The Kirkland band — which bases their songs on Xbox favorites such as Call of Duty and Halo 3 – has carved a niche for itself as the No. 2 most downloaded band on MySpace.

“We think we’ve really struck a vein with our songwriting,” said lead singer Phil Fischer on a recent afternoon in the basement of his Kirkland home, which he refers to as the “Xbox cave.”

He points to an award on the wall that recognizes The Ex Box Boys as a MySpace Top Ten Artist, with over two million downloads of the band’s songs “Master Chief” and “Cortana.”

“At 2 a.m. the ticker started and we’re already at 12,835 plays today,” Fischer says as he pulls up the band’s MySpace page on his computer.The self-proclaimed geeks and Xbox gurus met while playing Halo 3 online last year. They discovered they were all musicians by trade and started meeting up.

“Then we just started working the magic,” Fischer said of the band, including members P-Box, Beat Box, B-Box and D-Box: Fischer as the oldest member at 37, drummer Joseph Childres, 32; lead guitarist Bryan Barrows, 22 and bass player David Sproul, 24.

Singing in modern Beatles’ harmony, they came up with their first song, “Xbox Live” and then the band tracked “Gears of War.”

“Then I came up with this idea that since gaming has now become the number one entertainment medium in the world – it’s even bigger than sports – it would be really cool if we could get Microsoft to support us.”

In an effort to get Microsoft to endorse them, the band donned Microsoft green and white face paint and clothing, produced a couple videos and started up a MySpace page.

Self-described geeks, Kirkland band The Ex Box Boys compose songs based on their favorite XBox games and have created a stir in video gaming circles as the No. 2 most downloaded band on MySpace. From left: Bass player David Sproul, 24, drummer Joseph Childres, 32; guitarist and vocalist Phil Fischer, 37 and lead guitarist, Bryan Barrows, 22

Fischer also invested $25,000 and the band began tracking songs at Robert Lang Recording Studios in Shoreline, including “Master Chief” and “Call of Duty.”

With nearly 1500 MySpace downloads a day, the band garnered attention in gaming circles and beyond. But the popularity didn’t stick with Microsoft Corp.

“Everybody was talking about us at Microsoft – what are they going to do about us, how are they going to work this,” Fischer recalled, adding that the band’s attorney met with Microsoft officials in Manhattan several months ago. “Microsoft basically said they didn’t have the money to monitor us … It was a real kick in the teeth.”

After The Ex Box Boys released their love song “Cortana,” about a beautiful hologram image in the game Master Chief, they shot up to No. 2 on MySpace in June. That’s when they dropped the face paint. And since Microsoft had “divorced” them, they called themselves the “Ex” Box Boys.

Fischer explained the band is based on “The Prophecy of the Orb” legend, an idea that came to him in a dream, wherein a coveted orb was buried in the Redmond Woods at the edge of the protected Microsoft campus in Redmond.

The band’s songs range from their No. 1 downloaded song, “Braid,” about a man marching through 17th century England to save the princess, to their hit based on the Xbox game Grand Theft Auto.

“It’s about a guy who comes over from Bulgaria,” Fischer explains. “His brother says, ‘Oh, I live in a mansion in New York, come over and party.’ But the guy finds out his brother lives in a one-bedroom apartment, so we call the song, ‘Welcome to America.’”

Though the band generated some revenue after they sold their song “Master Chief” online, days later the song was on pirated music Web sites where people could access it free of charge.

“So that’s the thing and the labels know that,” Fischer said, noting that the band won’t sell out and sign with a record label. He explained that record labels are owned by corporations, which are owned by “brother-in-laws” that own the radio stations.

Without signing a contract for a record label, there’s no way to get on the radio and “you’re a victim out there,” he continued.

That’s why The Ex Box Boys wanted Microsoft.

“Microsoft was the key to that,” he said. “They could have put us out there; we could have really pushed the Xbox brand, pushed the games, pushed all this stuff, but they didn’t get it at all. They didn’t understand what we were trying to go after.”

Though the gates are closed on any hope of getting Microsoft to endorse the band, The Ex Box Boys will use their own resources – and fan support – to keep going.

They just finished their first album, which will be released online this February under a record label they produced. The band will also play their first big concert at Hayley’s Bar and Grill, located at 1716 Hewitt Avenue in Everett, at 9 p.m. Jan. 9. Tickets are $10 at the door.

“We’re going to try to do one big concert a month, and we’re going to sell our music online and we’re going to try to beat the odds,” Fischer said.

Kirkland Reporter Editor Carrie Wood can be reached at editor@kirklandreporter.com or 425.822.9166 ext 5050.

View Story at: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/kir/news/36853274.html#storyComments

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) June 5, 2007 — A rock band from the east side of Seattle is pulling download numbers that record labels love to see. Their website has been up for less than three weeks and they are pulling download numbers that are mind boggling. The problem: they are not signed to any record label and they could care less if they ever do get signed.

