The Retrofits profile picture

The Retrofits

....bring your mom! -Willamette Week

About Me


BUY THE RETROFITS DEBUT ALBUM AT:
_____
Booking/Management (Jeff Brooks):
booking @ theretrofits dot com
College & University Booking (Gabe Johnson - In The Pocket Artists):
info @ inthepocketartists dot com or 617-996-9060
Born out of Portland, Oregon’s burgeoning indie pop scene, The Retrofits marry the instrumentation of a jazz ensemble with the catchy melodies and arrangements of a mainstream rock band.
The band was created in 2002 by high school friends and trackmates Jake Oken-Berg (lead vocals, piano) and George McCleary (lead vocals, guitar). Jake ran for Mayor of Portland at age 19, receiving 27% of the vote, and George was one of the nation’s top high school runners. The Retrofits started off playing for community benefits for youth voting, mental health treatment and environmental protection, and the band is still donating its time, money and music to civic endeavors.
Now one of Portland’s most popular pop/rock bands, SPIN Magazine lists The Retrofits as one of “The best times you’ll have all month.”
The Retrofits opened for national acts Everclear and Pink Martini within their first year of performing and has added experienced musicians Brud Giles (drums) and Dusty Brooks (bass, vocals) to fill out a sound grounded in jazz piano, acoustic guitar, soulful harmonies and vivid lyrics.
The Retrofits are “simply, a band worth catching” (The Oregonian).

"The best time you'll have all month!"

"The band is now evolving, along with Denver's nationally charting The Fray, as one of the West's premier purveyors of expressive and engaging piano-pop."
_____
---- The Debut Album: Away From Here ----
The Retrofits debut album “Away From Here” (2007) features 12 original tracks recorded at Portland, Oregon’s legendary Kung Fu Bakery Studios . West Coast Performer Magazine says, “The Retrofits' debut album, Away From Here, will surely take this band wherever it wants to go.”
The album was engineered by Dave Friedlander (Prince, George Clinton, Pink Martini), mixed by Friedlander and Nick Moon (Gino Vannelli, Liv Warfield), and mastered by Bernie Grundman Mastering (Michael Jackson, Alanis Morissette, Jamie Cullum) in Hollywood, California.
The Oregonian says Away From Here has “all the tight hooks needed for a successful first recording” and the album includes special guests Stephanie Schneiderman (backing vocals), Brian Davis (congas) from Pink Martini, and Jean-Pierre Garau (organ).
“The entire album has enough surprises to keep it from being compartmentalized…The result is a sound that no one can touch – purely The Retrofits' own.” --West Coast Performer Magazine
_____
The Retrofits Live at The Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Oregon
Add to My Profile | More Videos
Sign up for the The Retrofits email list below!
Name:
Email:
Zip:
Help Out With Promo? Type 'StreetTeam':

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/25/2004
Band Website: TheRetrofits.com
Band Members:
Jake Oken-Berg
Vocals, piano, sentiment, intensity
Jake's MySpace Profile

____

George McCleary
Vocals, guitar, optimism, debauchery.
George's MySpace Profile

____

Brud Giles
Drums, exuberance, merrymaking
Brud's MySpace Profile

____

Dusty Brooks
Bass, vocals, cheerfulness, jauntiness, geniality
Dusty's MySpace Profile

Showcase/Festival Members:

Jason Barlow
Violin, guitar, nimbleness, tasteful demeanor
Jason's MySpace Profile

Influences: The Fray, Ben Folds, Goo Goo Dolls, Bruce Hornsby, Coldplay, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Oasis, Keane, Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews, The Beatles, Jason Mraz
Sounds Like: Grounded in jazz piano, acoustic guitar, and vivid lyrics, The Retrofits sound like the love child of the above artists, mixed with five-part harmonies, catchy piano hooks, soaring violin solos, and dance-inducing melodies, to create a polished, yet organic pop/rock sound.
____
Contributors to the Debut Album "Away From Here" (2007)

