The Features

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Features


Img_capt = The iconic logo for the band.
Img_size = 212
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Sparta, Tennessee, USA
Genre = Indie rock
Indie pop
Neo-Psychedelia
Occupation =
Years_active = 1994—present
Label = Spongebath Records
Fierce Panda
Universal Records
Associated_acts = The Privates
The Preservatives
De Novo Dahl
URL = [http://thefeatures.com The Features]
Current_members = Matt Pelham
Roger Dabbs
Rollum Haas
Mark Bond
Past_members = Don Sergio
Jason Taylor
Parrish Yaw

The Features are an American indie rock band from Tennessee. Though they have had limited success in the United States, they have been very well received in the United Kingdom and have a very loyal following in the Southeastern United States.

History

Early years

Matt Pelham, Roger Dabbs, Don Sergio and Parrish Yaw attended middle school together in Sparta, Tennessee, a rural town that at the time had a population of less than 5,000. Pelham, Dabbs and Sergio started a band when they were in the eighth grade out of boredom, and they started playing covers of Camper Van Beethoven, Neil Young, Guns N' Roses and others. As they continued through high school, they continued to play together at local events like parties and talent shows, then graduated to playing at various bars and clubs around nearby college town Murfreesboro and in Nashville.

History

Within a few years they had become a fixture of Murfreesboro and nearby Nashville, and soon signed a deal with Spongebath Records, a local independent label that featured several of the biggest rock acts in the Nashville area such as Self (band), The Katies, and Fluid Ounces. Their first release, a six-song self-titled EP, was released in 1997.

Once they graduated high school, Pelham and Dabbs moved to Murfreesboro to study music at Middle Tennessee State University while Sergio and Yaw went to Tennessee Technical University in nearby Cookeville. It was here that Pelham and Dabbs brought classmate Jason Taylor on to play drums, and Sergio brought Yaw on to play keyboards. Murfreesboro was a much larger town than Sparta, and The Features began to play at various bars and clubs around town, eventually dropping out of college to focus on the band.

In 1998, the band recorded a full-length LP for Spongebath. The album was never released, although two tracks from the sessions, "Thursday" and "Rabbit March", were released on a limited 12-inch. Around this time, original members Don Sergio and Jason Taylor both left the band. Taylor was replaced by Rollum Haas.

In 1999-2000, they recorded their second full-length LP with Matt Mahaffey at his studio in Murfreesboro, which was also never released. In 2001, they released "The Beginning" EP. Their incessant touring and critical buzz led to a deal with Universal Records. Universal re-released "The Beginning" EP in 2004, and followed with their first-officially released album, Exhibit A. The band gained a lot of exposure opening for fellow Tennesseans Kings of Leon on various tours.

Currently, the band consists of Matthew Pelham, Roger Dabbs, Mark Bond, and Rollum Haas. They are unsigned and have had limited success, but have been well received by English media. They are expected to release new material soon, and are currently supporting the Kings of Leon on their U.S. tour. In 2007, they won the international Awards [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a76991/features-triumph-at-dieselumusic-awards.html] , placing first in the Rock/Indie category and in the Public Vote award.

Discography

*"The Features" EP, Spongebath Records, 1997
*"The Beginning EP", Universal Records, 2004
*"Exhibit A" LP, Universal Records, 2004
*"Contrast" EP, Self-Released, 2006
*"Some Kind Of Salvation" LP, Self-Released, 2008

ingles

External links

* [http://www.thefeatures.com The Features Official Site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/thefeatures The Features on MySpace]
* [http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=THE|FEATURES&sql=11:abfyxq9gldfe~T1 The Features on AllMusicGuide]
* [http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/features/artist.jhtml The Features on MTV]
* [http://media.www.mtsusidelines.com/media/storage/paper202/news/2002/11/21/Flash/The-Features-330128.shtml "The Features: ...Their Beginning", MTSU Sideline]
* [http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Cover_Story/2006/09/07/Back_to_the_Drawing_Board/index.shtml Back To "The Drawing Board", Nashville Scene]
* [http://media.www.easttennessean.com/media/storage/paper203/news/2002/10/21/Lifestyle/Reader.Please.Introduce.Yourself.To.The.Features.The.Next.Big.Thing-302471.shtml "Reader, Please Introduce Yourself to the Next Big Thing", East Tennessean]