The Clarks Official iPhone Application - NOW ON iTUNES

We are pleased to announce The Clarks very own official iPhone application for only 99 cents.
For more information, launch iTunes here.

This is the official The Clarks app for the iPhone or iPod Touch. This app is a must-have for The Clarks fans and concert-goers. It helps you keep up with
The Clarks while you're on the go.

The rich features and unique content in this app include:
- watch the latest videos by the band
- browse photos of the band
- sample their latest music
- read blog posts and the latest news about the band
- find out about concerts near you
- engage with other fans across Facebook and iLike
- post concert photos directly from your iPhone to the fan community
- solve the The Clarks photo-puzzle for the iPhone
- get regular bulletin updates from the band

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There is a rollicking cover of "Wonderful World" which was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Penguins and used as part of the 2008-2009 season marketing campaign.

Blasey and Greg Joseph split the songwriting duties

 - Their last record was "Fast Moving Cars."

Blasey and his family relocated to Texas in 2004. But with the addition of daughters Sofia and Ava and a new baby on the way, the family decided to move back to Pennsylvania recently to be closer to their families, which are located in Washington, Pa. and Connellsville.

Blasey said his daughter Sofia is a fan of the South Connellsville beach.

Blasey said fans are invited to purchase tickets for Saturday's concert by visiting The Clarks ticketing page at www.clarkstickets.musictoday.com.

Also on the site is a limited edition Clarks USB flash drive bracelet which is compatible for any computer that contains the new "Restless Days" album, The "Restless Days" digital booklet with full album lyrics, the "Still Live" album and the "Between Now And Then" album. This is an additional $15.

Anyone who bundles the USB bracelet with their ticket will also receive two tracks from "Restless Days" that will be e-mailed to them.

Those who purchase tickets through the www.clarkstickets.musictoday.com pre-sale also will be entered into a random drawing for one of several pre-show meet and greet opportunities with the band.

"We owe our lengthy career to our fans," said Blasey. "If it weren't for all those people who buy our CDs and come to see our shows I don't know what I'd be doing. Maybe a TV weatherman. I've always had a fascination with weather."

Blasey readily admits that "Restless Days" is the first album where "I've done all the things I wanted to do."

"In the past, I've worked with producers who are very vocal-oriented and harmony-oriented, and they've kind of guided me down the road they wanted," Blasey says. "This is the first project I thought I could do it on my own."

  - ALSO VISIT SCOTTBLASEY.COM FOR UPDATED NEWS AND SOLO DATES
     or SCOTT ON FACEBOOK
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JUNE 11th, 2009

USA TODAY: Wednesday weather song: 'Ain't No Sunshine'
- ORIGINAL STORY with The Clarks "Sunshine" - Visit USA TODAY

Sunshine, or lack thereof, has always inspired songwriters, from Paul McCartney's Good Day Sunshine to Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine.

The latter tune is best known for Withers' repitition of "I know," 26 times. Originally intending to write more lyrics for that section of the song, Withers took the advice of other musicians present during the recording session and left it as it was. The song would eventually peak at #3 on the U.S. pop chart and #6 on the R&B chart and would win Withers his first Grammy award as a songwriter. Withers would go on to have a long and successful recording career, with hits such as Use Me, Just the Two of Us, and Lean on me.

Pittsburgh-based rockers, The Clarks, have written and recorded both sunny and not-so-sunny tunes. The song, Sunshine, appears on their latest release, Restless Days, while the tune, Sun Don't Shine, comes from their 1994 release, Love Gone Sour: Suspicion and Bad Debt.

The album Restless Days, was just released June 9th. It is the first in five years for the band.

Other sunny titles have made it as past Wednesday weather songs, including John Denver's Sunshine on My Shoulders, Jonathan Edwards' Sunshine, Sunshine Day by The Brady Bunch, and, of course, Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves.
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Catching up with The Clarks: Natives are 'Restless'
Thursday, June 11, 2009
By Manny Theiner
www.post-gazette.com

On a humid Sunday afternoon, Scott Blasey is doing what many Pittsburgh-area residents might do -- sitting in Giant Eagle with his wife and children, having a quick bite of pizza and fried chicken before moving on to a kids' birthday party.

But Blasey isn't just any Pittsburgher -- he's the frontman of The Clarks, one of the most beloved Pittsburgh rock bands of the past three decades.

