NEW YORK, NY (Top40 Charts/ Atlantic Records) - Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen recording group
Gym Class Heroes has locked onto the top of the charts with its smash single, "Cupid's Chokehold (Breakfast In
America remake)." The track - which was written by Supertramp's
Roger Hodgson and Rich Davies and features the Geneva, NY-based band's good friend, Patrick Stump - stands tall at No 1 on the CHR/Top 40 national airplay chart for the second consecutive week. What's more, "
Cupid's Chokehold" remains firmly ensconced in the top 10 of Billboard's "Hot 100" for the eighth consecutive week.
"Cupid's Chokehold" - which is featured on Gym Class Heroes' breakthrough second album, "AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN" - has also blown up online, reaching No 1 on Billboard's "Hot Digital Tracks," as well as No 2 on the "Hot Digital Songs" chart. In addition, the song has proven a massive ringtone smash, hitting the top 5 on the weekly Ringscan ranking.
2007 has seen Gym Class Heroes dominating MTV, with "Cupid's Chokehold" recently topping the network's playlist. Last month, the group played a raucous set on MTV's "Spring Break '07 Live," a spectacular performance that featured two tracks - "The Queen & I" and "New Friend Request" - which quickly went on to be among the most-streamed clips on MTV.com. Excerpts from the "Spring Break '07 Live" show have also been featured on MTV's "TRL," as well as on mtvU. Gym Class Heroes will headline an upcoming installment of "MTV Live," slated to air sometime in May (check local listings).
As if that weren't enough, "Cupid's Chokehold" is in "Power" rotation at MTV Hits and "Recurrent" rotation at MTV Tr3s. The video has just been added into rotation at VH1, where it instantly became a "Countdown Contender" on the weekly "VSpot Top 20 Countdown." In addition, "Cupid's Chokehold" is the week's No 3 most-played video on Fuse, and a "Power" rotation favorite at Mun2.
Additional Gym Class Heroes TV appearances include a recent live rendition of "Cupid's Chokehold" on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," following previous performances on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," NBC's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," DirecTV's "CD USA," and the syndicated "Fearless Music TV."
The next single from "AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN" will be the anthemic "Clothes Off!" A companion video clip has just been filmed and will premiere sometime in the coming weeks.
A remarkably dedicated live act, Gym Class Heroes has just wrapped its "Darryl Hall For President Tour '07." The headlining trek was met by sold-out crowds on nearly every date, including a packed-to-the-rafters MySpace Secret Show at Mr. Small's Funhouse in Millvale, Pennsylvania. The band will continue to tour for the foreseeable future, including North American headline shows, radio festivals, and an eagerly anticipated trip Down Under to support Gwen Stefani on her upcoming Australian tour. For an up-to-the-minute tour itinerary, see the band's official website, www.gymclassheroes.com, or its MySpace page, www.myspace.com/gymclassheroes.
Produced by S*A*M, aka Sam Hollander (Method Man, the Sounds, and Earth, Wind & Fire), and Sluggo, the alter-ego of renowned session bassist Dave Katz (Roger Daltrey), "AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN" also features co-production from Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump. The album drew rapturous praise in a number of national publications, including Alternative Press, which awarded the collection its top five-starred rating.
Gym Class Heroes first garnered critical acclaim for their unique sound and approach with their Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen debut, 2005's "THE PAPERCUT CHRONICLES." It was the band's alternative hip-hop style and use of live instruments in favor of looped samples and canned beats that caught the attention of Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, who immediately signed the group to his Decaydance imprint. With constant touring and a huge online presence, the band has built a large and dedicated fan base.
Named one of the MTV2's "Artists To Watch 2007," the group spent much of the past two years on the road, including sold-out headline dates in the US and the UK, support slots alongside Fall Out Boy and the All American Rejects, a number of radio-sponsored holiday shows, and a stint on Vans Warped Tour '06 which had them playing two sets a day to rapturous audiences across North America.
Gym Class Heroes are: Travis McCoy (lead vocalist), Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo (guitarist), Eric Roberts (bassist), and Matt McGinley (drummer).
