Rock n’ Roll is back! Born out of a late-night car wreck and
formed on the streets of Boston by Shaun Soho (lead vocals), Bo (bass guitar),
and Alex Donaldson (lead guitar), CRASH MIDNIGHT has burst onto the music scene
with vintage guitar riffs, pounding drums, and searing vocals. A collision of
classic 70′s festival rock with a punk swagger, their trademark sound is
packing clubs and turning heads. With their exploding following and high-energy
stage show, CRASH MIDNIGHT performs with all the reckless abandon of a runaway
freight train and is poised to carry the torch for a whole new generation of
Rock n’ Roll.
Lynne grew up in the Shard End area of Birmingham, West
Midlands, where he attended Alderlea Boys' Secondary School. His first guitar,
an acoustic instrument, was bought for him by his father, for £2. He was still
playing it in 2012. In 1963 he formed a group with Robert Reader and David
Walsh using little more than Spanish guitars and cheap electrical instruments
to produce music. They were originally named "The Rockin' Hellcats"
before changing to "The Handicaps" and finally to "The
Andicaps". They practised at Shard End Community Centre and performed
weekly. However, in 1964, Robert Reader and David Walsh left the band and Lynne
brought in replacements. At the end of 1964, Lynne decided to leave the band to
replace Mick Adkins of the local band "The Chads".
Some time in or after 1965, he acquired his first item of
studio recording equipment, a Bang & Olufsen 'Beocord 2000 De Luxe' stereo
reel-to-reel tape recorder, which allowed multi-tracking between left and right
channels. He says it "taught me how to be a producer". In 1966, Lynne
joined the line-up of The Nightriders as guitarist. The band would soon change
their name to the Idle Race, a name allegedly given to them sarcastically by
his grandmother Evelyn Lynne who probably disapproved of pop music as not being
a proper job. Despite recording two critically acclaimed albums with the band
and producing the second, success eluded him. In 1970, Lynne accepted an offer
from friend Roy Wood to join the line-up of the more successful band the Move.
1970–86: The Electric Light Orchestra
Lynne contributed many songs to the Move's last two albums
while formulating, with Roy Wood and Bev Bevan, a band built around a fusion of
rock and classical music, with the original idea of both bands existing in
tandem. This project would eventually become the highly successful Electric
Light Orchestra (ELO). Problems led to Wood's departure in 1972, after the
band's eponymous first album, leaving Lynne as the band's dominant creative
force. Thereafter followed a succession of band personnel changes and
increasingly popular albums: 1973's ELO 2 and On the Third Day, 1974's Eldorado
and 1975's Face the Music. By 1976's A New World Record, Lynne had almost
developed the roots of the group into a more complex and unique pop-rock sound
mixed with studio strings, layered vocals, and tight, catchy pop singles.
Lynne's now almost complete creative dominance as producer, songwriter,
arranger, lead singer and guitarist could make ELO appear to be an almost solo
effort. However, the ELO sound and the focus of Lynne's writing was also shaped
by Louis Clark's and Richard Tandy's co-arranging, under Lynne's direction
(notably the large string sections), Bev Bevan's drumming, and Richard Tandy's
integration of the Moog, harmonium, and Mellotron, with more novel keyboard
technology, gave Lynne's songs a more symphonic sound.
The pinnacle of ELO's chart success and worldwide popularity
was the expansive 1977 double album Out of the Blue, which was largely
conceived in a Swiss chalet during a two-week writing marathon. The band's 1978
world tour featured an elaborate "space ship" set and laser light
show. In order to recreate the complex instrumental textures of their albums,
the band used pre-recorded supplemental backing tracks in live performances.
Although that practice has now become commonplace, it caused considerable
derision in the press of the time. Lynne has often stated that he prefers the
creative environment of the studio to the rigours and tedium of touring. In
1979, Lynne followed up the success of Out of the Blue with Discovery, which
held No. 1 in the UK for 5 weeks. The album is primarily associated with its
two disco-flavoured singles ("Shine a Little Love" and "Last
Train to London") and with the title's word play on "disco" and
"very". However, the remaining seven non-disco tracks on the album
reflected Lynne's range as a pop-rock songwriter, including a heavy, mid-tempo
rock anthem ("Don't Bring Me Down") that, despite its use of a drum
loop, could be considered the antithesis of disco. In an April 2008 interview,
Lynne fondly recalled his forays into dance music:
“I love the force of disco. I love the freedom it gave me to
make a different rhythms across it. I enjoyed that really steady driving beat.