But something's eluded them, despite selling over a quarter-million CDs over the course of a 23-year career and a discography that includes eight studio records, two live records and two collections of B-sides and outtakes.

Other Pittsburgh groups in the '80s and '90s, such as Donnie Iris and Rusted Root, were at least able to parlay their major label forays into one major radio single. The Clarks, however, just never attained the level of a Semisonic ("Closing Time"), a Marcy Playground ("Sex and Candy") or a Fountains of Wayne ("Stacy's Mom") that would have placed at least one hummable track in the mental jukeboxes of supermarket shoppers everywhere.

"That kind of [stinks]," Blasey jokes, "though we came close with 'Better Off Without You' [which accompanied the credits on the 'Anna Nicole Smith Show']. In a way, it would have been great to have that recognizable hit no matter where you played in the country. I didn't get into this to be a regional band -- I expected to be a big national act and sell millions."

Yet The Clarks (who chose their moniker in homage to similarly surnamed bands, such as The Smiths) have a lot to be proud of since their inception as a college act at IUP originally called The Administration, serving up new wave and power-pop covers. The quartet was immersed in a heady brew of mid-'80s jangle-rock and the occasional U2 song.

"I could rattle off a hundred American guitar bands -- not just REM, but the Connells, the Rainmakers, the Rave-Ups -- good bands that most people have never heard of but that influenced us."

From the initial buzz behind their 1988 debut, "I'll Tell You What Man," The Clarks gradually attained each plateau: massive regional exposure for singles like "Penny on the Floor" and "Cigarette" and appearances in arena-size venues with the likes of Steely Dan and 3 Doors Down.

They went from a 2004 appearance on the David Letterman show to recording a theme (a Green Day-esque version of the often-covered Louis Armstrong chestnut "Wonderful World") for the Pittsburgh Penguins' ad campaign, and rode a stint on formidable indie Razor & Tie Records -- the trilogy of "Let It Go," "Another Happy Ending" and "Fast Moving Cars."

Now the newly released "Restless Days," The Clarks' eighth album, is being feted with a hometown bash at the revamped Amphitheatre at Station Square, as well as a short East Coast jaunt and some in-store performances at stores which carry the CD, such as Best Buy, FYE, and Primanti Brothers.

Yes, you read correctly. Now you can get fries and coleslaw on that sandwich with a Clarks CD, as long as you keep those greasy fingers off the jewel case. Blasey's rationale in partnering with the revered Pittsburgh culinary institution was simple. "There are few real outlets for music anymore. We tried to find a creative outlet to sell our music, and locally, Primanti's has that sort of presence. We were also trying to hook up with Sheetz."

Blasey emphasizes, however, that CD sales are not the bread and butter for a band like The Clarks. Other than guitarist Robert James giving music lessons and drummer Dave Minarik building motorcycles, the band has subsisted from their music since 1994. To make ends meet, they play more than 150 shows annually and roam the East and Midwest, with an occasional jaunt as far as California to satisfy the growing legion of displaced Pittsburghers.

"The Clarks Nation isn't quite of the same magnitude as the Steeler Nation," he says, "but we get the word out. We can play Schuba's in Chicago on a Saturday to 300 to 400 people, and half of them are wearing Steeler T-shirts."

Another potential audience The Clarks are still dreaming of capturing is overseas. "We played in Italy for the first time last summer. Not a lot of people knew who we were -- it was essentially a paid vacation. But our straight-ahead American guitar rock would go over real well there, where Joe Grushecky has some success. They like that kind of authenticity."

The album "Restless Days" possesses that unpretentious earnestness in spades. "Trampoline" is Elvis Costello-styled power-pop but with a heavier edge (Blasey compares it to Jason Falkner of Jellyfish/Air fame). "True Believer" is twangy guitar-pop on the edge of alt-country, and "Midnight Rose" is a mid-tempo ballad of a one-night stand ("When the whistle blows/Everybody knows she's on the move again") comparable to Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen.

But then, The Clarks suddenly get political. No, they're not quoting Howard Zinn and railing against globalism like Anti-Flag would, but "The Clowns" makes plenty of references to corrupt politicians and loss of faith in government. "[Bassist] Greg [Joseph] wrote that song. We've never gone down that road before, but his frustrations with the way things are going led him to write it. To be honest, we've written enough breakup songs, and all of us are trying to find other things to express. Greg goes a little introspective and political, whereas I try to write outside myself about other characters."

