My Favorite Highway to release “How To Call A Bluff” in May

My Favorite Highway is clearly kicking into top gear — online, on stage, in several of cable television’s most popular series, and in digital sales. The band’s debut album, “How To Call A Bluff,” is set to be released on May 5th 2009.

All signs point to a major take-off in progress for the suburban Washington, DC-based group, comprised of David Cook (vocals, piano, guitar), Will Cook (bass), Bobby Morgenthaler (drums), Pat Jenkins (guitar, vocals), as several tracks from their album make noise, attracting fans to My Favorite Highway’s outposts on the web and drawing a mention in Alternative Press’ 100 Bands To Watch in 2009 issue. The band will make an appearance on May 3rd at The Bamboozle festival in East Rutherford, NJ and start a national tour with Danger Radio and Skyline Stereo on May 5th in Watertown, NY (full schedule below). They will also play a very special hometown show in Vienna, VA on April 7th to perform the new album in its entirety.

Tying together HOW TO CALL A BLUFF is the band’s sensitive lyricism, and a unique balance of the anthemic and the intimate; ringing guitar and piano form a wall of vibrant sound in a production that’s always impressively polished but never overdressed. The album was released independently by the band last year, selling several thousand copies on iTunes and at tour dates. It has been remastered entirely in its Virgin edition, with two new tracks added and bonus content including acoustic versions of songs, exclusive videos and pictures, access to special websites and contests, and pre-order packages, with exclusive merchandise.

On the album, “Steel City,” “Dreamer,” “The Chase” and “Bittersweet Life” all reveal the group’s knack for songs that can touch every listener and pass into classic status. “Bittersweet Life” was featured on an episode of MTV’s The Hills, and immediately spiked in weekly download sales. Similarly, “Bigger Than Love” which has generated over 800,000 Myspace.com streams out of a total 5.2 million song plays on the band’s page, also witnessed a big spike in digital sales after it was featured during The Hills season finale. The band has sold over 100,000 individual digital tracks to date.

In an album full of standouts, “What Are You Waiting For” (the trailer song for MTV’s The City), “Say So” and “Getaway Car” display the band’s clean, snappy, angular production values; “Simple Life” is a sunny shuffle with real guitar muscle; while “Go” and “Entertain the Pain” both convey urgency without a tortured edge.

Clearly, America is ready to follow the on-ramp to MY FAVORITE HIGHWAY. HOW TO CALL A BLUFF was produced by Paul Barber, and was mixed by Jeff Juliano (John Mayer, Lifehouse, OAR).