Cat Stevens, Neil Young, The Band, Richard Thompson, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Zombies, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Travis, David Bowie, Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, Elliot Smith, Jeff Buckley, Joao Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, XTC, Jon Brion, George Harrison, Big Star, Mark Knopfler, Tom Waits, Chopin, Satie, Rufus Wainwright, Fiona Apple, The Fingers, Polly Paulusma, Divine Comedy, Brian Wilson, Joni Mitchell.
"I just love the compositions, I love the subtlety of this music, it's a great trio -- and I think people are going to like it."
David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle on KQED Radio, "The Do List" 10.2.09
June 2009 marked a milestone in a long musical journey for Bay Area-based trio The Echo Falls when the band brought its potent blend of indie-rock meets acoustic singer/songwriter music to San Francisco's Cafe Du Nord, opening for Gary Jules.
The Echo Falls may have started when at the tender age of four, Alex Mandel strummed his father’s 1948 Martin guitar on his lap and Dave Brandt banged on empty cans at the Brookline reservoir. Years later, more seeds were planted when David Arend contributed double bass to Mandel’s songs as they jammed in a Victorian they shared as students at Oberlin College in Ohio.
In fact, The Echo Falls was born six years ago when the three musicians gathered in their living rooms in the San Francisco Bay Area. No amps, no microphones – just that same Martin, an upright bass and bow, a vintage Gretsch set, vibes and a remarkable collection of songs. With natural chemistry, exploration, and time, the band became something greater than the sum of its parts. The three musicians brought their diverse musical experience to these informal gatherings.
Mandel's previous band, The Fingers, released three albums of his songs and performed at The Fillmore, Great American Music Hall and Cafe Du Nord. His songs were praised by the San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian, who declared: “There’s no better launching pad than Mandel’s works of pop-smithery." Mandel has scored short films for Pixar Animation Studios, most notably "Your Friend the Rat" on the Ratatouille DVD (Best Animated Short Subject, Annie Awards 2008) which featured a 16 piece orchestra. For The Echo Falls, Mandel brought a collection of his most intimate songs, and a fluid guitar playing style that recalls Mark Knopfler and Richard Thompson.
Drummer Dave Brandt's subtle understated drumming and impressionist vibes reflect his experiences in the improv, free jazz and Afrobeat scenes where he has performed with Oghene Kologbo (Fela Kuti Afrika 70), Mushroom, Butch Morris and Ralph Carney (Tom Waits).
David Arend's stand-up bass parts reflect his Juilliard training, current work with the San Francisco Symphony and electro-acoustic collaborations with composer Mason Bates and the Acá trio. He has worked with Ornette Coleman, Bobby McFerrin, Mark O'Connor and classical giants including Kurt Masur, Gidon Kremer, Renée Fleming and Anne-Sophie Mutter. David's bowed solos and textures are simply unique.
The band’s first show opening for Brett Dennen in 2006 at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco was a success and convinced the band it was time to record. The Echo Falls recorded the album themselves using a laptop in a variety of places including a studio and their homes. Still, the album sounds and feels cohesive, thanks in no small part to the stunning mixes of Sean Beresford who mixed the album on weekends while recording Third Eye Blind's new record during the week. The artwork is by local artist Jason Munn (aka The Small Stakes) whose design captures the dualism and tensions of the album’s themes.
Mandel's lyrics reflect the perplexities of becoming an adult in the 21st century moving "at a pace that cannot be sustained/and it isn't going to last (“Fire Down Below”).” The theme continues in “Watchtower” -- "I had a dream/I had a nightmare/you were in both of them" and “You Still Have it All” which proclaims "You're the pretty face on the screen/you're the bullet in the magazine...you're the nightmare and the dream/the climax and the scream." Still, the album lyrics suggest a hopeful path through their depictions of fatherhood (“Little One”), love (“Love Over Time”) and carrying on in the face of adversity (“Road to Parnassus”, “There is Time Enough”).
The Echo Falls' music recalls California’s halcyon days of early 70's singer-songwriters, but there is something new here - a unique sound the band has discovered through years of exploration. After the 2009 show opening for Gary Jules at Du Nord, Mandel observed, “We felt like we found something special we’d been keeping to ourselves, nurturing and enjoying for a long time. We didn’t know what the response would be, but it was very satisfying. It made us want to perform more and share the music with anyone who might relate to it.”
With Mandel’s instantly likeable vocals, thoughtful lyrics and the band’s memorable and tuneful songs, this should prove to be many more than a few listeners.
We're trying to get airplay on Triple J Radio, so if you like our music we have decided to give a free download @ http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=14312 or just click on the banner below. And we ask you in return if you can rate & leave a review of our tunes as these two things are what they will be looking at when deciding. We'd really appreciate it!
thank you so much for the add! if you could spare a few moments of your time and listen to my music, i would really appreciate it...and it would probably make my day :)
Click this link for Jenna Nicholls album "Curled Up Toes in Red Mary Janes"
"Just as unhurried as it is precious and reflective. The atmosphere is serene; you’ll pick
every word that is uttered and find a world that normally goes at a million miles an hour
slow to a relaxing canter. "
Hey family. I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits. The song, "Just Stop," I wrote with my students on Tuesday about what happened at Virginia Tech on Monday. I recorded it today and finished mixing it just now...here it is in the raw. The students in my guitar class at Berkeley's John Muir Elementary School came up with the lyrics (see here). It's for free download at myspace.com/hyim. If you like it, feel free to send the song around.
