the happy problem

Indiepunk for a new generation.

 

TV SHOWS and FILMS

Here are some of the TV shows and films that have featured songs by the happy problem:

 

THE BAND

The happy problem have found themselves at the heart of a new rock scene in New York City with the release of their first full-length album, Head Case. Born from the fighting energy of punk and the love of tuneful pop, and citing influences from Duran Duran to Gogol Bordello, Head Case features 11 melodic punk tunes, including the first single, "Matador," written with impatience about the drunk hipsters crowding the F train on the Lower East Side. There's been enthusiastic response from bloggers and podcasters alike, (including UK's DarkCompass.com) as well as airplay on tastemaker stations across the US including KROQ in Los Angeles.

The band was founded in Los Angeles by former folkie Samantha 'Sam' Shaber who, after releasing albums and touring the US and UK for several years on her own, got bored with the coffeehouse bean grinders and earnest soul-searching, and wanted to create something more spontaneous, less precious and, well, louder. Shaber approached songwriting from an indiepunk platform and recruited players from Gnarls Barkley and The Fray to record the eponymous debut EP, quickly landing song placements in film and TV, before packing up and moving home to NYC to find Bronx drummer/guitarist Tony Cortes.

Shaber's booming, raspy voice can also be heard in the upcoming Weinstein release, BUTTER, starring Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Garner, on the song "Harder Deeper Faster" which she cowrote with dance-rock collective The Bashful.

Currently, the band are working on the video for their next single, "Curvature," and putting more tour dates together for Spring 2012.

The video for the first single, "Matador," was shot recently at Avenue B hangout Idle Hands, and can be found at www.youtube.com/thehappyproblem, along with a Spotlight interview with Sam and Tony on the same channel. 

SAM

After several years and six albums disguised as a solo singer-songwriter, Sam traded in her Martin and her earnest eyebrows for a Fender Telecaster and a head full of chili red hair. She now enjoys playing really loudly, wearing very short skirts, and NOT driving 50,000 miles a year to play in church basements and sing over bean grinders. Though the scones were nice.

TONY

When he's not training to audition for NINJA WARRIOR, or taking notes while watching Vanilla Ice's new show on HGTV, Tony is working on his wrestling video (that's him in black), and perfecting happy problem set lists. His previous bands took him on tours of the Philippines and other distant lands, and he enjoys training his friends to box and playing with his many adopted stray pets.

Head Case available digitally and physically at iTunes and CDBaby.com. 

             

And lastly, of course, there's this.

(This is not one of Tony's adopted stray pets – it's just a judgemental cat we found on the internet. Deal with it.)