TAS In Session: Hockey

After high profile tours with Passion Pit and Friendly Fires this past year, Portland, Oregon's Hockey found themselves in a strange predicament; they were bigger in the UK than they were back home. Despite their Portland-by-way-of-Los Angeles genesis, the band's style of buoyant, angular pop seemed spiritually akin to British bands like Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and The Courteneers.

Hockey's virtually self-produced debut album Mind Chaos was first released independently as an EP, but the band expanded, remixed and remastered the record following their major label signing to Capitol Records. The gussied-up version finally dropped in the States after several delays in late September.

The quintet - singer Ben Grubin, bassist Jeremy "Jerm" Reynolds, guitarist Brian White, drummer Anthony Stassi and touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver - are already veterans of prestigious UK festivals like Glastonbury, T in the Park, Leeds and Reading, but they've also paid their dues on the U.S. festival circuit, with notable appearances at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, SXSW and CMJ. This month they embarked on a mini-tour of holiday radio concerts and in January will set off for a brief West coast road trip (dates below).

The Alternate Side caught up with the band not long after the release of Mind Chaos and the guys rolled out muscular, acoustic versions of "Too Fake" and the Jerry Harrison-produced "Song Away" for our listening pleasure ... and yours.

Hockey's January tour dates

Jan 13th Seattle, WA The Vera Project

Jan 15th San Francisco, CA Bottom of The Hill

Jan 16th Los Angeles, CA Spaceland

Jan 18th San Diego, CA The Casbah