May 10, 2009, 6pm
Skully’s Music Diner
1151 N. High Street
(614) 291-8856
$10 in advance / $12 at door
All Ages
The Dears
http://www.myspace.com/thedears
The Dears, a loose collective of Montreal-area musicians formed in 1995, are led by the charismatic Murray Lightburn. Citing Serge Gainsbourg as a major influence, the band combines cabaret-style vocals with a moody, intense brand of orchestral pop/rock. Lightburn’s vision for the band is to create music out of real emotions, often giving his performances the feel of a musical therapy session. Given the level of intensity that this vision can require, it’s not surprising that the Dears have endured numerous member defections, including a guitarist, drummer, and two bass players. The Dears released their debut CD, End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story, on Grenadine Records in 2000. In early 2001, the band entered the studio to record the follow-up, tentatively titled Deuxième Partie, and in 2004, the critically acclaimed full-length No Cities Left was released.Lightburn and longtime Dears keyboardist Natalia Yanchak were married the following year, and in 2006 the band released the stripped-down Gang of Losers, followed by Missiles in 2008. - ©1992-2008 All Media Guide, LLC
Great Northern
http://www.myspace.com/greatnorthern
The Los Angeles-based quartet Great Northern creates a shimmering, folk-influenced style of dream pop that’s anchored with just enough of a rock & roll heart to keep it from floating off into the ether. The heart of the band is singer/songwriter Solon Bixler, who had been raised in a classical music environment as the son of a composer and conductor, but whose primary earlier musical experiences were as guitarist for the alt-rock band 30 Seconds to Mars (featuring pretty boy actor Jared Leto on lead vocals) from 2000 to 2003, followed by a stint in the Grandaddy-influenced psych pop outfit Earlimart. After writing and recording a series of demos while on the road with Earlimart, Bixler solicited lyrics and vocals from his friend Rachel Stolte, a singer, keyboardist, and occasional actress who had formerly been lead singer of the late-’90s post-hardcore outfit Whirlpool. Recruiting drummer Davey Latter (who had played with Bixler in Earlimart) and bassist Ashley Dzerigian (following an abortive stint with the Silversun Pickups’ Brian Aubert on bass) to complete the band, Great Northern began gigging around Los Angeles in 2005 while completing the songs that would make up their first album. Following a pair of low-profile self-released demo EPs, Great Northern signed with the indie Eenie Meenie Records in the summer of 2006 and began recording their debut with producer Mathias Schneeberger. Trading Twilight for Daylight was released in the spring of 2007. - ©1992-2008 All Media Guide, LLC
Eulogies
http://www.myspace.com/eulogiesmusic
As a solo artist, singer/songwriter Peter Walker mixed mellow pop songs with alt-country flourishes. The L.A.-based musician issued two solo albums, 2004’s Landed and 2006’s Young Gravity, before enlisting the help of bassist Tim Hutton and drummer Chris Reynolds in order to play the material live. The three soon realized that their bond extended beyond the confines of Walker’s solo recordings, and Eulogies were launched in 2007 as a more collaborative project. The band signed with Walker’s existing label, Dangerbird Records, and issued a self-titled debut in September 2007, supporting its release shortly thereafter with a fall tour alongside Film School. Walker wrote new material for a sophomore album while on the road, but Hutton left before recording could commence, and drummer Garrett Deloian joined in his place. Meanwhile, Drew Phillips climbed aboard to handle additional guitar duties, making Eulogies a newly expanded quartet. The band issued an EP, Tempted to Do Nothing, in late 2008, followed in April 2009 by the full-length Here Anonymous. - ©1992-2008 All Media Guide, LLC