Computer Age

The Solvers
Every Single Song EP
Mock self-published, 2009

The tired man decided it was good time to get up and go out. Tired of singing their sentences in solitary lit a cigarette and smoke signals released by the window. Seekers who were lurking melodies came to his call, with the instruments on his back knocked on her door and took their way together. With the illusions still intact, the desire to catch up and thrown into the air experiences that bent his back, live the need to scream and feel every hour of loneliness, relieved with massive doses of Neil Young, Teenage Fanclub, Lou Barlow, Big Star or the Kinks, charged form of wild melodies struggling to squirt out of their hearts and leaving streets flooded with emotions and their empty bodies of rage and regret.
The Solvers are a guitar rock band with a clear bias toward power pop-loving and extremely knowledgeable about the history of pop-rock of all time, a detail that is felt clearly in their sound (and on the successful cover this EP). The group is made up The Tired Man (guitar and vocals, a member of the missing Evenless-source current Wildman Group and author of a demo in 2005 under the alias Emodrama - "Songs That No One Will Hear" -), Aymeric battery next to "The French Man," Luis "Zombie Man" (guitar and vocals) and Carlos "Krakman" on bass. Formed in Madrid in December 2008, were in their ranks with guitarist and singer Al Zimmerman until February this year that left the group.
We are facing their first demo as a band, so we can not expect a professional sound, but the atmosphere of guitars that have achieved is simply superb. In his songs tell of lonely nights and tears in the rain, passion and self-pity, lies and despair, love and indifference. If 'Every Single Song' magically blend power and sensitivity pushing to keep pace with head and insulate ourselves from our surroundings in search of our own thought, 'Hey' is the essential elements of a rock anthem, perfect for shouting in the direct (with megaphone accompanied if possible). If 'Empty Suit' is a lament for electricity in emotional responses, 'Something You'll Never Know' (previously appeared in the model of Emodrama) is heady time that medium has become my favorite as I repeated the listeners.

No one better than the The Tired Man to clarify some details about the band and this first work:

On the formation of the group and the concept of band:

- The project grew out of an ad I put in several forums (Hispasonic and Guitarristas.org) and though I had my alias The Tired Man I have never raised this band or any other as a backing band. In fact I still have my solo project, but being in a band is something else, there are no leaders and no rules.

On the authorship of the songs:

- In the band compose Luis Mariano Reluz (LM Relight or Luis "Zombie" Man) and myself. In this model all my subjects are less 'Hey', but we are working on three new songs from Luis and two of mine, that will go in the second model, matching things up.

Recording on the proceedings:

- The truth is that the recording process has been very rewarding. Both Carlos Lacasa and I had some experience managing multitrack sequencers and knowledge we have coordinated a very productive way. We started recording batteries in the rehearsal room and then we were putting the rest in my house and home of Charles, carrying the sessions in memory keys or running them through ftp sessions, all very "to the last". Everything was recorded with Logic on three different Macs:). We have finally gotten the mix sounds pretty good. I think the sound we've achieved is more than decent, it sounds "tacky".

And more to come on plans and live performances:

- Our plans are to record a second demo and then go right now looking at the possibility of giving a concert, we have a big problem and we do not have your own equipment. what limits us fairly. We played in a room for hours, and we must find a separate room (and our own team) soon, which means drop pasta and pasta = problems: (

PS: A great start for a band that should not be afraid to demand more, need to improve details and do not lack potential.

