Secret Handshake 'One Full Year' album

It may be set to a drum machine and singing synthesizer, but lyrics quoted above sum up the music of The Secret Handshake better than biography ever could. Originally formed in Dallas, Texas, in 2004 by Luis Dubuc, the project that started as a side-project has become an underground phenomenon, culminating with The Secret Handshake’s recent signing to Triple Crown Records and the sold-out shows that he’s been playing with just a few self-released recordings to his name.

Initially a metal drummer, Dubuc quickly felt limited playing aggressive music and after witnessing a life-changing Mouse On Mars show, he bought a laptop and began experimenting with electronic sounds. “It was really liberating,” Dubuc explains,” suddenly there was a new way for me to create music without a stereotypical band.” However, he didn’t realize how successful these bedroom anthems would be until he took his show on the road. “I did a month-long DIY tour playing in every basement and garage in the world and it was awesome,” Dubuc says about TSH’s early days. “I’d toured before, but never in that personal way.”

One of the people who instantly latched onto TSH’s sound was Triple Crown owner Fred Feldman, who flew out to see the Secret Handshake after hearing a demo of the band’s breakout single, “Coastal Cities.” It’s not difficult to understand why; featuring an instantly recognizable piano melody, electronic flourishes and an infectious chorus that soars above the coastal skyline, the only hard part is understanding how the song can be contained in a code of 1’s and 0’s. However, despite instantly accessible tracks like that, Dubuc is quick to point that The Secret Handshake has many sides to it.

The Secret Handshake will first release Summer Of ’98 EP on March 6th and then follow with the debut full length, One Full Year this summer. Recorded by up-and-coming production team of Cory Kildruff and James Welsh (otherwise known as Ocelot), the 14 songs on The Secret Handshake’s debut (plus the three non-remix tracks on the EP; “Summer Of ’98”, “Too Young,” and “Don’t Call”) are as varied as Dubuc’s myriad influences. Although …And You Know Us By The Trail Of Dead’s bassist Neil Busch lends his skills to a few tracks, ultimately it’s Dubuc’s seemingly disparate influences recontextualized into one cohesive collection. “I want this record to surprise and shock a lot of people, you know?” Dubuc explains. And whether it’s the shredding guitar solo on “Gamegirl” or glitchy “Too Young,” there’s at least moment that will catch each listener off guard on the disc.

Duboc plans on packing up the SUV and touring for most of 2007 on every type of bill from emo to hip-hop. Oh, and don’t be surprised if you hear a new song or two live. “I’ve already demoed four songs for the new album which will come out in, like, 2009,” the prolific songwriter explains. “Funny enough, it sounds completely different than anything else that’s coming out.”

“I wrote some songs cause I love her/And played some shows in the suburbs/It was the middle of summer in Texas.” -Taken from “Summer Of Love”

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Secret Handshake - One Full Year