Just steady as a rock. I’ve always liked that simplicity in the bass drum.”
In 1979, Lynne rejected an offer for ELO to headline the
Knebworth Concert in the UK, allowing Led Zeppelin to headline instead. In the
absence of any touring to support Discovery, Lynne had time to contribute five
tracks to the soundtrack for the 1980 film musical Xanadu. The score yielded
three Top 40 singles: "I'm Alive" (UK No. 20), "All Over The
World" (UK No. 11), and the title track "Xanadu", which reached
number one in the UK. Nevertheless, Lynne was not closely involved with the
development of the film, and his material consequently had only superficial
attachment to the plot. Xanadu performed weakly at the box office (although it
later has experienced popularity as a cult favourite). Lynne subsequently
disavowed his limited contribution to the project, although he later
re-recorded the title song (with his lead vocal) for the 2000 box set
Flashback. In 2007, the film was loosely adapted into a successful Broadway
musical, incorporating almost all of the songs from the original film, and also
using two other ELO hits: "Strange Magic" and "Evil Woman".
1980s
In 1981, Lynne took the band in a somewhat different
direction with the science-fiction themed album Time, reaching number one for
two weeks in the UK, producing the second Top 3 single in less than two years.
The strings were still featured, but with heavily synthesised textures.
Following a marginally successful tour, Lynne kept this general approach with
1983's Secret Messages and a final contractually-obligated ELO album Balance of
Power in 1986. Lynne discusses the contractually-obligated nature of the final
albums on the short interview included with the 'Zoom' DVD. ELO now had only
three remaining official members (Lynne, Bevan and Tandy), and Lynne began
devoting more time to producing. During his time in the Electric Light
Orchestra, Lynne did manage to release a few recordings under his own name. In
1976, Lynne covered the Beatles songs "With a Little Help from My
Friends" and "Nowhere Man" for All This and World War II. In
1977, Lynne released his first solo single, the disco-flavoured "Doin'
That Crazy Thing"/"Goin' Down to Rio". Despite ELO's high
profile at that time, it received little airplay and failed to chart.
In 1984, Lynne and ELO keyboardist Richard Tandy contributed
two original songs "Video!" and "Let It Run" to the film
Electric Dreams (they also provided a third song, "Sooner Or Later",
which was released as the b-side of "Video!"). Lynne also wrote the
song "The Story of Me," which was recorded by the Everly Brothers on
their comeback album EB84. Even before the official end of ELO, Lynne began his
move toward focusing almost exclusively on studio production work. Lynne
produced and wrote the 1983 top-40 hit "Slipping Away" for Dave
Edmunds and played on sessions (with Richard Tandy) for Edmunds' album,
Information. Lynne also produced six tracks on Edmunds' follow-up album in
1984, Riff Raff. In contrast to the dense, boomy, baroque sound of ELO, Lynne's
post-ELO studio work has tended toward more minimal, acoustic instrumentation
and a sparse, "organic" quality that generally favours light room
ambience and colouration over artificial reverb, especially on vocals. Lynne's
recordings also often feature the jangling compressed acoustic guitar sound
pioneered by Roger McGuinn and a heavily gated snare drum sound.
Lynne's influence by the Beatles was clearly evident in his
ELO work, and the connection to the Beatles was strengthened when Lynne
produced George Harrison's Cloud Nine. The latter was a successful comeback
album for Harrison, released in 1987, featuring the popular singles "Got
My Mind Set on You", "When We Was Fab" (where Lynne played the
violin in the video) and "This Is Love", the last of which was
co-written by Lynne. Lynne's association with Harrison led to the 1988
formation of the Traveling Wilburys, a studio "supergroup" that also
included Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison and resulted in two albums (Vol.
1 and Vol. 3), both produced by Harrison and Lynne. In 1988 Lynne also worked
on Orbison's album Mystery Girl, co-writing and producing Orbison's last major
hit, "You Got It", plus two other tracks on that album. For Rock On!,
the final Del Shannon album, Lynne co-wrote "Walk Away" and finished
off several tracks after Shannon's death.
In 1989, Lynne co-produced Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty,
which included the hit singles "Free Fallin'", "I Won't Back
Down" and "Runnin' Down a Dream", all co-written by Lynne. This
album and Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 received nominations for the Grammy Award
for Best Album of the Year in 1989. The Traveling Wilburys won a Grammy for
"Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal" that year.