Link to hear the demo

The Sleeping Years
We're Becoming Islands One by One
Talitres, Rocketgirl 2008

At this point in the movie the adjective that comes most easily to mind when I listen to Dale Grundle is the honesty. If we add some special skills and sensitivity to sing and compose, the enjoyment of the senses is assured.
If your special day I had a weakness for Catchers, an island within the framework peculiar indie, The Sleeping Years with my fascination is even greater to see that the evolution and maturity of Dale have been the result of a genuine personal quest, with an admirable control of everything that surrounds the production, recording and editing performances of both recordings or design, like the exquisite close to any comment or request.
The Sleeping Years is the current project of ex-Catchers Dale Grundle. Before this record, two EPs released in 2007, primarily acoustic, limited edition (the first two exhausted) with manicured handmade covers (designed by pika pika), numbered and signed by Dale himself. All compositions were his, take charge of all instrumentation and recording.
In this first album, "We're becoming islands one by one", again is the author of all subjects and responsible for interpreting the majority of instruments (vocals, guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, e-bow, percussion ), with the help of Michelle So (cello, piano, percussion), Tom Page (drums percussion) and Ben Eshmade (horn in "Human Blues"). It was recorded in London in late 2007, produced by Dale Grundle himself and released in 2008 by Talitres Records label in France and the seal Rocketgirl in UK and Ireland. While you can buy and drive safely on the Internet, is scheduled for official publication in Spain and Portugal in March this year, the month in which two performances already announced theirs (the 19th in Barcelona's Apolo and 20 in El Sol in Madrid, accompanied only by a pianist, if plans do not change).
Of the 10 songs on the album, 6 of them had already appeared on the EPs, but have been re-recorded for this album with interesting contributions of new components. Some have hardly changes, others have taken more shape-band with the addition of drums on everything, resulting the cello one of the better integrated into the booth and Dale's personal sound world. Overall sound more clean and clear (my hobbies are perhaps by the preferences of simple and homely, but I become more personal and profound certain versions of SPE), although at no time lost that aura of intimacy, delicacy, loneliness and magic features songs from Dale. I can hardly decide on one in particular because all I seem special, but if I had to choose one I'd choose "Macosquin Coleraine" (homage to the birthplace: Coleraine, Northern Ireland,), The Lockkeepers Cottage "," Dressed For Rain "and" Islands ".
Melancholy and beauty, loss and search. Sensitivity and honesty in spades.

