Uzi and Ari

Infobox musical artist
Name = Uzi and Ari


Img_capt = Ben Shepard
Img_size = 240
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Salt Lake City, Utah
Genre = Indie rock
Years_active = 2003–present
Label = Own Records (Europe)
Friend of Mine (Japan)
Brave Morning Records (Vinyl)
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/benshepard Uzi and Ari]
Current_members = Ben Shepard
Andrew Glassett
Catherine Worsham
Garrett Martin
Ryan Moore
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Uzi and Ari is an American indie rock band based in Salt Lake City, Utah that has received favorable comparisons to artists such as Thom Yorke, Mogwai, The Postal Service, and The Album Leaf. [http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/8835] [http://www.laut.de/lautstark/cd-reviews/u/uzi_ari/it_is_freezing_out/index.htm] Founded by Ben Shepard in 2003, Uzi and Ari has seen many changes in its lineup. The current members of the group include Ben Shepard (vocals, guitar, organ), Andrew Glassett (drums), Catherine Worsham (bass, backing vocals), Garrett Martin (guitar, keyboard), and Ryan Moore (violin, guitar, french horn). Following a month long 2006 tour of the United States, Uzi and Ari was picked up by the European label Own Records, and left on a successful six-week European tour in the Spring of 2007. [http://www.myspace.com/benshepard] They are currently recording a new studio album entitled, "Headworms."

History

Uzi and Ari was formed by Ben Shepard (not of Soundgarden fame) in 2003. Shepard had been involved in another group, Oriental Half Price, in Dallas, Texas where he attended high school. He left the band in 2001 to live in Santiago, Chile for two years, and returned to the United States in 2003, relocating to Utah, where he began playing with assorted musicians under the name Uzi and Ari. The band takes its name from the children of Ben Stiller's character in the movie The Royal Tenenbaums, and does not refer to any members of the band (Uzi and Ari was never a duo, as is sometimes mistakenly assumed).

After a short stint in California, Shepard and (then member of the group) Cade Thalman traveled to Shepard's hometown of Dallas, Texas, where they recorded the band's first album, "Don't Leave in Such a Hurry", with some local musicians. The album was self-financed and had a limited release, although it was well-reviewed, notably by indie website Music (For Robots) [http://music.for-robots.com/archives/000845.html] , who proclaimed it a "wonderful little album."

The band played mainly local shows in Salt Lake City following "Don't Leave in Such a Hurry", with various members of the band coming and going. Shepard continued working on new material, and for the new album chose to record in Utah at the studio of Salt Lake's Crying Girl Records. Crying Girl [http://www.cryinggirl.com] is a small label run by Blake Henderson of another Utah-based indie group, TaughtMe [http://www.myspace.com/taughtme] . Because of its low key nature, Shepard was able to work on Uzi and Ari's second album for a number of months in Henderson's studio, rather than purchasing recording time in a block as he had done for "Don't Leave in Such a Hurry". Shepard recorded through the winter of 2005-06, releasing teaser tracks at the band's website [http://www.myspace.com/benshepard] , which helped create a large online fan base. Finally, in April 2006 the new album "It is Freezing Out" was released, featuring cover art work by renowned painter Thrush Holmes [http://www.thrushholmes.com/] (also known as "Truman Couture" and "Herman Weiss") who has since used the song "Don't Black Out" in his promotions.

"It is Freezing Out" featured a different side of the band, including electronic beats, softer sounds, more ambient noise, and stronger vocals from Shepard. Where "Don't Leave in Such a Hurry" is loud and emotional, "It is Freezing Out" is more subdued and anguished, featuring songs about failed relationships, inner turmoil, and even a lullaby. The second album was also received well, with one review describing it as "a rich, dense album filled with tiny, quiet moments worthy of careful attention and full engagement," [http://sctas.com/2.0/Uzi_Ari.html] although some reviewers were less-pleased about the transition from the louder first album.

The band toured the western United States in promotion of this album, playing mainly small venues in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Tijuana, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, and Colorado. Following the tour Shepard was contacted by the European label Own Records, which had first heard of the group through an online French review of the first album. Own offered to serve as the European face of Uzi and Ari (Own Records is now distributed stateside through Secretly Canadian Distribution), beginning with the band's second album, and financed a European tour in the Spring of 2007. The tour was a great success -- the band played some nights before a crowd of more than one thousand people. In addition to a number of magazine articles written about the band while in Europe, Uzi and Ari played three radio shows in Belgium and Italy, and the band's music videos were put into rotation in Luxembourg, Germany and France. [http://www.mtv.de/artists/artists.php?char=u&artist=uziari] [http://www.vitaminic.it/2007/02/uzi_ari.html] [http://www.musicclub.it/artisti/concerti/discografia/testi/uzi_ari/uzi_ari.html?id_gruppo=11628036988570] [http://lorseau.hinah.com/gallery.php?c=pzic&s=concert&g=uzi-and-ari&p=1&im=1]

As of August, 2007 Uzi and Ari have signed to the Japanese label "Friend of Mine Records." The band plan to tour the country in the fall of 2008. Two Uzi and Ari music videos have been put into rotation on MTV Japan.

Uzi & Ari are currently recording their new album "Headworms" set to be released in 2008.

Discography

Albums

*"Don't Leave in Such a Hurry" (Crying Girl Records (U.S.) , 2004)
*"It is Freezing Out" (Crying Girl Records (U.S.) Own Records (Europe), 2006)
*"Headworms" (Own Records (Europe), 2008)

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/benshepard Uzi and Ari's official website]
* [http://www.ownrecords.com/ Own Records official website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dn12l7H8Qc Asleep in Armor music video] directed by James Barlow
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJpCx6MIxks Mountain/Molehill music video] directed by Julian Acosta
* [http://www.mtv.de/artists/artists.php?char=u&artist=uziari Uzi and Ari on MTV Germany]
* [http://music.for-robots.com/archives/001484.html Music (for Robots) review of "It is Freezing Out"]
* [http://www.cryinggirl.com/ Crying Girl Records official website]
* [http://www.friendofminerecords.com/ Friend of Mine Records official website]
* [http://www.thrushholmes.com/ Thrush Holmes' official website]
* [http://lorseau.hinah.com/gallery.php?c=pzic&s=concert&g=uzi-and-ari Concert photos] by Laurent Orseau