Savage Republic leader Jackson Del Rey releases first new music in 15 years

For immediate release
June 29, 2005

Savage Republic leader Jackson Del Rey releases first new music in 15 years

In the 1980s, Jackson Del Rey was lead guitarist and chief songwriter of influential Los Angeles post-punk bands Savage Republic and 17 Pygmies. Now, Jackson Del Rey has returned to the studio and live performance as leader of Del Rey & The Sun Kings, as well as performing with the reunited Savage Republic (aka Final Republic) at last weekend's Destroy Festival in San Francisco.

Del Rey & The Sun Kings have just completed work on their first full-length record, "I Am The Light." The album is available in traditional CD format, and as part of a special edition of 100 handmade, interactive assemblages.

Jackson Del Rey has personally constructed the special edition CDs. Each one comes in a patterned cloth bag which contains a CD sleeve made of Chinese funerary papers plus a selection of ritual objects (which may include scented seeds and herbs, a custom-printed scroll, straw, Chinese coins, tiny bangles, candles and beads). Every copy is signed with Jackson Del Rey's chop. These collections of powerful items are meant to be assembled into a personal shrine to enhance the experience of the powerful new music that follows in the tradition of Savage Republic and 17 Pygmies.

On "I Am The Light," Del Rey & The Sun Kings draw on David Bowie’s "Low," Nine Inch Nail's "The Downward Spiral," Nico's "Marble Index," Lionel Hampton, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Javanese Court Gamelan, Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain," Wu Tang Clan, Herb Alpert & the TJ Brass, Dennis Wilson’s "Pacific Ocean Blue," Middle Eastern pop star Warda, vintage surf music (Revels, Lively Ones, Impacts, Sentinals), and soundtracks including Tangerine Dream's "Sorcerer," Nino Rota's "Roma" and "Norferatu" by Popol Vuh to create a uniquely hypnotic and otherworldly sound.

Jackson Del Rey says of this record, "It contains my first recordings in over 15 years. Each item has a unique meaning, all of a mystical nature. The set is to be used to try to attain spiritual ecstasy through the use of music (not unlike the whirling dervishes of Sufism)."

"I Am The Light" is available exclusively from Jackson Del Rey at:
http://www.scrammagazine.com/delrey.html

Visit Del Rey & The Sun Kings on myspace to sample MP3s:
http://www.myspace.com/thesunkings


For more info on Savage Republic, visit http://mobilization.com/artists/savage.html

For photo, interview or review requests, contact Kim at Explosive PR, explosivepr@gmail.com, 323-223-2767

By the time you finish this sentence, another Yelp review will be born

For immediate release
June 23, 2005

By the time you finish this sentence, another Yelp review will be born.

Launched in January, and already boasting more than 12,000 members and 25,000 reviews, San Francisco-based Yelp (www.yelp.com) is a free personal recommendation site built around a strong community of reviewers and social connectors who love to write about the best--and worst--places and services in their city and beyond.

Completely member-driven, with no editorial or advertiser politics inhibiting the writers, Yelp boasts honest, up-to-date appraisals of restaurants and bars, mechanics and dentists, and everything in between. There's no pulling punches on Yelp, no unnecessary pleasantries, just the unmitigated delightful truth that is lacking in most other review sites and city guides.

Yelp member Mimi Ting says, "I've used magazines and other websites in the past, and more often than not their reviews are months, if not years old. Come on! The San Francisco scene changes so rapidly, and Yelp is great because the people who write reviews are on top of the curve, oftentimes ahead of it."

Users enjoy following favorite writers, to share in their latest discoveries and chime in with their own opinions. "Top Yelpers" is a sidebar feature where the most popular, active contributors get their moment in the spotlight. The "Best of Yelp" highlights the top-rated restaurants, bars, salons, etc. in real time, literally changing by the minute as reviews are posted. What's more, Yelp members can ask the community for recommendations on the highly active "Talk Boards," receiving witty and relevant responses in moments.

On the business end, a positive Yelp review can have instantaneous effects. Jared Rivera, President of Rivera PR, a San Francisco restaurant marketing firm, notes, "There's an immediate quantifiable growth in our clients' business when people start writing reviews on Yelp. Whether it's a new restaurant, a chef change, or just finding out about the current vibe, Yelp seems to be right on the pulse."

With a slew of simple, fun and useful features, and a constantly expanding "Yelpbase" database of real user experiences, Yelp is leaving old fashioned review sites and guidebooks in the dust.

Social maven Martina Sola adds, "Yelp lets me figure out what's hot and what's not in a matter of minutes. Member profiles are a cool yet efficient way to determine if a reviewer's interests match mine, and thus whether I should trust their opinions. Restaurants, lounges, and other small business entrepreneurs should pay close attention to this site - the most creative PR simply can't beat Yelp's word-of-mouth."

Currently, the San Francisco Bay Area is Yelp's main focus, but as users join in other cities, the site expands to welcome them. Yelp was recently featured as a Daily Candy pick and as one of 7x7 magazine's "7 City Essentials."

About Yelp
Yelp is a personal recommendation site that allows its members to find, review and talk about what's great -- and not so great -- in their neighborhood and beyond. The company was founded by Russel Simmons and Jeremy Stoppelman, with backing from PayPal co-founder Max Levchin. Yelp is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit www.yelp.com.

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Press Contact
Nish Nadaraja
415.305.8482
press@yelp.com