CONTAINS CONTENT DAMAGING TO YOUR MINDLESSNESS The debut GiftHorse CD, Excess, Lies and Heather's Arrest, should bare this consumer warning label. The band comes on with a crunch, swagger and an air of decadence. " We'll probably be outside having a smoke and not hear them call our name when our 15 seconds comes" says streetwise lead singer Bret Levick. GiftHorse is Bret Levick (Lead vocals, guitars), Sven Spieker (Guitars, BG vocals), Berry Oakley Jr. (Bass, BG vocals) and Chris Razze (Drums). GiftHorse's songs fall somewhere between David Bowie and Tom Petty with Levick's deadly lyrics elevated by the penetrating guitar work of cohort Sven Spieker. The album's songs are filled with jaded characters that seem suitable for a Tarantino flick. Levick's lyrics are biting and sarcastic but never self-righteous. Excess, Lies and Heather's Arrest, viewed as a collection of songs, exists between the light of optimism and the shadow of degeneration. Levick's "not so sane" days get little autobiographical attention but come to the surface on tracks like Shoot Shoot and the hilariously depraved depiction of a junkie girlfriend busted and hauled away in Heather's Arrest. Excess, Lies and Heather's Arrest was produced and recorded in Los Angeles by Jimmy Sloan and GiftHorse. The second track, Heather's Arrest, was mixed by Barrett Jones (Nirvana, Bush, Foo Fighters) in Seattle. Significantly, GiftHorse is a hot live band and has been featured at SxSW, NxNW, and The EAT'M Festival. On stage, introverted Levick morphs into a captivating frontman while the band displays a fiery modern rock aggressiveness. Afterthought: In mid 2000 while GiftHorse was touring in support of the album, “Excess, Lies and Heather’s Arrest” charted on commercial radio in 13 west coast territories and sold over 10,000 copies. It is arguably one of the most successful and well received indie releases of the year. Locally, GiftHorse performed regularly at legendary LA clubs such as The House Of Blues, Hollywood, The Viper Room, The Roxy, The Troubadour and The Whiskey. They also played SXSW and NXNW festivals for 2 years running. Although the band is no longer, "Excess Lies And Heather's Arrest" has enjoyed somewhat of a revival in the last couple of years including a noticeable peak in sales and even some radio airplay. Nobody knows why...