 |
|
at a glance...
Hometown: Modesto, CA
Debut: 1996
Personnel:
Jason Lytle -guitars, keys, vocals
Aaron Burtch -drums
Kevin Garcia -bass, vocals
Tim Dryden -piano, keys
Jim Fairchild -guitar
Notes:
A group of young Californians bent on combining skate culture and hillbilly chic, Modesto's Grandaddy released their first album, Under the Western Freeway on Seattle's Will Records in late 1997. Their oddball tendencies tempered by a love of Neil Young and classic pop grabbed the attention of critics, and earned "Single of the Week" honors from the NME for "Summer Here Kids." After they finished second album, The Sophtware Slump, Grandaddy mischievously mailed a tape of outtakes to their new major-label paymasters at V2, creating a minor panic in the office before they sent along the real deal. Gigs preceding the album's release were met with significant excitement both in the U.S. and Britain, and The Sophtware Slump was widely tipped as one of the biggest releases of 2000.
|
|
 |
|
Grandaddy
Under The Western Freeway
Will Records, Released 1997
|
|
|
 |
|
Under the Western Freeway is a beautiful summer soundclash, the kind of record you'll be dreaming of next May. It opens with the warped chorale prelude of "Nonphenomenal Lineage," which sounds like the intro-tape Queen would have used if Captain Beefheart had been their tour manager, and closes with several minutes of cricket noise tacked onto a pretty piano coda ("Lawn & So On"), which is both daft and appropriate at the same time. Daft, because cricket noise isn't music, unless you're The Orb. Appropriate, because this album sounds like a hot summer night, and so do crickets.
In between is a collection of warm weather melodies, set to metronomic grooves and sung in a cracked voice that's definitely spent too much time in the sun. There are blasts of enthusiasm ("Summer Here Kids") and whimpers of despair ("Why Took Your Advice"), but mostly there is a peaceful, wistful perspective that only short sleeves after dark can bring. "Laughing Stock," "Go Progress Chrome" and "Lawn & So On," stand out for their rich melodies, but there are no wrong turns on this album. Take it for a long walk.
If you like Grandaddy, check out:
Grandaddy The Sophtware Slump
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds
The Cars The Cars
The Flaming Lips Zaireeka
-- jf
Ink Blot Home
about | archives | contact | links
Copyright © 1997-2002 Ink Blot Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
|
 |
|
|
