What the five-man Austin-based band is all about is having a great time playing music that translates that feel-good vibe to anyone who comes into contact with it. And they do it with songs that burst with ear appeal, sharp musicianship and onstage showmanship that is undeniable. That’s their musical credo for 2011 and the years to come.

From the energizing drive of tracks such as “One Night,” “I Don’t Give a Damn” and “Summer of Dreams” that brim with spirit to the slow, mesmeric seductiveness of “Give into Desire,” for which Jameson recently won in the rock category of The Great American Songwriting Contest 2011, DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD? supplies a myriad of moods iced with pop savvy: the punch of opener “Train Tracks,” the sparse acoustic ending grace note of subdued resignation that is “Better Off Alone,” the piquant classicist rumination of “Irony in Life,” the crunchy kick of “Charlotte (Don’t Be A Bitch)” and “Going Crazy,” the swirling build of “Easy Living,” the lilt of “Will She Love Me,” and the widescreen dynamics of “Last Train Home.”

Within them all are Jameson’s melodies that embed themselves into the imagination. His versatile and emotive singing makes a wealth of sentiments and stories come alive in song. The end result for listeners is a very good feeling indeed.

The disc hit the CMJ charts and launched the group on a cross-country tour that hit prestige venues like New York City’s Webster Hall and LA’s The Viper Room and Whiskey A-Go-Go, which landed Tucker Jameson and The Hot Mugs on the 2010 Sunset Strip Music Festival. At the same time, Jameson won finalist honors in the USA Songwriting Competition with “Train Tracks,” and his songs have been featured in the TV shows “Hawthorne” and “The Beast” and will soon be heard in the movie “Never Back Down 2.”

The album draws inspiration from Jameson’s musical favorites — starting with The Beatles and Rolling Stones through such varied acts as Tom Petty, The Cars and U2 to bands such as The Killers and Strokes today — to create a sound distinctively his own yet with a friendly familiarity that’s hard to resist.

Born in Manhattan and reared in Connecticut, he sketched and painted as a youngster and was exposed to the greatest works of art as his family visited many of the world’s major museums. But it was his mother’s extensive music collection that ultimately fired his imagination and creative impulses.

From the moment Jameson first picked up a guitar at age 13, the drive to create music captured his soul. “As soon as I learned chords, I just strung them together and started writing songs,” he says. “It was always the aspect of music I was attracted to.” At 15, he began performing at some local establishments. “I decided that performing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” he says.

He enrolled at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he joined forces with lead guitarist Blake Powell. Jameson cut the album over a Christmas break with the crack rhythm section of drummer Shawn Pelton (from the “Saturday Night Live” band) and bass player Derek Frank (who has worked with Aly & AJ and Christina Aguilera) providing top-flight rhythmic support. After, Powell recruited keyboardist/guitarist David Sollee, an old band-mate from their high school days who suggested Austin as a home base for touring. Chris Copeland, a born and raised Austonian, was recruited to play drums to complete the lineup.

In it for the long haul, Jameson says, “What we’re going for is music that is timeless. I want to put out good songs and good art.” Adds Sollee, “We’re serious about our craft. Everyone’s made big sacrifices to do this.”

“There’s nothing else I want to be doing,” Jameson asserts. “There’s nothing else I think I could do that would make me happy.” And by doing what makes them happy, Tucker Jameson & The Hot Mugs are ready to delight anyone and everyone who gives them a listen.

For further information, contact:
Media Contact: Jill McGuckin, 512.217.9404; jill@mcguckinpr.com
Tucker Jameson at TJandTheHotMugs@aol.com
Dolores Spitzer at dsimaginings@aol.com