Chicago's Martino Conspiracy Kicks Off CD Release With Concert at Otto's March 31st

'Hope in Isolation' already impacting radio nationwide

( EMAILWIRE.COM, February 23, 2007 ) Chicago, IL - Chicago's Martino Conspiracy is set to celebrate a soft release of their Gladius/Aspirion Records CD "Hope in Isolation" with a concert at the famous Otto's Nightclub, 118 East Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115 on Saturday, March 31st. Doors: 8PM, Showtime: 9PM (21 and up) Admission: $3. Opening band TBA

Already garnering commercial and non-commercial airplay around the country, The Martino Conspiracy is poised for success with a tour currently being planned. The official CD release date is May 15, 2007.

“Displaying a truly unique style and approach, Tony Martino doesn't ‘sound like’ anyone...that's what I like about him.” - Wildman Steve, Director of Music Programming, WQNR Auburn, AL

"Martino layers his melodies to create gorgeous candy pop-scapes, and he sings them with a soft fluid voice that’s a surprising combination of Brian Wilson and John Mayer." - Performing Songwriter Magazine

The Martino Conspiracy is the alternative-pop/rock project of 23-year-old Tony Martino. A lifelong resident of the Chicago area, he says that ten years ago it was while listening to the Beach Boys song "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" that he suddenly felt the need to start playing an instrument and writing his own music, and cites Brian Wilson as being his biggest musical influence. Fast forward to 2006, and Martino claims that he is on a personal mission to make a major impact on the modern music scene.

Even at his young age, Martino has already had a taste of success when he released (under his own name, Tony Martino) his first independent LP (through Koch/Compendia Records) in 2004 to AAA commercial radio stations in the United States. With hardly any real promotion or touring behind it, the album was picked up by over 75 stations nationally and had two different singles from the album top the charts as the most requested and played song on a number of different stations on the format (coming in ahead of many currently well known major label artists). He would go on to be named AAA radio's Artist of the Month the second week of May, 2004. In addition to the radio success, Martino also beat the odds by either winning or placing as a finalist (out of thousands and thousands of submissions) in many songwriting contests including the winner of the VH1 Song Of The Year contest for the month of August, 2004 (Instrumental), the 2005 Billboard Songwriting Contest, (rock) as well as the 2005 International Songwriting Contest (Adult Contemporary). He was invited as a show guest on numerous radio stations nationally, as well as receiving numerous feature articles and write-ups from radio program directors and mass media publications like The New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, The Daily Herald in Chicago, Performing Songwriter Magazine, and Amplifier Magazine.

In mid-2005, Tony Martino's music caught the ear of a high profile entertainment attorney in Los Angeles, and ultimately landed Martino back in the studio to record a follow up record titled "Hope In Isolation" with internationally renown record producer and former Psychedelic Fur's keyboardist Ed Buller (Suede, Blur, Crystal Method, Ben Lee, Pulp, Tatu, etc.), based out of London. A good portion of the record was produced and recorded by Buller and Martino in a number of different studios out in Los Angeles, and the other half of the record was produced by Martino in various studios around Chicago. Other notable guest appearances on the record include members from platinum selling groups like the Verve Pipe and Stabbing Westward. Without having even been released yet, the album has already been receiving some significant advanced press, including an article written last summer by Adam Schlesinger (academy award nominee and bassist for the bands Fountains Of Wayne and Ivy) in the New York Times, in which he cites that the album and Tony Martino "have incredible potential," after hearing demos of it while it was half way through the recording process. The album is set to release nationally (on Martino's own Gladius Records) May 15th in conjunction with a national tour, as well as the first single going to multiple radio formats across the United States. According to Martino, it is a very personal album.

Another big change occurred early in early 2006 when Tony Martino decided that rather than just be another solo artist using their full name, to add permanent members to his live show, and therefore renamed the band "The Martino Conspiracy." Added to the mix were well established Chicago musicians (both studio and live) bassist Steve Smith, lead guitarist Svilen Mikov, keyboardist Nick Wygonick, and drummer Tim Lydon.

Tony Martino explains: "I don't have any hidden interests in real life conspiracies, or anything of the sort other than working well next to my last name, the idea behind naming the group "The Martino Conspiracy" is that I have a natural tendency to write very different types of songs. Some you'd probably call pop songs, others you may even call harder rock songs. I have so many different influences and goals with music, that I thought I would be extremely limiting myself if I decided to pick just one sound and write every song in that style. I wanted it to be as if when you turned on one of my records, you could honestly think you were listening to entirely different bands, but still find that thread of identity throughout each different song that linked back to me as the songwriter. While I definitely implement different influences throughout the album, I want each song to be as memorable and inspiring as the last. I'm not sure that qualifies as being a real conspiracy, but it made sense at the time I thought of it, which was 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning."

Music critics and press have often described Tony Martino as having a very intriguing charisma, as well as a certain originality in the manner in which he carries himself on and off the stage. After being holed up in many different studios the past eighteen months, Tony is really looking forward to getting on the road with his band in support of the record in 2007. After all, expectations are very high for this new album. The foundation has already been laid down with the release of his previous record, and now Martino wants this to be the record that puts him over the top. There's very good reason to believe that is exactly what's going to happen.

To request photos, presskits, press passes or to schedule interviews, please contact Sandy Serge, Serge Entertainment PR, phone 678-445-0006, Email: SergeEnt@aol.com. For more information about The Martino Conspiracy, please visit their web sites at http://www.martinoconspiracy.com or http://www.myspace.com/martinoconspiracy. For directions to Otto's, please visit http://www.ottosdekalb.com or call 815-758-2715.

Jpegs available upon request

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