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Members: Chris Shiflett - Guitar & Vocals, Doug Sangalang - Guitar, Cary LaScala - Drums, Omen Starr - Bass

JACKSON UNITED
Western Ballads
(Magnificent Records)

Started as something on the side with his bros (literal and figurative) by FOO FIGHTERS guitarist Chris Shiflett's wife, JACKSON UNITED came together in the spring of 2003.

Shiflett assumed both vocal and guitar duties on a growing number of songs he'd written over the years, and enlisted his bass-playing brother, Scott (Face to Face) and drummer Pete Parada (Face to Face/Saves the Day) to commit the songs to vinyl_ or whatever digital facsimile thereof the kids are into by the time you read this.

A pre-UNITED (more on that later) JACKSON debut EP soon surfaced on Magnificent Records, followed by successive handfuls of shows including the Reading Festival in the UK.

As Scott and Pete returned to their day jobs, JACKSON UNITED (the name augmentation was a result of a legal communication from Michael Jackson's camp-understandably, they wouldn't want a member of the Foo Fighters profiting off the Gloved One's soaring musical and personal stock) was reconfigured with the arrival of Doug Sangalang (Screw 32/Limp/One Time Angels) on guitar, Omen Starr on bass and Cary Lascala (Comminique) on drums.

The new line-up wasted no time, getting instantly active on a tour with SUGARCULT and dates in California with THE VANDALS and THE JEALOUS SOUND. After a breath or two, the freshly gelled JACKSON UNITED did a UK and Ireland tour in January with MATCHBOOK ROMANCE and a US west coast run with Oz trio, THE LIVING END. The remainder of 2004 was taken up by a first ever trip to Australia and a stint on the VANS WARPED TOUR.

Eventually, with help from producer Chad Blinman (Face to Face, Get Up Kids), Western Ballads, took shape and will see release May 31 as the first full length JACKSON UNITED album. Of the album's 14 sweetly spiked high volume numbers, Shiflett says, "It's guitar pop. Not as heavy as Foo Fighters stuff. And there's some stuff that's pretty mellow and vibey." Fair enough: Fans of Foo Fighters-as well as the various other bands Chris has played in virtually since puberty, including NO USE FOR A NAME and ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMES-will find plenty to love in the uptempo "Lion's Roar," "All The Way" and "Fell Into," while the-dare we say-laid back and mature arrangements of "OK Alright" and "Here Comes Hollow" could find a perfect fit alongside the more female-friendly favorites of the Foos repertoire.

Having already received favorable critical mentions from MAGNET, GIANT and others (re: the import release), Western Ballads will be released May 31, 2005 on Shiflett's own Magnificent Records imprint.