Lynne's song "One Way Love" was released as a single by Agnetha
Faltskog and appeared on her second post-ABBA album, Eyes of a Woman. Lynne
co-wrote and produced the track "Let It Shine" for Beach Boys founder
Brian Wilson's first solo album in 1988. Lynne also contributed three tracks to
an album by Duane Eddy and "Falling in Love" on Land of Dreams for
Randy Newman.
1990s
In 1990, Lynne collaborated on the Wilburys' follow up
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 and shortly after that released his first solo album
Armchair Theatre, with old friends George Harrison and Richard Tandy featuring
the singles "Every Little Thing" and "Lift Me Up". The
album received some positive critical attention but little commercial success.
Lynne also provided the song "Wild Times" to the motion picture
soundtrack Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991. In 1991, Lynne returned to
the studio with Petty, co-writing and producing the album Into the Great Wide
Open for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, which featured the singles
"Learning to Fly" and "Into the Great Wide Open". The
following year he produced Roy Orbison's posthumous album King of Hearts,
featuring the single "I Drove All Night".
In February 1994, Lynne fulfilled a lifelong dream by
working with the three surviving Beatles on the Anthology album series. At
George Harrison's request, Lynne was brought in to assist in re-evaluating John
Lennon's original studio material. The songs "Free as a Bird" and
"Real Love" were created by digitally processing Lennon's demos for
the songs and overdubbing the three surviving band members to form a virtual
Beatles reunion that the band had mutually eschewed during Lennon's lifetime.
Lynne has also produced records for Ringo Starr and worked on Paul McCartney's
Grammy nominated album Flaming Pie.
Lynne's work in the 1990s also includes production of a 1993
album for singer/songwriter Julianna Raye entitled Something Peculiar and
production or songwriting contributions to albums by Roger McGuinn (Back from
Rio) and Joe Cocker (Night Calls), songs by Aerosmith ("Lizard
Love"), Tom Jones ("Lift Me Up"), Bonnie Tyler ("Time Mends
a Broken Heart"), the film Still Crazy, Hank Marvin ("Wonderful
Land" and "Nivram"), Et Moi ("Drole De Vie") and the
Tandy Morgan Band ("Action"). In 1996, Lynne was officially recognised
by his peers when he was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding
Contributions to British Music" for a second time.
2000's
Following legal action to get the ELO name back from Bevan's
touring group ELO Part II after Bevan decided to retire and sell his 50% rights
of the ELO name to Lynne, Lynne released a new album in 2001 under the ELO
moniker entitled Zoom. The album featured guest appearances by Ringo Starr,
George Harrison and original ELO keyboardist Richard Tandy, with Lynne multi-tracking
a majority of the instruments and vocals. The album received positive reviews
but had no hit singles. Despite bearing little sonic relationship to the
halcyon ELO days of the late 1970s, it was marketed as a "return to the
classic ELO sound" in an attempt to connect with a loyal body of fans and
jump-start a planned concert tour (with Lynne and Tandy as the only returning
original ELO members). While a live performance was taped at CBS Television
City over two consecutive nights and shown on PBS (with subsequent DVD
release), the tour itself was cancelled. Speculation remains, as to the reason
(or reasons), for the cancellation of this tour; although often cited by fans
as a reason for the tour cancellation, the events and aftermath of 11 September
occurred subsequent to the official cancellation of the tour. Greg Bissonette
(ELO drummer), when asked, described it as "the greatest tour I never went
on!"
Earlier in 2001, Lynne began working with George Harrison on
what would turn out to be Harrison's final album, Brainwashed. After Harrison's
death from cancer on 29 November 2001, Lynne returned to the studio in 2002 to
help finish the uncompleted album. Lynne was heavily involved in the memorial
Concert for George, held at London's Royal Albert Hall in November 2002, which
also featured Wilbury member Petty. Lynne sang the lead vocal on "The
Inner Light", "I Want to Tell You" and "Give Me Love (Give
Me Peace on Earth)", and subsequently produced the Surround Sound audio mix
for the Concert for George DVD, released in November 2003, which later received
a Grammy. Lynne reunited in 2006 with Petty to produce the latter's third solo
release, Highway Companion.
ASCAP honoured Lynne with the Golden Note Award during their
inaugural "I Create Music" EXPO on 24 April 2009, the presenter was
Paul Williams. ASCAP's Golden Note Award is presented to songwriters,
composers, and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones.
Previous honorees include Tom Petty, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Sean "Diddy"
Combs and Garth Brooks, to name a few. Lynne said in a Reuters article on 23
April 2009, that he has finally been working on the long awaited follow-up to
his 1990 solo debut album Armchair Theatre with a possible tentative release
date of "later this year". He also produced four tracks on Regina
Spektor's fifth album Far, released 23 June 2009.