That's what Blasey was going for in penning "Inside," a jangly pop number in the vein of R.E.M./Let's Active but with disturbing lyrics about a girl who kills her lover ("the ringing of a cellphone from a shallow grave" has a certain Horatio Caine ring to it). Blasey's voice is deep, and could belt melancholic songs with authority, a la Mark Eitzel or even Leonard Cohen, eventually adding to his solo catalog, which so far includes the albums "Don't Try This at Home" and "Shine."

"I lived in Texas for four years, so I wrote about traveling as well as emotionally getting older," he recalls. "With The Clarks, we've developed a style and sound, so musically I don't know how dark we could really get. It's funny, because I'm in a happy place in my life with marriage and young children, so it's interesting that suddenly I'm obsessed with writing about death. Whether or not I make a recording in that vein, I don't know, but I do have it in me."

Blasey also believes The Clarks have a good KDKA theme song in them, similar to the promotional videos the station has recently been airing with Grushecky and Bill Deasy.

"It's a cool commercial. Someone told us, 'We should have you guys do one of these' and we said we'd love to do it, but nothing happened. We'd have to write some kind of 'hometown' hook ... but if I had to pick one song we've already written, it'd be 'Born Too Late' [which references historical figures from Shakespeare and Van Gogh to Elvis and Martin Luther King]. That's my high-water mark."

In the meantime, The Clarks have accomplished the amazing feat of keeping their original lineup intact for more than two decades while maintaining a persistence that would be the envy of any aspiring rocker.

"We've reached enough goals that there's always something else to look forward to, and never gotten to the point where the band is too successful that we'd have to break up, or I'd say, 'I'm done, I'm going to have a solo career.' "

"I can't say exactly why the four of us have stayed together this long. It's really pretty rare, since lots of bands have changed members over the years. But we're totally family now, to the point that The Clarks wouldn't exist if one of us wasn't in it. If someone left, it wouldn't be The Clarks anymore, and it'd be time to find a new name or to do something different."

   Manny Theiner is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer.

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JUNE 9th, 2009

Restless Days Available Everywhere!

The wait is finally over!  Many of you who ordered the CD during the band’s pre-sale have it already and the reports back are that you love it!  For those of you who waited to get Restless Days, now’s your chance. 

You can purchase it on iTunes , Amazon.com’s MP3 store and at all other digital and physical retailers around the country – and at suburban Primanti’s restaurants!

There have been some great reviews on the album already and more coming so check your local newspaper, or Google “The Clarks” and see what you find.  In particular, look for the band in the “weather section” (that’s right!) of tomorrow’s USA Today to see the song “Sunshine” featured in the Wednesday Weather Song column along side Bill Wither’s “Ain’t No Sunshine”.

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* CD Release Show This Sat – Weather Forecast is GREAT!

The weather forecast calls for sunny and 76 degrees this Saturday, June 13th for The Clarks big CD release show at the new Amphitheatre at Station Square.  You can’t get any better then that!  Make sure to get your tickets HERE today.  This is not a show you want to miss.

   - CHECK THE ACCU-WEATHER FOR THE UP TO DATE FORECAST

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New Website Launched - June 9, 2009

Thanks to The Clarks wonderful website design team of Al Camardella and Franco Sicilia, the NEW clarksonline.com has launched and looks great.

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* Complete List of Tour Dates & Promotional Appearances

June 12 - Generations Pub - Wheeling, WV - Also performing: Donora - For tix call (304) 232-7917 
June 13 - Ampitheatre at Station Square - Pittsburgh, PA - Also performing: Ari Hest
July 7 & 8 - Kelly's - Nag's Head, NC
July 9 - Jewish Mother - Virginia Beach, VA

JUNE 8, 2009

Erie Times-News The Clarks, "Restless Days" review.

Pittsburgh's ever-dependable Clarks release "Restless Days" on Tuesday. It's their first studio set in five years.

Worth the wait? Absolutely and then some. Maybe it's maturity. Maybe it's the chemistry and comfort level that come from staying together 20 years. Maybe it's lack of pressure from living in Pittsburgh and not recording for a major label.

Whatever, they sound remarkably assured, confident and poised. "Days" effortlessly flows from start to finish, nary a speed bump along the way.

