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Kevin Ream and Mikael Naramore were twelve years old when they first met in rural Michigan. Despite different interests and aspirations, the two had been raised in very musical households, were commonly addicted to rock n roll, and so became fast friends. Over the years and several moves across the country, the two collectively and individually formed bands and experimented with recording.
By early Spring 2006, pianist Naramore had persuaded guitarist Ream to leave the rural sancutary of central Michigan for Portland, Oregon in order to finish up a series of home recordings affectionately dubbed "The Vaccines", find the perfect rhythm section, and pursue the music career full time.
Internet classifieds forum Craigslist provided an easy means of finding that dream rhythm section, and drummer and Wisconsin native Kent Sisson joined up followed quickly by bassist Kevin Levy who spent his youth making waves in the Hollywood, CA scene. Sisson's schooled, groove-oriented approach juxtaposed by Levy's melodic, McCartney-esque fingerstyle melded seamlessly with the dynamic collaborations of Naramore and Ream. After a short three weeks of rehearsing in the basement, the boys were already playing in Portland's top rock hotspots.
One would be hard pressed to find four people with more different tastes and musical styles... yet somehow a sweet, common ground is reached upon the first sign of noise. The Greenpines are rooted in British blues, American folk, and psychedelica both modern and classic -- a solid foundation which yeilds to the specific needs of each track while lending an air of curious cohesion. Regardless of production technique or particular performance, the songs remain the stars of the show.
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