The Chain Gang of 1974 attracts a fair bit of notice at this year's CMJ

After spending the better part of the past couple years touring with 3OH!3 as a sideman, Kamtin Mohager stepped away from his hired-gun duties earlier this year, which has enabled him to focus all of his attention solely on cultivating his own band, the Chain Gang of 1974. To that...

By Dave Herrera

October 27, 2010

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After spending the better part of the past couple years touring with 3OH!3 as a sideman, Kamtin Mohager stepped away from his hired-gun duties earlier this year, which has enabled him to focus all of his attention solely on cultivating his own band, the Chain Gang of 1974.

To that end, armed with an album full of standout material, he's signed on with the Windish Agency and taken the show on the road.

Fresh off a stint at CMJ in New York last week, Chain Gang is preparing to kick off a tour with Candy Claws in New York this weekend. Mohager and company should have some decent momentum going into the tour.

The CMJ run attracted the attention of both Spinand NPR. After running a short piece on how the act got its name, the former listed Chain Gang as playing one of the best sets at CMJ, saying, "They were also the only CMJ act I saw who got a crowd dancing -- not swaying or shuffling but dancing. Well done."

NPR's Bob Boilen, meanwhile, filmed a snippet of the band's set for inclusion in his CMJ new discoveries wrap up (click through to see the clip) on his show's All Songs Considered blog. The positive notices are completely noteworthy on both counts, especially considering the staggering number of acts performing at CMJ.

MP3: Hold On (Toadally Crossed Out remix via Modern Art Records)

TOUR DATES

The Chain Gang of 1974 with Candy Claws

10/30/10 - Grasslands - Brooklyn, NY 11/01/10 - Garfield Artworks - Pittsburgh, PA 11/03/10 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL 11/04/10 - The Bishop - Bloomington, IN 11/05/10 - 400 Bar - Minneapolis, MN 11/06/10 - Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA 11/09/10 - Tin Can Alehouse - San Diego, CA 11/10/10 - Bootleg Theatre - Los Angeles, CA 11/11/10 - Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA 11/12/10 - Tonic Lounge - Reno, NV 11/13/10 - Fun Garden - Sacremento, CA 11/14/10 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR 11/16/10 - High Dive - Seattle WA 11/17/10 - Neurolux - Boise, ID 11/19/10 - hi-dive - Denver, CO

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