matchbox twenty: "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE" Album Hits Stores Today; "Disease" Single Explodes; Slate of TV & Online Appearances On Tap for Release Week

Business Wire, Nov 19, 2002

Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 2002

With their latest single, "Disease," tearing up the airwaves, Melisma/Atlantic recording group matchbox twenty hits the stores today (November 19th) with the release of their highly anticipated third album, "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE."

matchbox twenty's most accomplished and vital work to date, "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE" represents a remarkably realized expression of the band's musical potency and power. Alongside a slate of extraordinary new songs penned by multiple Grammy Award-winning lead vocalist Rob Thomas, the set also features writing contributions from bandmates Paul Doucette and Kyle Cook.

Produced by matchbox twenty's longtime studio collaborator Matt Serletic (who also co-wrote a pair of songs on the album), "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE" was recorded at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York and at The Hit Factory in New York City. Along with Serletic, the band was ably assisted behind the board by engineer Greg Collins (System of a Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and mixer Jim Scott (Wilco, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers). With "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE," matchbox twenty has crafted a richly satisfying collection of heartfelt and passionate rock `n' roll.

"Disease," the first single from "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE," is quickly shaping up to be another massive multi-format success for matchbox twenty. The song - which was the #1 Most-Added track at multiple radio formats in its first week out - has already hit the top five at the Triple A/Modern Adult, cracked the top ten at Top 40 Adult, and is now ranked at #23 with-a-bullet at CHR/Pop outlets nationwide. "Disease" has drawn acclaim from such publications as Billboard, who declared that the track "goes a lot further than the majority of today's radio fodder, with a creative, unpredictable melody, a thoughtful lyric about shedding an addictive romance, and Thomas' most passionate, unleashed vocal to date - truly." The review - published in the magazine's October 12th issue - goes on to rave that, "Across the board, Matchbox is ready to catch fire."

matchbox twenty is lined up for a slate of major TV appearances coinciding with the release of "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE." The band appeared on CBS-TV's Late Show With David Letterman on November 18th, the eve of the album's release. That performance will be followed by matchbox twenty's first-ever appearances on NBC-TV's Late Night With Conan O'Brien (November 22nd) and Last Call With Carson Daly (November 29th).

The band is VH1's "Artist of the Month" for November - a month-long celebration which includes the debut broadcast of matchbox twenty's eagerly awaited Behind The Music. The "Artist of the Month" promotion will also include multiple airings of matchbox twenty's acclaimed installment of Storytellers, as well as the world premiere of the "Disease" companion video clip - directed by Phil Harder, who also directed the award-winning video for the band's "Mad Season."

VH1 is also sponsoring a special "I'm With The Band" Flyaway Sweepstakes, with winners receiving a trip to see matchbox twenty in concert, as well as the opportunity to meet the band during rehearsals for the show. Fans can enter the contest at VH1.com, which is supporting Behind The Music with an extensive online companion feature, including an interview with Rob Thomas, a full album listening party for "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE," and a special Q&A session with the band.

The extensive program of online activity continues with a major offering by LAUNCH, the music destination on Yahoo!, which has named matchbox twenty their "Artist of the Month" for December. When fans go to LAUNCH (http://launch.yahoo.com), they will get features including an exclusive mini-concert taped before a live audience, with debut performances of songs from "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE." LAUNCH will also highlight a career-spanning video showcase comprising all of matchbox twenty's clips to date. Other components include a band interview, a full album listening party, a special contest, and much more.

AOL Music is heralding the release of "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE" with a number of promotions, including a taping of the popular Sessions@AOL series. Last month, AOL Music's First Listen unveiled a special audio piece which included Rob Thomas's original solo acoustic guitar demo version of "Disease," matchbox twenty's first band rehearsal of the song, and the final album cut, with the vocalist/songwriter's exclusive commentary running throughout the package. On November 8th, AOL presented the song "Could I Be You," in another First Listen album preview, which was followed by the November 15th online premiere of the "Disease" music video.

In addition, coming weeks will see matchbox twenty featured on a number of leading music destination sites, including: WindowsMedia.com, MSN Music, MusicMatch, MP3.com, RollingStone.com, ArtistsDirect.com, Katrillion.com, and RealOne.com.

Each copy of the "MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE" CD contains a collectible matchbox twenty DownloadCard with a unique PIN (Personal Identification Numbers). The card and PIN allows CD buyers access to a assortment of exclusive features, including documentary footage, new music, concert ticket pre-sales, and more.