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The leader of the Soft Boys, Robyn Hitchcock (Robyn Rowan Hitchcock) was born on 3 March 1953 in London (West London). His father, comic book artist, painter, humorist, writer of fantastic stories and unconventional shaping his peculiar way of seeing the world and render it in their songs and other artistic projects. Childhood spent in a boys' boarding school ( "you spoil the mind and then leave you out to lead the country"). Lured by rock music influences from his youth was marked by classical names, from Elvis and rock'n'roll from the '50s to Phil Spector, Bob Dylan, The Beatles ( "we used to go to Robyn to learn them the whole album Beatles, "Andy Metcalfe"), Beach Boys, The Byrds, Syd Barret in its infancy with Pink Floyd, the Velvet Underground or Captain Beefheart. By the time he began writing his own songs in the early 70's could fit within the psychedelic pop, but with multiple style influences not defined yet. In late 1974 decided to move to Cambridge, after leaving the academy of art, with the intention of forming a band. Soon he started playing weekends at the Portland Arms Folk Club, where he met Rob Lamb and this new group was forming, the Dennis & The Experts, with Rob Lamb on guitar, Andy Metcalfe on bass and Morris Windsor the battery. Rob used to make music so transcendent and interpret pieces larger than believed at that time (Steely Dan, Little Feat ...), Robyn saw as a selfish person and his music too eccentric, deciding to leave the training. All other components remained together increasingly well understood. As Robyn was still a little clever with the instrument in 1977 decided to add a guitar solo: Alan Davies, also a friend of Morris. In the first performance with new guitarist Robyn told the audience to change its name, just write the song "Give It To The Soft Boys" and it seemed a good idea (although they later regret) to announce that as of that time spent on called "The Soft Boys". Their repertoire consisted of versions of Elvis, The Who, The Band, David Bowie ... mixed with some of Robyn's own compositions, which were already defined the peculiar theme of his songs, death, love and sex, from a psychotic point of view, a strong sense of absurdity with large doses of humor and cynicism. This lineup recorded a demo at home on Hitchcock, which resulted in the 1st EP "Give It To The Soft Boys" (Raw Records, 1977).
Remember that by this time a new musical movement (and social) had just arisen in England, and all the media echoed this, punk. While at first agreed with the ideas defended this move, going against the overblown music and certain types of progressive rock, suddenly bucked the way in which this supposed revolution was passing ( "we could not refuse the and pretend that we had suddenly learned that only knew one chord ... I guess you could say that, musically, the Soft Boys were a sort of reaction to everything happening around us at that time "). At the local level were very successful, ongoing trials will help to evolve musically ( "I have always conceived the work as an approximation of what Captain Beefheart, in which there are two guitars playing two totally different things, and not a single guitar and a rhythm "). Alan Davies decided to switch to another guitarist who seemed much more comprehensive and special, Kimberley Rew (was part of another group known at that time in Cambridge, the Waves). The seal Radar Records signed them to a recording contract. Recorded enough tracks for an LP, but they just released a new single, "(I Want To Be An) Anglepoise Lamp" ( "We thought the best song of that meeting was, 'Where Are The Prawns?" But they edited it that in his opinion, it sounded more like listening to people then, and not what we were doing well. That is a problem that has dogged us over the years ... "). Finally, although Lp Radar recorded the never released (the legendary lost album ").
Given the bad experience for both sides agreed to finalize the contract and record again on his own and his way all the songs we had prepared no matter who liked it or not others, became official on 1 LP the band, " A Can Of Bees ", which published the independent label Two Crabs in 1979. A masterful blend of guitars of the past and punk sounds that due to the rejection they felt for the movement of finished going through its own filter, clearly influenced by the voices of The Incredible String Band, the guitars of Captain Beefheart and the acceleration of the Vibrators.
That same year, while recording the next album, bassist Andy Metcalfe left the band, being replaced by Matthew Seligman (who had played in the first concert of Hitchcock and The Experts like Dennis and Alex Chilton and The Local Heroes). Its inclusion had an effect upon the new songs were more "Poppys". The album spent several years unpublished until 1983 that was released as "Invisible Hits", when the formation was already dissolved. In 1980, before deciding their separation, they recorded the work that convertitiría one of the best guitar albums of the '80s, the "Underwater Moonlight" ( "... I remember sitting with Matthew and he said: Look, we do this album is great. The world can end, but at least we know we have done "..." ... our ego was not in very good position, but what if I remember is that immediately after recording 'Kingdom Of Love 'I thought, God, I may end up in hell, but this is great! "..." We did that record less than 600 pounds. The producer Pat Collier made a deal with someone so that we could burn it ... Most are made with a 8 tracks, and one must remember that it was time to Steve Lillywhite and all that ... ").
Never had major sales in England, best seen in the United States gave several concerts in New York but in the absence of clear results in order to live music and decided that the band separation and search for new projects was the best way out ( "may that we had had any future in the United States, but the feeling we had was that we would not get anywhere ").
Come to be regarded as "the father of psychedelic revival," Robyn Hitchcock went their own way, with a career more or less stable but always with quality works, brought out several solo albums with the Egyptians or took part in numerous projects and actions including with REM (Peter Buck said many times that the Soft Boys were more influenced by the Byrds), Billy Bragg, Grant Lee Phillips and Jonathan Demme in the recording of the musical film "Storefront Hitchcock". Already in 2001 sought their cooperation for the reissue of the classic "Underwater Moonlight" (Matador), to mark the 21st anniversary of the original edition, charmed with the idea decided to add 26 shots and took him out as previously released double CD. Robyn spoke with Kimberley Rew, Matthew Seligman and Morris Windsor and decided to float The Soft Boys to perform a mini-tour. Before the welcome, the next step was to publish an album with new songs: "Nextdoorland" (Matador 2002), with sculptures on the cover of her sister Lal Hitchcock, as in "Underwater Moonlight", also becoming the musical a worthy continuation of this. At any time without leaving their personal projects Robyn follows the journey in his particular "long-distance train": "What I intend is rather long and inevitable and I have not yet completed. It's like a very long train, you can not see or where to start or where it ends. It's kind of going through endless season. One day it will stop, someone will come and explain everything. "