Darin Wirth
Bass (All Tracks), Backing Vocals (All Tracks)
Darin's MySpace Profile
____

Stephanie Schneiderman
Backing Vocals on The Women Glow (Track 4) & When There's Nothing (Track 7)
Stephanie's MySpace Profile
____

Brian Davis of Pink Martini
Congas on Something Less (Track 6) & Lightning (Track 12)
Pink Martini's MySpace Profile
____

Jean-Pierre Garau
Organ (Tracks 2,3,6-12)
Jean-Pierre Garau's Website
____

Dave Friedlander (Prince, George Clinton, Pink Martini)
Recording Engineer (All Tracks), Mix Engineer (Tracks 1-3,5-7,9,11,12)
Dave Friedlander's MySpace Profile
____

Nick Moon (Gino Vannelli, Liv Warfield)
Mix Engineer (Tracks 4,8,10,11)
Nick Moon's MySpace Profile
____

Bernie Grundman (Michael Jackson, Alanis Morissette, Jamie Cullum)
Mastering Engineer (All Tracks)
Bernie Grundman's Website
____
Record Label: Half Mile Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

West Coast Performer Magazine CD Review

West Coast Perfomer Magazine - June 2007www.performermag.com/wcp.recordedreviews.0706.phpThe Retrofits' debut album, Away From Here, will surely take this band wherever it wants to go.The Retrofits  ...
Posted by The Retrofits on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:04:00 PST

Support A Great Cause on June 2nd

We're playing with several great bands for a great cause on June 2nd. It's an all ages show... Check out the details:Get tickets at TicketsWest. Only $10 for 4 bands.The bill:7:55pm - Sexton Blake8:45...
Posted by The Retrofits on Mon, 21 May 2007 01:25:00 PST

Update on our Bassist

Hey Friends,Here on planet Retrofit we are constantly adapting, growing, and changing. This week we decided to part ways with our bassist Darin Wirth. Darin has been with the band for over two and a ...
Posted by The Retrofits on Thu, 17 May 2007 12:45:00 PST

KINK FM Interview Posted!

Jake & George's interview on KINK FM 101.9 -- including 2 songs from the debut album -- is now posted online! Check it out here!They had a very good time w/ Afternoon Show host Sheila Hamilton! ...
Posted by The Retrofits on Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:51:00 PST

Live on KINK FM 101.9!

Hey Fans!Jake & George will be on the KINK FM Afternoon Show tomorrow (Monday)! Dave & Sheila will interview the lead singers from The Retrofits and play a clip or two from their debut album!The show...
Posted by The Retrofits on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 08:24:00 PST

Send us your pics baby!

Thank you to everyone who came out last Friday to the Bitter End in Portland, OR. What an incredible crowd!!! We saw you all snapping photographs -- especially when Jason jumped on the table to play h...
Posted by The Retrofits on Mon, 12 Mar 2007 04:32:00 PST

Thank You Fans!

Thank you RetroFans for launching our debut album in incredible fashion! We just posted several photos from the sold out album release show at the Doug Fir!...
Posted by The Retrofits on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 10:34:00 PST

OMG! We're done with the album!

So after years of writing and months of recording, we are FINALLY done with our debut album entitled Away From Here!!!! You can check out BRAND NEW recordings from the album right now on our MySpace ...
Posted by The Retrofits on Wed, 01 Nov 2006 12:18:00 PST

Songs posted from the debut album!!!

We just uploaded two songs from "Away From Here" our debut album due out in the fall/winter of 2006! Check 'em out and look for other tracks over the coming months!...
Posted by The Retrofits on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:16:00 PST

Press in The Oregonian!

Hey!We had some nice press today in The Oregonian about our show on Saturday:"The band is now evolving, along with Denver's nationally charting the Fray, as one of the West's premier purveyors of expr...
Posted by The Retrofits on Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:00:00 PST