The '80s-pop inspired group Rooney is comprised of Robert Carmine (vocals/guitar), Taylor Locke (guitar), Matt Winter (bass), Louie Stephens (keyboards), and Ned Brower (drums). They began honing their own indie rock appeal in 2000 and cite the Beach Boys and ELO as major influences. Trickles of Blur, Superdrag, and the Cars echo throughout their spunky rock sound, however Rooney is no copycat. Carmine did the college thing for awhile in New York City, but it wasn't exactly his calling. Instead, he and his best friends formed a band and made their live debut in early 2002 while opening for his older brother's band, Phantom Planet. Carmine is the younger sibling of drummer/actor Jason Schwartzman. Several months later, Rooney joined Keith Forsey (Billy Idol, the Psychedelic Furs, Simple Minds) in the studio to record material for their debut album. Dates with the Vines and Weezer coincided those sessions. Spring 2003 saw the release of Rooney's self-titled debut. Rooney's sales spiked when the band appeared on The O.C. in 2004; later that year, the DVD Spit and Sweat arrived, collecting live performances, music videos and interviews. Rooney began recording their second album late in 2004 with producer Tony Hoffer, but the album -- tentatively titled "The Kids After Sunset" -- was scrapped, despite several songs being posted on the band's Myspace page in 2005. More tracks from the sessions leaked onto the Internet and were dubbed "The Lost Album." The band attempted to record their second album again in fall 2005 with Howard Benson in the producer's seat. The album was slated for a 2006 release but was also scrapped due to the band and label's inability to agree which songs should appear on it. In 2006, Rooney toured with Kelly Clarkson and returned to the studio with producer John Fields for a third, and successful, attempt at their second album. Calling the World was released by Cherrytree Records in summer 2007. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