Pete Dello (Peter Blumson) was born in 1943 in Oxfordshire, England. He learned to play the piano admiring Fats Domino and Harry Champion, and the guitar Scotty Moore, Cliff Gallup and Chet Atkins. The first musical steps at the professional level in the seal gave Apollo Music (Decca Records), working mostly as an arranger for Lionel Bart (author of the musical "Oliver!" Or the main theme of the James Bond movie "From Russia with love "). She played as a guitar soloist with other groups Tallis & The Red Tallismen. Later in Grant Tracy & The Sunsets, with whom he recorded several singles that did not have impact. This coincided with Ray Cane (Raymond Byart name, had played bass with The Outlaws). Upon dissolution of the group both joined the Steve Darbishire soulster to form The Band Steve Darbyshire, then Steve Darbyshare & Yum Yum Band with the addition of Terry Noonan on drums (he had played with Van Morrison and Them with Gene Vincent) . Recorded five singles, most with Dello and Cane lyrics; achieved an important success to performance level, getting to play, opening for Wilson Pickett and Frogman Henry, engaged in numerous tours. At the same time Dello and Cane composed, arranged and produced for other groups (The Applejacks, The Roulettes ... The song that had the greatest impact was "I Do not Want You" recorded by The Anteeeks). In 1966 Pete suffered a collapsed lung that forced him to abandon the proceedings. While in hospital reflected on all that had lived and what interested him to continue doing. He used to compose the kind of songs I really wanted and focused on learning orchestral arrangements. Tired of touring, in 1967 she told Cane desire to start a new project based mainly on studio recordings, live and forget. One day while taking a coffee Cane came up with the name of the new group when they saw a bus: Honeybus. With the collaboration of musicians from The Roulettes, recorded a first single with two songs from Dello ( "Delighted To See You" / "The Breaking Up Scene"), which passed without pain or glory. For the second recruited as drummer Peter Kircher and Colin Hare (formerly Honeycombs, had collaborated with David Bowie on time and had recorded a few songs with George Martin toyed with the idea of a solo release, an idea which failed) playing bass, guitar and voice. On side A of the second single again recorded a song from Dell, this time signed with his real name, Blumson, "(Do I Figure) In Your Life," which although a pricipio not reach the desired success, with time was considered one of the best of his repertoire, becoming popular due to multiple versions of artists. It was the third single with them came their biggest hit, "I Can not Let Maggie Go" broke into the top 10 of the radio charts and garnered excellent reviews of music. This led on to the record intensify its promotional TV performances and tour included. Dell refused to return to the road and left the band. He continued writing, producing, studying music and learning to play the violin, publishing in 1969 the song "I'm A Gambler" under the name of Lace, and the single "Taking The Heart Out Of Love" / "Uptight Basil", this time under the pseudonym of Magic Valley. As escorts had Honeybus members and artists. With them he also recorded the album released in 1971 by the seal Nepenthes, "Into Your Ears", this time released under the name of Pete Dello & Friends. It is an intimate recording, with sound predominantly acoustic arrangements (by Ray Cane) string and wind warm with both approaches point to vaudeville as psychedelia, manicured harmonies and a frail voice, with problems at the time, that far from diminishing its capacity to thrill to the songs brings closeness and humanity, enhanced by the production with a very soft percussion and voice in the foreground, natural and distracting effects. One of the masterpiece of chamber pop. The first edition contains 12 songs, several of which were published or previously performed live in its various projects, although in different versions. The cover was made by Roger Dean (known for his designs for Yes, Asia or the logo of the Virgin label) based on the fourth song, "Harry The Earwig" whose home is printed on the cover ( "Harry the earwig / was a bug strange / He wore a sword / and rode a caterpillar ... "). The good reception from critics encouraged Honeybus components to re-record the training and original name, but yes, as a plan of study. They recorded several singles and an album that was never published ( "Recital"), assuming the project finally finished in 1973. In 1989 and discontinued on disk Pete Dello and being highly sought after by collectors, the label See For Miles Records released a new edition of "Into Your Ears ... Plus, the plus referring to the addition of two songs from the single 1969 under the name Magic Valley, plus two previously unreleased 1972, the wonderful "Here I Only" and the beautiful ballad "Madame Chairman Of The Committee" that closes this disc (appeared also included in the comprehensive compilation Honeybus "She Flies Like A Bird "in 1982).
Convinced that "I'm A Gambler" was a great song and following are their particular game again republished in 1973 under the pseudonym of Red Harring and in 1975 as Magenta. In 1976 a new version by Dello of success "I Can not Let Maggie Go" was used for a TV commercial about a brand of bread. Finally decided to retire from the music commercially and used for teaching.
In 2002 the festival makers Pete Dello Felipop invited to participate in this year's edition, who was joined by his teammate Colin Hare (another in the list of illustrious claim). Were warmly welcomed by the public, and was the start of a collaboration with officials of the exquisitely seal Hanky Panky Records that resulted in the launch in 2005 of a new edition of the disc, with the original title but with a deluxe presentation and ten songs as bonus tracks, including singles released under pseudonyms, plus three songs totally unprecedented, "Texas Candy", "Hold Up, Fold Up" and the original model of the face A Honeybus first single, "Delighted To See You ". In 2006 they released for lovers of vinyl in a limited edition double LP (applause and congratulations for the love and the quality with which they conduct their issues).
Finally, a statement by Pete Dello own touches to it provides a better understanding of their attitude to fame, with a last sentence that I particularly like: "I never thought of being famous, I have no wood star. I had more worries than getting on the altar of fame ".

I'm A Gambler "

Pages you visit most often for this review ( "weblografía?)

- SonicWave
- Alohapoprock
- Honeybus home page
- In search of lost vinyl