2010–Present
In a March 2010 interview with the Daily Express newspaper,
Lynne confirmed he was working on a new album with Joe Walsh and simultaneously
"writing a couple of albums under his own name, though he won't tell us in
which musical direction he's heading." Lynne contributed a cover of Buddy
Holly's "Words of Love" for the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy
Holly, which was released on 6 September 2011. On 31 December 2011, Brian
Williams reported on NBC New Year's Eve with Carson Daly that "2012
releases will include rare new work from Jeff Lynne."
In 2012, Walsh released his Analog Man album which was
produced by Lynne. Lynne's second solo album, a covers album entitled Long
Wave, was released on 8 October 2012. A greatest hits collection of re-recorded
ELO songs by Lynne titled Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light
Orchestra was also released under the ELO moniker on the same day. Lynne
implied that a new album with original material would be released during 2013.
In 2012, Lynne and Tandy teamed up at Lynne's Bungalow
Palace home studios to record a live set of ELO's songs. This was broadcast on
TV as part of the Mr. Blue Sky documentary.
On 11 October 2012, Lynne was nominated as a
performer/songwriter for 2013 induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
On 21 June 2013, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced
that Lynne is to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame sometime in 2014.
Lynne and Tandy reunited again on 12 November 2013 to
perform, under the name Jeff Lynne and Friends, "Livin' Thing" and
"Mr. Blue Sky" at the Children in Need Rocks concert at Hammersmith
Eventim Apollo, London.
On 9 February 2014, Lynne performed George Harrison's
"Something" on The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The
Beatles, as well as "Hey Bulldog" from the Yellow Submarine
soundtrack while accompanying Dave Grohl, commemorating the 50th anniversary of
The Beatles' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
On 5 March 2014, Lynne received an honorary doctorate degree
from Birmingham City University. He also mentioned he was working with Bryan
Adams on new material.
On 14 September 2014 Jeff Lynne played a public concert for
the first time in over 25 years, headlining at the Radio 2 festival in Hyde
Park, London.
On 8 February 2015, Lynne appeared at the Grammy Awards,
playing "Evil Woman" and "Mr. Blue Sky" with Ed Sheeran.
On 23 April 2015, Jeff Lynne was awarded the 2,548th star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star was dedicated at 1750 N. Vine Street in
front of the Capitol Records building. Tom Petty and Joe Walsh were present to
help unveil the star and spoke about Lynne.
On 10 September 2015, Lynne's
website announced he had signed a contract to deliver an album of new ELO music
for Columbia Records marking the first time in 14 years new ELO music would be
released.
On 24 September 2015,
"When I Was a Boy", the first single from Alone in the Universe was
released on the internet with a music video scheduled not long after. The album
was released on 13 November 2015 and was followed by promotional shows
including the first ELO shows in the United States in 30 years. A 2016 European
tour was scheduled, with Dublin, Amsterdam and Zurich being some of the
locations toured. Notably, the Dublin concert was delayed by a week due to
medical advice given to Lynne.
On 24 June 2017, Lynne
performed at Wembley Stadium to a crowd of 60,000, playing a 24-song setlist
including 'Xanadu', 'Do Ya' and 'Twilight'. The concert was released on DVD and
CD, under the title Wembley or Bust.
On 2 August 2018, Lynne and
his band Jeff Lynne's ELO began a 10-city tour of North America which included
the US cities of Oakland, California and Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Dallas,
Rosemont, Illinois, Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia and Toronto.
On 12 September 2018, Jeff
Lynne's ELO began a tour throughout Europe including dates in Stockholm, Oslo,
Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Mannheim, Vienna, Amsterdam, Nottingham,
Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Birmingham, Leeds, London, Liverpool,
Dublin, and Belfast.
On 20 June 2019, Jeff Lynne's
ELO began a North American tour with Dhani Harrison.
On 26 September 2019, Jeff
Lynne's ELO announced a new album, called From Out of Nowhere, which was
subsequently released on 1 November of the same year. The album was accompanied
by the release of an eponymous single which premiered on BBC Radio 2 that same
day.
