Date: February 29th 2012

WHAT: Riviera’s Watching Western Skies EP release party
WHEN: Friday, March 16
WHO: Riviera with Pilar French (also celebrating a CD release) and Nicole Campbell
WHERE: The Secret Society: 116 NE Russell Road, Portland OR
HOW MUCH: $8—First 25 receive a free copy of Watching Western Skies

ALL Tracks available for streaming and download: http://www.reverbnation.com/rivierasound

“I tell people all the time that Chicago’s music scene is bigger, but that Portand’s is stronger,” said Riviera lead singer Derek Phillips when asked what’s the difference between the band’s hometown and their newly adopted city in the Pacific Northwest. After several years as one of Chicago’s favorite bands, Riviera packed up and headed west and are now unveiling their first new material since 2008.

Watching Western Skies is a return to the understated production and smart lyricism that first got Riviera tagged as “one of the city’s best unsigned bands” by the Chicago Tribune. Recorded in the band’s own home studio in Portland, Oregon, the five songs that make up the EP span an emotional spectrum from misery and despair to hung-over regret to simmering rage barely hidden below the surface. Not your typical Americana band, Riviera tends to lend depth and complexity to the characters and stories that make up their songs that read more like mini novels from the American cannon than they do four minute story-songs.

“How boring would it be to hear another country-ish song about drinking too much and losing your girl,” Phillips asked.

Available world-wide via the usual digital channels (iTunes, Spotify, etc.) starting March 5, a very limited number of physical copies will be available through the band’s own CDBaby storefront and at shows. The band is celebrating the release with a party at Portland’s famed Secret Society on March 16 and will give the first 25 people through the door a free copy.

“We’re still introducing ourselves to Portland,” said Phillips. “This seems like the least we could do given the number of incredible bands and musicians in this town.”

Phillips and Riviera co-founder Mick Radichel moved to Portland and reconstituted the band with the addition of Portland players Jeff Porter (multi-instrumentalist: Beautiful Train Wrecks, Palatine Hill, WhistlePunk!, Ashbury Park)), Damon Dunning (bass: Celilo, Don of Division Street, We Are Not Shadows) and John Becher (drums: Justin Jude, The Resolectrics).

CONTACT:
Derek Phillips: dphillips@gloriousnoise.com
(773) 531-8504
http://riviera-sound.com

CDBABY: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/riviera3
AMAZON (US): http://www.amazon.com/Watching-Western-Skies/dp/B0065CDSCE
iTUNES (US): http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/watching-western-skies-ep/id479571439