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V A N I L L A
Vanilla is a musical project and a record and a band. Made up of veteran musicians from Tacoma, WA, Vanilla features Jayson Jarmon and Scott McPherson (formerly the principal songwriters of Liar's Club), Sean Gaffney, and Dana Sims (The Jet City Fix). The project also features a combination of players who make up the "Tiny-Vanillacano Club" family of Tacoma pop bands -- members of Vanilla, Tiny Volcano, and Liar's Club.
This record is available for purchase at:
vanillaband.com
CDBaby
NotLame Records
Apple ITunes
R E V I E W S
BRAND NEW: From Plug In Music
It is a power pop overload with Vanilla’s self-titled album! The Tacoma, Washington-based band are all about taking chances with a squeaky clean sample of “Good Morning” (from “Singin’ In The Rain”) on “Black Saturday” before putting their own parental advisory deserving twist on it, while “Teach Your Parakeet To Talk” offers a Ween-style country tune... Vanilla is big and full.
NEW:
From Mike Bennett, Fufkin.com
"This band is full of ideas...mixing some pure pop with a penchant for mischief. At their best, Vanilla is sublime. This is certainly true of the uplifting yet sarcastic soft pop gem
"Black Saturday", where the band blends Association-smooth harmony vocals with bitter lyrics, culminating in a great psych-pop guitar-and-horns coda. Another highlight, though a tad misanthropic, is the opener "Bangalore," where an office dullard is deep-sixed and his job sent to India. You may sing along, though you may feel a tad guilty. There is no guilt attached to the shimmering power pop perfection of "Cabernet" -- this reminds me a bit of XTC (think "Peter Pumpkinhead" mixed with...something else?)...Winning melodies and strong backing vocals."
From TooPoppy
"Looking for a way to re-visit Wings-era 70's rock? Vanilla has released their self-titled debut album and it sounds exactly as if you discovered a new band from 1977. They capture a nice variety in their seemingly limitless palatte of rock stylings. This is one to explore..."
From Kirk Adams, Hypnopotamus.com
"An awe-inspiring CD ...excellent powerpop reminiscent of the best of the 1970's."
From Kip Gasparick, Rocksellout.com, Green Bay, Wisconsin
"Vanilla is from Tacoma, WA and feature former members of Liar’s Club, Tiny Volcano and The Jet City Fix. If you’re a fan of American Power Pop, you really need to check this band out. Popping this self-titled jangley gem in my CD player this morning was the best breakfast I had all week.
Remember when I mentioned I felt like returning to what was familiar? This CD was exactly what I needed. The listening experience was like a collage of all the bands I hold near and dear: The Beatles, Beach Boys, Cheap Trick, Jellyfish, XTC…I think you get the picture.
Stop by the band’s MySpace and download the songs they’re offering. I hope you find them as enjoyable as I did this morning."
From Organ Magazine, London
"More McCartney’s Wings than McCartney’s side of The Beatles, comfortable XTC, mellow hints of ELO, Tom Petty, maybe even a hint of laid back Pink Floyd gentleness in those pleasant guitars. Fourteen tracks linked together with refined Sgt Pepper-style psychedelia. Intelligent dignified adult orientated pop/rock with some considerable depth to it – laced with hooks and harmonies and just a really good, intelligent refined impressive album."
From Robert Pally, Swissrecords (our best translation)
"Vanilla will seem like an old friend, at least to fans of American powerpop and Indie-pop. One of the three singers is Scott McPherson, the leader of Tiny Volcano, along with Jayson Jarmon, who was in Liar’s club (by the way McPherson was the other singer and songwriter of that quartet). The third singer in this federation is Sean Gaffney, formerly of the Eccentric Souls. All three are equally great singers. The Beatles and the Beach Boys are the starting point & then add some ELO, Cheap trick and Slicky Boys. On their self-titled debut, Vanilla has a solid footing – the usual Pop music is served up on a higher level. All four of them (Dana Sims is playing the Drums) make passionate music, and that’s a great benefit."