As a matter of fact, according to the fab four’s website located at www.thexboxboys.com (http://www.thexboxboys.com) they only want one company to represent them, and that company is Microsoft.

In what can only be seen as an extreme love for Microsoft’s game console X box 360, four Seattle geeks have done what no one before them has ever done: create a unique one-of-a-kind idea to win an endorsement contract from Microsoft.

The good news? They did it without any bling. No girls wagging, no gold chains, no raunchy lyrics and not one mention of drugs or sex. They are just four regular guys doing something unique and original.

According to their website, they were brought together by a dream that led all four of them to a place near the Microsoft campus known as Redmond Woods at noon. When the four arrived, they were greeted by an old man known as “Grandfather” who pleads with them to follow their destiny and become The X Box Boys.

A comic strip located on the four’s website takes readers on a colorful journey and readers can actually become engrossed as they see grandfather digging up what looks like the Microsoft 360 ORB and holding it to the sky, directing it to find the four that will “Uphold gaming integrity and the light in the world of gaming”. With further research, one finds the “Scroll’s of Orb”, which seem to have been around since the time of Moses, and also the “Orb” itself, which each one of the X Box Boys seem to be responsible for.

With only one goal in mind and with ages ranging from 17 to 35, the X Box Boys have taken the gaming industry by storm with record download numbers coming in from as far away as India, China, Mexico and South America.

Some of the videos are being downloaded on the popular site YouTube and it is hard to tell the correct download numbers as the video is everywhere. One particular release located at YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IIKfDg63OE) has nothing but praise for the green men.

Success does not come without the naysayer crowd, however. The racy website Kotaku.com, known for its ridiculous blog entries, was quick to jump on the boys’ success and took it upon themselves to do a feature piece on the X Box Boys, exposing their actual identities before the boys ever launched the completed version of their website. Kotaku.com also felt the need to mention the fact that each one of the boys are Christians.

Regardless of the naysayer bunch at Kotaku.com, and the replies the blog is getting, the songs have nothing to do with converting people to anything other than X Box 360.

The first song the band released, “X Box Live”, is shredding it up and the band recently backed it up with another music video called “Kill Raam”. The popular video game Gears of War has a bad guy that is almost impossible to beat on the game setting insane.

A message written to Microsoft on the band’s website kindly asks for an endorsement, and according to the band’s lead singer, P-Box, they have yet to hear from Mr. Bill.

Whether the band ever gets its wish and wins an endorsement is anyone’s guess, but in the meantime, gaming fans are downloading the videos “X Box Live” and “Kill Raam” in record numbers and that can’t be harming Microsoft.

Let’s face it, free advertising is sometimes the best advertising.

Tim Solomon – Gamers Unite

View Story At: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb530609.htm

Rock music, has always been inspired by lust, or, failing that, love.  Especially in the early days of the genre– say, from Elvis’ “Fools Rush In” up through Warrant’s “Cherry Pie”.  Well, The X Box Boys are no different.  They love the XBox, and it shows in their music.  This is a band that records power pop paeans to their favorite games while wearing polychromatic fluorescent face paint.

With anthemic melodies and tight chord changes no doubt honed from hours of Guitar Hero, the X Box Boys manage to channel– through their callused but dexterous fingers–the quirky, caffeine-buzzing-teens-in-a-basement sound of Jimmy Eat World or OK Go.   And much like their influences, this Seattle band plays a quirky, not-so-self-important musical style while remaining unabashedly proud to preach the power of their vaunted game consul.  And much like Ally Sheedy’s Cap’n Crunch and Pixie Stix sandwich in “The Breakfast Club”, the Xbox Boys’ tunes are unapologetically sticky-sweet.

An emo vein of neo-power pop played out with musical enthusiasm of quicksilver thumbed gamers, the bands first two songs pave the way for an exciting new genre of fanboy fanaticism blended with aspirational redemptive themes of unadulterated joy, spiritual completion and full blast fantasy escapism. They’ve even managed to record a couple of videos in between marathon Grand Theft Auto sessions.   So, if you like high-energy, couch-jumping music– and the thought of beta-testing Halo 3 makes you come in your pants– then give the X Box Boys a listen.      Aesthetically the X Box Boys are a 21st Century gamer manifestation of the original Fab Four.  Unlike those cheeky Brits, these boys seem more interested in the celebration and the proselytization of one thing, the Xbox as a complete lifestyle experience.  The logo of the consul is a glowing lime green orb, split in a cross of radiant ivory light; the cross is central in its symbolism.  The Xbox Boys approach their music not as a distraction, but as a missionary quest, to spread the good word and good times of passionate X Box gaming to the masses.

