Local New York Band Hoping to Become the First Ellio's(R) Rock Star

Local New York Band Hoping to Become the First Ellio's(R) Rock Star

New Online Battle of the Bands Competition In the Nation Heats Up

CHICAGO, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Teens trying to make their big break into the music business are signing up for the Ellio's(R) Rock Star Challenge, the hottest online battle of the bands contest on the web. The competition, which was created by the makers of Ellio's(R) New Microwave Cheese pizza, allows solo artists and bands to battle it out for the ultimate prize, a three-day recording session with a professional music producer. Teens spanning across 35 states have already registered for the contest by uploading their profile and MP3s to elliosrockstar.com.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061005/CGTH054LOGO )

Local New York band, The GetAway Drive, is no exception. They are among the hundreds of musicians hoping to be crowned the first Ellio's Rock Star. Playing in venues all over the East Coast and accumulating more than 75,000 plays on MySpace.com, The GetAway Drive received great exposure when their song "She's All Smiles" received national airplay on radio stations all across the country. The band has collaborated with several producers, but is still looking for that big break. Currently working on a new album, the GetAway Drive's energetic presence is enough to shake up the rest of the competition in the Ellio's Rock Star Challenge.

Musicians under the age of 21 are eligible to enter the Rock Star Challenge until October 31st, 2006. From now until the end of January 2007, music fans can visit the site to listen to songs and vote for their choice of who should be named the first Ellio's Rock Star. In late January, the top five musicians with the most votes will advance to a final round, where members of Flyleaf, one of today's hottest new bands that just wrapped up the "Family Values Tour," will choose the grand prize winner.

With the popularity of iTunes and new digital technology, more teens are turning to music as a pastime. In fact, according to the Recording Industry Association, musical instrument sales reached an all-time high of over $7 billion in 2005, with guitars and drums leading the surge.

"Music provides a great creative outlet for teens. Parents are concerned with how their teens are spending their time, and music is an activity they can feel good about supporting," said Susan Pilcher, Ellio's brand manager. "The Ellio's Rock Star Challenge extends that idea by offering a chance for teens to get their music out there and at the same time, spend time responsibly."

In conjunction with the Ellio's Rock Star Challenge, Ellio's is launching its new Microwave Cheese Pizza. People who have come to know and love Ellio's, can now enjoy the 100% real cheese, signature sweet tomato sauce and end-to- end toppings of a delicious Ellio's pizza, in just three minutes.

"Teens want to spend their time listening to music and having fun, not on food preparation," adds Pilcher. "Now it's even easier to have a quick, quality snack during band practice or while listening to your favorite tunes."

As part of the Ellio's Rock Star Challenge, music fans that visit elliosrockstar.com to vote online will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for an opportunity to win a Gibson Les Paul Studio Guitar, Klipsch iGroove Stereo Systems, 30GB Apple iPods, iTunes gift certificates, and coupons for a free Ellio's Microwave Cheese Pizza. Likewise, teens can play the Ellio's Instant Win game by entering a code printed on the inside of specially-marked Ellio's New Microwave Cheese Pizza packages.

For more information about the Ellio's Rock Star Challenge, please visit elliosrockstar.com.

The Ellio's pizza brand is manufactured and marketed by McCain Foods Limited. McCain Foods Limited is a privately owned Canadian multinational manufacturer of frozen and non-frozen food products with more than 55 plant operations on six continents and annual sales of more than C$5.6 billion. McCain Foods is the world's largest producer of French fries and potato specialties, and a manufacturer of pizza, appetizers and snack foods, vegetables, juices and beverages, entrees, oven meals, desserts and other quality products.

McCain Foods USA Inc., the United States subsidiary of McCain Foods Limited, has four major potato-processing facilities and six other manufacturing operations in seven states.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061005/CGTH054LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Ellio's(R)

CONTACT: Jennifer Davis, SCC|Grossman Public Relations, +1-312-464-1666,
or Jennifer@sccadv.com

Web site: http://www.elliosrockstar.com/

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