The garage is scattered with rows of old keyboard instruments and
guitars. Some are rescues from the Goodwill, others encased in
inch-thick Guitar Center gloss. Crumpled horn charts are a pile of
papers littering a nightstand beneath a framed hologram of the Last
Supper (one of three in a set behind a couple of overturned drum sets).
The pieces of a broken Phrenology head sit in a plastic CD tower
awaiting a tube of
glue. The room looks as if evrything in it panicked all at once and
suddenly came to rest.
Now and then when the sun comes through the cracks, the garage
looks the way a Through the Sparks record sounds. All of this is on
every song.
When Through the Sparks recorded their first full-length release,
sessions were constantly interrupted by floods in the studio due to an
adjacent swimming pool built on higher ground. Moving around twice and
finally mixing in other Birmingham studios, they were able to complete
Lazarus Beach, which was released in May of 2007.
The band relocated its Alamalibu Studios to the garage basement of
Through the Sparks singer Jody Nelson's recently acquired home in east
Birmingham, Ala.
After the first hard rain, the 80-year-old basement was full of more
than 60 gallons of water. The band moved all of its soggy equipment
into the back of a paint truck and fixed the three pin-sized holes
where the rain came in. Later, the water turned up in a puddle in the
middle of the room… more Dam-Tight on the floor, then in another spot,
steaming around the furnace. It always finds somewhere else to go.
Put the carpets outside. More Dam-Tight. Call the piano-tuner, dry out
the organ. Turn off the drier. Record more music. Fetch that shaker
out from underneath that mess of broken lawnmowers. Move that piano
out of here... it's a piece of shit. Get a piano.
All of this aside, recording records in garages has its advantages.
You're on your own time, and doing what sounds good is what gets
done... as opposed to right or wrong according to the guy at the
bona-fide studio who used to run cables for Molly Hatchet back in the
'70s.
But, Through the Sparks doesn't play what has become known as garage
rock. Self-taught, but well-learnt, the five core members of Through
the Sparks are Nelson, Greg Slamen, James Brangle and brothers Thomas
and Nikolas Mimikakis. Everyone plays just about everything, but the
band often brings in Chad Fisher and Gary Wheat to take up the slack
on horns. The occasional string section might be seen waiting in the
driveway for the door to grind its way open. Back-up singers are
called in now and then. Live, the lineup has expanded to include as
many as 14.
Instead of the Stooges, think the Basement Tapes, without the olde
world camp… or Steely Dan with it. (Then again, not on an entirely
different planet from the Stooges, either.) Imagine Burt Bacharach
writing songs for Los Lobos, but with the youthful energy of 1960s
psychedelia. Think album-era, country Grateful Dead, or
Lennon-McCartney's R&B, but with a Bowie-Reed swagger... all of this
accompanying somehow Southern songs. Pitchfork Media said in their
review of Lazarus Beach, "Lazarus Beach is a sophisticated sprawl of
sound and songs, with elements of power pop, 70s singer/songwriter,
prog, indie guitar rock, and even some smooth southern soul."
This is modern American songwriting and music production. While
covering a lot of ground, they make sure that the moment a song comes
on, you'll know it's Through the Sparks. Production is somehow clear,
but echoic, ethereal but bright, standing on a modern-quality low-end.
The band is currently at Alamalibu recording its follow-up to Lazarus
Beach and planning tours for 2008.
Reviews for Lazarus Beach
"Lazarus Beach is a sophisticated sprawl of sound and songs, with
elements of power pop, 70s singer/songwriter, prog, indie guitar rock,
and even some smooth southern soul."
-Pitchfork
“The sterling indie pop of Lazarus Beach is a welcome breath of fresh air from a band that clearly loves music without pretense or posturing. Each track is finely tuned to appeal to the music geek in every listener, full of bouncy, loping piano melodies and softly-muted horns that support verbose, clever lyrics.”
-Paste Magazine Online / Band of the Week
"...sure to be one of the most satisfying records all year."
-Alarm
"Hard to pigeonhole but easy to appreciate, Through the Sparks are a bright star ready to shine for the right audience."
-PopMatters
"Lazarus Beach is a huge triumph..."
-Southeast Performer
"Remember the name Jody Nelson, because you'll soon be hearing it mentioned with the likes of Jeff Tweedy, Ron Sexsmith, and A.C. Newman."
-Quick Before It Melts
"This is a 2007 favorite of mine, definitely."
-Sound Machine Dream
"Brimming with indie zeal and uncanny illustrations, the 13 tracks resonate with guitar-and-piano pop that is meticulously crafted and peppered with imagery..."