Jeff Lynne - (2000 to 2029 Playlist)
Jeff Lynne - (Live Playlist)
Jeff Lynne & Richard Tandy – (Music & Commentary)
Live from Bungalow Palace 2012
Jeff Lynne – Blown Away – Album: Armchair Theatre (1990)
Jeff Lynne – Nobody Home – Album: Armchair Theatre (1990)
Jeff Lynne – Don’t Let Go (Jessie Stone Cover) – Album: Armchair Theatre (1990)
The Traveling Wilbury's - Handle with Care (1987)
The Traveling Wilbury's – End of the Line (1987)
Jeff Lynne (ELO) - 1973 to (1986 Playlist)
The Move – Do Ya – (1972)
The Move – Message from the Country – (1971)
The Move – What? (Album: Looking On – 1970)
The Move - Open Up said the World at the Door - (Album: Looking On – 1970)
The Idle Race - Someone Knocking (Album: The Idle Race - 1969)
The Idle Race - Sea of Dreams (Album: The Idle Race - 1969)
The Idle Race - Skeleton and the Roundabout (Album: The Birthday Party - 1968)
The Idle Race - The Birthday (Album: The Birthday Party - 1968)
The Idle Race - On with the Show (Album: The Birthday Party - 1968)
A Chat with Jeff Lynne – Falling in Love with Music
As a visual artist, Broken Arrow, Okla., native JD McPherson
is well versed in the process of working within clearly defined formal
parameters, and he employs a similarly rigorous discipline with his music. On
Signs & Signifiers (Rounder, April 17), McPherson’s seductively kickass
debut album, produced by JD’s musical partner, Jimmy Sutton, this renaissance
man/hepcat seamlessly meshes the old and the new, the primal and the
sophisticated, on a work that will satisfy traditional American rock ’n’ roll
and R&B purists while also exhibiting McPherson’s rarefied gift for mixing
and matching disparate stylistic shapes and textures.
“There are little subcultures within the roots scene, where
people are really into rockabilly, traditional hillbilly stuff or old-timey
music,” JD points out, “but there aren’t a whole lot of folks making hard-core
rhythm & blues hearkening back to Specialty, Vee-Jay or labels like that.
That’s what Jimmy and I really like, and our only intention going in was just
to make a solid rhythm & blues/rock ’n’ roll record. But I didn’t want to
make a time-machine record, so we tried to make something relevant but with all
the things we love about rock ’n’ roll and rhythm & blues and mesh it all
together. We both have eclectic tastes; Jimmy likes the Clash as much as he
likes Little Richard, and I like the Pixies, T.Rex, hip-hop and all kinds of
stuff. So we came up with a couple of weird songs and put them on the record,
hoping that it wouldn’t scare off any of our ultra-selective fanbase.”
JD needn’t have worried. It’s highly unlikely that even the
most discerning listeners would guess that the arrangement on his cover of Tiny
Kennedy’s R&B chestnut “Country Boy” incorporates not only the tambourine
beat of Ruth Brown’s 1955 Atlantic single “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean,”
but also Raekwon and RZA’s “abstract, out-of-tune piano loops” on Wu-Tang
Clan’s innovative ’93 LP Enter the Wu-Tang; or that the mesmerizing churner
“Signs & Signifiers” is powered by an unchanging tremolo guitar figure
modeled on Johnny Marr’s part on the Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now.” Then there’s
“Firebug,” which JD “wanted to sound as if Stiff Little Fingers had recorded at
Del-Fi Records.” And while it may not have been specifically what McPherson and
Sutton were going for, the haunting dreamscape “A Gentle Awakening” seems to
chart a course from “Heartbreak Hotel” through Terence Trent D’Arby to Amy
Winehouse.
Never has an album of so-called “retro” music been laced
with such a rich payload of post modern nuance. But that was precisely the
intent of what JD describes, only half-facetiously, as “an art project
disguised as an R&B record.”
“It’s weird,” says Sutton, “when you grow up being a fan of
‘older’ music and all of a sudden you’re making a record, you’re thinking, are
we just recreating something—a museum piece—or are we actually bringing it
forward? It’s interesting, because if you make something today and it moves you
today, in that sense it’s contemporary. I like that juxtaposition of classic
and fresh, something old yet new that can actually take you somewhere now.”
Of course, pushing the genre envelope doesn’t work unless
the artist has the chops and feel to capture the form in its pure state to begin
with. Check out, for example, “Dimes for Nickels,” McPherson’s vital evocation
of the very moment when R&B and hillbilly music had a baby and they called
it rock ’n’ roll, or the Jackie Wilson-meets-Elvis exuberance of “Scratching
Circles,” or the lascivious ecstasy of the Little Richard doppelganger
“Scandalous,” (although the “gold-capped tooth” reference in the first line is
lifted from the Leiber-Stoller Coasters classic “Love Potion #9”). But for all
we know, these tracks, too, may have been secretly embedded with elements from
far a field, their stylistic twists hiding in plain sight. This cat is
wicked-clever—and man, can he ever deliver this righteous shit.
