beatles, beach boys, kinks, elvis costello, neil young, burt bacharach, the who, the rolling stones, bob dylan, the brill building, motown, stax, david bowie, the zombies, the byrds, todd rundgren, the bee gees, america, abba and the rest...
Sounds Like
the kinks, the beatles, the beach boys, belle and sebastian, elliott smith
Our heroes met at University, where they were bitter rivals. Years later, they found themselves in New York City, beavering away in dusty corners of the Great Media Behemoth: J put in time at a literary agency and studied the mystical art of making records while slaving as a sound engineer at various hip recording studios about town, while A avoided sunlight as a film archivist and curator at a broadcasting museum. Both had unsatisfying tenures in doomed rock combos where they nevertheless honed their musical skills. Each fancied himself a songwriter in the classic pop mode and pursued the elusive art with uncommon zeal, resting only for massive infusions of film noir and comic books.
It was inevitable that they join forces and continue in the tradition of their idols Ray Davies, Elvis Costello, and Brian Wilson, i.e., churning out gem-like compositions with maddeningly infectious tunes and obscure lyrics while failing to deal with their crippling emotional problems.
Praise for the album, "The Well-Mannered Look" (2007):
"...extremely catchy, jangle-guitar pop with hooks that recall classic ’60s rock bands like the Kinks... On their latest album, The Well Mannered Look, Zombies of the Stratosphere offer a mix of smartly crafted and addictive songs." - NPR’s Second Stage 11/26/07
Host Robin Hilton says the title track "has one of the catchiest and most addictive melodies I’ve heard all year."
"Charming and wonderful...hook and harmony-filled...A grower...EXCELLENT!!!" -
Kool Kat Musik Click to buy!
From "Ruta 66" magazine (Spain):
"Todo ello trabajado con la delicadeza del artesano, probablemente madurado en reducidos estudios domésticos, para al final presentar un álbum cuyo disfrute es pleno. Que además se hace muy corto y reconcilia a uno con esa postura pro-pop currado, un tanto cerril pero orgullosamente mantenida. Una señora delicatessen, ciertamente, en la que conviven gustosamente –como es regla- lo ligeramente eléctrico con buenos arreglos orquestales y el siempre grato toque lisérgico."
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