-Glide Magazine
"…It's enough to make you regain faith in American music. It also helps that the music itself is easy on the ears: a thinking feller's mix of guitar and piano rock that's both down-home and sophisticated."
-3hive
"When the intricate soundscapes and melancholy harmonies bring to mind Wilson's "Smile," Wilco's "Summerteeth" and the Waterboys' "This Is the Sea," it's happy slogging."
-GoodNewMusic.com
“lyrically clever and musically dense, the record always features something interesting to focus on...”
-Red Blondehead (blog)
“though the sentiments are dark and the faintly trippy production disquieting, the band still makes the music bright and even cheery, as though urging everyone to join in for one big apocalyptic sing-along.”
-Gibson Guitars.com
“[Through the Sparks] are mining that glorious territory of 70s pop/rock and adding a new level of world wariness to give their record a modern feel.”
-Upstatebeat.com
“With an other worldly musical camaraderie and tasteful sensibilities they maintain a perfect balance of grim playfulness, subtle depth and engrossing melody.”
-The Asheville Disclaimer
“They sound like they've been kicking out the jams … for years; consequently, their on-stage chemistry flows effortlessly.”
-Birmingham Weekly
Reviews for Coin Toss
“A delicate mélange of melodrama, suspense, and excitement. Odd visions laced with just enough grim, ironic humour … Delicious.”
-Evil Sponge
“Trippy music for smart people … Through the Sparks are a band with talent and imagination.”
-All Music Guide
“A jean jackets and painkillers record: hopeful yet pessimistic, hazy. An exceptional beginning for a band we should expect progressively greater things from.”
-Tiny Mix Tapes
“The perfect amount of grim humor.”
-Magnet
“It's a tragedy that so many folks are missing out on them.”
Red Blondehead (blog)
“The perfect beginning that any indie label or rock outfit could boast.”
-Smother.net
“Through the Sparks can weave some complex arrangements, and the sheer variety of instrumentation crammed into this mini-recording is worth a few pats on the back.”
-Southeast Performer
“Every moment of this band’s debut 6 song E.P. seems as well thought out as a dissertation, but one that you would want to read.”
-Earfood.net
“A roving band of vocalists chatter and coo in front of grand pianos, behind bouncing banjos, and over squishy synth lines that sound torn from a Tron sequel. You'll hear a band working together as a cohesive entity and what sounds like a song recorded solo into a child's toy boombox.”
-Tiny Mix Tapes
Thanks for the friend add When you get a chance check out my video Please rate and leave comments on the video's page on Youtube The comment box on my profile page is disabled SPAM the YOUTUBE page all you want =) If you spam PLEASE rate the video first
Hey, I've got a new acoustic demo up of my song "Snapshot Chronicles" up now. Feel free to listen, comment, and if you like it tell your friends. If not, that's cool too.
Feel free to use our page as a network to other musicians and venues to book gigs! Also keep us posted on show dates and we will get the word out! If you are about to release an album, let us know when it's available and we will let everyone know! Spread the word about Alabama Jam!
sparkies! just dropping by to tell you that I am still in love with your music! and by the way, I finally uploaded the full 10 songs, so there is plenty of new material... yours Tom
DON'T MISS MOGWAI PLAYING IN BIRMINGHAM FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! April 22, 2009 @ WORKPLAY All Ages Doors 8pm TICKETS - http://www.ticketbiscuit.com/workplay/BuyTickets.aspx?EID=29432
$100 BAR TAB GIVEAWAY! Text YAC to 95495 or log on to yourareacode.com and register to be entered to win. A new winner will be chosen every Friday! Good luck!
Win $100 Bar Tab Give-Away!!! Text YAC to 95495 or log on to YourAreaCode.com and register to be entered to win. A new winner will be chosen every Friday!! Good Luck!!
Had a blast last night, y'all. If the new songs wind up sounding half as good on record as they do live, you'd probably be better off cutting it straight to gold. Thanks again for letting us play. Love y'all.
Greetings! Pablo here, reporting from Inner Space to wish you Season's Greetings and a brief announcement: The New Pablo Album "Take Two" Is Here Now!!! - 16 tracks of sugar coated insanity - Please come back to my page to hear 4 new songs! The entire 16-track CD is available at: http://www.cdbaby.com/pablotunes2 Downloads also available on iTunes, Amazon, and all your favorite places... Thanks to all myspacers for your support and encouragement. love, Pablo (P.S. the new album is best appreciated on a higher plane....;))
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