"Restless" finds the Clarks in a somewhat more low-key mode, producing mid-tempo, country-inflected and Americana-leaning songs like the superb "Midnight Rose."

Focusing more on texture, they've crafted an immensely ear-pleasing work with chiming guitar chords, hooks that sink in fast, and sublime beauty. Acoustic guitars reverberate as much as electric ones.

"Restless Days" is so consistent and well-crafted, it's hard to single out any particular track as the slam-dunk winner. But "The Runaway" lifts off like a Train/Old 97s hybrid; it's glorious.

The eloquent, singalong title cut is made for arm-waving and Bic-flailing.
Love the rootsy/folksy/acoustic vibe of "Come 'Round Here" and especially its jammy outro.

Miracle is, all those come on the CD's second half, while "Restless" barrels out of the gate with the fine rockers "True Believer" and "Inside." The springy, inspired gem "Trampoline" would fit comfortably on a mid-'60s Beatles' album or latter-day Fountains of Wayne.

Like wine, Clarks only get better with age. Here's hoping they visit Erie again soon.

   -- Dr. Rock,
    Erie Times-News

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JUNE 7TH, 2009

Get 'Restless'
By Scott Tady, Times Entertainment Editor 
- Published: Sunday, June 7, 2009 7:12 AM EDT

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On Tuesday, hometown rockers the Clarks release their eight studio album, “Restless Days.” Singer Scott Blasey and bassist Greg Joseph split the songwriting, and in an exclusive interview with the Times share the inspiration behind each track.

Trampoline

“This story evolved many, many years ago by a friend of mine. He was dating a girl who was coincidentally dating her longtime boyfriend off and on. She couldn’t make up her mind. He made it up for her.” — Joseph.

Inside

“This is a song about an abused girlfriend who kills her lover. The narrator is an old acquaintance to whom she goes for advice.” — Blasey.

True Believer

“Is about an unknown actress who lives by herself and paints self-portraits seldom seen, which is another way of saying few people really know her. The singer of the song falls for her but doesn’t know if she’s being truthful in proclaiming her love or just acting. The lyric, ‘She knew how to play the true believer,’ can be interpreted in two ways; either she’s the true believer and knows how to play the role, or he’s the true believer and she just played him. Regardless, she dies young, broken and alone.” — Blasey.

Midnight Rose

“This started as a song for my daughter Ava Rose. The verse lyrics were dark so I turned it into a song about a train. It involves a man who has blood on his hands and thinks he can escape his problems, and jail, by catching a ride out of town on the Midnight Rose. — Blasey.

Soul and Skin

“Just another breakup tune. The band nailed this one from the first time we worked on it at practice. Truth is I’ve never even owned a cat. Or had an oak floor.” — Joseph.

Sunshine

“Sunshine is about an old man who long ago abandoned a woman who loved him and a job that supported him for his own selfish desires. Now he’s at the end of his life and has nothing but photographs and regret.” — Blasey.

Come ‘Round Here

“True stories of days gone by. There are tragic figures in all of our lives and I wanted to tie them together somehow. It’s like an old man sitting on a front porch talking about who doesn’t come around here anymore. The last verse refers to John. Who is John?” — Joseph.

Restless Days

“This is a song about a man who has spent most of his life in jail and he’s pleading for it to the judge and jury. He sees how unfair justice can be and takes his only solace in the arms of his girl.” — Blasey.

The Clowns

“We’ve never been much of a politically motivated band but at some point I got really frustrated by all the politics over the past couple years. It has deteriorated into self serving from serving the people. Or am I naive?” — Joseph.

Runaway

“The story of a restless, hard-living woman. For some reason this song reminds me of our travels through the West — the truck stops, gift shops and little bars and restaurants along the way.” — Joseph.

In Between

“The only autobiographical moment for me on the CD. It’s a song about being down, way down, and having someone to help see you through to the other side. It’s all good now.” — Joseph.

What a Wonderful World

We were contacted by the Pittsburgh Penguins to do our own version of the Ramones version of the Louie Armstrong version of this song. The Penguins used it for commercials and promo purposes in the 2008-09 season. We were so happy with the result that we decided to include it on the new CD. It was an honor to be able to cover such an important song in American music history. — Joseph.
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  THE CLARKS, “RESTLESS DAYS”

   Album goes on sale Tuesday.
   At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the band will perform a short acoustic set and sign autographs at the FYE Store at the Mall at Robinson.

