“What happened to good old-fashioned rock'n'roll?” – these poignant lyrics that round out SHOOTING BLANKS’ latest release also provide the backdrop for the quartet’s ideals. Bands have stopped caring about their audience. Professionalism and "business" have overshadowed entertainment. The days of the "rock star" have come and gone, and we have been left with the tattered remains of mascara-wearing, Hot Topic clad image-whores... ...enter SHOOTING BLANKS.

Formed in 2001, SHOOTING BLANKS set out to prove that professionalism and insanity can truly coexist in the rock'n'roll community. The paying audience deserves more when they come to see a live show, and SHOOTING BLANKS gives them what they deserve. The band’s catchy stuck-in-your-head anthems are infectious, and their live performances are unparalleled.

After a handful of line changes and gallons of alcohol, SHOOTING BLANKS remains one of the hardest working, highest-energy bands in the local scene. Made up of four close friends – Matt Hoffman (lead vocals/lead guitar), John Brey (rhythm guitar), Deech (bass/backing vocals), and Scotty Hero (drums) – the members of SHOOTING BLANKS have been playing live venues in various bands since the mid-1990’s.

SHOOTING BLANKS is the poster-child band for the D.I.Y. mentality. Completely independently and with virtually no outside help (including label support or financial backing), the band has put out four studio-recorded releases, produced one full-featured DVD, shot seven music videos that have gained television airplay, toured the entire country numerous times, garnished almost 40,000 MySpace community friends, and has opened for a handful of national acts including Local H, The Lawrence Arms, Taking Back Sunday, Bayside, Less Than Jake, and the legendary white boy himself…Vanilla Ice!

The group’s latest release “You’re Not Gonna Want To Hear This…” is far-and-away the group’s finest collection to-date. According to singer/guitarist Matt Hoffman, this most recent record “combines the drunken fun of [sophomore release] “Wasted Time” with the increased production value and matured songwriting of [previous release] “The Sticky Album”, and then mixes it together, shakes it up, and cranks it to eleven!”

SHOOTING BLANKS spent Fall of 2006 at Uptown Recording in Chicago piecing together 16 tracks of balls-out rock’n’roll goodness (13 of which would make the final album). Musical influences spanned the decades – from classic rock of the 70’s, to glam-rock hair bands of the 80’s, to alternative/grunge of the 90’s, to poppy and gritty post-punk of the new millennium. “Although every song has a deep personal meaning to me, I try to keep the lyrics as universally relatable as possible,” says Hoffman, who is the principle songwriter. Lyrical themes include relationships, movies, girls, television, the state of music, and even Hoffman’s dead childhood cat that had anger and depression issues.

Each band member adds their own unique flair to give SHOOTING BLANKS its distinctive sound. Scotty Hero’s creativity behind the drum kit is unparalleled. Being the driving force behind the power of the rhythm section, Scotty is never satisfied with a standard 4/4 drum beat stuffed with snare-to-tom-to-floor fills, as can be showcased in any number of tracks such as “25”, “Allen Wrench”, and “Time Flies…”. Deech doesn’t just pull the cop-out bassist move of simply following the guitarist’s chord progressions. He instead chooses to stand out on his own, which can be heard in songs like “Swallowed My Pride With Cyanide”. Any number of tracks feature guitarist John Brey moving outside of a simple rhythm guitar role and filling out the songs with subtle leads. Finally, there is an undeniable passion and believability in Hoffman’s gritty raw scowl on vocals.

In 2007, F-Bomb Records eagerly picked up the rights to SHOOTING BLANKS’ “You’re Not Gonna Want To Hear This…” with the hopes of getting it the national recognition that it deserves. Look for SHOOTING BLANKS to be taking over a world near you. For more information, visit www.shootingblanks.net or www.myspace.com/shootingblanks.

(Shooting Blanks Now Playing on F-Bomb Radio and in Media )

more bandz and info soon