Kilgore Trout, Django Reinhardt, Tom Waits, Prince, Milan Kundera, sea chanties, Holst's Planets, geology, biography, Jelly Roll Morton, Coltrane, Johnny Cash, Billie Holiday, John Lennon, Dylan Thomas, Anne Sexton, Mark Doty, No Means No, Nels Cline, Mooka Rennick, Bob Weston, Steve Albini, Will Oldham, Terry Gilliam, Louis Armstrong, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, backpacking, bicycles, coffee, Minor Threat, Drive Like Jehu, Devo, Death Valley, the high Sierras, Del Norte County, The Lost Coast, Ventana, Canyonlands, the ocean, my family, my friends
'Though his wistful vulnerability might cast Dylan Champagne as just another sensitive guy with guitar, his "New Equation" (Broke In Oakland BIO 0005) busts the stereotype to reveal a formidable and multi-faceted talent. Sensitive, sure. Dark and moody certainly. But for every moment where you envision the singer hunched over a beat-up acoustic guitar in his darkened bedroom, there are the luminescent moments of literate, even philosophical brilliance, deliciously-crafted hooks, and musical surprises ranging from the country-rock shamble of "The Majestic" to the prog punch of "Junk Parts". Champagne keeps the art of the album alive and kicking in this cohesive and compelling set of 9 songs.'
-Myles Boisen
NEW EQUATION hits Oakland underground on September 9th, 2008
