Cyber Press Kit

John Marlow - Drums
Hailing from the NASCAR capitol Concord, NC, John also plays with the punk band DRAT. An avowed hotrodder, John's rides include a '55 Chevy project car and a kick-ass 2003 Mustang Cobra. An embalmer by trade, John relaxes by consistently dominating the pool table.

"Romp to Hypertonics' rockabilly beat -- The music is a rowdy, rousing, fun-filled hybrid of rock and roll, hillbilly and R&B. Let's live it up this holiday weekend. Get "a whole lotta shaking going on" and "slide, Clyde," right on over to Tropical Escape Café for a rockabilly romp with Jem Crossland and The Hypertonics. This three-piece gang of roots rockers includes Crossland on vocals/guitar, John Marlow on drums and Chipps Baker on saxophone/bass.
The members have quickly hopped and bopped into their status as area favorites. The band describes its sound as "popabilly" and there's no denying the streak of upbeat vibes. In fact, the band's recent CD is titled "Sax, Drums and Rock and Roll," a jukin', jivin' testament to that party rock perspective. Song titles like "Pretty Bad Boogie," "Loverdoll" and "Jazzabilly" reveal more of the tale. Looser than Buddy Holly with a twist of Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Hypertonics are a tutti-frutti "be bop a lula" bunch of cool cats mixing some old-school twang with an early rock "thang." Keep the big beat alive and make the scene Saturday night at Tropical Escape Café in Rock Hill. - Debbie Jett Jennings (The Rock Hill Herald)

"Listening to Jem Crossland sing, it's easy to mistake his baritone croon for that of a North Carolina native, especially in the context the Hypertonics' twang. But the singer relocated to Charlotte from the U.K. Since their inception, the trio has won praise for a sound that draws on equal parts three-chord rockabilly and jazz, a mixture that can be attributed to bassist Chipps Baker -- a member of the swinging Belmont Playboys -- doubling on tenor sax when he's not holding down the bottom. - Mike Shanley (Pittsburgh Pulp)

"Jem Crossland & The Hypertonics -- Crossland wasn't born on American soil, but he does a fine job of synthesizing this country's early music history: namely, folks like Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Bill Haley. While Haley had "His Comets," Crossland boasts the capable Hypertonics, comprised of John Marlow on drums and Charlotte music vet Chipps Baker on saxophone and bass. Indeed, Crossland is able to look at this country's roots music as only an outside eye can: clearly, affectionately, and with an uncanny purity that comes from always having been exposed to the good stuff. Puckett's Farm Equipment - Tim Davis (Creative Loafing Charlotte)

"This rockabilly outfit has forsaken pop to return to its roots, burning it up without ever wasting a note -- Saturday, Puckett's (The Charlotte Observer)"

Jem Crossland - Guitar & Vocals
Jem, although a recent immigrant from the United Kingdom, has plunged headfirst into the Southern American experience. Jem enjoys vintage cars, motoring on his Harley and NASCAR racing. Jem lives in Mount Holly, NC with his wife Lauren.

Chipps Baker - Upright & Electric Bass, Tenor Saxophone
Chipps has been a fixture on the Charlotte music scene for over twenty years and is also a member of the Belmont Playboys. Living in rural Lucia, NC he enjoys motorcycling with his wife Sherry.