Artist: Hard-Fi
Genre(s):
Pop: Pop-Rock
Discography:
Stars Of CCTV
Year: 2004
Tracks: 11
Staines, England's Hard-Fi characteristic Richard Archer (vocals), Ross Philips (guitar), Kai Stephens (bass), and Steve Kemp (drums). The punk-inspired indie rock quintet formed in 2002; they lineament a cheeky mix of Dexy's Midnight Runners melodies, Franz Ferdinand meat hooks, and the theatrics of the Dead 60s. Hard-Fi self-released Stars of CCTV in October 2004, and all D copies rapidly sold out. The U.K. indie imprint Necessary reissued the nine-song nugget the following June. Once once again, HARD-Fi got the attending of the erratic British constrict and an aegir British public. Singles such as "Cash Machine," "Tied Up Too Tight," and "Hard to Beat" were all chart hits, and U.K. demo dates with the likes of the Bravery, the Kaiser Chiefs, and the Ordinary Boys were as successful. Before the year's end, Hard-Fi earned a Mercury Music Prize nomination for Stars of CCTV. They had too north Korean won all over audiences at Glastonbury and at the annual SXSW Festival in Austin, TX. Two Brit Award nominations followed in early 2006 -- one for Best British Group and some other for Best British Rock Act. Stars of CCTV went on to pull in a number one spot on the U.K. record album chart in January 2006; it was released in the U.S. in March, and although it didn't score quite as big of a splash stateside, it still localise up high expectations for Hard-Fi's next criminal record, Once Upon a Time in the West, which came out in September of 2007.