McPherson took a circuitous path to get to this point.
Broken Arrow butts up against Tulsa, a cultural oasis in the Heartland that has
long been not only a musical hotbed but also a bustling center of the
contemporary arts. “Tulsa’s got a lot of resources for people who are into
weirdo art,” JD points out. And he gravitated toward it. “I did my
undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma in experimental film,” he
says. “I wanted to paint, do installation, make video art, performance stuff,
sculpture. I’ll bet I’m the only person to have received graduate credit hours
in card magic.” He wound up with an M.F.A. from the University of Tulsa in open
media, a discipline designed specifically for his interests and ambitions.
But all along the way, music was an integral part of
McPherson’s life. His dad introduced him to Delta blues and jazz as a kid, and
after getting into Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and punk rock during high school, he
picked up a Buddy Holly box set. “Something about that scratched an itch,” he
says. “Then I started getting into the black side of rock ’n’ roll: Larry
Williams, Little Richard, Art Neville’s stuff on Specialty, then soul and
Jamaican rocksteady.” While studying visual arts, he also played in bands,
doing everything from punk to western swing. JD was still scratching that itch
when he recorded some originals with his previous band and took a shot in the
dark. Well aware of Sutton’s status as a heavy hitter on the roots scene and
the leader of R&B group the Four Charms, he fired off a MySpace friend
request and asked if the producer/bassist would listen to his demos.
“I get sent stuff all the time, and it’s always the same,”
says Sutton, “but I checked JD out and there was definitely something there. He
wowed me—his voice, his songwriting. So we started talking, and we were always
on the same page about the music we dig and where we wanted to take it. He had
great ideas but he was still an open book. I was just trying to push him to
stay true to himself. So the idea became to create a record that was honest and
live.”
Six months into their budding partnership, JD arrived at
Sutton’s newly completed home studio in Chicago—a sort of working shrine to
all-tube recording as it was practiced a half-century ago, right down to
Jimmy’s collection of vintage mics and his early-’60s Berlant/Concertone
quarter-inch tape machine. Also on hand was Sutton’s go-to guy Alex Hall, “a
Brian Eno type” according to JD, who multitasks as engineer, drummer and
keyboard player.
“I showed up and I said, ‘I got this song ‘Dimes for
Nickels,’ and I want it to be like a Chess Chuck Berry thing, slowed down, with
a flat-tire beat,’” JD remembers. “Jimmy and Alex are from Chicago—they know
that stuff backwards and forwards—and we nailed it in two takes.” Within a
week, they’d banged out a dozen tracks, recording during the day and writing at
night with a guitar and a laptop.
In order to make sure the album got heard by JD’s potential
core audience, Sutton threw some chum in the water, pressing up a limited run
on his brand-new Hi-Style label and directing it at the roots community. JD and
Jimmy, who’s also a visual artist, then applied those skills to the making of a
striking video for opening track “North Side Girl,” which has now registered
well over 350,000 YouTube views.
“When the album came out, we immediately got a really strong
response from that crowd,” JD recalls. “Then we put that video out, and it went
all over the place within a week. Not too long after that, we started getting
calls from managers, prospective booking agents, and it turned into this weird
journey. By early last year, we were talking to some major labels and the folks
at Rounder, who found out about us from the video. What made it the perfect
storm was, as all that was happening, I lost my job—I was a middle school art
teacher. I loved that job but, sign of the times, they started laying off the
art department and I was part of the fallout. So I collected my paycheck
through the summer and toured.” After which he signed with Rounder.
Having finally decided on his artistic direction, JD isn’t
looking back. “Although I grew up wanting to be a visual artist, I’ll tell you
what: the most satisfaction I’ve ever had as an artist is right now,” he says.
“Because as much as I love artists like Joseph Beuys, I love David Bowie and
Little Richard more. I was doin’ OK, I had some things going, but I’d rather do
this, make music the priority. There’s more instant gratification—you play a
show and right away you feel like it’s something worthwhile, and a lot of
people are in on it. So I’m definitely into continuing to explore all this
stuff. It’s really exciting—knock on wood.”
JD has no doubts about the viability of the choice he’s
made. “Working within a genre has been done in all kinds of mediums—look at
Alfred Hitchcock,” he points out. “It’s been established that rock ’n’ roll is
a viable form—it’s hard-wired into American brains to understand swinging blues
stuff. So it’s not surprising to me that kids are into the Black Keys and
Adele. It just had to be presented to them.”
