What has become of Heartbreak Club (HBC)? Once a straight-up parody of angst-ridden pop, HBC are rapidly becoming Australia's beacon of hope for Geek Rock; spearheading a new wave of 1990's inspired intelligent, ironic and self-deprecating punk-infused tunes. In doing so, HBC have recorded a new, darker and grittier album that is 'unapologetically melodic; adopting a brutally honest, confessional and grungier tone' than previous efforts, with the band noting their admiration for Weezer, Regurgitator, Blink 182 and Nirvana. They are still geeks, however. US Producer Ed Rose (who worked with Soundwave favourites Motion City Soundtrack and The Get Up Kids) and Aussie engineer Matt Voigt (The Killers, Midnight Oil, The Living End) were locked in Melbourne's Sing Sing Studios with HBC in 2009 recording the aforementioned album. The album 'Our Horse Is Dead' is to be released in May 2010. Radio has already warmly embraced the debut single 'Are You Leaving Me?' with spins on Triple J's 'Short. Fast.Loud', Nova and Triple M. In the lead-up to the album release, HBC do some 'mini-tours' - short bursts of touring that will see them play alongside Bluejuice, Town Hall Steps, Behind Crimson Eyes, Philadelphia Grand Jury, and more! Their song 'Chin Up' is currently a finalist in the rock category of the renowned International Songwriting Competition. Judges include Kings of Leon, Rob Thomas, Robert Smith (The Cure), and major record labels. 'Chin Up' is up against some tough competition, particularly the Australian contingent that includes The Living End, Children Collide, and Eskimo Joe. Amazingly, HBC knocked out Gyroscope and Philadelphia Grand Jury in the semi-finals! Since forming in early 2006, Heartbreak Club have extensively toured Australia and the USA; had their debut EP ...lamecore played on 300+ college and specialty-commercial radio stations in the US, Australia and Canada; had Bethanie and 'Are You Leaving Me?' featured on ABC-TV's Rage; and played alongside Faker, The Sleepy Jackson, Jonah Matranga, Bodyjar and Karnivool. In fact, Short Stack supported HBC at HBC's first ever all ages show... and no, we're not jealous... seriously... we're OK with it... I assure you. Nope. Not jealous at all. Envious, maybe. But not jealous. HBC had earlier bunkered down with Ed Rose to belt out 'O Tempora! O Mores!' which was recorded hot on the heels of HBC's first tour of the USA, and combined chunky riffs, sing-along choruses and punchy synth lines to create a veritable bevy of audible delicacies that drip with irony and are coated with sincerity; recommended for fans of Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack, The Pixies and The Get Up Kids. HBC are a band that can take their music seriously but not themselves; a band that walks a tightrope between satire and sympathy as they critique the murky waters of male narcissism, lust, lost-love, alienation, cultural inferiority, obsession and, err...? The band currently live in Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle, which is, frankly, crazy. Teddy Hernandez - vocals, keys Carter - drums Sullo - guitars, backing vox Pablo - bass (not pictured) Press HBC “channel the sounds of The Get Up Kids, Saves the Day and Weezer into one hell of an impressive powerpop effort. Whilst avoiding ripping off the aforementioned bands Heartbreak Club have their own take on things, which is refreshing to hear... 8/10” - BLUNT “O Tempora! O Mores! 8/10. With catchy guitar riffs and sing-along choruses, 'O Tempora' makes for a fantastic listen” - Tsunami Mag “With their new release O Tempora! O Mores! Heartbreak Club have created one of the most addictive EP's I've heard in a long time. The five songs are the perfect blend of punk, pop and rock music. The tunes are accessible, but the clever lyrics ensure these tunes stay left of the mainstream” - Oz Music Scene “Australia has a long and proud history of satire and self-deprecation, with names like Chris Lilley, Barry Humphries and the boys from ABC's Chaser series famed for bringing larrikin humour to the stage. Now a group of musical “neo-punks” are preparing to follow in the footsteps of their comedic countrymen with a new manner of making music” - Katherine Feeney, Brisbane Times “These songs are on par with the best in the genre, and their take on it puts them across as being smarter and more approachable than most” - Jeff Walker, Merredin Wheatbelt Mercury -- The members of Heartbreak Club have a wealth of touring experience, having played and toured alongside national and international acts such as Lagwagon, The Bronx, Reel Big Fish, The Royal Crown Revue, Mad Caddies, You Am I, Frenzal Rhomb, The Butterfly Effect, The Spazzys. www.heartbreakclub.org www.purevolume.com/heartbreakclub www.myspace.com/heartbreakclub Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.