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Hoax Hunters

Rank #31 Henrico, VA Rock / Indie / Alternative

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About

Members: PJ Sykes (A New Dawn Fades / Angels VS Aliens) + Tim Falen (Diamond Center / Hot Dolphin) + James O'Neill (Flechette / Memorial)

Sounds Like: Foo Fighters, Superchunk, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Fugazi, Cloud Nothings

Label: Cherub Records, Cherub Records

Bio: We're a band from Richmond, VA

PJ Sykes - guitar/vocals/bass (ex- A New Dawn Fades)
Tim Falen - bass/drums (Diamond Center / Hot Dolphin)

More Info

Status

Our new single "Orbit" is out now!

Press

“Hoax Hunters are loud, no question about it, but they're also exciting to watch because all three of them are having such a good time. Their songs are fast and hard, not long, and neither was their set so just as everyone's ears were adjusting to the volume, PJ introduced their last song.”

— Karen Newton, i could go on and on

“As I made my way in, the group had about two or three songs left. I only caught the tail end of a new song, but it didn’t seem like a big deal to miss out on new material with the reduced line-up. What I did get to catch was an inspired cover of The Blue Rajas’ “Papyrus” in celebration of International Women’s Day. As you should know, the song is a favorite of mine, and it goes to show that its legacy is quickly growing throughout the music community. A fallen microphone stand couldn’t detour Hoax Hunters as they closed out their set with their theme tune. It’s good to see Hoax Hunters shaping into a group that is not only actively setting their sights on future goals, but landing on impressive bills like this and their appearance at JEFF The Brotherhood last month.”

— Shannon Cleary, RVAmag

“PJ Sykes is a man of many talents. He recently had his photography displayed in a collaborative effort with DC outfit Beauty Pill. The result of the Immersive Ideal exhibit in Arlington, Virginia, was seen as a rousing success for not only Sykes, but for the band as well. Outside of his regular jaunts in photography, an exploration into the back catalog of his label, Cherub Records, has encouraged him to begin releasing music once more. The most recent effort was a live recording of Richmond’s Baby Help Me Forget released on CD and cassette to commemorate the group’s last show. Besides being an avid music enthusiast through his label and a dedicated photographic archivist, the one creative outlet that may come as a shock to a few is as a musician. With it being several years since his work in A New Dawn Fades, Sykes has spent the greater part of two years working on Hoax Hunters.”

— Shannon Cleary, Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie

“Hoax Hunters started the evening off with a crushing set that left the slowly growing crowd craving more. The excitement started from the get-go as PJ Sykes raced between frantic vocals and rampant guitar licks. In what has been a constantly evolving rhythm section, Sykes has truly found a great backing band in Noell Alexander and Tim Falen. While Alexander and Sykes play off of one another as chaotic foils, Falen discovers a way to offer stability. In the role of bassist, he showed incredible promise with impressive fills on an instrument that's unfamiliar for him considering his full-time gig as the drummer of the one and only Diamond Center. In early incarnations, the band was still full of chaos. This time around, the results felt more contained and realized. Hoax Hunters closed with their namesake song while Sykes flung himself and his guitar across the stage of Strange Matter to thunderous applause. It’s only a matter of time before they become a favorite band to many.”

— Shannon Cleary, RVAmag

“Hoax Hunters... Fuckin great”

— Matt Klimas (The Snowy Owls), @nearcticfauna

“Oh my, Hoax Hunters have a lot of folks talking from the Chippenham Parkway to Providence Park about their grungy alternative blow-off- your-lips Meadowlark Lemon sound. You better check this show out.”

— John Lewis Morgan , Richmond.com

“Hoax Hunters will by all means bring its high-intensity grungy alternative rock. Guitar, drums and bass are the baby dolls in this band’s arsenal. Their songs bring ice cycles in this otherwise hotbox of a summer. Be sure to scream at these three lads like they are departing on an airplane at Byrd Airport. They are that worthy. Hoax Hunters on the Cherub Records label is a beautiful sound time out. Catchy songs and catchy rifts; see and hear for yourself during this live contortion act.”

— John Lewis Morgan, Richmond.com

“I couldn’t make [their] inaugural show, but this past Friday (YES, the same night as the Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings show — Mrs. You Hear That?!? is a trooper!), which was just a few days after the name change was made Twitter-official but before any of their music had made its way online, the Richmond-based band performed their second show at Strange Matter. It was such a gift to walk into the venue completely free of preconceptions, filled with the excitement of knowing I was about to hear music that, at the time, wasn’t within Google’s beneficently creepy purview. Hoax Hunters rewarded me with six explosive and exhilarating rock songs that resonated right away, leaving an uncommonly gripping first impression. Three of the tunes from Friday’s show have been posted on the band’s ReverbNation page, including my favorite of the night, “Mantooth.” The track highlights how well-crafted their songs are, mixing power and subtlety in a way that shows real care and creativi”

— You Hear That?!?, You Hear That?!?

“RVA’s newest band the Hoax Hunters has hit the music scene by storm. They’ve only played a few shows so far, but their energetic brand of power pop has been stuck in my head recently. They started off as the Blood Vowels, but quickly changed their name to something a little more catchy. They are made up of former members [of] A New Dawn Fades, Times Ten, Harsh Realm, Dark Horse and the Carousels. Music photographer PJ Sykes steps out from behind the camera and picks up a guitar and becomes a different person on stage (it’s very interesting to see the dynamic).”

— RVA Playlist, RVA Playlist

“The inaugural set was short, only four songs, but full-on hard and energetic. Fronting the group was band photographer P.J. Sykes who turned out to have a whole different persona with a guitar in his hand rather than a camera. I said it then and I'll say it now. He was a monster and I mean that in the best possible way. Go hard or go home doesn't begin to cover it.”

— Karen Newton, I could go on and on

All Press

Recent Blogs

05.06.11
May 6, 2011
We have booked our first show. [more]

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Songs

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Orbit

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Copy of a Copy

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In The Background

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Hoax Hunters

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Shows

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Fri
May 24

The Camel
Richmond, VA, US | 8:00pm
The Camel
Richmond, VA, US
Fri May 24 8:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Wed
May 15

Strange Matter
Richmond, VA, US | 10:00pm
Strange Matter
Richmond, VA, US
Wed May 15 10:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

More details soon
Sat
Apr 20

Steady Sounds
Richmond, VA, US | 4:00pm
Steady Sounds
Richmond, VA, US
Sat Apr 20 4:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

Record Store Day 7" release show!
Fri
Mar 15

Strange Matter
Richmond, VA, US | 5:00pm
Strange Matter
Richmond, VA, US
Fri Mar 15 5:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

early show!
Sun
Mar 10

Strange Matter
Richmond, VA, US | 5:00pm
Strange Matter
Richmond, VA, US
Sun Mar 10 5:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

early show!

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Comments

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Half Past 3
Greetings from the eastern panhandle of WV, keep on rock.. Listening to 'riskless biz' right now.
the harding street as...
...who knew that sykes could still get rowdy!