"I ripped off many a catchy tune from Kevin Ridel" - Rivers Cuomo of Weezer.

Don't be fooled by the fresh sounding melodies of this southern California pop-rock band. Kevin Ridel and his band mates are serious rock and roll veterans.

AM Radio was originally formed in Los Angeles in late 2001, with the helping hand of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, after an "out of the blue" phone call to an old friend (Kevin) which posed the questions,
"Hey man, what's goin' on with your music? And what can I do to help?" Help is exactly what Mr. Cuomo did, first by managing Kevin's new band (AM Radio); creating his own record label, Blue Records, solely to put out AM Radio's self titled, independently produced debut album; and then finally taking AM Radio out on the road with Weezer for their big 2002 summer tours, in both North America and Japan.

After selling three thousand copies of their "indie" album and building serious road credibility with Weezer, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, Rooney, Ben Kweller and the Psychedelic Furs, AM Radio was signed by Elektra Records. Their second studio album, "Radioactive", produced by Howard Benson (Hoobastank, P.O.D., My Chemical Romance), captures their unique technical talents and infectious live energy. Full of hook-laden hits that have been playing on radio stations and television soundtracks, "Radioactive" is a bright, spunky blend of British new wave pop, righteous, anthem-like rock n' roll guitar riffs, and catchy, well-crafted melodies.

Citing a tremendous range of musical influences, from the Cure, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Stereolab, and Led Zeppelin all the way to Tom Wait's, it's no surprise that these musicians also have a tremendous range of musical experiences. Frontman Kevin Ridel has played in bands since age 14, and most recently created a name for himself in the LA music scene with his band Ridel High (A&M Records), and then later, Peel (Beyond Music). Guitarist Rowan Robertson, former teenage phenom for the heavy metal singer Dio in the early 90's, has also left his mark on the music world. Coincidentally, an Elektra recording artist already with his band Vast, Rowan's instructional video on "how to speed pick" (shred) can still be found at Guitar Center. AM Radio is rounded off by soulful hyper-melodic guitarist Jason Moore, solid thumper on the bass Guy Harrington and rock steady, heavy hitter Joe Higgins on the drums, former band mate with Kevin in Peel.

AM Radio's song "I Just Wanna Be loved" was featured on the Smallville soundtrack - Talon Mix, and also placed on an episode (2003). Another song "Taken for a Ride" was featured on EA Sports "John Madden Football 2003", which sold over 6 million copies and was nominated for an MTV Music Award. "Taken for a Ride" was also placed on an episode of One Tree Hill (2003); and used as the main music for the trailer from FOX feature film The Girl Next Door (2004). Another song "Pretty Stupid" was featured on the DVD for Wonderfalls (2004)

All the years spent honing their individual talents are paying off with their collective collaboration. "Radioactive" has sold more than 10,000 copies and the band is excited for the release of their new album "Reactive", which will be first released in Japan this coming Valentine's Day by Fiveman Army (FAEC Inc.).

AM Radio's motto "Keep it on the up" captures it all: the bright, surging vibe of the band's music as well as the raw enthusiasm and precise showmanship of their live performances.