EEF BARZELAY SIGNS WITH 429 RECORDS

Clem Snide Founder’s Second Solo Effort “LOSE BIG” In Stores June 17th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Santa Monica, CA: Eef Barzelay, founder and creative force of the much-loved alt-country combo Clem Snide and noted film score composer, has signed with 429 Records which will release his solo project “Lose Big.” Written and recorded in the span of 2 weeks in late 2006, “Lose Big” is Barzelay’s second solo project (following the release of “Bitter Honey” in 2006) since the dissolution of his former band. With the help of musicians Jared Reynolds (co-producer, bass, piano), Joe Costa (drums/percussion) and Jay Cooper (organ), Eef focuses his newfound sense of artistic freedom and self-described “desperate liberation” into the creation of an eclectic, yet highly personal recording. In addition to the release of the album, Barzelay will embark on a series of club dates this summer (dates TBD). “Lose Big” will be available in stores June 17th.

Although it’s his second solo project overall, Barzelay admits that “Lose Big” is his most emotionally honest collection of songs since the break up of Clem Snide. Born in Israel and now residing in Nashville, the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has created a highly personal collection of songs. Adorned with distinctive musical textures ranging from mid-tempo rock to lighter acoustic flourishes (the album was recorded in Ben Folds’ studio), the songs are charged with a heightened sense of intimacy that Barzelay had not tapped into under the auspices of his former band. Whether speaking in the first person and laying out the conflict between his heart and his head in the opening track “Could Be Worse,” or speaking through the eyes of a wholly unique character such as the new age hustler of “Numerology,” Barzelay’s songs reflect his inner life and world view.

Says Barzelay: “I feel like a lot of the people I’m speaking through in these songs are yearning for some sort of liberation. Each song is like its own character that’s part of me as well.”

Complete track list: 1) Could Be Worse 2) The Girls Don’t Care 3) Take Me 4) How Dare They 5) Apocalyptic Friend 6) Numerology 7) Make Another Tree 8) Lose Big 9) True Freedom 10) Song For Batya 11) bonus track—Me No (from unreleased Clem Snide album “Hungry Bird”) 12) bonus track—I Love The Unknown (from the Clem Snide album “Your Favorite Music”).

In addition to his solo recordings and touring (he’s just returned from a series of gigs opening up for Ben Folds), Barzelay has quietly been honing his talent as a composer of film scores. In 2007, director Jeffrey Biltz approached Barzelay to provide the music for his offbeat and quirky HBO/Picture House film “Rocket Science.” It was an auspicious debut as the film won the 2007 Sundance Film Festival Award for Dramatic Directing and garnered glowing reviews, many of which noted how integral the music was to the spirit of the film. The whimsical acoustic flourishes that fill every nook and cranny of “Rocket Science” provide crucial emotional cues and maintain the overall vibe of the film Distinctive and alive, Eef’s musical imprint on films is reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s collaborations with composers. Notes the Hollywood Reporter in the review for “Rocket Science”: “Under filmmaker Biltz’s gifted guidance, technical contributions soar, most prominently composer Eef Barzelay’s smartly wacky score.” Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said: “Eef Barzelay, where have you been all my life?”

Most recently, Eef provided the score for the upcoming film “Yellow Handkerchief”—a film starring William Hurt and produced by Arthur Cohen.

429 Records is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG). SLG is the North American unit of CME (Columbia Music Entertainment), the oldest music company in Japan. The Savoy Label Group has evolved into a leading independent company in the adult music genres consistently outperforming competitors in key music categories as monitored by Billboard Magazine. SLG is lead by Steve Vining and CME is headed by Chairman Strauss Zelnick, founder of Zelnick Media which owns interests in and manages an array of media companies.

Contact:
Kurt Nishimura
SILVERLAKE MEDIA
kurtnishimura@earthlink.net
323. 663-6303