Plain Jane Automobile shoots for the big time: A local band gets a rare break: airplay on 105.9 FM.
By Jim Abbot - Published April 7, 2006 (Orlando Sentinel)
It has been a long time since Seven Mary Three's major-label ascension sparked a eady period of (often unrealistic) champagne dreams for Orlando bands. The business and the town have both changed in the decade or so since Cumbersome", but there's at least the possibility that another local act might catch a break like 7M3 did -- because of support from Orlando radio. A song by Plain Jane Automobile has been added to the rotation at O-Rock 105.9 FM (WOCL), a feat that is pretty much a rarity in the days of uniform playlists and radio consolidation.
"Close My Eyes", the lead track on PJA's new EP, is a good representation of the band's Radiohead-meets-every-other-Brit-band-you've-ever-heard-of approach, and the band's manager Michael McRaney is hoping that radio exposure might put the song in front of significant ears.
"We're hoping that radio will blow this thing wide open," says McRaney, co-owner of the Social and promotion company Foundation Presents. PJA's EP is also under the Foundation umbrella. "Typically, you don't get radio play at a ajor radio station."
O-Rock made the move following Plain Jane's strong performance at the station's private Morningwood concert at the Social, where the Orlando band's opening set drew an enthusiastic crowd and showed more depth than the headliner.
Music Industry News Network
Wednesday, August 24th, 2005 - Plain Jane Automobile was one of six finalists competing before a panel of ten judges that included representatives from Deja 34, Universal/Motown, So So Def Recordings, ASCAP, BMI, Star 94 and Artist Factory. Over 800 unsigned bands and independent artists submitted entries for
the Southeast region of the IMWS.
Atlanta, Ga., August 19th, Plain Jane Automobile, a pop-rock group from Orlando, won the Disc Makers independent Music World Series (IMWS) Southeast showcase held last night at the Velvet Underground in Atlanta. As the grand prize winner, Plain Jane Automobile takes home over $35,000 in prizes, including recording gear, instruments, CD manufacturing services and more.
Orlando Sentinel - City Beat
By Bao Le-Huu, May 14, 2004 - It began last Thursday at House of Blues where Welsh rockers Stereophonics were performing with support from homegrown talent Plain Jane Automobile. It had been quite some time since I had seen Plain Jane Automobile play and only had a vague impression of mediocrity in my memory. Well, something dramatic happened during that gap of time. The band that I recalled as being largely indistinct apparently found its identity. With large Brit-influenced melodies, their sound demonstrated a newfound stride and greater artistic definition than I've ever seen in them before. Though this aesthetic isn't exactly bakery-fresh, they showed enough quality in their craft during this performance to suggest that this car may just now be revving up.
Connections Magazine CD Review
By Sara Wilsey, June 2003 - With a power pop/punk sound, the three tracks on Plain Jane Automobile pack a lot of energy and emotion into a relatively small space. In this solid effort, the band says more with just three songs than many releases two or three times the size. We don't know if this little gem of a disc is just a demo or if PJA could only afford to record three songs, but whatever the case, the record is a teaser and definitely leaves the listener wanting to hear more. In our opinion, PJA is one of the best local acts of the genre.