   The album release party is 7 p.m. Saturday at the Amphitheatre at Station Square.
   Opening act is Ari Hest. Tickets are $25.
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JUNE  2ND, 2009

* Restless Days  - Order Today!
Now is your last chance to pre-order Restless Days to ensure your cd arrives on or before the street date on June 9th. If you place your order by 11:59 pm EST tomorrow (Wednesday) then we'll be able to ensure that your cd will arrive before June 9th. So, place those orders now!

And when you order the cd you will receive a link with 2 tracks from the new album "Midnight Rose" & "Inside" by email a few days after the purchase.
You will also be automatically entered into The Clarks pre-sale contest - to see contest details click here.

As a reminder, Restless Days will be sold at all suburban Primanti's locations. Please call ahead of time to guarantee they have Restless Days in stock.
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* Summer Southern Dates Announced & On Sale Now

The Clarks are thrilled to announce they'll be returning to the south this summer hitting Nag's Head for two nights and Virginia Beach. 
These dates are listed below and are on sale now!  Get your tickets and make your plans.
  
July 7 & 8
Kelly's
1089 Bypass Rd.
Nags Head  NC 27959
(252) 441-4116 / 21+
For tickets click here

July 9
The Jewish Mother
3108 Pacific Ave
Virginia Beach , VA 23451 /
(757) 422-5430 / All Ages
For tickets click here.

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Release Week In Store Performances

In support of the new Clarks album coming out, we hope that you will be able to make it out to one of the instore performances
that are scheduled in June. The band will play a short acoustic set followed by an autograph signing session at all locations.

June 9th
FYE at The Mall at Robinson
100 Robinson Center Drive. Pittsburgh, PA 15205
(412) 787-3084 | 7PM

June 10th
Primanti Brothers -Harmarville Location
6 Anchor Dr. Pittsburgh, PA 15238
412-826-9680 | 7PM

June 12th
Best Buy
150 Satterfield Dr. Tridelphia, WV 26059
304-243-9979 | 6:30PM

Download "Sunshine (Acoustic)" In The Campaign to Save Paste Magazine!

We need your help! Paste has been very good to us and we hope that you can make a small contribution to help save this magazine.
For details please see below. For more details please click here.

Today, Paste Media Group, publisher of the two-time National Magazine Award nominee Paste Magazine & PasteMagazine.com, will launch an online fundraiser to keep the magazine functioning in the midst of the global financial recession.

As a completely independent magazine, Paste has struggled for the past nine months as advertisers have decided to wait on buying ads in response to the recession. Last month, cash received unexpectedly reached an all-time low, and turned a tough situation into a short-term crisis.

Rather than shut its doors, Paste is launching a reader appeal today to help save the magazine. Many of the artists who’ve been covered by Paste over the years—folks like us, The Spring Standards,William Fitzsimmons, Ari Hest, Neko Case, The Decemberists, Of Montreal, She & Him, Josh Ritter, The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile and the Indigo Girls—have donated rare and exclusive tracks to give to anyone who donates to the cause. Two of the tracks were recorded specifically for the campaign. Plus Sixthman has donated an ocean-view cabin on next year's Cayamo Cruise, and bands like R.E.M. and Band of Horses have donated signed posters to be given away to random supporters.

While the current situation is dire, long-term, Paste expects to emerge from the recession in good shape. 2008 was the magazine’s best year across the board—print subscribers, print ads, online readers and online advertising were all at record levels. PasteMagazine.com consistently draws more than 900,000 visitors each month, and the magazine has grown into the third largest rock magazine in the world. Meanwhile new advertisers have come on board and more are ready to begin doing business when their advertising budgets return.

Artists include us, The Spring Standards, William Fitzsimmons, Ari Hest, The Decemberists, Neko Case, She & Him, Cowboy Junkies, Of Montreal, Indigo Girls, Jayhawks, String Cheese Incident, G. Love, Josh Rouse, The Hives, Matthew Sweet, The Avett Brothers, Joe Henry, John Roderick of The Long Winters, Over the Rhine, Bob Mould, Arrested Development, Brandi Carlile, John Doe, Josh Ritter, Marc Broussard and more. We also have a number of goodies (such as signed R.E.M. and Band of Horses posters, an ocean-view cabin on next year's Cayamo cruise, and more) to give to donors in random drawings.


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