So now it’s JD McPherson’s turn to step up to the plate and
give it a good whack. Go get ’em, tiger
In typical rock’n’roll fashion, Exquisite Corps emerged from
a downtown alley garage in the spring of 2011. Beginning as a sextet, they have
since proved to be anything but a typical band. With an original vision
encompassing the lush power of a live string trio (cello & two violins)
melded with the rhythmic density of an indie rock trio (guitar, bass &
drums) the band was the perfect marriage of classic and modern. The summer of
2012 saw the release of their eponymous debut album to great reviews from blogs
and print (PureVolume, the Daily Unsigned, Submerge Magazine). Steeped in the
interplay of weaving string arrangements and soaring vocals, the record took
the listener on a ride from intimate balladry to intense orchestral explosions
backed by Zeppelin-esque drums and bass.
On the heels of their first release, the band took a
grassroots approach to touring. Consistent travel up and down the West Coast
landed them in great venues such as Bottom of the Hill (SF), House of Blues
Sunset Strip (LA), Hotel Cafe (LA), and even selling out alternative venues
like Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum Auditorium. Support slots for !!! (chk chk
chk) and Sub Pop’s Helio Sequence gave way to performances at such festivals as
Lightning in a Bottle and Launch Fest sharing the bill with Blonde Redhead,
Imagine Dragons, Moby, Phantogram, and Little Dragon.
In 2013, the extended stints on the road forced a more
pragmatic approach to the live line-up. With the ever waning ability for most
of the string section to accompany the band out of town, the composed lushness
of the band’s previous material morphed into a more visceral and rhythmic
approach. The loss of the strings invited the addition of an organ/keyboard player
to fill in the sound. The transformation from whimsical chamber rock group to
full-fledged eclectic psych-art-rock band was under way as Exquisite Corps went
back into the studio to record their sophomore record.
The second album “Vignettes” was released on Sept 16, 2014
with the core line-up: Bryan Valenzuela on vocals and guitars, Robby Dean on
drums and vocals, & Nathan Webb on bass. As a trio, these hard-working
musicians have perfected their songwriting craft and honed their friendship,
playing with each other intermittently since they were teenagers. They are
joined by a rotating cast of amazing talent including Adam Rice on
organ/keyboards and occasionally Kristin Arnold and Reylynn Goessling on
violins.
BAND MEMBERS:
BRYAN V. - VOCALS/GUITAR
ROBBY DEAN - DRUMS/VOCALS
NATHAN WEBB - BASS
ADAM RICE - ORGAN/KEYBOARDS
Formed in December 2013, simply put, The Roaring Juniors are
a rock and roll band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They've been described as pop,
power pop, rock, punk rock... the list goes on. With influences ranging from
The Beatles, The Exploding Hearts, The Ramones, and The Buzzcocks, The Roaring
Juniors pack a vintage punch with a new and modern sound.
Decadents were founded in Champaign Illinois in early 2010
but it wasn’t until October 2012 that the current formation began performing
together. Mike Carpenter (guitar, vocals) and Mike Solomon (guitar) were in
search of a new rhythm section after the release of the Decadents self titled
debut album in September 2012. Shortly thereafter, Ben Davidson (drums) and
Allen Beebe (Bass) joined the group.
Performing throughout Champaign-Urbana, Central Illinois, and
Chicago over the next 18 months, Decadents tightened and evolved their sound
significantly and began working on new material to showcase their new form. The
Decadents will release their second album “Elegantly Wasted” in June 2014, and
it promises to be a chart topper.
Band Members:
Mike Carpenter - Guitar, Vocals
Allen Beebe - Bass
Ben Donaldson - Drums
Mike Solomon - Guitar
Formed in early 2013, it hasn’t taken long for The Turning
to gain a hard working reputation, which is expressed through their constant
writing, gigging and promotion of their music. The difference is polaric from
many other young bands that have the passion, but lack the mature execution.
Having recently wrapped up an extensive 12-date UK tour, the
last 18 months has consisted of multiple sell out headline shows, including
Camden Barfly and The Leadmill in Sheffield, supporting artist such as The
Strypes and Steve Cradock as well as releasing a 9-track mini album.
The Turning have been developing their very own style;
incorporating separate influences, crowd reaction from gigs gone by and a clear
vision of where they want to go. This has seen their music mutate, morphing
into injections of punk urgency with a refreshing modern flair.
