay and Oasis, the most distinctive thing on this CD is lead singer, Mark Osachoff's vocals. They're amazing--fresh and unique, a combination of sturdy expression and grainy emotion - 4.5 stars Discovering Artists.com International Band of the Year - 2006 Southern California Music Awards http://www.southerncaliforniamusicawards.com/ Nominated for Best Power Pop Single at LA Music Awards - Results Pending http://www.lamusicawards.com/ Finalist in 2006 “We Are Listening” International Song Contest - UK http://www.wearelistening.org/winners2006r1.php Selected for 2006 Billboard City Showcase – London England 2006 – Anthill was not able to attend. Included: The Trews, Catlow….. http://www.cityshowcase.co.uk/index.php?section=ListDetail&ListID=hhrRLzqoqT 2005 Billboard International Song Contest – Runners Up http://www.billboardsongcontest.com/win.html Anthill Biography: This is Mark Osachoff’s dream: it’s a sunny day, and he is sitting on a grassy bank somewhere in Europe watching “great bands whose names I don’t know from places I can’t pronounce.” Then, Osachoff and his band Anthill open for The Verve (who have reunited for his dream) and Wilco to thunderous applause. Later that evening, he gets to watch the headliners from backstage seats and “maybe meet Jeff Tweedy.” Considering the critical acclaim and growing fan base Anthill is experiencing, it may be a dream realized in the not-too-distant future. As a musician, Osachoff is light years away from the day he decided to learn a few cover songs. After getting tired of covering Neil Young and R.E.M., he started writing his own music. “I felt like a misplaced office worker,” he says, “so my songs tended to be dark.” . His development came from “hours upon hours of practice with a guitar in an isolated room” and an important personal revelation. Osachoff: “I learned to listen and observe the environment around me—not just in musical situations, but in real life, too. I'm still working on this skill, but sometimes I still wish that everybody would shut the hell up and listen to me. I guess that's why I initially loved performance, but today it's not just about me.” The relationship between him and his band has undergone a similar metamorphosis. “I guess we're light years from those early days of getting loaded and playing angry rock songs.” he says. “So much more has happened: a greater variety of music and people have entered my world, and I find I have a deeper pool of emotions and experience to draw on when writing and recording.” He has a band that complements that introspective approach. The lineup—Brian Minato, bass; Graham Tuson on keyboards, piano and vocals: JJ Blood on guitar and Brock Pytel on drums--comprises musicians who are writers and creators in their own right. The sound has become more eclectic while retaining memorable melodies at its root. That familiarity is, in large part, the reason that Anthill has had an uncommon level of success both in live performances and with airplay. “Anthill songs are still written for the average person on the street--we haven't re-invented rock and roll,” he says. “The metaphors and sounds used to deliver the music change but the underlying messages are conveyed with simplicity.” The band has many influences—Stereophonics, Oasis and Wilco among them—but their sound defies description. Listening to Anthill is at once a new experience and something familiar. “I'm not saying we're terminally unique,” he says,“ but our sound is hard to pigeonhole. “The unique sound may be a function of their method of writing music. “The songs start on an acoustic guitar with a melody. After a lot of cigarettes and coffee and neurosis the lyrics are written,” he says. After that, Osachoff takes the song to his producer, where they try various musical ideas. The result is rarely a literal translation of the original intent, and Osachoff may find himself rewriting lyrics and melody two or three times when the music takes the song in a new direction. Their audiences and critics like the approach. In February 2006, the band won Best International Band at the Southern California Music Awards; then took runner-up in the “We Are Listening” 2005 Singer Songwriter Awards for “Avenue.” Tom Harrison of The Province called their upcoming release “a quantum leap from the first [album].” In June, Anthill will release Waiting for the Sun, a new EP with an eclectic mix of eight quirky pop/rock tracks recorded at The Bunker with producer Ryan Hauschild; and mixed by Shawn Cole of Lab Monkey Sound. Anthill’s goal is to continue to build its fan base and working toward the day when they sign a deal to record a song on a major label. Until then, Osachoff is keeping the dream that drives him alive—and his fans will get the benefit. http://www.anthill.ca http://www.myspace.com/anthillcanada anthill_edge@msn.com