As commercialism becomes entertainment, and Geico ads become television programs, it is with the X Box Boys an important confluence of advertisement and art, culture and consumerism.  As the band continues to build its international fan base, connecting with fellow apostles the world over, it will be interesting to witness that as these boys become huge in Japan, will Microsoft be huge with them?  Will the company responsible for spawning this uber fanboy enthusiasm be willing and able to harness what can only be described as a Microsoft PR agent’s happiest of dreams?  Excitement builds, conversions continue and the world waits to see if Microsoft baptizes the X Box Boys, or if in fact, the christening will come from the band itself.  Either way, it’s Geek Chic with an addictive beat, and we’re all sure to enjoy the ride.
www.thexboxboys.com/music.php

READ STORY AT: http://searchwarp.com/swa219832.htm

Hey P-Box, thank you for joining us for an interview today. I recently seen your videos over at GTR and I really enjoyed them.  Here at 360style.net we are all about spotlighting creativity in the community. Your band ‘The Xbox Boys’ fits right in with what we are trying to push on this site. We enjoy promoting our favorite system through various forms of entertainment.

First of all can you tell us a bit about yourself, who is P-Box?

I am a 35 year old gamer that currently lives in Seattle. I was raised in the far north and moved here about 8 years ago, but I have often times been in Seattle over the course of my life.

I like to write songs, but mostly I like to play xbox live.

So what is the mystical story behind The Xbox Boys?

Nothing to write about really. I know this will sound stupid but its all in the comic strip. We all had a dream and actually did indeed bump into one another at “redmond woods”. We all realized that we had a different ages and we were all “Geeks”. We started to rehearse together and out of that came some songs. We had $25,000 cash from an old man that believes in us. We began to think about how to spend the money and we agreed the best way was to do two music videos and write three songs total.

We are just rolling with it man. Our third song released on myspace/thexboxboys today is a song about Rainbow Six. We know of a guy that lives in Redmond who was famous in Bosnia for his guitar playing. He was a NATO soldier. We borrowed this beat up 6 string just to track the song with. This guy used to play to his soldier buddies in the field. The fret board had blood on it. It was in horrible condition but we used it for the song Rainbow Six-Vegas.

People think this is a Microsoft stunt. Its not. We are the real thing.

How are all the band members related in real life?

We never knew each other until Grandfather introduced us all. We bumped into each other in Redmond. We know it was meant to be because each one of us played an instrument.

How long did it take to produce the 2 songs and videos you guys have released?

We did it in 19 days! Flat out! When we were shooting “X Box Live” we actually leased a stage from Neumos in Capital Hill. When we were shooting the video the bar’s doors were open and about 200 people actually walked in and were jamming to the music. I think thats when we knew something was happening.

Can you give us a hint to what your next single will be?

We just released Rainbow Six-Vegas, but our next one is a song about Halo. Everyone is bugging us about Halo. Halo this and Halo that. So we all went and purchased the game and we are getting into it. Out of that will come a song.

TheXboxBoys.com is a very nice looking website, who is behind the design?

The design is done by a fan in India. He is in Bombay and loves our music and gave us the site. Its still in creation. We have to add another 4 pages to the comic still.

What is the bands long term goal?

Our goal is simple. We want to be endorsed by Microsoft. We want to do shows, sell merchandise, and just be the face of Xbox 360. We are flat broke. If you look at the finances we went through all of the money already. We are running on my CC.

Have you thought about getting into the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle to perform?

No, but we would love too.

What Xbox 360 games do you guys tend to play the most?

Right now P-Box (me) and Beat-Box are really into Gears of War. We are stuck on beating Raam on insane. I have tried it 50 times and NOTHING. I cant do it! That is why we wrote the song! B-Box is totally into Halo now. D-Box is into Rainbow six.

Which band member is the best at Gears of War?

Probably me. Only because I play it for hours and hours.

What do your wives and girlfriends think of all this?

HAHAHA. Well, thats uh….a sore subject. Ummm. P-Box and Beat-Box are married and our wives are like scratching their heads. They don’t get it. They were impressed however that we have received so many downloads! B-Box had a girlfriend who is totally jelous because of the fact that we drove the X Box HUMMER through Bell Square yesterday and about 100 chicks starting swarming into the car and she did not dig that but I’ve noticed that she has been real nice lately! D-Box is digging all of this because he is single!

Do you have any last words or shout outs?

I pray that somehow, someway, some night very soon Bill Gates will log into our site and realize that he needs us. I hope that key executives over there will see us performing shows, selling merchandise, and just being the face of what is the greatest gaming console in the universe around the world. We want this badly.

Thanks, P-Box

Thank you for doing this short interview with us. The Xbox community is already loving what you guys have done. Keep up the good work.

View Article: http://www.360style.net/news187.html