From Powerpopaholic
"...One of the best albums this year came from a band called "Vanilla." Yep. That's the name. Fortunately, the music is not so vanilla, but a great mix of jangley AM radio rock flavors. If you liked the Beatles, Squeeze, Tom Petty and Cheap Trick, you'll love this flavorful scoop. Alright, enough with the ice cream metaphors.
"Bangalore" is a be true-to-your-school styled guitar tune, about outsourcing. "Black Saturday" is overflowing with XTC-isms and truly inspiring. "Liar's Club" has a early Alan Parson's Project meets Bread vibe. "Valentine" is another great tune that bounces along a Beatlesque beat.
It's a great CD done by a group of like-minded power poppers, Jayson Jarmon from Liar's Club, Scott McPherson of Tiny Volcano and Haste, Dana Sims of Jet City Fix, and Sean Gaffney.
Just get it already! For sale at NotLame.com and Itunes."
From Bruce Brodeen, Not Lame Recordings
"Exciting new arrival from a mini-power pop super group that features Jayson Jarmon from Liar's Club, Scott McPherson of Tiny Volcano and Haste and Dana Sims of Jet City Fix. The sound here is progressive power pop perfection, a true pop tapestry mixing sly elements of Jellyfish, XTC, mid/late 80's Elvis Costello, McCartney Wings-era, Wondermints and Jon Auer. Even a bit of Pink Floyd [in the song "Black Saturday"]. With its layered vocals, rich production style and bold artistic vision, Vanilla is one of the year's most original, striking releases!!"
From David Bash, International Pop Overthrow
"Eclectic is a good thing. The Beatles and the Beach Boys were influenced by so many different things, and their albums, particularly those of the Beatles, were quite varied in sound and styles. Vanilla is carrying on that tradition, which had otherwise gone by the way of the dinosaur (or more appropriately, by the way of the 12" vinyl). Bravo!!"
From Will Harris, Bullz-Eye (4 Stars)
"If digging a good pop album is a crime, then put the cuffs on me and drag my ass away…and as long as you’re doing that, you’d better stick to procedure by bagging and tagging Vanilla’s debut album as evidence. (I’d like it back after the trial, please.)
...Once you’re done spinning Vanilla’s debut, you’ll be wanting to check ‘em out, but that might be a while. Opening track “Bangalore” borrows liberally from the Bay City Rollers’ “Saturday Night” in its arrangement, “Valentine” sounds like it could’ve been an Archies song, except it actually feels like it has some substance to it, and “Cabernet” is full-on power pop.
The biggest crime committed by most underground pop bands is falling into a rut, and all of their songs end up blending together, but Vanilla’s pedigree all but ensures that doesn’t happen here. There’s a little psychedelia to “Black Saturday,” a surf flair to “Don’t Turn Away,” and even a vaudeville/music hall sound to “Johnny Walker.” Lastly, any concern about it being all fluff and no substance is washed clean by closing with a bluesy shuffle about divorce called “Fuck It All.”
From Kool Kat Musik
"Like The Doll Test, another new band of old, familiar faces emerges from the Pacific Northwest! And, given the band's pop pedigree, you have every right to expect some great results! Its members include Scott McPherson (Tiny Volcano/Haste/Liar's Club), Jayson Jarmon (Liar's Club), and Dana Sims (Jet City Fix)! Jangly delivered in a sugar-sweet, Beatles/Jellyfish/Wondermints-like manner throughout, just like their previous incarnations! Chock full of hooks, wonderful harmonies, and tight, top-notch playing throughout! GREAT!!!"
From Powerpopulist
"Tacoma mini-supergroup Vanilla have brought forth a smart, catchy self-titled album that rewards both casual and closer listening. The layering goes deeper than vocals merely as sound and production. Oh, don’t worry, you will love what you hear. You will tap, smile, let the fun proceed apace. You need it, I need it. Listen more closely, though, to these tales of outsourced dislocation, deception (of others and of self), and attempted redemption, and you’ll better understand another day in the life in the age of terra. I don’t want to spoil the party, so I’ll go. No disappointment at all, though, with this excellent album."
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