Band Members:
Luke McLaughlin (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Harmonica)
David Bardon (Lead Guitar)
Louis Gilbert (Bass)
Ruben Kenton-Harris (Drums)
Jupiter is made up of three
brothers from Temecula, California. After years of being in bands with an ever
revolving door of members, Jordan, Evan and Aaron decided to try their hand at
producing music on their own. Over the next three years they constantly honed
their singing, songwriting, production and recording skills as they continued
to discover their own sound and voices. They released Love Campaign in June
2011 and have recently followed that release with “The Fire” EP which was
released in April 2013. Having recorded and produced the albums themselves,
Jupiter is excited to continue touring and see what the future holds.
Jupiter has completed completed
three west coast tours and two runs to Nevada and Utah. In June of 2013 they
also covered California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Nevada.
Deering & Down is an independent duo living in Memphis
and playing music worldwide. Originally hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the
band has lived and played music in Alaska, Los Angeles, Ireland, Switzerland,
Canada and Memphis. Called “the best one-two punch in the city” by Memphis'
Commercial Appeal, the duo describes their style as defiantly unorthodox with a
smokey Memphis flavor cast in a glow of shimmering Northern lights.
“We’ve been making music for 11 years now, and we’re confident this is our best
album yet,” said Deering. “Working with Willie was such a great learning
experience, and it really shows in the bold new direction of our third
release.”
The album features a variety of Memphis’ most well-known musicians, including
Al Green’s notable Hi Rhythm section (guitarist Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, bassist
Leroy Hodges, keyboardist Charles Hodges and drummer Howard Grimes), and Rick
Steff, John C Stubblefield and Roy Berry of Lucero.
“…Weaving the two main streams of Memphis music—rockabilly
and Southern soul—the duo has created a hybrid sound that should transform them
from local heroes to roots-rock stars.” ~ Geoffrey Himes, Washington Post
“… She's got a voice like Loretta Lynn swallowed Rod Stewart. He plays guitar
like nobody you've ever heard. Great in a bar. Better in a hotel room. How's
that for a pull quote?” ~ Chris Davis, Memphis Flyer
In January of 2013, THE AFTER HOURS hit the Los Angeles
music scene with a brand new, yet familiar take on rock & roll. With ...the guitar riffs of The Who, harmonies of The
Beatles, and the clever craftsmanship of The Kinks, THE AFTER HOURS are one of
the few Los Angeles acts that celebrate the true roots of rock and pop music
with finesse, grace and a whole lot of style.
Formed in November
2010, The After Hours (then known as The Electric Starfish) hit the scene with
a brand new flavor. Inspired by the sights and sounds of swinging London, the
mod scene, West Coast psychedelia and the original British Invasion, the band
sends its audience into a time warp to a far-out world of bright colors and big
sounds wrapped in lush harmony and the true spirit of rock & roll.
Band Members:
Ryan Wilkins:
Vocals Bruce Matis: Guitar Michael Mosbeck: Guitar Masa Nishimura: Bass Paul Niedzwiecki: Drums
Psychedelic, Alternative, New Wave, Dark Wave – (2000 to 2019)
Psychedelic, Alternative, New Wave, Dark Wave – (2020 to 2029)
Rock, Alternative - (2010 to 2019)
Rock, Alternative – (2020 to 2021)
Soft Rock, Lite Rock, Alternative – (2010 to 2019)
Soft Rock, Lite Rock, Alternative – (2020 to 2021)
Pop Rock – (2000 to 2019)
Pop Rock - (2020 to 2021)
Folk Rock, Acoustic – (2010 to 2019)
Folk Rock, Acoustic – (2020 to 2021)
Hard Rock, Heavy Metal – (2000 to 2019)
Punk Rock, High Energy Rock n Roll – (2000 to 2019)
Southern Rock, Alt Country – (2000 to 2019)
Classic, New Age Classic
New Age Alternative
Ambient, Electronic, Relaxation
Music for the Revolutionary Mind
Welcome!
World United Music (W.U.M.) was dedicated to promoting a variety of music by Independent, Signed, and Unsigned artists. The goal of this project was to help artists gain recognition for their music by Fans across the World while also offering additional support to established artists that continue to create.
World United Music gathered the very best music and put it right here in one place to help listeners discover new music.
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I'm not in phase with what mainstream mediums have to offer, nor do I like being lied to. So I decided to build my own World where creativity, music, and truth prevail. Therefore I’m a photographer, Writer, Video Producer, News Reporter, Music Promoter, Radio DJ, Poet, Activist, Critical Thinker, and Problem Solver. Be sure to visit all my websites linked below for more of my world.
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